9.3.17 Southern Nationals Bonus Late Models Results
(September 3, 2017) The Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Bonus Series presented by Sunoco Race Fuel and Tennessee RV and the Schaeffer’s Oil Iron-Man Championship Late Model Series would co-sanction the 9th Annual Buddy Rogers Memorial on Sunday evening at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN and Brian Smith of Barbourville, KY would walk away with the victory and earn the $4,400 payday. The Brucebilt Performance Iron-Man Modified Series would also be in action and Jimmy Payne of Glasgow, KY would claim the $1,000 first place prize money for his efforts.
The win by Smith was his first-ever Super Late Model feature event checkered flag and would come behind the wheel of the Smith’s Guttering and Siding/Hair Essentials Family Salon/Smith Sealing sponsored #7 Capital Race Cars entry. Payne’s victory was be his first Iron-Man Modified Series victory and would come aboard the Barren River Pest Control/Maximum Energy Development/Spoon Oil Well Service/Young’s Barber Shop/Summit Racing Equipment sponsored #68 Bandit Race Car, Oakley Race Engines powered mount.
Billy Ogle, Jr. would jump to the lead at the start of the 9th Annual Buddy Rogers Memorial event, while Jonathan Rowan and Mack McCarter would duel for the second position. The first caution of the event flew on lap two when Daniel Shelton spun his mount in turn one and before he could get slowed, race leader Ogle, Jr. would clip the rear of the Shelton and damage his right-rear quarter panel and spoiler. The restart would see fourth place Donald McIntosh get sideways in turn two and draw the caution. This restart would see Ogle, Jr. in control, while Rowan and McCarter continued to duel for the second position. Austin Neely would spin his machine in turn two on lap five to draw the caution and negate McCarter’s quick pass of Rowan for second. Ogle, Jr. would again control the restart, with Rowan, McCarter, Dakotah Knuckles, and Brian Smith in pursuit. Disaster would strike McCarter on lap six after contact with another car resulted in him making contact with the frontchute outside retaining wall. The restart would again see Ogle, Jr. in control, while McIntosh had charged his way back forward and would take fourth from Smith on lap seven and take third from Knuckles one circuit later. Second place running Rowan would see his night end on lap nine when his mount slowed exiting turn two and rolled to a start at the entrance to turn three. On this restart, Ogle, Jr. would maintain the lead, while McIntosh would now pressure Ogle, Jr. from his second position and on lap sixteen, McIntosh would take the race lead.
McIntosh would set a torrid pace in the lead at this point and lap thirty had opened up a half-track advantage over Ogle, Jr. The next caution to slow the action would fly on lap thirty-five when Chad Ogle when make contact with the outside retaining wall off of turn four and damage his steering and Levi Ashby would make contact with Ogle and the pair would slide down the frontchute. Race leader McIntosh would have no place to go and would slide into the incident, with all three drivers finished for the night. The restart would Ogle, Jr.’s machine slow and Knuckles would grab the race lead at this point. Knuckles would hold the lead on the restart, only to see sixteenth-place starter David Payne drive by him for the lead with a crossover move off of turn four. The seventh caution of the contest flew on lap thirty-nine when Knuckles would spin his machine in turn two while battling with Brian Smith for the second position. The restart would see Payne’s machine pull up lame in turn four before another lap was completed with a broken driveshaft. This turn of events would put Brian Smith in the race lead and he would not relinquish the spot the remainder of the way in the forty-four lap event to claim the victory. Steve Smith would claim runner-up honors, while Knuckles would recover to finish third. Carder Miller and Austin Neely would complete the top five. Thre remainder of the top ten finishers would be Joey Standridge, Phil Helton, Jeff Neubert, Payne, and Clyde Overholt.
In the Brucebilt Performance Iron-Man Modified Series feature event, Joey Kramer would take the race lead and hold it until lap seven when he would draw the caution flag with left-front suspension damage to his machine. Jimmy Payne would assume the top spot at this point and would fend off the challenges of Blake Brown for the remainder of the contest to claim the victory. Brown would finish second, with Jeff Hamby completing the podium finishers with a third place effort. David Adams would make a turn four, last lap pass of Billy Palmer to finish fourth, with Palmer finishing fifth. The remainder of the top ten finishers would be Dustin Duncan, Jimmy Dalton, Josh Chesney, Tommy Bailey, and Shon Flanary.
The Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Bonus Series presented by Sunoco Race Fuel and Tennessee RV next event will be Saturday September 23 at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, TN, paying $5,000 to win in an event that will be co-sanctioned with the Schaeffer’s Oil Iron-Man Championship Late Model Series, which has their next on Friday September 15 at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY, paying $3,000 to win. The Brucebilt Performance Iron-Man Modified Series next event will be Saturday September 9 at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN, paying $1,200 to win in a rescheduled event that was postponed due to inclement weather on August 12.
Further information on the Spring Nationals, Southern Nationals, and Southern Nationals Bonus Series can be obtained by calling Promoter Ray Cook at (828) 360-5353 or Series P.R. Coordinator Chris Tilley at (606) 219-1723 or by visiting the official website located at www.SouthernNationalsSeries.com.
Further information on the Iron-Man Championship Late Model Series and Iron-Man Modified Series can be obtained by calling Promoter/Race Director Chris Tilley at (606) 219-1723 or by visiting the official website located at www.CTPROMOTIONS.org.
Official Summary of Results
Feature Results for Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Bonus Series/Schaeffer’s Oil Iron-Man Championship Late Model Series at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN on September 3, 2017
1. Brian Smith-Barbourville, Ky.
2. Steve Smith-Powell, Tenn.
3. Dakota Knuckles-Ewing, Va.
4. Carder Miller-Salem, Va.
5. Austin Neely-New Tazewell, Tenn.
6. Joey Standridge-Tellico Plains, Tenn.
7. Phil Helton-Clinton, Tenn.
8. Jeff Neubert-Rockford, Tenn.
9. David Payne-Murphy, N.C.
10. Clyde Overholt-Tazewell, Tenn.
11. Billy Ogle, Jr.-Knoxville, Tenn.
12. Donald McIntosh-Dawsonville, Ga.
13. Levi Ashby-Cumberland Furnace, Tenn.
14. Chad Ogle-Sevierville, Tenn.
15. Jonathan Rowan-Jackson, Tenn.
16. Mack McCarter-Gatlinburg, Tenn.
17. Chicky Barton-Middlesboro, Ky.
18. Jody Horton-Sneedville, Tenn.
19. Daniel Shelton-Berea, Ky.
20. Mitchell Burke-Tazewell, Tenn.
21. Greg Johnson-Bedford, Ind. (Did Not Start)
Time of Race: N/A
Margin of Victory: N/A
Yellow Flags: 8 (lap 2, 2 restart, 5, 6, 9, 35, 35 restart, 39, 39 restart)
Red Flags: None
Lap Leaders: Billy Ogle, Jr. (1-15), Donald McIntosh (16-34), Dakotah Knuckles (35), David Payne (36-38), Brian Smith (39-44)
Entries: 21
Overall Top Qualifier: Billy Ogle, Jr. (Group B) 11.584 seconds
Keyser Manufacturing 11th Place Award: Billy Ogle, Jr.
Highest Finishing CT525 Engine ($200): None
Highest Finishing Steel/SPEC Engine ($200): Austin Neely
Provisional Starters: None