|
Robert Walden
WYTHEVILLE, Va. (June 27) - The Carolina Clash Series Super Late Models made their first appearance of the season Saturday night at Wythe Raceway for a $4,000-to-win main event presented by First Community Bank of Wytheville and Fort Chiswell.
Pole-sitter Dennis Franklin, from Gaffney, S.C., appeared headed to victory, leading the 40-lap feature from drop of the green flag until lap 38, when he was overtaken for the lead by Jeff Smith of Dallas, N.C. Franklin drove off too hard into the first corner following a late-race restart while feeling pressure from Smith, sliding up the track between turns one and two to open the door for Smith to make what would prove to be the race-winning pass for the lead. Once out front that's all Smith needed, as he captured his third Carolina Clash Series win of the season and 20th career series victory.
Franklin set fast-time in qualifying by touring the monster half-mile at 17.250-seconds to earn the pole position. The fastest 10 qualifiers from time trials were locked-in the starting lineup, while grid positions 11-22 were determined through two heat races (Heat No. 1 to Doug Sanders of Springwood, N.C., and Heat No. 2 to Austin Dillon of Lewisville, N.C.), with positions 23-24 being Carolina Clash provisional starting berths.
Before a huge crowd Franklin and Ricky Weeks led the 24-car starting field to the green flag from the front row. Racing side-by-side down the front straightaway into the first turn, Franklin powered into the lead over Weeks racing off turn two, with Chris Ferguson, Dan Bruer and Smith the top five back around at the start-finish line to complete the first lap.
Tight quarters racing almost spelled disaster for Smith on lap 2 as the field raced off the fourth turn. Contact from behind almost turned Smith head-on up into the outside front straightaway wall, but a masterful job of driving saved the veteran chauffeur from wrecking, though he did drop back three positions to eighth in the running order. Ferguson drifted up the banking between turns one and two on the third circuit, allowing Bruer to make the pass to move into third behind Franklin and Weeks.
Smith was methodically working his way towards the front after losing a few positions early, first picking off Petey Ivey for seventh then Luke Roffers for the sixth spot, before passing Bobby Mays for fifth on lap 8. Just two circuits later he got around Ferguson for fourth-place with a pass racing off turn two.
With Franklin holding a half-straightaway advantage over Weeks and Bruer, the event's first caution waved on lap 11 for an incident between turns three and four involving Dillon, Petey Ivey and Shon Flanary, with only Dillon unable to continue.
The top five on the restart were Franklin, Weeks, Bruer, Smith and Ferguson. With a clear track ahead, Franklin once again began to put a little distance between himself and his closest challengers. While just outside of the top-five, Mays was pressuring Ferguson for the fifth spot and Kerry Jones passed Sanders racing off the fourth turn on lap 12 to move into seventh.
With Smith to the inside of Bruer racing off into the third turn door-to-door on lap 13, coming off (turn four) Smith completed the pass to move into third-place. After working Ferguson over for several circuits, Mays got around him racing off the fourth turn on lap 16 to take over the fifth spot.
All attention was focused on the battle between Smith and Weeks for the runner-up position. While Smith would drive off hard on the bottom of the track entering the turns on the inside of Weeks, carrying momentum up top Weeks would power back ahead of Smith racing down the long straightaways. But finally getting a strong run off the low-side on lap 21 racing off the fourth turn, Smith assumed the second position. However, Franklin was out ahead of Smith by a little over a half-straightaway.
A strong top-five run for Mays ended on lap 23 when he slowed to the inside of the track, coasting down the backstretch after the rearend broke and into the pits. Jones got around Ferguson for fifth on lap 25 as they raced off turn two.
With 10 laps remaining Smith was beginning to cut into Franklin's lead, but in all likelihood without a caution the driver known as "Rambo" was not going to get outran. Suddenly Scott Neighbors slowed to a stop high on the track between turns three and four on lap 36 to bring out the caution, setting up a four-lap sprint to the checkers.
