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Robert Walden
BULLS GAPS, Tenn. (October 11) - Kerry Jones of Bristol is a two-time Volunteer Speedway track champion and is no stranger to victory lane. Jones had been shut out of winner's circle all season, but used a strong performance Saturday to capture his first "Gateway Ford" Super Late Model feature win in 2008, on "Night of Champions" presented by Citizens Tribune of Morristown.
Vic Hill earned the pole for the 35-lap main by turning a fast-lap of 12.356-seconds (116.540 mph), but during warm-up laps prior to the start of the feature the rear end broke in his ride, parking him in the pits for the night. The first attempt to start the race resulted in the red flag appearing after John Tweed slammed hard into the outside first turn guardrail, where he was also collected by Dempsey Harold Jr.
Jones moved up alongside Michael Smith on the front row for the start. The duo raced side-by-side back around to the stripe completing the opening lap, but as they raced off turn two Jones powered into a lead he would never relinquish. Trailing Jones and Smith were John Blankenship, Mike Jackson and Bryan Hendrix.
Blankenship passed Smith for the runner-up spot on the fourth circuit, setting his sights on race leader Jones. Smith began slowing with what was at first thought to be rear end issues, finally sending him into the infield pits on lap 6.
Blankenship reeled in leader Jones by lap 12, closing to within a car-length and a half. Blankenship drove in deep on the high-side on lap 17 into the first turn to pull along the outside of Jones racing off turn two. Running door-to-door down the backstretch into the third turn, Jones pulled back ahead as they raced off the fourth turn.
With the battle for the point intensifying between Jones and Blankenship, the car driven by Randy Davidson factored into the scenario beginning lap 25. With the move-over flag being waved at Davidson passing the flagstand as the leaders approached racing into the first turn, Jones and Blankenship were on the outside of Davidson racing off turn two. Racing the lead duo hard down the backstretch into the third turn, Davidson almost caused Jones to spin … and Blankenship did loop his mount after contact was made to see his strong run end prematurely.
Going back green for the 10-lap run to the checkers, Jones was followed by Jeff Maupin, Jackson, Hendrix and Herman Goddard. While Jones and Maupin quickly put some distance between themselves and their challengers, Hendrix passed Jackson to move into third place on lap 26. With Goddard battling Jackson for the fourth spot, just three laps from the finish Goddard spun between turns three and four to bring out the event's final caution.
Maupin had one last opportunity to overtake Jones for the lead, but Jones, driving the Bigfoot Enterprises - Used Trucks & Parts/Kerry Jones Trucking/Vic Hill Racing Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars/No. 6 Impala SS, would not be denied his first victory of the season. Finishing behind Jones and Maupin were Hendrix, Jackson and Davidson.
Maupin, from Greeneville, captured his first-ever Super Late Model track championship … on the strength of two feature wins and no finishes outside the top-five during the season.
"Man, I guess this is what you call going right down to the end before winning," Jones said with a smile on his face after climbing from his car in victory lane. "Back at the start of the season, I sure didn't think it would take us until the last race of the season before we got a victory. After winning the championship last year and winning four feature races en route to the title, I thought we'd have another strong season this year. We had some trouble along the way during the season, but I have to also give credit to the caliber of drivers that race here every week.
"This is basically a brand-new car. We've only run it a few races. We killed our car back in August during the 'Scorcher' when we flipped. Scott (Bloomquist) and his guys down at Bloomquist Racing built us a new one, along with the help of all my guys. Let me tell you … this new car is awesome. It's the best race car I've ever driven. Besides Scott, I want to thank John Estes, Dave Burks, Ryan Brewer, Andy McCroskey and Joey Watson for all their help and support. I also want to mention Vic Hill Racing Engines, because this new Vic Hill motor will take you along for a ride as fast as you want to go. As good as we ran tonight in winning, you sure hate it being the last race of the season. It's all about winning, and once you win like we did tonight you can't wait to run your next race. We're going to travel around this fall and run some of the big shows, and hopefully we can duplicate some of our success from here tonight."
Jerry Broyles of Jonesborough launched into the lead at the drop of the green in the "Courtesy Chevrolet" Crate Late Model feature, and once in command out front he led flag-to-flag en route to cruising to his first-ever feature win over Vic Chandler, Tony Trent, Bobby Mays and Kelly Glass. Johnson City's Dale Ball, who recorded two feature wins and eight top-five finishes on the season, captured the Crate Late Model track championship. With Ball's crate title, to go along with his 1999 Super Late Model championship, he's the only driver in the track's history to capture both Super Late Model and Crate Late Model titles.
Russellville's Mike Hodges, who led the divisional standings for the better part of the season until a devastating last-place finish the first Saturday in August dropped him from the points lead, ended the season on a high note by winning his division-leading seventh "Rusty Wallace Toyota" Hobby Stock feature race. Hodges was followed at the checkers by Jamie Whitt, Chuck Johnson, Roger Hunter and Everett Cobb. Dustin Shaver of Morristown had already clinched his second Hobby Stock track championship, having recorded three feature wins and 11 top-five finishes entering the final race of the season to build a points advantage where no one could catch him.
