8.8.15 Carolina Clash Late Models Results
BULLS GAP, Tenn. (Aug. 8, 2015) – Mark Douglas has struggled with his racing program the past few seasons, but there’s never been anyone who would doubt his abilities behind the wheel of a race car. The Knoxville driver has many feature race wins to his credit and he captured back-to-back Volunteer Speedway Super Late Model track championships in 2002 and ’03.
Douglas was class of the field Saturday night as he led flag-to-flag for the $4,000 Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series Carolinas vs. Tennessee Border Wars at “The Gap” victory.
Douglas set fast-time at 12.381 seconds to earn the pole position for the 40-lap main event, with Donald McIntosh nailing down the outside front-row starting berth.
Douglas rocketed out to the lead on the start over McIntosh, Mack McCarter, Tommy Kerr and Vic Hill. With the track very wet and tacky, lap times turned during the feature were quicker than during time trials.
Racing off the fourth turn on lap 4, Hill got around Kerr to move into the fourth spot and close to McCarter’s rear bumper. Hill dove to the inside of McCarter between turns one and two on lap 9, and racing down the backstretch he completed the pass for the third position.
The event’s first caution waved on lap 15 when Bryan Hendrix slowed, and only back under green for one lap the yellow waved yet again when Ellery Leake spun.
With Douglas all alone out front leading, side-by-side behind him for the restart were McIntosh and Hill. Hill powered his way past McIntosh as they raced off turn two and set his sights ahead on Douglas. Behind the front-running trio of Douglas, Hill and McIntosh, McCarter, Kerr and Chad Ogle were running right together.
The third caution waved on lap 22 when former full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Joey Coulter and Kevin Wilson got together and spun off the fourth turn on the front straightaway.
Douglas smashed the loud pedal to surge back out ahead off the restart, with McIntosh taking the second spot over Hill. Douglas, driving the C. Laney & Son Construction/McClain’s Speed Shop/Allied Glass Co./Worldwide Equipment/Jordan’s Creek Custom Townhouses/Ohlins/Team DBM – David Bryant Motorsports/Vic Hill Race Engines/Allstar Performance/Schaeffer’s Racing Oil/Fastlane Signs & Graphics/AR Bodies/FK Rod Ends/VP Race Fuels/Weld Racing/PPM Racing Products/Performance Friction Brakes/Hoosier Race Tire/Rocket Chassis/No. 52D Chevrolet Camaro SS, was clearly the dominant car as he steadily increased his advantage over McIntosh and Hill.
Making a charge up into the top five in the running order was series point leader Ben Watkins, who started from the 12th spot.
With the 44-year-old Douglas holding right at a full-straightaway lead, the last thing he wanted to see was a late race caution. However, that happened when Hill and McCarter tangled at end of the backstretch on lap 36 with McCarter spinning to bring the yellow flag out and set up a sprint to the finish.
As he had done throughout the race, Douglas nailed the throttle and pulled away to easily capture his first career Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series victory over McIntosh, Watkins, Ogle and Kerr.
Completing the top 10 finishers were Hill, Anthony Sanders, Dale Ball, Coulter and Leake, with the top eight cars finishing on the lead lap.
Volunteer Speedway Results
1. 52 Mark Douglas
2. 7 Donald McIntosh
3. 16 Ben Watkins
4. 10C Chad Ogle
5. 4T Tommy Kerr
6. 1 Vic Hill
7. 421 Anthony Sanders
8. 2 Dale Ball
9. 2C Joey Coulter
10. 34 Ellery Leake
11. 618 Kevin Wilson
12. 51 Mack McCarter
13. 5 Bryan Hendrix
14. 42 Doug Sanders
15. 0 Ross White
16. 101 Trent Forrest
17. 11G Travis Greer
Thanks to American Racer, Hoosier Racing Tires, Renegade Racing Fuels and Racing Lubricants, Safety-Kleen of Charlotte, NC, Steve Heintz of Heintz Performance, Tri-Star Racewear, Steve Knight’s Performance Tees, Thomas Clarke Performance Web Design, and Lee Furniture Company for all their support with the Carolina Clash.