Volunteer Speedway hosted the inaugural Fall Classic on Saturday night with the Crate Late Models and Sportsman Late Models serving as two of the competing divisions. Logan Roberson avoided numerous melees from his seventh starting position to earn $1,500 in the Crate Late Models while Zach Sise claimed $1,000 for taking the checkered flag in the Sportsman feature.
Logan Roberson and crew celebrate their Crate Late Model win
Tim Byrd proved to be the fastest in Crate Late Model qualifying as he toured the 4/10 clay oval in 13.555 seconds to beat out Ross White, Mack McCarter, Tim Maupin, Jensen Ford, Vic Hill, Logan Roberson, Gary Crittenden, Josh Henry and Cameron Skinner.
Byrd went to the lead of the race immediately after the green flag waved over the 40-lap feature with White, Ford, McCarter and Maupin following. White went to work quickly as he moved around Byrd to grab the lead on the second circuit just before the first of many cautions slowed the action on the next lap.
Vic Hill, driving a car for CVR Race Cars builder Chip Vineyard, took advantage of the ensuing restart to pass by Maupin and make his way into the top-5 of the running order. Meanwhile, the action was intense closer to the front of the field with Ford harassing White for the lead and McCarter disputing the third position with Byrd.
Lap 10 proved to be a difficult one as a caution waved to initially put a damper on the action. Then, multiple restarts were negated as one incident after another would again interfere with the racing. In one of those wrecks, Cameron Skinner, Anthony Arnwine, Jason Melton and Keith Helton were among those involved with Arnwine’s car ending up on top of another car.
Following that mishap, Tristain Clawson took a wild ride on the front stretch that saw his car flip before coming to rest. All drivers in these accidents were reported to be uninjured.
When the racing resumed, the top-3 of White, Ford and McCarter engaged in a tight battle for the lead while Hill worked on Byrd for fourth just behind the leading trio. On lap 16, Ford made a move in hopes of wresting the lead away from White but instead found himself spinning in turn four.
Following that restart, Hill finally got by Byrd to take third while Roberson began making his move toward the front as he passed Byrd for fourth. McCarter assumed the lead on lap 19 when he got around White in hopes of capturing second consecutive Crate Late Model feature in Bulls Gap.
Lap 22 saw Roberson get around Hill to grab third as the No. 1v machine fell back through the pack as McCarter appeared to be pulling away. However, slower traffic would tighten the running order as White and Roberson closed in on the front runner.
Roberson took the runner-up position away from White on lap 31 then began stalking the leader. Finally, as the cars raced out of turn four to take the white flag Logan Roberson took the race lead and drove on to the win ahead of Mack McCarter, Josh Henry, Ross White, Vic Hill, Tim Byrd and Gary Crittenden.
Zach Sise won the Sportsman feature
Heath Alvey was fastest in Sportsman time-trials as he made his way around the high-banked track in 13.601 seconds to best Zach Sise, Jed Emert, Brad Seagle, Warren McMahan, Chris Coffey, Matt Tharp, Brandon Miller, Tyler Smith and Ray Jarnigan.
Sise took advantage of his outside front row starting spot to seize the early lead of the race at the start of the 25-lap feature with Alvey, Emert, Seagle and Coffey trailing. McMahan took fifth from Coffey on the second lap while Emert began working on Alvey for second.
Alvey and Emert entertained the crowd by trading slide job passes on lap 7 as they continued to fight for second as Seagle closed in to join the fray. Seagle passed Emert for third on lap 8 then Emert returned the favor one circuit later.
Eventually, the top-3 of Sise, Alvey and Emert separated themselves from the pack to settle the affair among themselves. Sise would lead the rest of the way with Emert passing by Alvey for second with just two laps remaining.
Zach Sise took the checkered flag ahead of Jed Emert, Heath Alvey, Matt Tharp and Chris Coffey.
