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DLM SANCTIONS >> SOUTHERN UNITED PROFESSIONAL RACERS (SUPR) >> SUPR at I-30 Speedway - 6/21 Results
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Message started by LMR on 06/22/14 at 5:55pm

Title: SUPR at I-30 Speedway - 6/21 Results
Post by LMR on 06/22/14 at 5:55pm

SUPR Late Models
I-30 Speedway
June 21, 2014
_______________________________________

MITCHELL WINS AT HAMMER HILL, RECLAIMS UNTOUCHABLE STATUS

by Bryan Wimberley
BRYANT, Ark. (June 21) - Riding a continued wave of success on the tour, Jon Mitchell of Texarkana, Tex., prospered in more ways than one, Saturday night at I-30 Speedway near Little Rock. Mitchell not only won his fifth P&W Sales Southern United Professional Racing Series' event of the year, but he opened up his title chase lead to a whooping and near insurmountable, 235 points, on second-standing Rob Litton.

Mitchell outran area newcomer and recently transplanted, Garrett Alberson of Shreveport, La. (by way of Las Cruces, NM) to the checkered flags, collecting $2,000 and grabbing his 10th career SUPR Series victory.

Mitchell commented, "The racetrack wasn't bad at all, it had that streak around the bottom, but from there up, it was slick and had a little bit of a berm on one end. The hub is always good at this place and this place actually owes me a win. I think this is my first late model win at I-30 and I knew the bottom was good if you can hug those tires (barrier) , then it is going to be hard for those guys to get around you. The lap traffic worked pretty good with us tonight. We had a few there that we went to the outside to get by them and actually the car didn't feel that bad when we went up top. But we primarily stayed married to that hub and mostly stayed around that area to bring the win home."

Coming into the hosted 'Hammer Hill' event, Mitchell led defending series' champion, Litton, by 100 points. Once registration closed and no Litton present at a track where he has won three times in the last six years, Mitchell was poised to make it a maximum points day.

"We have raced with SUPR on and off my whole career and I would love to put that championship trophy in the race shop, but we are taking it one race at-a-time, because I don't like to count my chickens before they are hatched. If it is meant to be for us to come away with this championship, then that is what will happen. We've had a dry spell the last several seasons and this is just unbelievable to have these type of runs that we have had here lately. It pumps us up to get ready to go to the next race, which is still takes some good luck too. We are loving this right now!" said Mitchell.

Alberson, a 25-year old New Mexico native, would drive the No. 4, Roger Rister-owned machine, to a runner-up finish, four-seconds behind Mitchell. Alberson, who has raced in nine different sanctioned series throughout the 2014 season, landed employment earlier in the year at Stuckey Enterprises Racing in Shreveport, re-locating him to the deep south. Rister's car has also been driven by Lee Davis, Brett Frazier and Jim Bryant during the '14 campaign.

Ronny Adams of Diana, Tex., completed the I-30 podium finish, from sixth-starting spot. Adams has already been victorious at the quarter-mile track, winning a Comp Cams Super Dirt Series race in early May.

Last week's Battleground finale winner, Patrik Daniel of Wills Point, Tex., took fourth, while Tyler Erb of Magnolia, Tex., rebounded with his second best series' finish this season, rounding out the top five finishers.

At the drop of the green, Mitchell lead the initial lap, while the front pack bunched up behind second-running, Shane Harris of Sheridan, Arkansas.

Alberson didn't trail Harris long, making a move to get around for position on lap 2, then Adams ran door-to-door with Harris for third, before the only yellow waved for a slowed car on the front straightaway.

Adams and 2005 SUPR ROTY, Patrik Daniel, slugged it out, before catching Alberson and making it a three-wide battle for 2nd-place on lap 9.

It would be the crafty vet, Adams securing the spot for now, with Daniel following in his path. Meanwhile, Mitchell continued his assault on the field, entering lap traffic on lap 14.

Daniel muscled to set sights on the points leader, but Mitchell kept placing traffic in between the two competitors, hanging Daniel up and expanding the advantage.

On lap 18, Adams got another shot at Daniel, racing side-by-side briefly, before Daniel bobbled in turn two, to send Adams pulling away in front of him.

At the midway mark, Mitchell led Adams, Daniel, Alberson and a distant Harris. With the bottom being the chosen line of the front-pack, Adams began drawing closer to Mitchell, cutting away at his lead. Mitchell decides to try the top line, gaining breathing room on Adams.

With 12 laps remaining, Mitchell enjoyed a more comfortable margin, as Alberson dipped under Adams for second.

On lap 32 and a low dominant track established, Mitchell's last test would come in the form of negotiating heavy traffic to the finish. No driver would threaten Mitchell's solid performance, nor would Mitchell make any risky moves to allow a challenge to appear, sending Team 5 to Victory Lane for the 4th time in the last five SUPR events.

While Mitchell's 2014 late model season is unmatched compared to the ones that preceded it. stringing together one victory after another in unprecedented fashion, each member of Team 5 Enterprises is quick to point out the roots of their success.

"We put a lot of hours in the shop Monday through Friday and Jon always tells me that 'winning races, starts in the shop'. After starting the way this team has, I believe what he is saying, the more you put in at the shop, the more success you will see. We are dedicated and with the success we have had early on, we are so motivated -it feels great!" says Team 5 crew chief, Alan Clements.

