Billy Ogle, Jr. drove this team car to Drew Kennedy at SMS.
Billy Ogle, Jr. is known as one of the top Super Late Model drivers in the east Tennessee region. As a matter of fact, the Knoxville driver just recently won the World of Outlaws Late Models Series feature at the Tazewell Speedway. But on Friday night at Smoky Mountain Speedway, the Knoxville driver proved he can also wheel a Limited Late Model car as he drove to victory in that class that served as support for the Southern All Stars headline event.
Trevor Sise set the pace in qualifying when he turned a lap of 16.136 seconds around the 4/10 mile clay oval. Anthony White, Dakotah Knuckles, Ross White, Ogle, Jason Welshan, Jason Manley, Brad Hall, Josh Collins and Bobby Giffin made up the top-10 in time-trials.
There were no heat races as the starting lineup for the feature was set entirely by qualifying.
At the start of the 25-lap feature it was Sise who got the jump on the pack and went to the early lead. Anthony White, Knuckles, Ross White and Ogle gave chase in the early going.
Anthony White applied heavy pressure to Sise in the first half of the race as Ogle moved up to the third spot and joined the battle for the top spot. At the same time, Knuckles led a pack that included Ross White, Manley, Welshan and David Crabtree.
The race’s most pivotal moment came on lap 16 when three of the top-4 runners were involved in a mishap. While attempting to lap a slower car, Sise, Anthony White and Ogle became entangled. Sise and White spun as a result while Knuckles also slid into the melee.
It was ruled by track officials that the caution was to be charged to the slower car of Andy Ogle so Sise was placed back at the front of the field. Anthony White retired from the event due to the damage he received in the wreck.
Ogle(37) passes underneath Sise for the lead.
When the action resumed, Sise led the way but Ogle moved up to offer relentless pressure on the leader. Finally, the team car to that being driven by Drew Kennedy was able to make the move to the lead on the 21st circuit.
Billy Ogle, Jr. drove on to the win over Jason Manley, Trevor Sise, Dakotah Knuckles, David Crabtree, Ross White, Josh Collins, Greg Martin, Jason Welshan, Brad Hall, Matt Henderson and Bobby Giffin.
Rex Coffey(3) takes the lead away from Kip Sawyer on the final lap.
In other racing action on Friday night, Rex Coffey passed Kip Sawyer on the last turn of the last lap to claim the Sportsman feature. Sawyer reported on social media that he ran out of gas because his team had forgotten to fill the car in their hast to replace a faulty radiator.
