With the 411 Motor Speedway having eliminated a couple of its regular classes, the track has been staging double features for those that remain on a rotating basis over the past few weeks. On Saturday night, it was the NeSmith Crate Late Models turn at racing twice on the Mitch and Tanya McCarter owned facility located in Seymour, Tenn.
Each race would pay $750 to the winner.
The format was set up so that each driver would be given two qualifying laps. The first of the two laps would determine the starting position for the first feature while the second lap would set the grid for the second race.
Ryan King and crew celebrate in the 411 victory lane.
2013 track champion Rusty Ballenger earned the pole for the first feature with a lap of 14.538 seconds in time-trials. Also earning top starting spots were Ryan King, Jake Teague, Marty Calloway and Brian Courtney.
At the start of the 20-lap feature, King went to the early lead as he left Ballenger and Teague in his wake to fight in out for 2nd. On lap 7, Teague would emerge from that battle with the spot.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Elliott, who started outside the top-6, began to move forward as he took the 4th position away from Calloway in the early going.
At the race’s midway point, King had stretched his advantage to almost the length of a straightaway. Meanwhile, Ballenger, Elliott, Calloway and Brad Coffey were engaged in a tight battle for 3rd while Teague tried valiantly to track King down.
However, no one would catch King. He went on to win the first of the double header over Teague, Ballenger, Elliott and Calloway.
Jake Teague was the winner of the second NeSmith feature of the night at 411.
Ballenger would again start from the pole in the second NeSmith Crate Late Model feature with Elliott, Teague, Justin Summers and King following him to the green flag.
At the start of the 20-lap Saturday night finale, Ballenger shot to the lead going into turn one but could not keep his car on the low side. When the #29 skated high, the door was opened for Teague to take the lead. However, a caution for the spinning Brett Ashley would slow the action just after the first lap was completed.
On the restart, King jumped to the 2nd position and looked as if he might be on his way to his second feature win of the night. On lap 9, King closed right to the rear spoiler of Teague’s car. However, the leader gained some separation when the two passed by a slower car just after the halfway mark.
A lap 19 caution for a spin involving the 3rd running Elliott gave King and the rest of the pack one last chance but Teague fought off the challenge to earn the victory. King lost the runner-up spot to Summers on the last lap while Ballenger followed just behind.
