John Ownbey led all the way but had to fight back challenges
The Topless Outlaws Dirt Late Model Series took to the 411 Motor Speedway on Saturday night for its next-to-last feature race of the season. Cory Hedgecock entered the night leading the series points standings ahead of Matt Henderson, Chase King, Mike Price and Jordan Rodabaugh.
On this night, however, it would be John Ownbey who would come away from the Seymour, Tenn. track with the $4,000 first prize after holding back numerous challenges from Hedgecock throughout the race.
These updates are brought to you by Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. The next event coming to SMS will be the Southern All Stars sanctioned ‘King of the Mountain Classic’.
Click on the play button below to hear our pre-race interview with veteran east Tennessee racer Mike Weeks as he describes the difference in driving a Late Model with and without its top.
The 35-car field was broken into two groups for qualifying.
John Ownbey was fastest in Group A and overall with a lap of 14.119 seconds around the 3/8 mile clay oval as he beat out Barrett Lowe and Kenny Collins. Those three cars were locked into the a fast car dash that would set the first three rows for the feature starting grid.
Cory Hedgecock led the way in Group B time-trials over Matt Henderson and Jason Trammell. Those three driver were also locked into the Fast Car Dash.
Hedgecock earned the right to start on the pole in the feature by winning the Fast Car Dash over Ownbey, Henderson, Collins, Lowe and Trammell.
Jordan Rodabaugh took the win in the first heat race of the night ahead of Austin Neely, Trevor Sise and Jason Manley. Those four drivers would transfer to the feature.
Chase King proved to be victorious in the second preliminary by beating out Jason Cardwell, Jason Melton and Kyle Courtney just before Ryan King won the final heat of the night over David Crabtree, Jordon Horton and Sammie Russell.
Mike Weeks and Heath Hindman transferred to the feature out of the first B-main while Ronnie Johnson and Greg Martin moved on to the main event out of the second last chance race.
Feature Notes:
Feature Lineup- 1. Hedgecock, 2. Ownbey, 3. Henderson, 4. Collins, 5, Lowe, 6. Trammell, 7. Rodabaugh, 8. C King, 9. R King, 10. Neely, 11. Cardwell, 12., Crabtree, 13. Sise, 14. Melton, 15. Horton, 16. Manley, 17. Courtney, 18. Russell, 19. Weeks, 20. Johnson, 21. Hindman, 22. Martin
At the start of the 40-lap feature Ownbey jumped to the lead with Hedgecock right on his rear spoiler followed by Henderson, Collins and Lowe. Just before the completion of the second circuit Rodabaugh began to climb up the leader board as he passed by Lowe to grab fifth.
A crash involving Russell, Melton and Manley slowed the pace of the action on the second lap with Ownbey showing the way over Hedecock and Henderson. But it would be Rodabaugh who took advantage of the restart as he jumped from fifth to third by passing both Collins and Henderson.
For the next several laps Hedgecock hounded Ownbey for the lead of the race by ducking under the No. J0 car on multiple occasions but the leader was able to withstand the threats to his position at the front of the field even as the two front runners encountered slower traffic.
In the meantime, Chase King and Ryan King moved forward as each moved around Collins for the fifth and sixth spots on the track.
Following a lap 16 caution, Ownbey and Hedgecock pulled away from the pack even as they battled among themselves for the race lead. Further back, Henderson, Rodabaugh, and Chase King engaged in a position swapping fight for the remaining spots inside the top-5 during the middle portion of the feature.
But over the final laps it was Ownbey who inched away from his pursuers to ultimately score the victory.
Feature Results: 1. John Ownbey, 2. Cory Hedgecock, 3. Jordan Rodabaugh, 4. Chase King, 5. Matt Henderson, 6. Trevor Sise, 7. Heath Hindman, 8. Ryan King, 9. Kenny Collins, 10. Greg Martin, 11. Jordon Horton, 12. Kyle Courtney, 13. Jason Manley, 14. Ronnie Johnson, 15. Austin Neely, 16. Jason Cardwell, 17. Jason Melton, 18. Mike Weeks, 19. Jason Trammell, 20. Mike Price, 21. Daniel Richards, 22. Barrett Lowe, 23. Sammie Russell, 24. David Crabtree
Click on the play button below to hear our post-race interview with feature winner John Ownbey.
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