Dakotah Knuckles led flag-to-flag for the Limited Late Model win
Volunteer Speedway began a new era on Saturday afternoon as Mitch McCarter and his team officially took over operation of the track they have leased from Joe and Phyllis Loven for the 2017 season. The Bulls Gap, Tenn. track offered up a full show of the weekly classes that will compete on a regular basis at the high-banked facility over the course of the season.
In the Limited Late Model class, it was Virginia’s Dakotah Knuckles who earned the checkered flag by going flag-to-flag in the feature race for that division.
Layne Clifton led the way in qualifying as he toured the 4/10 mile clay oval in 13.999 seconds. With the 17 car field to be set entirely by time-trials it would be Knuckles, Carder Miller, Mike Weeks and Ruben Mayfield who filled in the top-5 on the starting grid for the main event of the day.
At the start of the 25-lap feature, Clifton and Knuckles battled side-by-side for the better part of the first lap before the outside line eventually prevailed for Knuckles and the No. 21K machine assumed the top spot of the leader board. Soon afterwards, Knuckles inched away from the pack as Clifton fell back into a three-way fight for the runner-up position with Weeks and Miller.
Knuckles caught the tail of the field on lap 7 and began picking his way through the slower cars. At the same time, Miller began to apply pressure at the rear spoiler of the Weeks ride. Further back, Walker Arthur looked to move forward as he went to work on Mayfield for a position at the back of the top-5.
The race’s defining moment occurred on lap 13 as Weeks and Miller attempted to race side-by-side while also working around slower cars. As they went three-wide, Miller spun and collected the top-10 running car of Bobby Mays as well. Both Miller and Mays were eliminated from competition as a result of the accident.
Knuckles emerges from his car after his win
The race’s second and final caution waved just one lap after the restart from the lap 13 mishap when Greg Estes and Dale Ball spun in turn two.
After the feature returned to green flag racing, Knuckles once again assumed control of the race. The tightest battle over the closing laps was between Mayfield and Arthur as those two drivers exchanged the fourth spot.
At the finish, it was Dakotah Knuckles taking the win ahead of Layne Clifton, Mike Weeks, Walker Arthur, Ruben Mayfield, John Tweed, Hunter Best, Warren McMahan, Dale Ball and Greg Estes.
