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Robert Walden
BULLS GAP, Tenn. (May 31) - With big money on the line at Volunteer Speedway, you can bet Vic "The Thrill" Hill of Morristown was wanting to rob the bank. Hill made it look easy in pocketing $3,000 for his flag-to-flag victory in the Rusty Wallace Auto Group "Pontiac Excitement 50" Saturday night for his second win this season at the high-banked speedplant.
Hill, a four-time (1997, '98, 2000 and '05) track champion at "The Gap," set fast-time at 12.403-seconds (116.104 mph) in qualifying, with Rick Rogers second-quickest at 12.498. The top-12 from qualifying locked into the $3,000-to-win main event, but they ran two six-lap dashes to determine their starting positions.
Rogers took the victory in the first dash over Hill, Billy Ogle Jr., Shanon Buckingham, Brandon Kinzer and Jeff Maupin, which determined starting positions one-through-six. Anthony White held Tommy Kerr off for the victory in the second dash, with Kerry Jones, Bryan Hendrix, Chad Ogle and John Tweed trailing, which determined starting positions seven-through-12.
The final twelve starting spots were determined through a 12-lap B-main, with Mike Smith taking the victory.
Rogers and Hill led the stellar 24-car starting field to the start, and with the green flag waving the duo raced door-to-door down the front straightaway into the first turn. With Hill riding the high-line around turns one and two, he carried momentum off turn two to grab the lead racing down the backstretch over Rogers, Buckingham, Billy Ogle Jr. and Maupin.
Maupin looked to the inside of Billy Ogle Jr. on the third lap racing off turn four to move into fourth in the running order. The event's first caution waved on lap 10 as the front-runners worked slower traffic at the tail of the field. With Maupin riding on Buckingham's rear bumper, he looked to the inside of Buckingham at the end of the front straightaway. With the car of Barry Arnold directly in front of Buckingham, and Maupin on the gas down on the bottom, Buckingham tangled with Arnold and spun between turns one and two.
The Delaware Double-File Restart had Hill all alone out front, with Rogers and Maupin side-by-side behind the leader, followed by Billy Ogle Jr. and Kinzer next in line. While it was clear sailing out front for Hill, Maupin was turning up the heat on Rogers for the runner-up spot. Getting a good run off the fourth turn to the inside of Rogers on lap 11, Maupin nosed ahead of Rogers at the start-finish-line and completed the pass for position as they raced into the first turn.
Working his way forward from his eighth-starting spot, Kerr dropped to the inside of Billy Ogle Jr. racing off turn two on lap 16 to move into fifth. With Billy Ogle Jr. relegated back to sixth, action in his rearview mirror between White, Jones, Hendrix and Chad Ogle was intense. Also locked in battle back in the field trying to get inside the top-10 were Mike Smith, Mark Douglas, Shon Flanary, Dale Ball, and Buckingham following his early-race spin that sent him to the tail of the field. Arnold slowed on the high-side between turns three and four on lap 20 to bring out the caution.
Once again going back green double-file, except for the leader Hill out front by himself, Rogers and Maupin had a good view of Hill. Racing into the first turn, Maupin drove in deep on the bottom to stick his nose momentarily under Hill to give the leader a peek. But Hill powered off the upper-groove of the track down the backstretch to secure his advantage out front, and within three circuits he had pulled out to a 10 car-length lead over Maupin and Rogers.
With Hill maneuvering his way past slower cars at the back of the field to place them a lap down with precise execution, Maupin got trapped behind a lapped car on lap 32 between turns one and two that allowed Rogers to make the pass to move into the runner-up position. The final caution waved on lap 42 when Douglas slowed at the end of the front straightaway, coasting to a stop on the high-side off turn two.
Going back green single-file for an eight-lap sprint to the checkers, Hill, driving the Landair Transport Inc./Pilot Travel Centers/Miller Brothers Coal/Qualcomm/Beamer's Flooring Outlet/The Hightower Advertising Agency/VP Racing Fuel/Dan Estes Construction/Ohlins/Peterson Fluid Systems/Klushman Racing Components/Comp Cams/Edelbrock/CP Pistons/Brodix/Lunati Cranks/CV Racing Products/Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil/Jesel/Manley/RaceQuest Motorsports-David Bryant/Vic Hill Racing Engines/Fastlane Signs & Graphics/Real Wheels/American Race Tires/Team GRT Race Cars/No. 1 Chevrolet Impala SS, would not be denied a trip to victory lane and the $3,000 winner's share of the purse, as he won convincingly over Rogers, Maupin, Kinzer and Kerr.
Completing the top-10 at the finish were Billy Ogle Jr., Jones, Hendrix, Chad Ogle and Flanary.
