5.2.15 Carolina Clash Late Models Results
Brent Dixon of Elberton, Georgia was a man determined to rebound his 2015 after taking the fast0time in qualifying at Screven Motor Speedway. Dixon was fast in prelims and bested the 20-car field with a lap of 15.225.
However, everyone knew that faster laps were in store during the 40-lap feature. Following a late decision by track owner Redd Griffin to wet the racing surface moments before hot laps, everyone settled in and waited for the surface to come back in. The extreme wet conditions would slow the pace down until around the halfway point of the feature. However, this move proved to be worthwhile as the racing surface became very fast later on.
Brent Dixon led the opening 15 circuits around the track, with Casey Roberts and Tim Allen scurrying for the second spot. Casey Barrow and Scott Shirey battled for fourth and Ben Watkins was settled in at fifth.
By lap 8, Dixon was encountering the back of the field, but raced his way in and around the traffic.
Hunter Peacock of Macon, Georgia proved to be a top-five contender in the early stages. The race ran without mishap until a most unfortunate incident with a hung-throttle caused the lead-car of Brent Dixon to slam into the outside wall in turns one and two.
Dixon was uninjured in the crash, but there were a few anxious moments for all watching.
This handed the race lead over to Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Georgia. Roberts would restart alone out front and Tim Allen choose the outside front row. Tim Allen moved to the inside of the #101 Longhorn of Casey Roberts on lap 16 in turn two.
On lap 20, the half-way flag was given to the field in which Tim Allen in his #17 Longhorn racer led at Screven Motor Speedway. In turn three, the scoreboard at the facility was all lit up like a Christmas tree. It was the first event at the Southeastern Georgia track where the scoreboard was functioning. As Tim Allen took the halfway, the fastest lap of the event was posted – 14.431 seconds. Races at Screven have featured lap times in the low 14’s in the past. Steve Casebolt, during the World of Outlaws “Winter Freeze” posted a lap 30 time of 14.311, which is the fastest on record according to records stored on Race Monitor.
The only other caution to hinder the pace of the event came on lap 28 when Scott Shirey’s solid top five run came to a slow roll in turn four. A sudden drop in oil pressure prompted Shirey to hit the kill switch.
Tim Allen restarted the race, hit his marks, and led the rest of the event to claim his sixth Carolina Clash feature, first since Fayetteville in March 2013.
Allen was very emotional in his post-race interview, as his heart was racing with memories of his father, Ben Allen, who died in October 2013.
“I didn’t know I would even be here tonight. Those guys (pointing to his crewmembers who joined him on the front-stretch) are the reason I am here. They are the ones who keep pushing me to do this.”
Allen reflected on the final laps.
“My eyes were filling up with tears and it was already hard to see with all of the wet clay that had smeared up my sight. I just kept hitting my marks. This car was awesome.”
Allen credited his win to a solid performing American Racer tire.
“These American Racers are awesome and this tire was the difference tonight. It is a good tire.”
Allen moved to seventh in series points with the win.
Ben Watkins continues to lead the Renegade Race Fuels Rookie of the Year battle over Josh Langley of Lancaster, SC. Watkins also reclaimed the series point lead after point leader Doug Sanders experienced mechanical problems on lap 11, forcing him to pit for the remainder of the race and finished 18th.
The Heintz Performance Hard Luck Award was given to Zack Mitchell after transmission problems forced him to start-and-park.
Josh Langley of Lancaster, SC was the Safety-Kleen Hard Charger of the Race. Safety-Kleen provided a gift box of cleaning products to the team and they also collected valuable bonus points.
The next event will be at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina on Saturday. Expect most of the Carolina Clash point contenders to be there along with other Carolina Clash regulars.
Screven Motor Speedway Results
1. Tim Allen
2. Casey Roberts
3. Ben Watkins
4. Casey Barrow
5. Hunter Peacock
6. Joey Coulter
7. Anthony Sanders
8. Gib Gibbons
9. Bob Robertson
10. Benji Cole
11. Josh Langley
12. Kevin Wilson
13. Ritchie Corley
14. Jim Manka
15. Scott Shirey
16. Brent Dixon
17. Michael Akeson
18. Doug Sanders
19. Donnie Shealy
20. Zack Mitchell