Ryan King inherited the lead on lap 23
The Topless Outlaws Late Model Series traveled to 411 Motor Speedway on Saturday night for the “Shootout @ Tennessee’s Action Track”. At the end of the night it was hometown hero Ryan King who wheeled into victory lane at the Seymour, TN track to collect the $3,000 first prize in front of family and friends.
Coming into the evening, Cory Hedgecock had won all three of the events that had been contested on the tour.
Layne Clifton led the way in Group A qualifying with a lap of 13.879 seconds around the 3/8 mile clay to beat out Chase King and Ryan King.
Cory Hedgecock was fastest in Group B time-trials and overall after posting a time of 13.810 seconds to out pace Jordan Rodabaugh and Bobby Giffin.
Those six drivers earned their way into a dash race that would set the first three rows on the feature starting grid. Hedgecock earned the pole for the feature by winning that dash race ahead of Clifton, Ryan King, Rodabaugh, Chase King and Giffin.
David Crabtree won the first heat race of the night over Mike Weeks, Ruben Mayfield and Jason Manley while Eddie King, Jr. took the second preliminary by beating out Matt Henderson, Drew Kennedy and Jason Cardwell.
At the start of the 40-lap feature it was Hedgecock who shot to the early lead ahead of Ryan King, Clifton, Rodabaugh, Crabtree and Chase King. A big crash at the end of the first lap involving seven cars running in the middle of the pack slowed the action.
On the ensuing restart Chase King bolted into third while Crabtree and Weeks moved around Clifton one lap later to grab fourth and fifth respectively. After Crabtree took third from Chase King on the third lap, Weeks moved by to take fourth one lap later.
Hedgecock moved out to a lead of a full straightaway by lap 9 but his No. 23 car caught the tail of the field at that time which allowed Ryan King to keep pace. However, a lap 14 caution would again slow the action as the third running machine of Crabtree slowed on the track with mechanical issues.
Hedgecock stormed back out to the lead when the green flag waved once again as Chase King passed by Weeks for the third position.
But the complexion of the feature would change entirely on lap 23 when the leading car of Hedgecock slowed to bring out another yellow flag. The mechanical troubles suffered by the No. 23 would eventually sideline the driver who had been dominant during the race’s first half.
Once Ryan King assumed the lead he would prove to be difficult to pass. In the meantime, Chase King and Weeks would battle almost constantly for the runner-up spot while Clifton and Henderson would fight for fifth over the final laps.
But in the end, it would be Ryan King who drove his Warrior Race Car under the checkered flag to collect the victory.
Feature Finish: 1. Ryan King, 2. Chase King, 3. Mike Weeks, 4. Matt Henderson, 5. Layne Clifton 6. Jason Cardwell, 7. Kyle Courtney, 8. Chad Wallace, 9. Daniel Edwards, 10. Ruben Mayfield, 11. Michael Rutherford, 12. Cory Hedgecock, 13. Jordan Rodabaugh, 14. Heath Hindman, 15. Jason Manley, 16. David Crabtree, 17. Austin Neely, 18. Drew Kennedy, 19. Mike Price, 20. Eddie King, Jr., 21. Bobby Giffin, 22. Jordan Judge
