David Crabtree led all 35 laps at 411
The Southern Nationals mini-series made its way to the 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn. to contest its second of ten races. When the dust settled, it was Maryville, Tenn. driver David Crabtree who walked away with the $3,500 fist prize and his first ever winner’s trophy from the Ray Cook promoted series.
Devin Gilpin was the fastest driver during Group A qualifying when he posted a lap of 13.543 seconds around the 3/8 mile clay oval. Also earning a spot in the dash race used to set the first two rows on the feature starting grid from this group was Robby Moses.
Donald McIntosh was the fastest in Group B qualifying and overall among the total of 31 cars when completed a lap in 13.495 seconds. Crabtree was the other driver to make the dash race out of this group.
Crabtree grabbed the pole position for the main event by winning the dash over McIntosh, Gilpin and Moses.
Vic Hill won the first heat race of the night over Craig Vosbergen after surviving and early crash that eliminated Ricky Weiss and Derek Ellis from the preliminary. Chris Brown beat out Skylar Marlar in the second heat of the night while Walker Arthur bested Shanon Buckingham in the third race. Cory Hedgecock finished ahead of Ross White in the final preliminary of the evening.
Crabtree blasted to the early lead at the start of the 35-lap feature with McIntosh, Gilpin, Hill and Brown following. At lap 3, McIntosh made an attempt to get under the leader but was held back, falling into the clutches of Gilpin, Brown and Hill.
Crabtree pulled away by five car lengths until the race’s fist caution slowed the action on lap 7. During the next green flag run, McIntosh began using a high line through the turns and appeared briefly to gain on the front runner.
There were intense battles behind the leader
However, another yellow flag waved on lap 12 for a flat tire on John Tweed’s machine. On the ensuing restart, Gilpin and Brown were able to move around McIntosh to claim the second and third spots respectively, leaving McIntosh to battle Hill for fifth.
Three successive cautions would slow the action over the next couple of laps until a final green flag run would settle the score. During that run, drivers such as Hill, Vosbergen and Walker Arthur staged and intense fight foe the final position within the top-5. Crabtree was able to negotiate slower traffic late in the race and keep his pursuers out of striking distance until he sailed under the checkered flag.
Crabtree celebrating his first SoNats victory
Feature Finish: 1. David Crabtree, 2. Devin Gilpin, 3. Chris Brown, 4. Donald McIntosh, 5. Vic Hill, 6. Craig Vosbergen, 7. Walker Arthur, 8. Cory Hedgecock, 9. Robby Moses, 10. Shannon Buckingham, 11. Stacy Boles, 12. Skylar Marlar, 13. Pierce McCarter, 14. David Doherty, 15. Ricky Weiss, 16. Brian Ligon, 17. Jordon Horton, 18. John Ownbey, 19. Ross White, 20. Bobby Giffin, 21. Gavin Landers, 22. Billy Ogle, Jr., 23. Jadon Frame
