9.5.15 Carolina Clash Late Models Results
Ross Bailes of Clover, South Carolina has many feature wins at Lancaster, be it in a crate late model, a limited late model, but now he is a winner a super late model. Bailes scored his first “super speedway” win with his #87 Bailes Construction entry after scoring a lap 11 lead over Rock Hill, SC Ben Watkins, the Carolina Clash series point leader.
Watkins, who along with Chris Ferguson of Mt. Holly, NC, each lowered the previous track record of 18.422 seconds (set by Jared Landers in March 2012). Ross Bailes held the track record prior to Landers from a Carolina Clash (South) event in 2010, with a lap of 18.540. Ferguson was first to break the old record with a lap of 18.409. Then, as the last car to take time trials, Watkins ripped off a lap of 18.387, marking his run as a new track record for the 61-year old facility, with a super late model. Ben Watkins held the lead over Chris Ferguson for the first 11 laps of the event. While contending for the lead, Ferguson encountered an issue with a tire failure and had to pit for new rubber. He restarted the event 12th on lap 9. Watkins settled in for third place for the next runs of green flag racing and stayed there until lap 29. Watkins had his own tire issues with a right-rear failure forcing him to the attention of his crew. He would settle for a 9th place finish.
Meanwhile, Bailes was hitting his marks lap after lap, keeping an eager Pursley in second. Bailes went on to lead the remaining 29 laps of the event en route to his first Lancaster Clash win and fourth all-time on tour.
Three-time series champion Dennis “Rambo” Franklin had his own issues with tires on lap 9 and pitted for service, but that was not to keep him back for long. Like Ferguson, he marched his way back into the top 5 before the lap 30 mark. He would engage in a spirited battle with Zack Mitchell and Donald Bradsher for the 5th position before finally clearing Bradsher for 4th on the races final lap. Bradsher, who made his return to Carolina Clash action, held a top six position for most of the race, gaining as high as 4th in the event. He wound up fifth. Zack Mitchell made a big advance after an early race spin relegated him to 12th. At lap 25, he began racing his way into the top 5 and eventually settled in for a 6th place finish. Joey Coulter was running as high as fourth at one point in the show, but faded late and lost back to 9th. He rallied to an eventual seventh place finish. The Safety-Kleen Hard Charger of the Race Anthony Sanders raced into the top 8 after starting 13th. Ben Watkins wound up 9th and Jake Gibbons, in his first Carolina Clash start, finished 10th. China Grove, NC Ronnie Hoover was the Heintz Performance Hard Luck Award winner after getting tangled up in a heat race incident, which sidelined him for the event. Lancaster, SC Josh Langley returned to the hometown crowd but struggled with engine overheating and finished 16th.
The event at Lancaster was the 16th event for Carolina Clash held at Lancaster and Bailes was the 10th different winner there with the series.
Lancaster Speedway Results
1. Ross Bailes
2. Johnny Pursley
3. Chris Ferguson
4. Dennis Franklin
5. Donald Bradsher
6. Zack Mitchell
7. Joey Coulter
8. Anthony Sanders
9. Ben Watkins
10. Jake Gibbons
11. Kevin Wilson
12. Billy Lambert
13. Kyle Pierce
14. David Yandle
15. Tim Allen
16. Josh Langley
17. Kenny Collins
18. Doug Sanders
19. Ronnie Hoover
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.