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Kelly Carlton
GAFFNEY, S.C. (September 13) - Chris Madden overtook race leader Randle Chupp on lap twenty-two and then proceeded to lead the remaining fifty-three circuits to score the $10,000 payday in the make-up date of the Second Annual Hall of Fame 75. Madden's win was his sixth series triumph of the season and pulled him to within eighty-six points of current point leader and defending champion Casey Roberts.
Thirty drivers signed in for Bearden Oil Company Time Trials at the 3/8ths of a mile high banked Gaffney, South Carolina oval. Chupp led all drivers with his quick lap of 15.825 seconds. Dennis Franklin timed in second quick with Jonathan Davenport laying down the third quickest lap of the day. Davenport was unable to answer the call for the heat race however because of engine woes. G.R. Smith and Petey Ivey rounded out the top five in qualifying.
Heat race action saw Chupp take the win in the first Hoosier Race Tires Heat ahead of Madden, Ivey and Dan Breuer. The second Hoosier Race Tires Heat Race was won by Franklin followed by John Pursley, Benji Cole and Ricky Weeks. Heat Race three had Jeff Cooke taking the win with Ronnie Hoover, Monk Gulledge and Jay Sessoms finishing in transfer spots. The final heat saw Roberts get the win over G.R. Smith, Freddy Smith and Chris Ferguson.
One last chance race was staged to fill positions seventeen through twenty-two. Current OSAS-East Rookie of the Year point leader Johnny Pursley scored the win. Douglas Davis (driving a Jim Rasey back-up machine) crossed the line second with Anthony Sanders, Dion Deason, Doug Sanders and Brent Dixon capturing the final transfer positions. An OSAS-East provisional start was granted to Steve Blackburn and a fast time provisional went to Jim Rasey.
The feature rolled to the green at 9:12 PM with Chupp and Franklin leading the field to the start. Franklin jumped to the early advantage with Chupp giving chase. Jeff Cooke, Casey Roberts and Chris Madden locked horns for the third position while Hoover and John Pursley also went hub to hub for position. Franklin and his pursuers set a blistering pace early on and by lap four the leaders were beginning to encounter backmarker traffic.
Franklin followed behind Steve Blackburn for a full lap as Blackburn held the line that Franklin wanted. As the leaders crossed the stripe to complete lap number five, Chupp pulled even with Franklin as he looked for a way around Blackburn's machine. Franklin made an evasive move however Blackburn also changed his line and the two made contact. Blackburn's machine careened into the turn one wall. Franklin suffered some nose damage but was able to keep his machine rolling and reassumed the point for the restart.
Franklin's machine was obviously suffering somewhat as he was unable to get away from Chupp as he had earlier. Chupp pressured Franklin corner after corner and finally made the move for the lead on lap ten. Franklin then immediately had to deal with the assault from Madden for second. Madden powered by one lap later and set after Chupp. Franklin was able to gather his machine up and move firmly into the third position.
All eyes were focused on the front two as Madden steadily began to reel Chupp in. Chupp's machine rode the high line through turns one and two and that was where Madden seemed to make up most of his ground. Chupp was also beginning to deal with slower traffic that hampered his progress. Madden ducked low and swept by Chupp on lap twenty-two to take over the lead.
Farther back in the field veteran driver and first ballot Cherokee Speedway Hall of Famer Freddy Smith was putting on a driving clinic as he broke into the top seven after starting twelfth. Smith used the bottom lane and steadily worked his way forward bringing youngster Chris Ferguson with him along the way. However Ferguson's stellar run came to an end on lap fifty-six when he lost his engine.
With only twenty-five laps remaining Freddy Smith broke into the top five and began to pressure Petey Ivey for the fourth spot. Smith's machine seemed to only get stronger as the laps wound down. Smith bypassed Ivey around the hub and went to work on Franklin for third. With only a few laps remaining the Seymour, Tennessee made the pass on Franklin to take over third.
As the white flag waved Madden led Chupp by seven car lengths with Smith closing quickly on the lead duo. However the checkered flag waved before Smith could make a run. Madden, Chupp and Smith were followed to the line by Franklin and Ivey. Madden's win was his fifth win in his last seven O'Reilly Southern All Stars East starts and his thirteenth overall win this season.
Madden's Bloomquist Race Car is powered by a Cornett Thunder Racing Engine and has sponsorship from Hamrick's of Gaffney, Xtreme Customs and Cycles, Century Plastics, Cushman Paint and Body, Freeman Plumbing, Henderson Amusement, Big A's Custom Graphics, Allstar Performance, Swiftco, Pancake House, Time Out Family Restaurant, Henderson Motor Company, VP Race Fuels, CV Products and Eibach Springs.
"Our car was really good. We didn't have to run real hard to get to the front so we had a lot left to finish it off. The draw hurt us in qualifying so we had to bide our time and be careful to stay out of trouble in the heat and the early laps of the feature. The track was really good. It got dry and dusty but you could still race on it. It didn't really rubber up and get one grooved and that allowed us to run our line and get to the lead." said Madden after the race.
Official Finish
1 - 44 Chris Madden - Gray Court, SC
2 - 22 Randle Chupp - Troutman. NC
3 - 00 Freddy Smith - Seymour, TN
4 - 2 Dennis Franklin - Gaffney, SC
5 - 6 Petey Ivey - Union, SC
6 - 99 Jeff Cooke - Spartanburg, SC
7 - 101 Casey Roberts - Toccoa, GA
8 - 104 Monk Gulledge - Batesburg, SC
9 - 84 Jay Sessoms - Stanley, NC
10 - 6 Ricky Weeks - Rutherfordton, NC
11 - D1 Dion Deason - Greenwood, SC
12 - 32 Douglas Davis - Shelby, NC
13 - 32 Jim Rasey - Southington, OH
14 - 42 Doug Sanders - Springwood, NC
15 - 22 Chris Ferguson - Mt. Holly, NC
16 - 09 Johnny Pursley - Clover, SC
17 - 421 Anthony Sanders - Spartanburg, SC
18 - 23 Ronnie Hoover - Mooresville, NC
19 - 54 G.R. Smith - Huntersville, NC
20 - 1 Brent Dixon - Elberton, GA
21 - 9 John Pursley - Clover, SC
22 - 2 Dan Breuer - Mooresville, NC
23 - 121 Benji Cole - Cannon, GA
24 - 93 Steve Blackburn - Greensboro, NC
DNS: Brandon Ifft, John Henderson, Michael Akeson, Jeff Fortner, Ed Basey and Jonathan Davenport
Upcoming OSAS-East Events:
September 26 - Golden Isles Speedway - $3000
October 18 - Cherokee Speedway - $4000
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