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Robert Walden
BULLS GAP, Tenn. (August 7) - Mark Douglas of Knoxville led flag-to-flag en route to capturing his second Super Late Model feature win of the season Saturday night at Volunteer Speedway.
With perfect track conditions, current Super Late Model point leader Jeff Maupin set fast-time at 12.173-seconds (119.140 mph) to earn the pole position, with Douglas second-quickest to nail down the outside front-row starting spot. With the green flag waving, Maupin and Douglas raced side-by-side down the front straightaway into the first turn. Carrying the momentum up top as they raced off turn two, Douglas powered into a lead he would never relinquish in the 30-lap main event that ran caution-free.
Douglas, the 2002 and '03 Volunteer Speedway Super Late Model champion, driving the C. Laney & Sons Construction/For The Serious Racer (FSR) Performance Parts & Fabrication/Byrd's Radiator/All-American Paving/McClain Speed Shop/Envy Suspensions - Kirk Loudy/Allstar Performance/Ohlins/Brake Man/Performance Friction Brakes/PRC Radiators/Bert Transmission/CVR Race Bodies/Team DBM - David Bryant Motorsports/Fastlane Signs & Graphics/Allen & Cathy Bryant Enterprises/Vic Hill Race Engines/Rocket Chassis/No. 52D Chevrolet Camaro SS, had built a lead of right at a full-straightaway over Maupin with 10 laps remaining.
Maupin's only hope would be for Douglas to stumble while negotiating lapped traffic, but that didn't happen. Douglas recorded the win over Maupin, John Tweed, Keith Helton and Todd Brooks.
Dale Ball (1999 Super Late Model track champion and 2008 Crate Late Model title holder) held what seemed to be a commanding 66-point lead over Todd Brooks in the chase for supremacy in the Fastrak Racing Series-sanctioned Pro Late Model division this year. But that all changed when Ball, who had set fast-time to earn the pole position for the 25-lap feature, suffered bad luck when his car's engine failed to start once the field had been given the command to start engines following pre-event prayer and national anthem ceremonies. Once the wrecker pushed Ball into the pits, his crew determined the problem to be with the ignition box. But with the field already circling the track in parade laps, there was no time to head back up into the outside pits to get a new ignition box.
Greeneville's Brooks and Jackie Hughes led the field to the green flag. Brooks rolled into the lead over Hughes racing off turn two down the backstretch on the opening lap. With a clear track ahead Brooks, driving the Rusty Wallace Toyota of Morristown/DLH Woodworking/Snapps Ferry Packing/Envy Suspensions/David Bryant Motorsports/GRT Race Cars/No. T1 Toyota Camry, set sail and easily cruised to his first-ever Pro Late Model feature win. He was trailed at the checkers by Hughes, Ricky Moore, Keith Helton and John Harrell. With Brooks' victory and Ball not taking the green to start the race, Brooks cut Ball's 66-point lead down to a margin of only 16 behind.
"Man, it's hard to put into words just how much this win tonight means to all of my family," said Brooks after climbing from his car in victory lane to cheers from the crowd. "While growing up my father would take me and my brother to the races all the time, we grew up attending racing here at Volunteer Speedway. We got us a Hobby Stock car a few years ago and started racing, it would be just dad and my brother and I coming to the track - Brooks Family Racing. We were fortunate enough to win a Hobby Stock race and it was just a great feeling.
"We decided to sell our Hobby Stock car. We got a Crate Late Model and we couldn't wait from one Saturday night until the following Saturday night to get back to the track and race. Unexpectedly we lost dad back in May of 2008, and ever since we've dedicated our racing to him. I know over those last few laps in the race that dad was riding right there with me, he was just as excited as I was. This first-ever Crate Late Model win is for dad. It's just a great night for our family. Ever since dad passed away my mother (Mary) has come to the track with my brother Randy and I. I guess with dad now gone, it's just mom's way of looking out for me and Randy. And she really loves the racing, too. I also want to thank David Bryant for all he's done for me in my racing. I guess what I know about driving a race car, I owe it all to David for taking me under his guidance."
Jamie Whitt of Wise, Va., entered the night leading in Hobby Stock points by 20 over Dustin Shaver. In the hunt for his first-ever track championship at "The Gap," Whitt aided his cause by leading all 20 laps to record his division-leading fourth feature win of the season, while Shaver dropped out of the race while running in fourth and finished a disappointing 13th. Whitt has now stretched his points advantage over Shaver to 44.
Whitt, driving the B&D Repair/Baldwin Filters/Iron Horse Race Cars/No. 1 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, grabbed the lead on the opening lap over Dennis Metcalf and over the last few laps had to hold off a hard-charging Shannon Emery for the victory. Metcalf, Sue Curl and Dale Reed rounded out the top-five finishers. For Curl, her only three starts in 2010 at "The Gap" have resulted in top-five runs.
No racing is scheduled next Saturday, Aug. 14 at Volunteer Speedway. But a special mid-week racing program will be held on Thursday, Aug. 19 with NASCAR in the East Tennessee region at Bristol Motor Speedway. The "Summer Sizzler at The Gap!" will showcase Super Late Models (50 laps, $3,000-to-win), Fastrak Racing Series-sanctioned Crate Late Models (35 laps, $1,000-to-win), and Hobby Stocks (20 laps). For more information, visit the track Web site at www.VolunteerSpeedway.com
SUPER LATE MODEL (30 laps)
1) Mark Douglas #52D; 2) Jeff Maupin #0; 3) John Tweed #5; 4) Keith Helton #5h; 5) Todd Brooks #T1; 6) Ricky Moore #75; 7) Jackie Hughes #27 - Did Not Start: Mike Smith #4, Dale Ball #2, Vic Chandler #88
PRO LATE MODEL (25 laps)
1) Todd Brooks #T1; 2) Jackie Hughes #27; 3) Ricky Moore #75; 4) Keith Helton #5; 5) John Harrell #H19; 6) Mark Sant #79; 7) Richard Adkins #73; 8) Donnie Moore #11; 9) Luke Fox #94 - Did Not Start: Dale Ball #2, Vic Chandler #88
HOBBY STOCK (20 laps)
1) Jamie Whitt #1; 2) Shannon Emery #95; 3) Dennis Metcalf #55; 4) Sue Curl #5; 5) Dale Reed #52; 6) Mike Mays #30; 7) Chris Long #75; 8) Patrick Flannery #38; 9) Jesse Wilder #79; 10) Eddie Adams #9; 11) Chuck Johnson #17; 12) Roger Hunter # 7-11; 13) Dustin Shaver #7; 14) Blake Kelley #K5; 15) Mike Kelley #8; 16) Robbie Woods #2; 17) Danny Helton #88 - Did Not Start: Bud Kelly #B21, Bobby Shelton #5, Tyler Smith #32, Ricky Shipley #20, D.J. Litzinger #7
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