Brandon Overton led flag-to-flag for the win
With just three races remaining on the 2017 Southern Nationals mini-series schedule, the tour made its way to middle Tennessee’s Crossville Speedway for a $3,500-to-win feature race. When the dust settled it was Brandon Overton who led the feature from flag-to-flag and drove into victory lane to receive the accolades of victory.
Overton led the way in Group A qualifying and overall by turning a lap in 12.257 seconds around the third-mile clay oval. He was followed by Craig Vosbergen who would also be locked into the feature via time-trials.
Donald McIntosh proved to be the fastest in Group B qualifying with a lap of 12.512 seconds. Billy Ogle, Jr. would earn his way onto the feature starting grid as a result of his qualifying efforts in that group.
Shanon Buckingham beat out Kenny Collins, Ben Nicastri and Matt Henderson in the lone heat race of the night.
At the start of the 35-lap main event, it was Overton who jumped to the lead right away with Vosbergen, McIntosh and Buckingham trailing. On the second lap, McIntosh employed a slide job maneuver to take the runner-up spot away from Vosbergen while Collins made his way around Ogle to nab the sixth position.
Buckingham moved to third on the fourth circuit as he got around Vosbergen. That move put the top-3 in the Southern Nationals standings in the top-3 positions on the track. Just behind the leading trio, it was an all Australian battle for fourth as Vosbergen was challenged by Nicastri.
Overton fully asserted his dominance of the race by lap 7 as he built his lead to a full straightaway over McIntosh, who was edging away from Buckingham at the same time. Even after the leaders made their way into slower traffic no one could move forward to take on the leader.
However, battles were still being waged behind the front runner as Vosbergen reclaimed third from Buckingham on lap 16 then Nicastri slipped by Buckingham for fourth three laps later. Vosbergen briefly closed in on McIntosh in hopes of taking the second spot away but was ultimately unable to keep pace.
Overton pulled out to a lead of almost half the track by lap 24 in a race that would ultimately run caution free.
In the closing laps, Buckingham was able to regain fourth from Nicastri while Henderson wrested the sixth spot away from Ogle. In the end, however, it was Overton who cruised under the checkered flag for the win.
Feature Finish: 1. Brandon Overton, 2. Donald McIntosh, 3. Craig Vosbergen, 4. Shanon Buckingham, 5. Ben Nicastri, 6. Matt Henderson, 7. Billy Ogle, Jr., 8. Ryan King, 9. Heath Hindman, 10. Kenny Collins, 11. Rob Mayea, 12. Farrel Skelton, 13. Jason Walker, 14. David Doherty, 15. Cory Hedgecock
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