After hosting a special event earlier in the year, the Volunteer Speedway kicked off its weekly racing season on Saturday with action in a total of six classes. Among those was the track’s featured, the Limited Late Models, as they rolled into the Bulls Gap, Tenn. facility for the first time in 2018 to serve as the headline class for the show. In the end, Eddie King, Jr. began his season by collected the points and the first prize money.
Austin Neely started the Limited Late Model feature from the pole
Austin Neely set the pace in qualifying when he blasted around the 4/10 mile clay dirt track in 13.481 seconds. Jason Trammell would line up on the starting grid for the feature alongside the pole sitter with Jordon Horton, Michael Smith and Anthony White following the front row starters to the green flag.
At the start of the 30-lap feature it was Trammell who bolted to the the early lead with Neely, Horton, Smith and Ruben Mayfield following on his rear spoiler. The intensity picked up immediately when Horton, Smith and Mayfield went three-wide on the second circuit as they fought over the third position with Smith emerging from that battle with the spot.
King began to make his move on lap 3 when he moved around Horton to grab fifth on lap 4 an then continued his surge as he took fourth away from Mayfield one lap later. In the meantime, the lead duo of Trammell and Neely escaped from their pursuers until a lap 7 caution slowed the action.
Jason Trammell led the early laps of the feature
On the ensuing restart, King swept by Smith to gain the third position while White moved into the top-5 by Horton. However, Horton returned the favor two laps later as he retook fifth then grabbed fourth away from Smith on lap 12.
Smith then brought out a yellow flag when he stopped on the backstretch on lap 13. White would be the next to suffer issues as he stopped on track on lap 15. During the caution period, the second running car of Neely came to the attention of his crew so that they could change a tire.
Trammell continued to lead during the middle stages of the race and looked like he might be cruising toward a victory. However, his car slowed with a flat tire to bring out a caution on lap 19.
Tammell’s misfortune proved to be King’s big break as he assumed the lead when the No. 90J car came to the pit area from a fresh tire. Horton, Eric Webber, Mayfield, Neely, Trammell and Smith filled out the running order behind the leader.
Over the closing laps, Horton took to the high side of the track in an attempt to wrest the lead away from King but the No. 39 machine eventually won the race to the checkered flag to capture the win ahead of Horton, Webber, Mayfield, Neely and Trammell.
Eddie King, Jr. holds off Jordon Horton(56) late in the feature
