Ricky Weiss scored his first win in Tennessee on Friday at The Gap
The Iron-Man Challenge mini-series made its way to the Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. to contest the previously postponed Scott Sexton Memorial event. When all was said and done, Canadian Ricky Weiss made his way to victory lane to collect the winner’s trophy and the $3,052 first prize after his car owner suffered disappointment.
With 18 cars signed in for competition, the decision was made to line the field up for the main event solely based on the results from time-trials. That place Vic Hill on the pole for the feature after he posted a lap of 12.029 seconds around the 4/10 mile clay oval. Ricky Weiss, Mack McCarter, Shanon Buckingham and Skylar Marlar rounded out the top-5 of the starting grid for the feature race.
At the start of the 30-lap feature, Hill went to the front of the pack with Weiss, McCarter, Buckingham and Marlar close behind. Buckingham proved to be the first of the front runners to make a move when he slipped by McCarter to claim third on the second circuit.
Hill extended his advantage to almost a full straightaway over Weiss and Buckingham by the ninth lap until the race’s only caution flag waved. Just prior to the yellow, Buckingham had moved around Weiss to grab the runner-up spot while Ray Cook moved into the top-5 by racing around Marlar.
Hill continued to control the pace of the race when the green flag waved once again while Weiss reclaimed second from Buckingham. McCarter also moved around Buckingham following the restart only to give the position back one lap later.
Weiss was able to keep Hill in his sights as the laps clicked away but the leader of the two car team for those drivers looked to have the race in hand as he methodically worked through slower traffic while maintaining a ten car length lead. However, things would go awry for Hill with the white flag in sight.
As the cars headed down the back stretch an through turns three and four on their way to the one-lap-to-go signal, Hill’s car slowed suddenly and dramatically with a broken rear end. Weiss swept by an into the lead as the No. 1 machine coasted around the historic clay facility. Weiss went on to take the checkered flag and his first win on Tennessee clay.
Car owner Vic Hill congratulates Ricky Weiss in victory lane
Feature Finish: 1. Ricky Weiss, 2. Shanon Buckingham, 3. Skylar Marlar, 4. David Payne, 5. Stacy Boles, 6. Billy Ogle, Jr., 7. Mark Vineyard, 8. Tommy Bailey, 9. Chad Ogle, 10. Jordon Horton, 11. Robby Moses, 12. Ray Cook, 13. Vic Hill, 14. Mack McCarter, 15. Ross White, 16. Doug Smith, 17. Bobby Giffin, 18. Ryan King
