InsideDirtRacing.com will be providing live updates from the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals sanctioned event at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, VA on Saturday evening, July 13, 2019. The updates will be provided by Richard Allen(@RichardAllenIDR on Twitter and @RichardAllenIDR on Instagram).
These updates are brought to you by Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. The next event coming to SMS will be the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals on July 16, 2019.
Classes in action: Southern Nationals for $10,000-to-win(53 laps) as well as the other classes.
*Please Note: These updates will focus solely on the Southern Nationals race.
General Information:
Weather is expected to be warm with little to no chance for rain.
The drivers meeting is slated for 7:00pm with hot laps to follow soon afterward.
This is the first of an 11-race mini-series that will take drivers and teams to five states over a two week stretch.
Casey Roberts was the 2018 Southern Nationals champion.
7:10- Drivers meeting underway.
8:10- Final track prep almost complete. Hot laps for all classes should begin shortly.
Photos: I often post photos and/or short videos on my @RichardAllenIDR Twitter account and my @RichardAllenIDR Instagram account if you would like to take a look.
Please also consider reading: Plans for the Southern Nationals coming into focus
Live Updates:
Southern Nationals
Car Count: 30 cars
Drivers Here: 1v- Vic Hill, 2- Brandon Overton, 2- Dennis Franklin, 4- Matthew Nance, 5- Corey Gordon, 6- Chris Blackwell, 7m- Donald McIntosh, 8- Kyle Strickler, 9- Johnny Pursley, 11G- Travis Greer, 16- Austin Horton, 17m- Dale McDowell, 18x- Michael Page, 22- Chris Ferguson, 29- Christian Hanger, 36v- Kyle Hardy, 42- Cla Knight, 55- Benji Hicks, 58- Tanner English, 58- Tyler Clem, 66- Jake Knowles, 79- Michael Brown, 81- Aaron Ridley, 86- Jeff Neubert, 87- Ross Bailes, D89- Dustin Mitchell, 94- Jason Miller, 18D- Daulton Wilson, 421- Anthony Sanders
Qualifying Results: Drivers will be divided into A & B groups for time-trials.
No driver will be locked in via qualifying.
Group A Results- 1. Brown(16.445), 2. Bailes, 3. Franklin, 4. Kinzer, 5. Knight, 6. English, 7. McIntosh, 8. Ridley, 9. Horton, 10. Mitchell, 11. Wilson, 12. Blackwell, 13. Neubert, 14. Miller, 15. Nance
Group B Results- 1. McDowell(16.593), 2. Strickler, 3. Overton, 4. Hardy, 5. Hicks, 6. Hill, 7. Page, 8. Knowles, 9. Sanders, 10. Clem, 11. Gordon, 12. Pursley, 13. Hanger, 14. Greer
Heat Race Results: All drivers will heat race and all will transfer to the feature.
Heat 1 Finish- 1. Brown, 2. Franklin, 3. McIntosh, 4. Wilson, 5. Knight, 6. Nance, 7. Neubert, 8. Horton
*Brown and Franklin exchanged the lead a couple of times with Brown regaining it for the final time with three laps to go.
Heat 2 Finish- 1. Bailes, 2. Kinzer, 3. Ridley, 4. English, 5. Mitchell, 6. Blackwell
*Kinzer took the early lead but Bailes moved around on lap 3.
Heat 3 Finish- 1. Overton, 2. McDowell, 3. Gordon, 4. Clem, 5. Hicks, 6. Knowles, 7. Hanger
*Some pretty intense racing between Overton and McDowell.
Heat 4 Finish- 1. Hill, 2. Hardy, 3. Page, 4. Strickler, 5. Pursley, 6. Sanders, 7. Greer
*Hill won a photo finish with a last lap pass. Page and Strickler battled hard for third.
B-main Results: No B-main.
Feature Notes:
Feature Lineup- 1. Brown, 2. Overton, 3. Bailes, 4. Hill, 5. Franklin, 6. McDowell, 7. Kinzer, 8. Hardy, 9. McIntosh, 10. Gordon, 11. Ridley, 12. Page, 13. Wilson, 14. Clem, 15. English, 16. Strickler, 17. Knight, 18. Hicks, 19. Mitchell, 20. Pursley, 21. Nance, 22. Knowles, 23. Blackwell, 24. Sanders, 25. Neubert, 26. Hanger, 27. Greer, 28. Horton
10:50- Feature rolling out. 53 laps for $10,000.
10:59- Four wide!
11:02- Green flag!
Lap 15 caution for Hanger slow on track. Overton had been dominating. Brown, McDowell, Hill, Bailes, Hardy, Page, Strickler, Franklin and McIntosh follow.
Brown pulled off under caution.
Lap 31- Overton still dominating. McDowell second. Third running Strickler just pulled off.
Lap 38 caution for Knight slow on track after his hood popped up. Overton has lapped up to the 10th place car. McDowell, McIntosh, Page, Hill, Hardy, English, Franklin, Knowles remain on lead lap.
Also, Greer broke just as the caution came out leaving a long trail of fluid around the track.
Bailes had been dropping back and has pulled off under this caution.
Caution out before a lap is completed for a flat right rear on third running McIntosh. Now Overton, McDowell, Page, Hill, Hardy, English, Franklin, Knowles.
McIntosh rejoins.
Lap 39 caution. Page spins then hits the turn 2 wall. Hill gets collected. A big piece of the guardrail has been knocked loose.
Taking time to repair the broken guardrail.
11:54- Crews have finished their work on the guardrail and the engines have re-fired.
Overton was just awesome tonight.
Feature Results: 1. Overton, 2. McDowell, 3. Hardy, 4. McIntosh, 5. English, 6. Franklin, 7. Knowles
Brandon Overton is expected to be on hand for the SoNats opener
