Jensen Ford’s winning car.
The Volunteer Speedway opened its racing season on Friday night as part of a two race weekend featuring the Ray Cook promoted Spring Nationals for Super Late Models. But along with that event, the track also hosted a Crate Late Model feature.
With 15 cars signed in for competition, the field was set entirely through qualifying. Piney Flats, Tenn. driver Jensen Ford posted the fastest time with a lap of 14.213 seconds around the high banked track to beat out Tim Maupin, Heath Alvey, Warren McMahan and Josh Henry.
At the start of the feature, Ford bolted to the early lead but a lap 2 caution would bring the field back together. However, on the ensuing restart, Ford set sail and went about the business of building a comfortable margin.
Maupin was able to stay within shouting distance of the leader but the real action was taking place from the 3rd position on back.
From the outset, Alvey, McMahan, Henry and Greg Martin staged a furious battle that saw racing in two and three wide formations seem commonplace throughout much of the event. Those drivers frequently swapped positions as they battled in and out of lapped traffic.
A lap 19 caution brought the field back together once again only to see Ford once again get away on the restart with Maupin trying to keep pace. Still, the four car battle for position just behind the lead duo raged on with more two and three wide action.
At the completion of the 30-lap event, Jensen Ford took the win followed by Tim Maupin. Warren McMahan emerged from the battle just behind the leaders to claim 3rd followed by Martin, Alvey and Jerry Broyles. Henry suffered a flat tire on the last lap and fell back in the final rundown.
