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AAPTS Media
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (October 19) - Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Georgia was able to hold off Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tennessee en route to claiming the $4,400 to win Buddy Rogers Memorial on Sunday afternoon at Mountain Raceway Park in Maryville, Tennessee. It was the second win of the season for the former national Dirt Late Model Champion on the Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series tour and third victory in recent weeks in the Goddard Performance, Custom Race Engines, Warrior Race Cars #1G House Car.
Before feature racing got underway, a touching ceremony from the front stretch was held to honor long time East Tennessee Dirt Late Model Racer Buddy Rogers of Knoxville, Tennessee who recently lost his battle with cancer. Buddy's son Rick Rogers and a host of volunteers had spent the past few weeks restoring one of Buddy's 1980s style #44 race cars and had it lettered up just the way it was back then. Buddy's grandson Stephen Rogers would drive it as a Pace Car during the three-wide salute, much to the crowd's delight.
Once racing got underway it was evident that the outside pole was the preferred starting spot as Cleveland, Tennessee's Todd Morrow earned the pole for the forty-four lap feature by claiming the win in the first Sunoco Dash after he started from the outside pole in that preliminary event. McDowell wasted no time taking advantage of the same starting spot in the feature by quickly jumping to the point at the drop of the green flag but Morrow immediately felt pressure from Weaver and fast qualifier, Skip Arp of Georgetown, Tennessee. This three-way battle would enable McDowell to pull away by several car lengths.
By lap number eight, McDowell caught the rear of the stellar twenty-four car field therefore allowing Marrow and Weaver to gain ground. Arp meanwhile had settled in at fourth with Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville slipping by Tommy Kerr of Maryville to take fifth. On the next lap, Weaver got by Morrow to take over second but now had a couple of lapped cars between himself and McDowell. Arp was able to slip past Morrow for third by lap fifteen relegating the young Morrow back to fourth. Ogle was still in fifth.
The only caution of the afternoon would wave just past half-way on lap twenty-three for a breather cap laying just outside the groove in turn one. It was during this caution that Skip Arp would have to retire for mechanical failure. This would move Ogle up to fourth and Kerr to fifth.
The next twenty-one circuits would see a fierce battle waged at McDowell by Weaver, who clearly appeared to be the fastest car on the track, but by this stage of the race, the track was pretty black from rubber build up. Weaver would pull a nose along side on several occasions but McDowell would close the door resulting in Weaver losing momentum and slipping back by a couple of car lengths each time. McDowell would go on to grab the checkers with Weaver close on his tail for second and Morrow hanging on to third. Kerr was able to slip past Ogle for fourth and Rick Rogers came home sixth, but more importantly for him, clinching the 2008 Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series Championship.
"I lost my breaks about half-way through the feature" stated a jubilant McDowell from Victory Lane. "That forced me to lift a little earlier than I wanted to getting into the corners and I knew Randy (Weaver) was there but he raced me clean and fortunately I was able to hold him off" McDowell added.
Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series 2008 Finale
Buddy Rogers Memorial-44 ($4,400 To Win)
Mountain Raceway Park - Maryville, TN - Sunday 10-19-08
Race Summary
Advance Auto Parts A-Main
1 Dale McDowell #1G - Chickamauga, GA
2 Randy Weaver #116 - Crossville, TN
3 Todd Morrow #T1 - Cleveland, TN
4 Tommy Kerr #4T - Maryville, TN
5 Billy Ogle Jr. #201 - Knoxville, TN
6 Rick Rogers #44 - Knoxville, TN
7 Eric Jacobsen #5 - Sea Cliff Beach, CA
8 Clint Smith #81 - Senoia, GA
9 Bobby Giffin #B31 - Maryville, TN
10 John Blankenship #23 - Williamson, WV
11 Chris Wilson #17 - Louisa, KY
12 Ray Cook #53 - Brasstown, NC
13 Jason Welshan #29 - Maryville, TN
14 Mike Weeks #22 - Friendsville, TN
15 Mark Vineyard #4 - Powell, TN
16 Tommy Bailey #11 - Corbin, KY
17 Roger Best #007 - Greenback, TN
18 Anthony White #2X - Clinton, TN
19 Chad Ogle #10 - Sevierville, TN
20 Stacy Boles #11B - Claxton, TN
21 Skip Arp #31 - Georgetown,TN
22 Mike Jackson #Q - Greeneville,TN
23 Herman Goddard #22 - Knoxville, TN
24 Jake Knowles #66 - Tyrone, GA
Did Not Start Feature (14)
David Payne #8 - Murphy, NC
Kerry Jones #6 - Bristol, VA
David Crabtree #C5 - Maryville, TN
Ruben Mayfield #00 - Lenoir City, TN
Dennis Barton #35 - Corbin, KY
Frank Merritt #C8 - Maryville, TN
Dan Tipton #12T - Kingston, TN
Rex Richey #25 - Ringgold, GA
Bill Howe #21 - Vonore, TN
Jeff Neubert #86 - Rockford, TN
Davy Davis #D11 - Ringgold, GA
Kenny Ford #32 - Powell, TN
Kayne Hickman #H3 - Soddy Daisy, TN
Charles Hurst #1H - Knoxville, TN
38 Entries Representing 7 States (TN, KY, GA, NC, VA, WV, CA)
Yellow Flags - 1 (for debris)
Red Flags - 0
Race Leaders - 1 (Dale McDowell 1-44)
Time of Race: 16 minutes (7:30pm - 7:46pm)
Powermaster Fast Time
#31 Skip Arp - 17.48
Sunoco Quick Six #1
1 Todd Morrow #T1
2 Dale McDowell #1G
3 Skip Arp #31
4 Randy Weaver #116
5 Tommy Kerr #4T
6 Billy Ogle Jr. #201
Sunoco Quick Six #2
1 Rick Rogers #44
2 Bobby Giffin #B31
3 Eric Jacobsen #5
4 Clint Smith #81
5 Ray Cook #53
6 Chris Wilson #17
West Haven Speed Equipment B-Main #1 (Top 4 Transfer)
1 Chad Ogle #10
2 Mike Jackson #Q
3 Jake Knowles #66
4 Roger Best #007
5 Mark Vineyard #4
6 David Payne #8
7 David Crabtree #C5
8 Anthony White #2X
9 Dennis Barton #35
10 Dan Tipton #12T
11 Stacy Boles #11B
12 Davy Davis #D11
13 Kenny Ford #32
West Haven Speed Equipment B-Main #2 (Top 4 Transfer)
1 John Blankenship #23
2 Jason Welshan #29
3 Mike Weeks #22
4 Tommy Bailey #11
5 Kerry Jones #6
6 Frank Merritt #C8
7 Rex Richey #25
8 Herman Goddard #22
9 Ruben Mayfield #00
10 Jeff Neubert #86
11 Bill Howe #21
12 Kayne Hickman #H3 (DNS)
13 Charles Hurst #1H (DNS)
Phoenix Conversions Hard Charger - #4 Mark Vineyard (23rd to 15th)
Racin' With Rex Racer of The Race - #116 Randy Weaver
FSR/Hans Safety Award - #1G- Dale McDowell
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