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Michael Nuchols
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (June 7) - Ocala, Florida's Ivedent Lloyd ,the 2007 O'Reilly Southern-Allstars champion, has added another name to his list of accomplishments, winner. After traveling 1,305 miles, 2 races tracks and securing a 10 place starting spot in the third heat at the dream Ivedent Lloyd finally found a place to park his race car, that spot would be victory lane at the Mountain Raceway in Maryville, TN.
When Ivedent Lloyd left his shop for Eldora speedway headed to the Prelude to the Dream on Wednesday, which he was supplying a car for fellow Floridian NASCAR driver David Reutimann, he was still tore on weather to stay in Eldora and attempt to make the Dream or pack up after the prelude and drive 373 miles back to Mountain Raceway for the O'Reilly Sourthern-Allstars event where held a small 64 point lead over 'Rookie Of the Year' candidate Jason Fitzgerald. Lloyd would not fair to well during qualifying at Eldora so he packed up the hauler and came to TN. With 30 cars signed in to try to make the event everyone was going to have to race their way into the 24 car starting field. The night would start off with Ivedent Lloyd getting up on two wheels during his first lap of qualifying and then on his second lap break the track record lowering down into the 15.60 rang. Lloyd would start from the pole with Jason Fitzgerald on his outside. After a 4 wide salute to the fans Fitzgerald would get the early jump on Lloyd taking the early lead, a cautions would fly on lap 5 for a slowing Skip Arp allowing the field to catch up to Fitzgerald and also getting to start double file. Clinton, Tennessee's Anthony White was on the move and on the ensuing restart White would pass by both of the leaders on the high side and would begin to pull away. White seemed to be on a rail on the top side of the track at one point having almost a straightaway lead over Lloyd and Fitzgerald. The school teacher David Payne was on the move while Fitzgerald and Lloyd were seeming to slow a bit during the middle of the race. A caution about half way would allow Payne to get a shot a the very fast Anthony White, but once again White would jump out to a huge lead leaving Lloyd and Payne to battle.
While White seemed to be running away with on the high side of the track, there was a battle raging in mid pack with Mark Vineyard and Billy Ogle Jr. coming up thru the field fast. Ogle had made a pit stop on the last caution to make some adjustments which put him to the tail of the field. Vineyard and Ogle were on the bottom side of the track picking off positions left an right while everyone else was on the top side trying to just see a glimpse of Anthony White's bumper. On lap 50 of the 60 lap event Lloyd would get the break he was needing when the caution flew for a spinning Jody Teffeteller. Lloyd would get by White on the restart coming off of turn two but after one lap the caution would fly again. By that time it was under 10 to go so that meant single file restarts leaving White no chance to get his preferred lane on Lloyd for the restart, Vineyard and Ogle in the top 5 now. On the restart Vineyard would get by Ogle for third, then with 2 laps remaining he would get by White on going into turn one and then get door to door with Ivedent Lloyd coming off of turn four almost stealing the victory away from Lloyd. This was Lloyd first career O'Reilly Southern-Allstars win and his first a the Mountain Raceway. Lloyd was asked in victory lane about his win and he said 'Man this is my favorite place to race at now and I had no idea that Mark was coming so fast all I seen was a white car get under me coming to the checkered, so I just gave it all I had. Man what a race that was.' Vineyard would bring it home second with Billy Ogle Jr. getting by Anthony White on the last lap for the third postion. White forth and local hotshoe David Crabtree rounds out the top 5.
O'Reilly Southern-Allstars Nascar Family Night 60
1.(21) Ivendent Lloyd Ocala, FL
2.(4) Mark Vineyard Powell, TN
3.(201) Billy Ogle Jr. Knoxville, TN
4.(2x) Anthony White Clinton, TN
5.(5c) David Crabtree Maryville, TN
6.(10) Chad Ogle Knoxville, TN
7.(7) Jason Fitzgerald Jacksonville, FL
8.(9) Dusty Carver Englewood, TN
9.(99) Derrick Ellis Chatsworth, GA
10.(H2) Stacy Holmes Munford, Al
11.(26) Dillon Wood New Smyrna Beach, FL
12.(21) Jody Teffeteller Vonore, TN
13.(11) Johnny Wheeler Campbellsville, KY
14.(8) David Payne Murphy, NC
15.(52d) Mark Douglas Knoxville, TN
16. (6) Kerry Jones Bristol, TN
17.(97) Bobby Giffin Maryville, TN
18.(10H) Anthony Hill Carrollton, GA
19.(22) Mike Weeks Friendsville, TN
20.(116) Randy Weaver Crossville, TN
21.(17) Brett Wyatt Crossville, TN
22.(D1) Dion Deason Greenwood, SC
23.(3) Steve Smith Tazwell, TN
24. (B97) Skip Arp Georgetown, TN
(DNS)- Frank Merrit, Marty Calloway, Roger Best, Stacy Boles, Danny Yoder, Dan Tipton
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