Duck River Raceway Park
November 15, 2014
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Riley Hickman Rolls to Deep Fried 75 Payday at Duck River Raceway Park



by Michael Despain
WHEEL, TN (November 14-15)- The Southern Nationals Bonus Series closed out its 2014 racing season on Friday and Saturday at Duck River Raceway Park with the 3rd Annual Deep Fried 75 and Riley Hickman of Chattanooga, TN would drive to the biggest win of his career by claiming the winning $11,000 payday during an unseasonable cool weekend of racing action that saw events halted on Friday evening due to icy track conditions after Southern Nationals Bonus Series time trials were completed, forcing a full program of racing competition on Saturday.
 
The victory by Hickman made him the ninth different driver to win in ten series events for 2014 at an event that drew 33 entries representing twelve states.  Hickman's winning performance came behind the wheel of his Hickman Manufacturing/American Billet/Austin Trucking/VP Race Fuels/Rick Hixson Fabrication/Competition Race Products sponsored #R1 CVR Race Car sporting a Vic Hill Race Engine beneath the hood.

Riley Hickman would take the lead at the start of the 3rd Annual Deep Fried 75, with Ray Cook and Dale McDowell giving chase.  Hickman would inch away from Cook and McDowell, who would trade slide-jobs on lap 5 before McDowell wrestled second away from Cook on lap 9.  The first caution flew on lap 11 when sixth place running Dennis Erb, Jr. slowed on the frontchute with a broken timing-chain in the engine of his machine.  Back underway, Hickman held the point, with McDowell and Cook in pursuit, while Steve Casebolt challenged Josh Putnam for fourth and claimed the position on lap 13.  Debris from Michael Chilton's car would slow the pace again on lap 16 and Chilton would pull to the pit area, done for the night.  The restart would again see Hickman, McDowell, and Cook in the top three spots, while Putnam would roll back around Casebolt on lap 18, with Bub McCool making his way into the top five with a pass on Casebolt one circuit later.  Putnam would close in on Cook and take the third position from Cook on lap 22, while McCool would shuffle Cook back to fifth on lap 23.

The third caution of the race waved on lap 27 as disaster struck McCool when he looped his mount in turn four while running fourth.  The restart saw McDowell pressure Hickman for the lead, while Casebolt snatched the third spot away from Putnam on lap 28, with Anthony Burroughs sneaking through as well and moving Putnam back to fifth.  Caution waved again at this point when Scott Cook and Joe Denby tangled in two one, with both drivers able to continue.  The restart would also see the caution fly again when Greg Johnson spun in turn one.  Action would return to the green flag and Hickman would pull away a bit from McDowell, who was beginning to get pressure from Casebolt.  Hickman would start the process of working slower traffic on lap 39 and this process would become tricky for Hickman as the racing groove had began to narrow up at this point.

Caution slowed the action again on lap 51 when McCool's entry slowed entering turn one and was pushed off the racing surface.  The restart would see Hickman again scoot away, while Casebolt and McDowell dueled for the second position, with McDowell winning the battle finally on lap 54.  Hickman's masterful performance would be slowed by one final caution on lap 63 when Denby looped his unit in turn one.  The restart would give Hickman clear track and allow him to motor away from the field to score his biggest career victory to date.  McDowell and Casebolt would complete the podium positions, with defending event winner Putnam and Burroughs completing the top five.  Fourteenth place starter Austin Smith would head up the second five at the checkered flag, followed by Cook, Tanner English, 21st place starter Donald McIntosh, and 18th place starting Brian Dively.


Super Late Models

A-Main
1 2 R1 Riley Hickman Chattanooga, TN $10,000
2 4 17M Dale McDowell Welcome, NC
3 6 C9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, TN
4 3 212 Josh Putnam Florence, AL
5 7 1 Anthony Burroughs Minden, LA
6 14 11S Austin Smith Cedartown, GA
7 1 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC
8 10 96 Tanner English Benton, KY
9 21 7 Donald McIntosh Dawsonville, GA
10 18 33D Brian Divley Springfield, IL
11 16 1C Kenny Collins Colbert, GA
12 17 15J Greg Johnson Bedford, IN
13 12 17R Brad Skinner Springhill, TN
14 24 27D Joe Denby Tullahoma, TN
15 9 32 Bub McCool Vicksburg, MS
16 8 13C Scott Cook Shelbyville, TN
17 13 2 Allen Murray San Antonio, TX
18 22 16M Daniel Miller Lynchburg, TN
19 15 7N Clint Nichols Shelbyville, TN
20 20 1S Matthew Summers Estill Springs, TN
21 11 97 Michael Chilton Salvisa, KY
22 23 18S David Seibers Petersburg, TN
23 5 28E Dennis Erb, Jr Carpentersville, IL
24 19 56 David Gentry Murfreesboro, TN

