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Steve Hixson
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (June 14) - Figuratively and literally, Todd Morrow returned and raced to his own zip code Saturday at the Cleveland (TN) Speedway. The locally based racer checked out over a stout field of nineteen (19) other Super Late Models enroute to his 3rd home-track victory of the 2008 season. Morrow returned home from Rossburg, OH where he turned in 26th quick time of the 123 racers entered into last weeks DREAM event. This weekend, Morrow corralled the second fast time to Joe Armes, before going on to winning the 2nd heat race to earn the outside front row to heat # 1 winner and current CS-SLM points leader Randy Burrows. BIG DADDY from the 'cat-birds seat' raced to victory as the nights 3rd fastest qualifier, handing Armes the 8 lap defeat. Armes held back Lamar Scoggins as Jake Knowles and Bobby Mayse raced to a top 5. Morrow and Riley Hickman dazzled the crowd, for 1 and 1/4 lap of heat # 2. Fourth-fast Hickman dove in too deep and spun after a pair of groove-swappin' sliders in the turns. Morrow was followed across the line by Johnny Chastain and Jonathan Davenport. Shawn Chastain and fellow MURPHY MAFIA hench-man Jamie Oliver rounded out the top 5 of the 8 lap heat race.
Morrow wasted no-time against Burrows as the green waved and the # T1 'Cleveland Aluminum, CarSmart Auto Sales' sponsored TNT / Race Engine Design powered Pontiac GTO set sail against the field. Burrows was in deep against Armes and Scoggins as J. Chastain raced Davenport, for the top 5. Scoggins got under Armes a time or two as the field strung out, but the local racer, could never seal the deal for third. Lap traffic began becoming a factor as Morrow attempted to lap Hickman and Dewayne Powell at the half-way point. While in traffic after the 2/3rds mark Armes kept up the pressure on Burrows for second and the races first caution waved as Burrows pulled up lame on lap 23. An array of yellows appeared after Burrows ended his run, which included Andy Pickelsimer, Keith Frazier and eventually Knowles, who was racing for 6th or 7th at the time. J. Chastain passed the BLAIRSVILLE ASSASSIN for 4th with two laps remaining on a restart. The HITMAN even surpassed Scoggins for 3rd as the white flag unfurled, but the Cleveland native raced back by on the inside by the time the checkers waved. Morrow led Armes, Scoggins, J. Chastain and Davenport in the end.
In other racing action: the A-Hobby feature again went to Tanner Works, while Patrick Harvey again dominated the B-Hobby class. A new winner emerged from the Pony Feature, as Michael Courtney took the win over nineteen (19) others. Billy Bailey again topping the Front Wheel Drive division. The LLM/Crate was won by the Soddy Daisy, TN's Rick Hixson in the # 16 'Austin Trucking, BJ's Flooring' MasterSbilt racecar. Fast qualifier of the fifteen (15) car field Brian Jackson finished second, with Chris Beavers third. Craig Burrows and John Owenby rounded out the top 5. Next Saturday night the Pony division races for their Mid-Season Championship, along with racing in all other classes. For more information or full results visit the tracks web-site at www.clevelandspeedway.com
SLM Official Results
30 Laps $1,200. to-Win
1. Todd Morrow T1 of Cleveland, TN
2. Joe Armes 77 of Petross, TN
3. Lamar Scoggins 32 of Cleveland, TN
4. Johnny Chastain 00 of Murphy, NC
5. Jonathan Davenport 3D of Blairsville, GA
6. Shawn Chastain X15 of Murphy, NC
7. Jamie Oliver 38 of Murphy, NC
8. Anthony White 2x of Clinton, TN
9. Bobby Mayse 22 of Harrison, TN
10. Riley Hickman R1 of Ooltewah, TN
11. Paul Tims 84 of Georgetown, TN
12. Keith Frazier 11 of Cleveland, TN
13. Gary McPherson 29 of Dalton, GA
14. Dan Tipton 12T of Loudon, TN
15. Nick Yancy N7 of Soddy Daisy, TN
16. Jake Knowles 66 of Tyrone, GA
17. Dewayne Powell 79 of Chattanooga, TN
18. Andy Pickelsimer 1 of Ooltewah, TN
19. Randy Burrows 95 of Chattanooga, TN
DNS Jeff Franklin J12 of Ten Mile, TN
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