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.
Despite the attempts of Mother Nature to get in the way, it proved to be a huge weekend for dirt racing action in the southeast region of the United States. The World of Outlaws Late Models headed to the Carolinas for feature races on Friday in Gaffney, SC and then in Fayetteville, NC on Saturday. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series traveled to Kentucky and Tennessee for two events as well. The Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series held a race in Eastabooga, AL while the Ultimate Super Late Model Series intended to hold two events in Georgia with one of those falling victim to rain.
World of Outlaws Late Models: This national touring series fought some sprinkles early in the night at the Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC on Friday but eventually completed its 50-lap, $10,000-to-win feature at ‘The Place Your Mama Warned You About’. Series points leader Brandon Sheppard set fast time in qualifying among the 31 cars signed in for competition but Chub Frank ultimately started from the pole after the redraw used by WoO was completed.
Former WoO Late Models champion Shane Clanton went to the lead early at Cherokee but had to hold off a late-race challenge by Sheppard to capture the checkered flag. Hometown hero and WoO regular Chris Madden suffered a flat tire during the race and was relegated to a 16th place result.
Clanton beat out Sheppard, Eric Wells, Jonathan Davenport and Frank to get the winner’s trophy.
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Shane Clanton
On Saturday night the series made its way to the Fayetteville Motor Speedway in North Carolina for a $10,000-to-win feature. Sheppard again was the fastest in time-trials and parlayed that to a pole starting position.
Ultimately, the driver of the Rocket Chassis house car drove to a flag-to-flag win over the field of 21 machines. Sheppard beat out Tyler Erb, Rick Eckert, Chris Madden and Donald Bradsher for the victory.
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Brandon Sheppard
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series: This national touring series went to Kentucky’s Florence Speedway on Saturday night after the weather forced a flip-flop of their weekend events.
Kody Evans set the fast time in qualifying but it was Double Down Motorsports driver Shanon Buckingham who started from the pole in the feature after the heat racing action was completed. Defending series champion and current points leader Scott Bloomquist charged from the outside of the front row to the early lead then proceeded to hold the top spot all the way to pick up the $12,000 payout. Tim McCreadie, Josh Richards, Don O’Neal and Darrell Lanigan rounded out the top-5 in the finishing order on the track that hosts the crown jewel North-South 100 later in the season.
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Scott Bloomquist
The Lucas Oil race originally slated for Friday at Tazewell Speedway was re-set for Sunday night. Darrell Lanigan established the fastest time in qualifying and earned the pole for the feature by winning his heat race. Jimmy Owens shot to the front of the pack at the start from the outside of the front row and would go on to lead all 50 laps for the $10,000 victory.
Top series contenders Scott Bloomquist, Josh Richards and Lanigan each experienced trouble of one kind or another during the night which forced them to race for positions at the back of the top-10. In the end, it was Owens beating out Don O’Neal, Earl Pearson, Jr., Shanon Buckingham and Tim McCreadie.
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Owens led all 50 laps for the win
Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series: The SAS made its way to Talladega Short Track on Saturday night for a $4,000-to-win main event. Dale McDowell set fast time in qualifying but T.J. Reaid started the race from the pole position. McDowell went to the early lead but surrendered the top spot to Brandon Overton on lap 28 of 40.
Overton went on to win the race with McDowell, Dallas Cooper, Cory Hedgecock and Todd Morrow making up the top-5 in the finishing order.
Brandon Overton
Ultimate Super Late Model Series: After a rain out of their scheduled event at Dixie Speedway on Saturday night, the Ultimate Series headed to a different part of the state of Georgia for a Sunday show at the Rome Speedway.
Jonathan Davenport set the fast time in qualifying and started from the pole as a result. Brandon Overton took the lead from Davenport on lap 25 and held it until just two circuits remained before Dale McDowell slipped by and won the race to the checkered flag ahead of Overton, Donald McIntosh, Davenport and Michael Page.
Dale McDowell
