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Justin Rickett
PHENIX CITY, Ala. (September 5) - What a Labor Day spectacular it was at East Alabama Motor Speedway Saturday night! Headlining a night of fire works and family fun were the twin 20 lap Alabama Rock Late Model Features. The stands were full, the weather was nice and the racing action was better than ever. In Extreme Power Sports pole qualifying each driver is given two laps and on a regular night normally the faster of the two would determine your starting position. However, for the twin 20's, both laps counted. The first qualifying lap set the order for the first feature while the second lap's time set the order for the second feature. Sixteen cars were on hand for qualifying and when it was over the Phenix City Assasin Terrance Nowell had the fastest qualifying time for the first feature with Scott Knowles taking the pole for the second feature. The starting line up for the first feature looked like this: Terrance Nowell was on the pole with Scott Knowles in second, Larry Harrod was third, with Dana Eiland fourth and Chase Edge rounding out the top five starting spots. When the green was out on the first feature Scott Knowles wasted no time taking the lead going into turn one. Then with just one lap complete Larry Harrod, going into turn one, spun in the middle of the track causing several drivers to take evasive action to miss him. Several cars spun and the cars of Joey Eiland and Rodgerick Dyke's made contact ending Eilands night and sending Dykes for repair. Everyone except for Eiland returned to the track. With the green out once again Knowles came to the lead with Terrance Nowell running second and Harrod third. Knowles had put some distance between himself and Nowell at the start but that distance was shrinking in a hurry. Every lap Nowell would get such a run down the back straight that it looked like a rocket taking off. Then on lap 12 Nowell had caught Knowles. Every lap Nowell was so close he was at times pushing Knowles down the straight-aways. Then on lap14 he got a run once again coming off turn two. He managed to make room on the topside of Knowles to complete the pass in turn 4. One lap later the caution would wave as Kelly Leonard took a ride off the track in turn 2. Butchering the field up for a five-lap dash. The green was out and Nowell once again took to the high side this time putting several car lengths between himself and Knowles. Than with 2 laps to go the caution waved again for the slowed car of Randy Hester setting up a green, white, checkered finish. With Hester off the track the green was out and Nowell getting such a great run off of the corners, he went unchallenged to take the win in the first 20-lap feature of the night. Scott Knowles was second with Larry Harrod third, Dana Eiland fourth, and Chase Edge fifth.
In the second 20 lap Late Model feature Scott Knowles was on the pole with Larry Harrod starting second, Terrance Nowell third, Dana Eiland fourth, and Rodgerick Dykes lined up fifth. When the green waved Harrod quickly made the high side work by taking the lead going into turn one. Then in turn three Dana Eiland went for a ride off the track bringing out the first caution of the night. Eiland would rejoin the pack in the third position and we were ready for action once again. Just like the first lap Harrod led the field into turn one. Knowles was second with Eiland third and Nowell fourth. Then just two laps later Randy Hester made hard head-on contact with the wall coming out of turn four, collecting Adam Brown as well. Hester got out of his car but was limping to the ambulance and the race was red flagged. After the track was cleared of debris the green flag waved and Harrod started to pull away. Eiland was able to make it past Knowles for second to move Knowles to third. Nowell's car wasn't getting the bite off the corners like in the first feature and was running fourth and Rodgerick Dykes was still fifth. As the laps ticked off the running order remained the same but one thing was changing and that was the distance between Eiland and Harrod. Lap after lap Eiland was gaining ground on Harrod. With three laps to go Eiland was within a car length of Harrod and with two to go the side-by-side battle was on. Harrod running the low line forced Eiland to run even lower. Then on the last lap going into three Eiland was able to keep it under Harrod and the two come off turn four side by side and Harrod had the advantage. Eiland just couldn't get enough of a run off the corner and Larry Harrod took home the win in the second twin 20-lap feature. Dana Eiland was second with Scott Knowles third. Rodgerick Dykes was able to make it past Terrance Nowell to take the fourth, leaving Terrance Nowell rounding out the top five.
In the Limited Sportsman division Steven Gaines, JR. led every lap to take home the win in the 15-lap feature. Gaines started on the pole with Joey Eiland to his right in second. When the green waved Gaines jumped out to the lead Eiland was second with Thomas Lewis running third. On lap 8 Greg Gatlin was working his way through the field and passed Sam Moore for fourth and then Lewis for third. Then just two laps later Gatlin spun in turn 2 to bring out the caution. When the green waved again Gaines was the leader followed by Eiland and Moore. Then with just three to go Gatlin again had worked his way past Lewis and Moore and was back in the third spot and gaining on the front two. Unfortunately for Gatlin, there wasn't enough laps left and Steven Gaines Jr. took the win. Joey Eiland was second with Greg Gatlin third, Sam Moore fourth, and Thomas Lewis fifth.
Late Model - Race 1
11 - Terrance Nowell
66k - Scott Knowles
27 - Larry Harrod
K9 - Dana Eiland
18 - Chase Edge
5 - Rodgerick Dykes
14 - Pat Wall
07 - Jimmy Elkins
9 - Adam Brown
13k - Kelly Leonard
2 - Randy Hester
25 - JW Noles
P19 - Paul Walters
22 - Danny Stroud
19 - Jeremy Britton
29 - Joey Eiland
Late Model - Race 2
27 - Larry Harrod
K9 - Dana Eiland
66k - Scott Knowles
5 - Rodgerick Dykes
11 - Terrance Nowell
P19 - Paul Walters
18 - Chase Edge
22 - Danny Stroud
14 - Pat Wall
07 - Jimmy Elkins
19 - Jeremy Britton
13k - Kelly Leonard
9 - Adam Brown
2 - Randy Hester
Limited Sportsman
50jr - Steven Gaines, Jr
29 - Joey Eiland
57 - Greg Gatlin
20 - Sam Moore
5 - Thomas Lewis
7 - Chris Arnett
7 - Jeff Elliott
19 - Jeremy Britton
Hobby
24 - Allen McConnell
0 - Jason Craft
294 - John Michael
41 - Scott Sherrer
39 - Alan Franks
29 - Randy Allen
29 - Clint Bullock
4 - Eddie Albritton
2 - Stephens Goins
80 - Heath Templeton
Bomber
22 - Jimmy Thomas
90 - Joey Thomas
96 - Harold Ranson
Modified
7 - Ricky Culpepper
115 - Dustin Elliott
25 - Gordy Scarbrough
T5 - Terry Braswell
55 - Duane Treadwell
0 - Ricky White
Pony Stock
27 - Tim Goins
31 - Rick Gilliland
99 - Jana Renfroe
01 - Larry Hodnett
17 - Patty Ann Hoell
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