B-Main #1
1 15J Greg Johnson 2 56 David Gentry 3 7 Donald McIntosh
4 18S David Seibers 5 66C Donald Johns 6 26F Mark Fields
7 80 Gary Christian 8 28R Mark Rose

B-Main #2
1 33D Brian Divley 2 1S Matthew Summers 3 16M Daniel Miller
4 27D Joe Denby 5 15 Richard Frost 6 33 Howard Means
7 10S Wesley Shelton 8 14 Dickey Michael

Heat #1
1 53 Ray Cook 2 28E Dennis Erb Jr 3 32 Bub McCool
4 2 Allen Murray 5 15J Greg Johnson 6 18S David Seibers
7 26F Mark Fields 8 17 Mark Haddon 9 28R Mark Rose

Heat #2
1 212 Josh Putnam 2 1 Anthony Burroughs 3 97 Michael Chilton
4 7N Clint Nichols 5 1S Matthew Summers 6 16M Daniel Miller
7 33 Howard Means 8 15 Richard Frost

Heat #3
1 R1 Riley Hickman 2 C9 Steve Casebolt 3 96 Tanner English
4 11S Austin Smith 5 56 David Gentry 6 7 Donald McIntosh
7 66C Donald Johns 8 80 Gary Christian

Heat #4
1 17M Dale McDowell 2 13C Scott Cook 3 17R Brad Skinner
4 1C Kenny Collins 5 33D Brian Divley 6 27D Joe Denby
7 10S Wesley Shelton 8 14 Dickey Michael




Crate Late Models

A-Main
1 1 8A Todd Morrow Chattanooga, TN
2 5 1 Jay Brinkley Shelbyville, TN
3 4 56 David Gentry Murfreesboro, TN
4 9 79 Billy Flannagan Jr Lynchburg, TN
5 2 302 Robert Stutts Brentwood, TN
6 14 98 Eric Hickerson Linden, TN
7 8 21 Zack Graham Lacy's Spring, AL
8 6 D2 David Duplissey Chattanooga, TN
9 16 4S Seth Mccormack Muscle Shoals, AL
10 11 17H Steve Holcomb Santa Fa, TN
11 18 713 Ben Brocato Muscle Shoals, AL
12 24 127 Robert Ardry Murfreesboro, TN
13 10 C66X Oakley Johns Hohenwald, TN
14 22 10C Ronnie Cooper Mckenze, TN
15 21 71 Danny Gill Murfreesboro, TN
16 19 C1 Chris Harris Shelbyville, TN
17 7 J6 Bubba Vandygriff Mt Pleasant, TN
18 17 21A Shannon Ardry Columbia, TN
19 23 2S Gary Sammons Murfreesboro, TN
20 28 2 Thomas Langley Parrish, AL
21 13 28 Jusin Maxwell Springhill, TN
22 27 713B David Brocato Moscle Shoals, AL
23 25 33 Cody Ballard Estill Springs, TN
24 15 26 Willie Allen Centerville, TN
25 3 12 Chad Winkles Hartselle, AL
26 26 11 Jason Leverett Unionville, TN
27 20 84 Matt Wilson Chapel Hill, TN
28 12 1A Levi Ashby Cumberland Furnance, TN


Limited Late Models

A-Main
1 2 2 David Gentry Murfreesboro, TN
2 4 99 Scott Cook Shelbyville, TN
3 3 14 Mark Hardon Petersburg, TN
4 14 94 Randy Gifford Fayetteville, TN
5 8 15H Henry Hanger Winchester, TN
6 5 20 Clint Nichols Shelbyville, TN
7 6 1 Greg Love Culleoka, TN
8 10 11 Jason Partin Decherd, TN
9 9 5 David Jackson Winchester, TN
10 11 0 Joey Tucker Flintville, TnN
11 12 78 Jason Dobbs Murfreesboro, TN
12 13 33 Bill Mitchell Winchester, TN
13 15 6 Marcus Mccrary Murfreesboro, TN
14 1 15 Brad Malone Laceys Spring, AL
15 7 16 Daniel Miller Lynchburg, TN