Weekend Recap will be a regular feature throughout the 2017 season on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, a brief summary of the various national and regional touring series that impact the east Tennessee area will provide a quick review of what happened over the past weekend.
The first weekend in June of 2017 saw several series that venture in and out of the east Tennessee region in action with a wide variety of winners and a good deal of excitement.
World of Outlaws Late Models: The national touring series made a weekend swing through Tennessee and Georgia with two of its regular stars picking up wins along the way.
On Friday night, the high-banks of Tazewell Speedway played host to the WoO Late Models series for a $10,000-to-win main event. Jimmy Owens was the fast qualifier and a heat winner along with Shane Clanton and Chris Madden. The redraw placed Canadian Ricky Weiss on the pole with Clanton on the outside of the front row.
Clanton led all 50 laps in a race that ran caution free. The sixth starting Owens worked his way through the top-5 before finally ending in the runner-up spot. Weiss, Madden and points leader Brandon Sheppard rounded out the top-5 finishers.
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Shane Clanton led flag-to-flag in Tazewell
The WoO Late Models series moved to Georgia on Saturday night to take on the Senoia Raceway for the first time. Home state driver Shane Clanton was the fast qualifier and a heat race winner along with Brandon Sheppard and Tyler Erb. The redraw placed Sheppard on the pole for the feature and that proved to be the difference maker as he went on the win the 50-lap event over Tyler Erb, Eric Wells and Shane Clanton.
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Brandon Sheppard
Ultimate Super Late Model Series: The highest paying race among the series covered by this site was the $20,000-to-win USA 100 at Virginia Motor Speedway sanctioned by the Ultimate SLM Series.
Scott Bloomquist was the fast qualifier among the 23 entrants and was a heat race winner along with Earl Pearson, Jr. and Dale McDowell. Bloomquist would start the feature from the pole position.
Bloomquist got the jump at the start of the race and never looked back as he led all 60 laps on his way to the lucrative victory. It was the Mooresburg, Tenn. driver’s first ever Ultimate Series win but the fourth USA 100 triumph of his career. Earl Pearson, Jr., Dale McDowell, new series points leader Tyler Millwood and Kenny Moreland rounded out the top-5 finishers.
Scott Bloomquist
Iron-Man Series: Smoky Mountain Speedway played host to Chris Tilley’s Iron-Man Challenge on Saturday night in a $5,000-to-win event.
Vic Hill was the fast qualifier and started from the pole with teammate Ricky Weiss alongside. From the start, it looked as if Hill was in complete control of the race as he took the lead early with third starting Mike Marlar offering an occasional challenge. Marlar then dropped out with mechanical issues, leaving Hill on what appeared to be cruise control.
However, Hill would himself suffer from a breakdown as a suspension component gave way on lap 34 of 40 and sent the No. 1 into the turn one wall. Tommy Kerr inherited the lead from there and went to claim the checkered flag ahead of Skip Arp, Donald McIntosh, Ricky Weiss and Chris combs.
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Tommy Kerr survived to claim the Iron-Man Classic
Southern Nationals Bonus Series: The Bonus series moved to Ray Cook’s Tri-County Race Track in Brasstown, NC to contest a race that had been postponed from an earlier date due to weather. The $3,000-to-win event was the third to be completed in the series that pays $10,000 to its season long champion.
Tri-County regular Shawn Chastain was the fast qualifier and started the 40-lap feature from the pole position. However, it would be Donald McIntosh who went to the lead at the start and ultimately controlled all 40 laps of the main event. David Payne would take the runner-up spot with Johnny Chastain, George Mashburn and Clayton Turner rounding out the top-5. The win allowed McIntosh to narrow the gap between himself and Payne to just 4 points in the SNBS standings.
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Donald McIntosh
Chevrolet Performance 525 Series: The series for Chevy spec engine cars hit the track at Dixie Speedway on Saturday evening for a $3,000-to-win feature race. Cory Hedgecock set fast time in qualifying and started from the pole position in the main event.
Hedgecock wasted little time in taking control of the race as he bolted to the lead immediately then went on to lead all 50 laps of the feature. Jake Knowles, Devin Dixon, John Ownbey and Ronnie Johnson rounded out the top-5.
Hedgecock also won the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series race for Crate Late Models held on the same track on Saturday. That race paid $2,500-to-win.
Hedgecock’s No. 23