"This is what we show up on race nights for, to hopefully run up front and win races," said Hill after climbing from his car in victory lane with a smile on his face. "It's good to see such an outstanding field of cars here tonight for this race, and I'm glad for track owner Joe Loven. He's really put a lot of work into this place over the last few years, and I want to see him rewarded for his efforts. The track's really been fast this year, and tonight was no exception. When it's (surface) wet, sure, it's going to roll up a little and you'd better grab a good hold on the steering wheel and hang on. But I like to race on a good, fast, tacky track.
"We were very good here a couple of weeks ago when we won, and tonight as soon as we hit the track for hotlaps, I knew we had a good shot at winning. This place is getting to where you can run up high around the corners again, and when you're up there you're really rolling around here quickly. I guess finishing second to Rick (Rogers) in the dash was a good thing, because it put us on the outside of the front row for the start. I knew if we could at least be side-by-side racing off into the first turn that we'd carry the momentum off the high-side of turn two and power into the lead, and that's how it played out. I recently began running American Racers, and I want to thank Tommy Parish and Jeff Treece at American Race Tires for their assistance in getting me going on these tires. I also want to thank Stevie Collins, Joey Orr and Bud Orr for all they do working on the car, and I can't forget my wife Christa for all her support, along with Marty Evans too."
Mike Hodges of Morristown, driving the S&S Millwright/Morristown Collision/MBI Investments/M&M Racing/"Mr. Horsepower" No. m2 Monte Carlo, held off a hard-charging Dale Reed to record his fourth "Rusty Wallace Toyota" Hobby Stock feature win on the season. Jon Cook, Chuck Johnson and Jim Canning Jr. rounded out the top-five at the finish.
Jerry Broyles of Jonesborough, driving the In God We Trust/Hopson Racing & Fabrication/Vic Hill Racing Engines/No. 72 open-wheel, got around Stanley Donahoo racing off the fourth turn on lap 7 for the lead. Once out front he held Donahoo off in a two-car battle to the checkers and captured his third IMCA Open Wheel Modified feature win of the season. Finishing third through fifth, respectively, were Aaron Ogle, Chris Brady and Dave Henslee.
"RUSTY WALLACE AUTO GROUP - PONTIAC EXCITEMENT 50"
Showing Finishing Position, Starting Position In Parentheses, Driver Name, Car Number, Hometown
1. (2) Vic Hill #1-Morristown, TN
2. (1) Rick Rogers #44-Knoxville, TN
3. (6) Jeff Maupin #0-Greeneville, TN
4. (5) Brandon Kinzer #18-Allen, KY
5. (8) Tommy Kerr #4T-Maryville, TN
6. (3) Billy Ogle Jr. #201-Knoxville, TN
7. (9) Kerry Jones #6-Bristol, TN
8. (10) Bryan Hendrix #5-Knoxville, TN
9. (11) Chad Ogle #10-Sevierville, TN
10. (17) Shon Flanary #98-Mount Carmel, TN
11. (4) Shanon Buckingham #50-Morristown, TN
12. (19) Dale Ball #7-Johnson City, TN
13. (13) Mike Smith #4-Rogersville, TN
14. (12) John Tweed #5t-Greeneville, TN
15. (21) Michael Jackson #Q-Greeneville, TN
16. (14) Mark Douglas #52-Knoxville, TN
17. (7) Anthony White #2x-Clinton, TN
18. (22) J. Allan #111-Whitesburg, TN
19. (16) Barry Arnold #15-Max Meadows, VA
20. (20) Bobby Mays #25-Jonesborough, TN
21. (18) Riley Hickman #r1-Ooltewah, TN
22. (24) Jerry Broyles #72-Jonesborough, TN
23. (23) Dennis Stiles #00-Jonesborough, TN
24. (15) Steve Smith #3-Powell, TN
Did Not Start: Marty Calloway #7, Herman Goddard #22, Dempsey Harold Jr. #09, Shane Bales #12, Dwight Sams #54
"RUSTY WALLACE TOYOTA" HOBBY STOCK (20 laps)
1) Mike Hodges #m2; 2) Dale Reed #52; 3) Jon Cook #0z; 4) Chuck Johnson #17; 5) Jim Canning Jr. #31; 6) Everett Cobb #13; 7) Robbie Woods #16; 8) Ray Jarnigan #31; 9) Bobby Reed #54; 10) Chris Long #75; 11) Jesse Wilder #79; 12) Patrick Flannery #38; 13) Craig Schmalzried #6; 14) Dustin Shaver #7; 15) Dennis Metcalf #55; 16) Scotty McMurray #37; 17) Tyler Smith #32; 18) Mike Mays #30; 19) Chris Gregg #9; 20) Charlie Bates #27; 21) David Shelton #4; 22) Roger Hunter #7-11 - Did Not Start: Tony Mullinex #71
IMCA OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED (15 laps)
1) Jerry Broyles #72; 2) Stanley Donahoo #00; 3) Aaron Ogle #181; 4) Chris Brady #77; 5) Dave Henslee #24; 6) Jerry Fobare #4f; 7) Buck Stevens #23; 8) Jesse Bales #1 - Did Not Start: Jimmy Dalton #2
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