Along with the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series race held at 411 Motor Speedway on Saturday night, the Mitch and Tanya McCarter owned facility staged racing in the Limited(Steel Head) Late Model and Sportsman Late Model classes as well. Chase King and Jed Emert came away from the Seymour, Tenn. track with victories and handsome payouts in those respective classes at the end of the night.
Chase King led all 30 laps of the Limited Late Model feature
King set the pace early on in the Limited Late Model division as he established the fast time in qualifying among the 10 cars signed in for competition when he turned a lap of 14.119 seconds around the 3/8 mile clay oval. He along with Jason Cardwell, Trevor Sise, Ruben Mayfield, Cory Hedgecock and Ellery Leake would comprise the first three rows on the starting grid for the feature.
The initial attempt to start the 30-lap main event for the Limited Late Models almost proved to be a disaster for King as he and Cardwell had contact going into turn three. As a result of that bump, the pole sitter was sent for a spin, but was not hit by any other car. Track officials simply re-set the field as they had started since no green flag lap had been completed.
Once the race got underway without interruption, King went immediately to the front with Cardwell, Sise, Hedgecock and Mayfield in pursuit. Hedgecock began a relentless effort to get around Sise that would continue throughout much of the distance.
King slipped away from his closest competitors and had a relatively comfortable advantage of five car lengths when a caution flag waved for debris on the backstretch at lap 9 of the race.
King went right back to the lead with Cardwell giving chase once green flag racing resumed. Hedgecock continued to harass Sise for third as Leake hounded Mayfield for the final spot within the top-5.
Finally on lap 23, Hedgecock moved around Sise to take over third but no one would catch King as he roared under the checkered flag to collect the $1,200 first prize.
Feature Finish: 1. Chase King, 2. Jason Cardwell, 3. Cory Hedgecock, 4. Trevor Sise, 5. Ruben Mayfield, 6. Ellery Leake, 7. Gary Crittenden, 8. Johnny Ridings, 9. Cameron Skinner, 10. Jerry Green
Chase King in victory lane with his grandparents
A total of 16 Sportsman Late Models signed in to compete for the $800 first prize being offered for that division’s feature winner.
Jed Emert led the way in qualifying as he timed in at 14.788 seconds to beat out Rex Coffey, Clyde Stanton, Cody Gloyne, Matt Steward and Andy Ogle.
At the start of the 20-lap feature Emert immediately began to flex the muscles of his No. 98 machine by taking the lead and immediately building on his advantage over the field. Ogle proved to be the earliest mover among the front runners as he took fifth away from Gloyne on the second lap of the race. Stanton also set about the task of attempting to wrest the runner-up position away from Coffey during the early laps.
Emert would maintain control throughout the middle stages of the event while Steward, Gloyne and Ogle fought over positions within the top-5.
The third running Stanton car was involved in a tangle with slower machines on lap 18 to bring out the race’s only caution flag and set the stage for a final dash to the finish. However, Emert would go unchallenged as he cruised under the checkered flag to take the $800 victory.
Feature Finish: 1. Jed Emert, 2. Rex Coffey, 3. Andy Ogle, 4. Matt Steward, 5. Zach Sise, 6. Bradley Lewelling, 7. Cody Gloyne, 8. Adam Mitchell, 9. Kevin Lewis, 10. Floyd Self, 11. Clyde Stanton, 12. James Cole, 13. Grant Corum, 14. Nicholas Shelton, 15. Isaac Boring, 16. Ray Walls
Jed Emert and car owner Steve Ritchey in victory lane