Ready to go back green, Franklin had a rearview mirror full of Smith, with Weeks, Bruer and Jones riding nose-to-tail. Racing off down into the first turn, Smith dove to the inside of Franklin to show the race leader his (front) nose. But Franklin held off the charge from Smith as they raced off the second corner down the backstretch.
Passing the flagstand and getting the three-to-go signal, Franklin got off into the first turn too deep and washed up the track, allowing Smith to drive under him for the lead. Before Franklin could reel his mount back in, both Weeks and Bruer sped past dropping Franklin back to fourth.
Smith recorded the victory over Weeks, Bruer, Franklin and Jones. Completing the top-10 finishers were Ivey, Larry Blankenship, Ferguson, Frankie Beard and Chris Chandler.
"This is absolutely one of my favorite tracks of anywhere we race," said Smith while being interviewed on the front straightaway in victory lane. "Fred Brown and his crew here at Wythe Raceway do a wonderful job preparing the surface. You can race all over this place, be it up high in the banking through the corners or even in the middle and down on the bottom. To prove the point, I was actually much better down low on the bottom between turns one and two, and I was better up high between turns three and four.
"We were very fortunate there in the opening laps to not have gotten wrecked when contact was made. I really thought I was going head-on up into the outside wall. Thankfully we didn't. During that long green-flag run, something happened to the brakes and there towards the end I didn't have any brakes. And this is a fast place to be running and not have brakes on the car. We're having a really good season so far, leading the points and with this win tonight it's the third for the year."
WYTHE RACEWAY - RURAL RETREAT, VA
CAROLINA CLASH SERIES - OFFICIAL RESULTS
(Showing Finish Position, Starting Position, Driver Name, Car Number, Hometown)
1. (6) Jeff Smith #18-Dallas, NC
2. (2) Ricky Weeks #1w-Rutherfordton, NC
3. (4) Dan Breuer #20-Troutman, NC
4. (1) Dennis Franklin #2-Gaffney, SC
5. (10) Kerry Jones #6-Bristol, TN
6. (8) Petey Ivey #75-Union, SC
7. (14) Larry Blankenship #32-Mooresville, NC
8. (3) Chris Ferguson #22-Mt. Holly, NC
9. (15) Frankie Beard #21B-Hartwell GA
10. (17) Chris Chandler #8-Weaverville, NC
11. (11) Doug Sanders #42-Springwood, NC
12. (16) Daniel Baggerly #16-Rural Retreat, VA
13. (19) Jimmy McCormick #15m-Dobson, NC
14. (13) Shon Flanary #98-Church Hill, TN
15. (24) Craig Shuffield #360-Fayetteville, NC
16. (9) Gary Mabe #15-Danberry, NC
17. (23) Keith Freeman #F1-Commerce, GA
18. (21) Tim Allen #17-Kannapolis NC
19. (22) Justin Labonte #44-Trinity, NC
20. (18) Scott Neighbors #5-Cameron, NC
21. (20) Ray Tucker #0-Greensboro, NC
22. (5) Bobby Mays #25-Jonesborough, TN
23. (7) Luke Roffers #21-Concord, NC
24. (12) Austin Dillon #3-Lewisville, NC
Drivers Not Transferring To Feature: Brian Moody #7-State Road, NC; Chris Knight #10K-Lawsonville, NC; Travis Greer #11G-Marion, VA; Randy Harmon #51-Galax, VA; Ronnie Poole #54-Dennice, NC; Thomas Poole #71-Dennice, NC
Number of Entries : 30
Fastest Qualifier Award : Dennis Franklin with a lap of 17.250
Heat Race Winners: Heat #1 Doug Sanders; Heat #2 Austin Dillon
Main Event Lap Leaders: Dennis Franklin (Lap 1-37); Jeff Smith Lap (38-40)
Hard Charger Award: Craig Shuffield
Hard Luck Award: Bobby Mays
|
