Cleveland Speedway
May 8, 2015
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Riley Hickman's Disguised Crate Victory for CVR @ Cleveland Speedway ... 5/8

by Steve Hixson
Cleveland, TN (5/8/15) --- The first points race of 2015 kicked off Friday night at Cleveland Speedway for all classes and the Crate Late Model didn’t disappoint. Fifteen (15) cars take the green flag with Jerry Coffman and Riley Hickman showing the way. The reigning and defending Southern All-Star champion piloting Chip Vineyard’s  CVR house-car orange and white # 1V “Hickman Manufacturing, Allied Glass Co, EnCompass Solutions, Chattanooga Valley Auto Parts” sponsored Chevrolet of Hickman was in disguise as Coffman took the early lead from the Cat-Bird’s Seat on the outside front row. By lap 5 Hickman was in his zone (at Cleveland) and made quick work of Coffman, giving former Cleveland Speedway Track Champion Jason Welshan the “Bat Signal” that it was time for him to start moving back in third. By lap 8 Welshan had removed Coffman from second and set a trace on Hickman. Several times Welshan showed Hickman the nose of his racecar but Hickman was stout coming outta the corners. The final lap, Welshan seemed to have the stronger line as Hickman got momentarily bogged down by a back-marker car in turn one. Hickman didn’t wane and picked up the victory with Welshan glued to his spoiler. Coffman held off last weekend winner Booger Brooks for third with Bobby Mayse rounding out the Top 5 finishers. Next week racing resumes at Cleveland Speedway with a Full Racing Program in All Classes. Fans and competitors can follow Cleveland Speedway on the web-site www.ClevelandSpeedwayLLC.com.


Lil' John Ownbey Wrangles Up His 1st Longhorn Victory @ Cleveland... 5/8

Cleveland, TN (5/8/15) --- The Points Opener for the 2015 Championship Season kicked off Friday night at Cleveland Speedway and for the second consecutive week the Late Model feature went caution free. The night SteelHead Thunder 25 Lap $1,200 to-WIN feature saw fourteen (14) cars take the green flag with former Track Champion Lil’ John Ownbey of Cleveland, running to the checkers. Former Southern All-Star and two time Cleveland Speedway Track Champion Jamie Perry of Ringgold chased Ownbey but it was all in vain as Ownbey’s new JRC Motorsports # 44 “Auto Depot, Sam’s Restaurant Equipment, Stealth Racing Carburetors, Outlaw Racing Southern” sponsored Chevrolet Impalla SS / Longhorn chassis stretched a comfortable lead. Former NASCAR champion’s the Labonte brothers; (Terry and Bobby) founded the Longhorn chassis in 2010 and Ownbey’s team attributed the win to assistance by Randy Weaver whom just a week ago took the checkers at Cleveland Speedway in the $4,000 to-WIN “Spring Fling” race also in a Longhorn racecar. Finishing behind Ownbey and Perry was Chattanooga’s Tod Hernandez, Lenior City’s Ruben Mayfield and hometown racing veteran Paul Tims. Ownbey set fast time earning $100 bonus courtesy of his friend and sponsor Mark Truelove at M&S Motors as shown on John's driving-suit in victory lane. In other racing action Robbie Greene of Georgetown won A-Hobby, Old Fort’s Adam Earwood won B-Hobby and Chattanooga’s E.J. Bailey won the Pony/FWD feature.