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Clash PR
AUGUSTA, Ga. (May 9) - If you are only going to lead one lap, make it the one that counts. That is exactly what Dennis 'Rambo' Franklin did Friday night at Gordon Park Speedway, where the popular Gaffney, SC resident, nipped Casey Roberts at the line to collect his second Carolina Clash Series victory of the early season.
Richie Corley and Ed Gibbons brought the field to the green with Gibbons jumping into the early lead followed by Corley, Chesley Dixon, Roberts and G.R. Smith. The top five stayed within striking distance of one another through a couple of early caution periods. On lap 11 both Dixon and Roberts were able to slide around Corley as Frankliln began to make his presence known. After winning the first heat and starting 13th on the grid, he charged to seventh by lap 15 and was looking for more. Two laps later he went by Jeff Smith and G.R. Smith to move into fifth. Dixon's strong run came to an end on lap later when the Swainsboro, GA native went pitside with mechanical problems.
On the restart Franklin began to apply some pressure to Corley for third as Gibbons began to stretch his lead out a little. Franklin was able to bypass Corley for third on lap 26 as four time and defending series champion Ricky Weeks joined the top five with a pass of Jeff Smith. Two laps later Weeks charged by Corley for fourth. Jeff Smith was able to join the top five on lap 33 as he moved the Corley back one more spot. He then slipped back around Weeks as the leaders took the two to go signal.
As the leaders took the white flag Gibbons, Roberts and Franklin were locked together in a dog fight for the win. Entering turn three former series champion Ed Basey looped his mount in front of the leaders, Roberts nudged Gibbons getting both drivers crossed up in turn four. Franklin took the opportunity to jump to the outside and barely edged Roberts back to the line for the $4,000 victory. Roberts, Gibbons, Jeff Smith and Weeks rounded out the top five.
Corley was the Mega-Plumbing of the Carolina's Fast Qualifier. Scott Neighbors took the Heintz Brothers Performance Hard Charger of the Race. Gibbons was awarded the Dirt Trax Motorsports Hard Luck Award.
CAROLINA CLASH FINISH: 1. Dennis Franklin 2. Casey Roberts 3. Ed Gibbons 4. Jeff Smith 5. Ricky Weeks 6. Richie Corley 7. G.R. Smith 8. Scott Neighbors 9. John Henderson 10. Damon Eller 11. Craig Shuffield 12. Chris Ferguson 13. Ed Basey 14. Ricky Boahn 15. Doug Sanders 16. Shane Riner 17. Scott Shirey 18. Travis Pennington 19. Anthony Sanders 20. Terry Lumley 21. Chesley Dixon 22. Dion Deason 23. Brent Dixon 24. Jordy Nipper 25. Deano Long DNS; Michael Akeson, Randle Chupp, Brandon Ifft.
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Main Event
Finish Car # Drivers Name
1 2 DENNIS FRANKLIN
2 101 CASEY ROBERTS
3 O7 ED GIBBONS
4 70 JEFF SMITH
5 25 RICKY WEEKS
6 O4 RICHIE CORLEY
7 22 G.R. SMITH
8 5 SCOTT NEIGHBORS
9 2X JOHN HENDERSON
10 I4 DAMON ELLER
11 360 CRAIG SHUFFIELD
12 22 CHRIS FERGUSON
13 4 ED BASEY
14 18M RICKY BOAHN
15 42 DOUG SANDERS
16 6 SHANE RINER
17 88 SCOTT SHIREY
18 O1 TRAVIS PENNINGTON
19 421 ANTHONY SANDERS
20 14 TERRY LUMLEY
21 3 CHELSEY DIXON
22 D1 DION DEASON
23 1D BRENT DIXON
24 1N JORDY NIPPER
25 95 DEANO LONG
DNS M31 MICHAEL AKESON
DNS 22 RANDLE CHUPP
DNS 27 BRANDON IFFT
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