Southern Allstars Series
Smoky Mountain Speedway
September 24, 2011
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Ogle Charges To Smoky Mountain Crown, Grabs SAS Points Lead



by Richard Allen
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (September 24) - Knoxville’s Billy Ogle, Jr. used what could be considered a home track advantage to earn the title ‘King of the Mountain’ and take over the lead in the Southern All Stars series standings to boot.

Ogle’s Blount Motorsports car owner, Larry Garner, is a part owner in the Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tennessee. With his team shop just a few miles away from the 4/10 mile clay oval, Ogle could enjoy a short ride back home with a trophy, a crown and a $5,000 check in his possession.

At the start of the night, another Knoxville driver, Mark Douglas, asserted himself as an early favorite by claiming the pole position with a fast lap of 15.880 seconds. Ogle found himself barely locked into the starting lineup by posting the 10th fastest lap in time trials and just avoiding a run in the heat races.

Chad Ogle and Mark Vineyard won the two heat races for those who qualified outside the top-10 in time trials.

At the start of the 50 lap feature event, outside front row starter Skip Arp bolted to the lead with Douglas, William Thomas and Matt Barrett trailing. Barrett, normally a crew member, was driving the Bloomquist Race Car normally piloted by Eric Jacobsen.

While Arp cruised through the first third of the event, the competition was intense from 3rd through 10th as drivers jockeyed for position and a chance to move up and challenge the top-3 of Arp, Douglas and Thomas. Ultimately, it was Ogle who would make the boldest of moves to gain spots as his #201 Rocket chassis found traction on the low side of the speedway.

By lap 13, Ogle had already made his way up to 3rd place when he brushed by Thomas. Then, by lap 15 he powered around Douglas and immediately began closing the gap on Arp.

At lap 19 Ogle made a move under Arp for the lead as the two cars roared through turn two. At just the moment Ogle looked to move into the top spot, Arp’s car slowed dramatically with what appeared to be rear end damage after a brush with the outside wall. ‘The Professor’ did not return to the race.

From that point Ogle was on cruise control, having only to endure a couple of restarts in the final ten laps of the event.

At the finish it was Ogle, Thomas, Tommy Kerr, Mark Vineyard, Douglas, Bobby Giffin, David Crabtree, Mike Weeks, David Payne and Terry Wolfenbarger.

Ogle, who entered the race trailing Thomas by two points in the SAS standings, took the series lead with his victory.

In the Crate Late Model feature, Greg Martin lead every lap to claim the $1,000 first prize. Jacob Grizzle, David Crabtree, Mark Vineyard and Todd Brooks followed the leader to the checkered flag. The race had a scary moment in which driver Jameson Settlemyre had his car flip and sail wildly through the turn three fence and land upside down completely outside the track. Settlemyre was uninjured in the crash.

Race Summary
Smoky Mountain Speedway
9-24-11

23 Entries representing 4 states: TN, NC, GA, AL
Fast Qualifier – Mark Douglas #52D – 15.88

B-Main #1 Finish
Chad Ogle #10
David Crabtree #C5
Steve Smith #3
Gary McPherson #29M
Hunter Best #007
Roger Best #007X
Jason Welshan #129 (DNS)

B-Main #2 Finish
Mark Vineyard #4
Terry Wolfenbarger #14
Kayne Hickman #A1
Ronnie Payne #8X
Ellery Leake #34
Sammie Russell #F4

Feature Start Time – 10:11 PM
Feature Finish Time – 10:41 PM

Finish Order-
1. Billy Ogle Jr. #201
2. William Thomas #22T
3. Tommy Kerr #4T
4. Mark Vineyard #4
5. Mark Douglas #52D
6. Bobby Giffin #97
7. David Crabtree #C5
8. Mike Weeks #22
9. David Payne #8
10. Terry Wolfenbarger #14
11. Sammie Russell #F4
12. Robby Moses #7
13. Chad Ogle #10
14. Gary McPherson #29M
15. Hunter Best #007
16. Matt Barrett #5
17. Kayne Hickman #A1
18. Skip Arp #31
19. Steve Smith #3
20. Ronnie Payne #8X
21. Ellery Leake #34
22. Jason Welshan #129
23. Roger Best #007X