The 18-year old wrench turner added, "Jon lives in my hometown and I have always wanted to work for him growing up. I got the chance in 2011 to come on board with the team, everything I know about a late model, he has taught me. We have a pretty good bond and it takes that chemistry to make things work. This late model is ever-changing from the tracks that we go to, from tires to set-ups to maintenance, and we both lay out our opinions on what we think would work best in certain situations. It's been a good learning experience for me. I have to thank God for being a part of this opportunity."

NOTES: Mitchell's MasterSbilt Gen5 Race Car is powered by a KHP Racing Engine and sponsored by W&W Timber, Team 5 Enterprises, Kustom Graphics, J&J Motorsports, HealthCARE Express, Keyser Manufacturing Company, Kenneth's High Performance, Integra Shocks, FK Rod Ends, R2C Competition Series Filters, BASE Racing Fuel.

The 15-minute feature ended at 10:41 pm and was slowed by a single caution.

The top 10 hard charger of the feature was much deserved by former SUPR Rookie of the Year, Zach McMillan of Kilgore, Tex., not only for going from 21st-starting position to finish eighth, but also because Team 14 did some last minute scrambling to diagnosis a fuel issue and exchanging out fuel pumps.

Mike Bowers of North Little Rock, Ark., took Jon Mitchell up on his offer to start his back-up car for the evening, racing a late model for the first time in quite a while. Bowers currently has five career SUPR wins, with his last on the tour coming at his home track, nearly ten years ago at I-30 Speedway, in September 2004.

Outside of all of the recent on-going news involving Robert Baker of Bryant, Ark., the 30-year old entered a back-up car in his first race back since the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series disqualification at The Show-Me 100. Baker, who won a SUPR at I-30 event last June, fought a bad handling race car, becoming the first retiree of the 40-lap feature.

Randy Payne of Ward, Ark., experienced smoke billowing out of the back of his No. 7 machine, as the field paraded around the track before the start of the race. Payne's problems would cause him to exit the speedway without ever taking the green flag, scratching him from the starting grid.

Coming off of back-to-back wins in his last two entered events, Chandler Petty of Cabot, Ark., would have no such luck at I-30 Speedway, breaking an engine from the very start and scratching him from the entire program.

A heat two mix-up involving Tommy Surrett of Little Rock, Ark., in the No. 827s car from the Keith Craft stable, along with Brett Frazier of Haughton, La., resulted in both cars being done for the night. Frazier retired with terminal rear-end and drive shaft damage, while Surrett's evening was over from engine issues.

Next race: The P&W Sales Southern United Professional Racing Series entertain their third doubleheader of the 2014 season in two weeks, with a $2,000-to-win/$450-to-start event at Timberline Speedway in Corley, Tex., on Friday, July 4th, followed by a $3,000-to-win/$450-to-start show at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Tex., on Saturday, July 5th.

In anticipation of the upcoming double, Mitchell said, "We are going to get back to the shop and check over everything, try to do our maintenance like we normally do and go to the next race. Billy White helps me a lot on my racing program. He is also trying to support this late model racing, stepping up doing the $450-to-start at Timberline, starting 22 cars at the next event and that's darn good for our sport. Hopefully between the next two races that includes Kilgore's raised purse, it will get good support at both of those events."

Both events have their own added extra incentives over the Fourth of July weekend, as the Timberline show will feature 22 cars on the starting grid, while Lone Star pays $200 to all non-qualifiers not making the feature of the Firecracker 40 Spectacular.

Race Results

A-Main
1 2 5m Jon Mitchell
2 4 43 Garrett Alberson
3 6 1A Ronny Adams
4 8 75 Patrik Daniel
5 5 91 Tyler Erb
6 3 6d Richard Duke Jr
7 7 8c Keith Craft
8 21 14z Zach McMillan
9 1 0 Shane Harris
10 10 71a Allen Tippen
11 12 955 Chad Comer
12 11 58 Casey Findley
13 13 1c Jason Botsford
14 14 17k Cody Kierre
15 16 11x Michael Sellers
16 18 16 Arlen Stewart
17 17 3m Randy Barnard
18 9 5x Mike Bowers
19 15 17 Robert Baker
20 19 7 Randy Payne
21 20 1F Brett Frazier
22 22 47 Chandler Petty
23 23 27s Tommy Surrett

Heat #1
1 5m Jon Mitchell
2 43 Garrett Alberson
3 75 Patrik Daniel
4 955 Chad Comer
5 1c Jason Botsford
6 3m Randy Barnard
7 7 Randy Payne
8 47 Chandler Petty

Heat #2
1 6d Richard Duke Jr
2 91 Tyler Erb
3 8c Keith Craft
4 58 Casey Findley
5 17k Cody Kierre
6 11x Michael Sellers
7 1F Brett Frazier
8 27s Tommy Surrett

Heat #3
1 0 Shane Harris
2 1A Ronny Adams
3 5x Mike Bowers
4 71a Allen Tippen
5 17 Robert Baker
6 16 Arlen Stewart
7 14z Zach McMillan