Tazewell Speedway
May 26, 2012
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Trammell sweeps holiday weekend Late Model action at Tazewell Speedway

by Wesley Womack
TAZEWELL, TN  (May 26) - Tazewell Speedway kicked the Memorial Day weekend off in a big way with a full racing program, featuring the first of two “Kidz Night at the Taz”, on a very hot May afternoon.  The evening featured action in the five regular weekly divisions, along with kids’ foot races on the front stretch of the track.

After intermission, the Tazewell Late Models rolled out for their thirty lap feature.  Jason Trammell set fast time in the #90J machine at 11.966 seconds.  He and Fultz shared the first row, bringing the field to the green flag.  Trammell grabbed the lead with Fultz settling into second.  The yellow flag drew on lap two as Rex Coffey slowed down the front stretch in his first appearance of 2012.  After the restart, things started to heat up in the battle between second and fifth.  Steve Smith worked masterfully on the bottom to work his way up to second from the fourth starting spot, as Fultz faded from second to fourth.  Estes also used the bottom groove on the speedway to climb his #31 machine to third.  Debris brought out the event’s final caution, setting up a six lap dash.  Although Trammell pulled away on the restart, things became very interesting in a very heated battle for second.  Estes work Smith over on the bottom very hard, running most of the last six laps side-by-side.  Trammell drove the 90J? to victory, with Smith holding Estes off for second, while Fultz and Jody Horton rounded out the top five.

1. 90J – Jason Trammell
2. 3 – Steve Smith
3. 31 – Greg Estes
4. T0 – Travis Fultz
5. 56J – Jody Horton
6. 11 – Anthony Arnwine
7. 111 – J. Allan
8. 24 – Allen Holt
9. 75 – Chris Long
10. 24 – Andy Wilder
11. 33 – Phillip Nichols
12. 21 – Bryan Howerton
13. 22 – Matthew Holt
14. 2 – Donnie Cameron
15. 3 – Rex Coffey

4 Cylinder action kicked off the evening with a 15 lap feature.  Jeromy Collins and Rufus Collett brought the seven car field to the green flag.  Collins took the lead; with McMahan grabbing the second spot from row two going into turn one.  Two laps later, McMahan took the lead over from Collins, while Bubby Braden began working his way toward the front.  Braden battled by Collins for second, but ran short on laps and finished second as McMahan claimed the victory in the caution free event.  Hayston brought the #007 home third, with Collins finishing fourth and Shane Taylor rounding out the top five.

1. 99 – Chuck McMahan
2. B7 – Bubby Braden
3. 007 – Hayston Collett
4. 44J – Jeromy Collins
5. 20 – Shane Taylor
6. 72 – Rufus Collett
7. 13 – John Collett

Modified Street came to the grid next on tap for a twenty lap feature.  Clyde Overholt set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 13.437 to claim the pole position.  He shared the front row with the #88 of Brad Davis, making his first appearance of 2012.  On the start, Overholt used the top side advantage to take the lead going into turn one, with Davis settling into second.  As the race started to heat up, things were slowed on lap five for a spin by Larry Burke.  On the restart, Overholt showed the way pulling away from Davis and the rest of the field.  Several cars had mechanical issues over the course of the next ten laps, with Davis being one of them, ending his night.  The race was slowed for the final time on lap 16, setting up a four lap dash.  Robbie Buchanan worked the P21 machine up to second, but was unable to make a move on Overholt as he claimed the flag-to-flag victory.

1. 4 – Clyde Overholt
2. P21 – Robbie Buchanan
3. 14 – Wayne Overholt
4. 54 – Larry Burke
5. 8 – Mike Kelley
6. 56 – Jordan Horton
7. 88 – Brad Davis
8. 20 – Scottie Atkins
9. 44C – Jason Sizemore
10. 11 – Tracy Wolfe
11. 8 – Andrew Lovin
DNS
56H – Tony Horton

After completing the second feature of the night, the track took intermission for the fireworks display and kids’ foot races.  Four beautiful brand new bicycles were given to the winners in each of the four divisions.  Winners by division were: Kristen Sizemore (Girls6-9), Olivia Robertson (Girls 10-13), Blaine Caylor (Boys 6-9), and Matthew Smith (Boys 10-13).  The winners were also given a trophy, and all participants received a free Tazewell Speedway t-shirt! Gary Hall would like to personally thank each and every parent for bringing their children out to participate in the night’s events, and congratulations to all the winners.

Classics rolled out next for their twenty lap feature.  Robbie Sands returned after missing the previous week in a big way to claim the pole for the feature, with Bart Baxter turning a rare Tazewell Speedway appearance into a first row start.  Sands took the lead on lap one, with Baxter holding second running the low line.  Joe Keck, back in his lime green #8 machine, took the second position over from Baxter, but got loose several laps later coming out of turn two, losing second to Baxter again.  Sands continued picking up where he left off three weeks previously by grabbing the win over Baxter, Keck, Shockley, and Eli Keck.

1. 17 – Robbie Sands
2. 7 – Bart Baxter
3. 8 – Joe Keck
4. 34 – Phillip Shockley
5. 18 – Eli Keck
6. 1 – Shane Lockhart
7. 20 – Charlie Tharp
8. 3 – Jason Beeler
9. 59 – Shawn Walton

Pure Street took to the speedway as the night’s final event for a twenty lap feature.  Jason Long set fast time in qualifying, and took the lead on the first lap over J.J. Green.  The event ran caution free, with Long picking up the win in dominating fashion over Green, Eldridge, Miracle, and Buster Cupp.  However, after means of a post-race track inspection, Long and Green were disqualified, and Eldridge rolled the #94 machine into victory lane as the winner over Johnathan Miracle and Buster Cupp.

1. 94 – Dustin Eldridge
2. 41 – Jonathan Miracle
3. 28 – Buster Cupp
DNS
97 – Aaron Guinn
41 – Shortie Ledford
DQ
15 – Jason Long
12 – J.J. Green

Once again, Gary and Shirlene Hall would like to thank all the fans and drivers for supporting Tazewell Speedway each and every night.  Please join us at Tazewell Speedway this coming Friday night, June 1st, as the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series returns for the Toyota Knoxville 50 paying $10,000 to win in a 50 lap super late model event.  Also on tap will be the Tazewell Late Models paying $1,200 to win, with Modified Street and Classics on the agenda as well.  Pit gates open at 2:00 PM, with grandstand gates opening at 4:00 PM.  Admission will be $26 for grandstands and $38 for pits.  For questions and additional details, please call the track hotline at (423)-626-2222.