The 7th annual Hangover event at 411 Motor Speedway on Saturday offered up great racing action in multiple classes. Fans witnessed Ray Cook claim the $4,000 first prize in the Super Late Model main event while Tyler Bare scored the win in the Crate Late Model division’s $1500 feature. Along with those races, fans were also treated to thrilling affairs in the Sportsman and Open Wheel Modified classes on a cool and blustery day at the Mitch and Tanya McCarter owned facility located in Seymour, Tenn.
Adam Mitchell was the Sportsman winner at the Hangover
Adam Mitchell proved to be the top of the class in the Sportsman ranks while K.C. Burdette edged Jimmy Owens in a photo finish to capture the Modified checkered flag.
Heath Alvey earned the pole position for the Sportsman feature by setting fast time in qualifying among the 15 cars on hand after he toured the 3/8 mile clay oval in 14.567 seconds. Mitchell, Zach Shannon, Brad Seagle, Nick Perry and D.J. Shannon rounded out the first three rows on the starting grid.
Mitchell used his outside front row starting spot to take the early lead when the green flag waved over the 25-lap feature race. Alvey, Seagle, Zach Shannon and D.J. Shannon followed the leader in the initial moments of the race.
The first of multiple cautions that would slow the event occurred just after the completion of the first lap. On that ensuing restart, Seagle moved around Alvey to take second and then began an assault to Mitchell for the top spot but the leader was able to fend off the challenge.
Another yellow flag on lap 4 allowed Zach Shannon to reclaim second on the following restart. He then closed on Mitchell in an attempt to take over the leadership of the race. However, another caution on lap 10 derailed those efforts.
The lap 10 restart saw the race experience its most intriguing moment when Seagle made a bold move to the outside as he attempted to once again move forward. However, the No. 31 machine spun sideways in the middle of turns one and two in front of oncoming traffic. Alvey, Josh Dietz and Shannon Reece were among those to be collected in the melee. Alvey was able to continue and would be re-placed in the third spot by track officials.
Mitchell took command after lap 10 and was able to maintain his position despite late cautions that allowed other drivers to close the gap. The No. 50 cruised under the checkered flag to earn $700 for the victory.
*On a side note, eventual third place finisher Josh Sneed proposed to his girlfriend on the track’s front stretch prior to the race. To the delight of the crowd, she accepted.
Feature Finish: 1. Adam Mitchell, 2. Zach Shannon, 3. Josh Sneed, 4. Heath Alvey, 5. Bryan Cooper, 6. Andrew Littleton, 7. Drew Deaver, 8. Shannon Reece, 9. Floyd Self, 10. Michael Ledford, 11. Sarah Patrick, 12. Nick Perry, 13. D.J. Shannon, 14. Brad Seagle, 15. Josh Dietz
KC Burdette won the Modified feature
In his first ever visit to 411 Motor Speedway back in November for ‘The Leftover’ West Virginia’s K.C. Burdette beat out three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Jimmy Owens to win the Open Wheel Modified feature. That result would be repeated in the running of ‘The Hangover’ on Saturday, but with a much closer finish.
Burdette started from the pole positions as a result of his qualifying run of 15.688 seconds. That time bested Owens, Clayton Miller, Shon Flanary, Lucas Lee and Aaron Branham to establish the first three rows of the 16 car field that would compete in this division’s main event.
Jimmy Owens finished second among the Modifieds
Burdette bolted out to the early lead at the start of the 25-lap feature, where he would stay for the first 14 laps. However, Owens looked as if he might turn the tables of the duos previous result when he took the lead on lap 15.
Owens held on to the top position during two late race cautions but Burdette proved that he was not yet ready to concede defeat when he regained the top spot on lap with a scant few lap to go in the event.
Owens battled back and made one last move as the two machines roared toward the checkered flag. Owens pulled up on the inside of Burdette on the front stretch but the No. 44 car edged the No. 4R by just .005 seconds to take the win and the $1,200 first prize.
Feature Finish: 1. K.C. Burdette, 2. Jimmy Owens, 3. Shon Flanary, 4. Aaron Branham, 5. Brad Hall, 6. Lucas Lee, 7. Clayton Miller, 8. Brandon Hutchinson, 9. Justin Houston, 10. Jamie Mosley, 11. A.J. Garber, 12. Brad Dyer, 13. Chad Yates, 14. Jay Sessoms, 15. Richard Clew, 16. Tim Patrick, 17. Billy Palmer
