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Allen Earl
TAZEWELL, Tenn. (May 8) - After the speedway set idle for two weekends, Mother Nature decided to let the race action get underway but She tried to play spoiler by letting a cold, hard wind blow. Still, loyal race fans witnessed a great night of racing with the ultra-exciting super late models returning for 30 laps of action along with the Tazewell Late models. Both classes would each battle for a $1,500 first place check and the Modified Street winner would pocket $ 500 adding to the anticipation. Joining the action for the first time in 2010 was the Classic Cars which will now be running on a weekly basis as the speedway's newest support class. After the cars packed the track and hot lapped the action began.
The Tazewell Late Models qualified first with "The Superman" Scott Sexton grabbing the pole with a blistering lap of 12.281 seconds.
The chest-pounding Super Late Models qualified next with Billy Ogle Jr. throwing down fast time with a 11.979 second trip around the Taz. The Classics qualified third with Jay Eubanks securing the pole with a lap of 15.007 seconds. The fan favorite Modified Street class qualified next with Anthony Morgan getting pole honors at 13.77 seconds.
The Supers took to the high banks next for their 30 lap feature, the second of the twin 30's, with Billy Ogle Jr and Mike Smith up front. Ogle led the charge into turn one and grabbed the point followed by Smith and Vic Hill. Jason Trammmell and Steve Smith battled for fourth as Ogle pulled farther away. The action was slowed on lap 7 when Hill hit fluids and got loose in turn four resulting in a caution and the resulting restart. At the mid-point Ogle was nearly a straight away ahead but on lap 17 Anthony Arnwine blew a motor creating another caution.
Ogle also encountered problems on lap 19 yielding the lead over to Mike Smith with Hill and Steve Smith looking for an opening. Hill looked on the low side for several laps but just could not complete the pass. Mike Smith held off Hill and Steve Smith to take a hard earned victory. Smith races a GRT chassis with Vic Hill Racing engines supplying the power and American Racer rubber puts it on the ground. He is sponsored by Pizza Plus and Techni-Glass Inc. along with other sponsors.
1. (4) Mike Smith 2. (1) Vic Hill 3. (3) Steve Smith 4. (14) Terry Wolfenbarger 5. (5) Bryan Hendrix 6. (90J) Jason Trammell 7. (201) Billy Ogle Jr. 8. (00) Anthony Arnwine 9. (7) Marty Calloway 10. (86) Jeff Neubert
The Tazewell Late models were next with Scott Sexton and Travis Fultz leading the pack to the green. Sexton grabbed the lead with Fultz in tow while Ross White and Jason Trammell battled for third. On lap 6 Steve Smith retired from the race and the field was restarted. On lap 13 White slipped in turn two and Trammell got third. Jody Horton and Steve Carr battled hard for the fifth spot as the race neared its mid-point. On lap 26 Steve Carr got sideways and Ryan King had nowhere to go. Carr and King would retire after the contact and the field was soon restarted. Up front Fultz could get up to Sexton but was unable to get around the "Superman." The top five was Sexton, Fultz, Trammell, White and Horton. Sexton pulled his DWB racecar into victory lane.
1. (52) Scott Sexton 2. (T0) Travis Fultz 3. (90J) Jason Trammell 4. (0) Ross White 5. (56J) Jody Horton 6. (111) Jay Allen 7. (77) Jimmy Calloway 8. (15) Michael Rutherford 9. (8) Randy Davis 10. (1) Matt Melton 11. (30) Ryan King 12. (77) Steve Carr 13. (97) Keith Chapman 14. (2) James England 15. (24) Andy Wilder 16. (10) James Parrot 17. (86) Matt Shockley 18. (3) Steve Smith 19. (XXX) Josh Chesney 20. (31) Greg Estes 21. (G7) Billy Gordon 22. (11) Josh Fields 23 (11) Anthony Arnwine
The Classics raced first with Eubanks and Robbie Sands on row one and as the race began Eubanks went to the point and stayed there most of the race despite Sands best efforts to pass until the final turn where Sands cleared and got the dramatic win. Sands worked the low side until the final lap where he went high in turn two and got along side Eubanks and as they rounded turn four Eubanks slipped and thats all Sands needed.
1. (17) Robbie Sands 2. (34) Phillip Shockley 3. (8) Joe Keck 4. (4) Tom Conaway 5. (3) Jay Eubanks 6. (23) Wayne Holbert 7. (88) Ed Merriman 8. (22) Michael Holbert 9. (5) Chuck McMahan 10. (555) Ryan Carey 11. (9) Logan Dukes 12. (6) Wayne Dukes
On the track next was the Modified Street class with Anthony Morgan and Allen Holt leading the way. Robbie Buchanon came storming up the field until he reached Morgan. Something broke on the Morgan machine bringing out a caution on lap 2. On the restart it was Holt, Buchanon and Warren McMahan the top 3. As the race continued the top three looked to be tied together with bungee cords as they would close up fast then seperate. Holt finished first with Buchanon second and McMahan third.
1. (24) Allen Holt 2. (P21) Robbie Buchanon 3. (33) Warren McMahan 4. (56) Tony Horton 5. (54) Larry Burke 6. (XXX) Josh Chesney 7. (M7) Mike Simpson 8. (20) Scottie Adkins 9. (21) Richie Carey 10. (4) Jonathan Miracle 11. (26) Anthony Morgan 12. (77) Chris Collinsworth
At the start of the pure street race front row contenders Justin James and Charlie Davidson tangled in turns one and two with James making hard impact on the backstretch inside wall. The race was completely restarted with Will Carey moving up into row one alongside Davidson. By lap two Jason Long had taken the point away from Carey and Davidson. In the end Long held off a hard charging Daniels for the win.
1. (15) Jason Long 2. (12) Mike Daniels 3. (16) Will Carey 4. (11) Toby Turner 5. (17) Tim Stevens 6. (77) John Stevens 7. (22) Charlie Davidson 8. (28) Justin James
In 4 cylinder action it was another Joey Allen night as he dominated the race over Chuck McMahan and Brad Pressley. McMahan drove up to challenge Allen but could not complete the pass.
1. (A00) Joey Allen 2. (99) Chuck McMahan 3. (19) Brad Pressley 4. (72) Barrett Loe 5. (97) Stevie Lee 6. (B7) Bubby Braden 7. (1)Allen Holloway 8. (28) Justin James
On May 15th the Taz will hold another regular weekly racing program. For information on anything Taz log on to www.tazewellspeedway.net.
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