Jason Trammell was dominant in the Crate Late Model feature
As part of the Scott Sexton Memorial event, Volunteer Speedway hosted racing in the Crate Late Model class as part of the Friday night makeup of last weekend’s rained out affair. Jason Trammell earned the $1,500 first prize from the Bulls Gap, Tenn. facility as he took the checkered flag in what proved to be a sheet metal rubbing feature.
Matt Henderson led the way in qualifying among the 30 cars signed in for competition when he posted a lap of 13.226 seconds around the 4/10 mile clay oval. With the top-14 being locked into the feature via time-trials, the Loudon, Tenn. driver was joined by Trammell, Tim Maupin, Gary Crittenden, Jensen Ford, Jimmy Elliott, Ross White, Benji Hicks, Philip Thompson, Kenny Peeples, Josh Henry, Vic Chandler, Forrest Trent and Lynn Leach on the starting grid.
Tim Byrd and Tyler Arrington won the two B-main races used to set the remainder of the field for the main event.
Trammell used his outside front row starting spot to seize the early lead when the green flag waved over the 30-lap feature race. Henderson, Crittenden, Maupin and Elliott followed the leader during the initial laps. Maupin made the first move forward as he took third away from Crittenden on the second circuit while Hicks and White found themselves engaged in a side-by-side fight for sixth one lap later.
By lap 4, Trammell was pulling away from his pursuers, but the action was getting intense behind him. Crittenden, Elliott, Hicks and White found themselves locked in a tight battle for positions within the top-10 before White moved passed Hicks to claim sixth on the seventh lap.
Closer to the front, Trammell caught the tail of the field on lap 9 and began working his way around the slower cars. Henderson and Maupin not only battled the lapped cars but each other as well before Maupin took the runner-up spot on lap 12. That action allowed the fourth and fifth running machines of Crittenden and Elliott to close on Henderson to wage war for third.
However, a caution flag on lap 14 slowed the action briefly, but in reality would serve as a catalyst for even more intensity.
On the ensuing lap 14 restart, Maupin and Henderson banged off of each other coming to the green flag. That struggle continued through the backstretch until Maupin spun to bring out another yellow flag.
After everyone was replaced in their original positions, a second restart took place. Henderson bolted to second pushing Maupin back to third while Elliott captured fourth. Three laps later, Maupin would renew his battle with Henderson for the runner-up position. While that war was waged, Elliott moved in and began to challenge Maupin for third, which he would take on lap 20. One circuit later, Elliott would grab second away from Henderson.
The yellow flag waved again on lap 22 when the top-10 running car of Thompson crashed on the front stretch.
On the lap 22 restart, Trammell once again pulled away as the pack jumbled behind him. Maupin fell back as sheet metal was exchanged by multiple drivers. Elliott eventually moved around Henderson to take second but no one would deny Trammell as he crossed under the checkered flag to claim the winner’s prize.
Feature Finish: 1. Jason Trammell, 2. Jimmy Elliott, 3. Matt Henderson, 4. Gary Crittenden, 5. Benji Hicks, 6. Tim Maupin, 7. Josh Henry, 8. Vic Chandler, 9. Rusty Ballenger, 10. Tim Byrd, 11. Ross White, 12. Kenny Peeples, 13. Greg Huskey, 14. Bryson Dennis, 15. Tyler Arrington, 16. Cameron Skinner, 17. Lynn Leach, 18. Adam Tollivar, 19. Nick Dohm, 20. John Llewellyn, 21. Jensen Ford, 22. Philip Thompson, 23. Forrest Trent, 24. Brandon Miller
In other action, Jordon Horton beat out Matt Tharp, Brad Seagle, Cody Smith and Andy Ogle to win the Sportsman feature while Brad Davis bested Chris Rickett and Austin Atkins to win in the Modified Street division.
Jordon Horton got the Sportsman win on Friday
