Southern All Stars Series
East Alabama Motor Speedway
March 29, 2014
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Joe Armistead Takes Jimmy Thomas Memorial SAS Event At East Alabama

SAS Media
PHOENIX CITY, AL (March 29) - Joe Armistead of Senoia, GA., said the week before at Boyds Speedway that he might take shot at the 2014 Southern All Star title, well Saturday night on chilly night at the East Alabama Motor Speedway he took a step in the right direction as he captured the Jimmy Thomas Memorial and the $4,000 top prize.

Armistead started on the pole along side White Performance fast qualifier Jason Hiett who toured the 3/8ths mile oval in 15.460 second and at the drop of the green flag the top two cars put on side by side battle in the early stages of the race as they swapped the lead back and forth till the first of two caution flags came out as Cale Simon’s car developed a fire underneath bringing out the caution and ending his night.

Hiett was the man on the point on the restart and then started to pull away from the rest of the field until the second caution of the night came out on lap 6 as Tom Maddox slowed entering one and Lavon Sparks has no where to go and made contact with Maddox sending him into the inside turn two wall and ending his night.

The race would then go caution free from that point on as Hiett took command and started to get a huge lead over the second place car of Armistead, Riley Hickman and Josh Putnam. Hiett was on cruise control and looked to be on his way to his first career Southern All Star win until lapped traffic started to play into the final laps of the race and Hiett made contact with a lapped car and damaged the nose of his car. Hiett then developed handling problems and this allowed Armistead his second shot at the win as he got under Hiett down the back stretch with five laps remaining to take over the top spot, but Armistead still would have one more challenge by one of the hottest drivers in the south as 2013 Southern All Star Champion Riley Hickman challenged Armistead the final circuits and even pulled alongside of him in the closing laps but Armistead pulled ahead to take his first career win with the series.

Hickman came home in the second spot with Hiett taking third, fourth went to Josh Putnam and rounding out the top five was Chris Wilson. Finishing sixth through tenth were Jordy Nipper from his 17th starting spot, Dylan Ames from 13th, Eric Cooley, Marvin Cook and Bo Shirley.

Armistead drove a Rocket Chassis powered by Ben Watkins Race Engines. Armistead became the 162nd different winner in the 649 race history of the Southern All Stars Dirt Racing Series.

Hickman sits atop of the Southern All Stars Dirt Racing Series point’s standings with Jason, Hiett, Joe Armistead, Chris Wilson, Bo Shirley, Eric Cooley, Dylan Ames, Josh Putnam, William Thomas, Jason Welshan and Cale Finley all in the top ten.

The next event will on Saturday night April 26th at the Smokey Mt Speedway in Maryville, TN., a 40 lap $5,000 to win event.

A-Main (unofficial)
1 21 Joe Armistead Senoia, GA $4,000
2 R1 Riley Hickman Soddy Daisy, TN
3 1h Jason Hiett Oxford, AL
4 212 Josh Putnam Florence, AL
5 10 Chris Wilson Crossville, TN
6 1n Jordy Nipper Gray, GA
7 77 Dylan Ames Harvest, AL
8 33b Eric Cooley Fulton, MS
9 40 Marvin Cook Box Springs, GA
10 111 Bo Shirley Gadsden, AL
11 9k Dana Eliand Phenix City, AL
13 F36 Cale Finley Athens, GA
14 113 Mark Gant Savannah, GA
15 34 Chad Wallace LaGrange, GA
16 50 Steven Gains Phenix City, AL
17 21a Joey Armistead Senoia, GA
18 121 Benji Cole Canon City, GA
19 55 Duane Treadwell LaGrange, GA
20 33t Tom Maddox Centre, AL
21 11 Lavon Sparks Phenix City, AL
22 19 William Thomas Phenix City, AL
23 2c Cale Simons Albany, GA
24 20 TJ Alford Glencoe, AL