White Pine's Stanley Donahoo led flag-to-flag en route to winning his fifth IMCA Open Wheel Modified feature of the season, with Jerry Broyles, Aaron Ogle, Ron Lawson and Wayne James rounding out the top five finishers. Broyles, from Jonesborough, a three-time feature winner on the season with nine top-five runs, recorded his first-ever Open Wheel Modified track championship.
Chuck McMahan of Newport inherited the lead on lap 12 in the "Century 21 Masengill-McCrary Realtors" Mini Stock feature when fire erupted under race-long leader Joey Allen's mount, bringing out the event's only caution as Allen slowed to a stop on the track. Going back green with only three laps remaining, McMahan had a rearview mirror full of the hard-charging Kevin Atwell, the division's winningest driver in 2008 with five feature wins.
Atwell dove to the inside of McMahan racing into the first turn on white flag lap, and sliding up into the side of McMahan both cars got out of shape. Atwell looped his ride in turn two while McMahan reeled his mount back in, beating Jamie James, Scottie Frazier, Ernie Stubblefield and Terry Dean back to the start/finish line to record his first victory of the season. With Stubblefield's fourth-place finish, his sixth top-five outing of the season, the Morristown driver captured his first-ever Mini Stock track championship.
"GATEWAY FORD" SUPER LATE MODEL (35 laps)
1. Kerry Jones #6-Bristol, TN
2. Jeff Maupin #0-Greeneville, TN
3. Bryan Hendrix #5-Knoxville, TN
4. Mike Jackson #Q-Greeneville, TN
5. Randy Davidson #28-Morristown, TN
6. Herman Goddard #22-Knoxville, TN
7. Bobby Mays #19-Jonesborough, TN
8. Dale Ball #7-Johnson City, TN
9. Dennis Stiles #00-Jonesborough, TN
10. John Blankenship #23-Williamson, WV
11. Gary Blanken #05-Whitesburg, TN
12. Michael Smith #4-Rogersville, TN
13. Travis Greer #11g-Marion, VA
14. Vic Hill #1-Morristown, TN
15. John Tweed #5T-Greeneville, TN
16. Rex Richey #25-Ringgold, GA
17. Dempsey Harold Jr. #09-Surgoinsville, TN
"COURTESY CHEVROLET" CRATE LATE MODEL (25 laps)
1) Jerry Broyles #72; 2) Vic Chandler #88; 3) Tony Trent #18; 4) Bobby Mays #19; 5) Kelly Glass #01; 6) Chris Chandler #8; 7) Weston Gantte #14; 8) Logan Hickey #16; 9) Ricky Moore #75; 10) Josh Henry #B00; 11) Jackie Hughes #27; 12) Jacob France #9; 13) Joe "Dirt" Good #911; 14) Allen Champ #11c; 15) Jordan Dill #22; 16) Greg Burchett #99c; 17) Todd Brooks #T1; 18) Tommy Eastridge #37; 19) Larry Rowe #R0; 20) Dale Ball #2
"RUSTY WALLACE TOYOTA" HOBBY STOCK (20 laps)
1) Mike Hodges #m2; 2) Jamie Whitt #j1; 3) Chuck Johnson #17; 4) Roger Hunter #7-11; 5) Everett Cobb #13; 6) Jon Cook #0z; 7) Dennis Metcalf #55; 8) Dustin Shaver #7; 9) Mike Mays #30; 10) Bobby Reed #54; 11) Dale Reed #52; 12) Charlie Bates #27; 13) John Feddock #07; 14) Patrick Flannery #38; 15) Jesse Wilder #79; 16) Darryl Mays #29; 17) Eddie Adams #71; 18) Shannon Davidson #88; 19) Jesse Helton #4; 20) Robbie Woods #16; 21) Mark Sturgill #4s; 22) Ray Jarnigan #31 - Did Not Start: Hugh "Wishbone" Scalf #56
IMCA OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED (15 laps)
1) Stanley Donahoo #00; 2) Jerry Broyles #72; 3) Aaron Ogle #181; 4) Ron Lawson #08; 5) Wayne James #4; 6) Jesse Bales #g66; 7) Jimmy Dalton #2; 8) Josh Henry #B00; 9) Matt Letterman #3T; 10) Jerry Fobare #4f
"CENTURY 21 MASENGILL-MCCRARY REALTORS" MINI STOCK (15 laps)
1) Chuck McMahan #99; 2) Jamie James #j5; 3) Scottie Frazier #13; 4) Ernie Stubblefield #21; 5) Terry Dean #20r; 6) Kevin Atwell #95; 7) Joey Allen #A00; 8) Danny Reece #40 - Did Not Start: Shawn Henry #B00, Toby Jones #66, Travis Waters #161
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