Trammell, Byrd, Rickett, Johnson capture ‘Fan Appreciation Night’ victories at Volunteer Speedway

Trammell, Byrd, Rickett, Johnson capture ‘Fan Appreciation Night’ victories at Volunteer Speedway

BULLS GAP, Tenn. (July 11, 2015) — Fan Appreciation Night at Volunteer Speedway is always one of the most popular race nights of the season, because fans’ enjoy the opportunity getting go down onto the front straightaway prior to the start of racing and visit with drivers and look up-close at the race cars. Once all the activities were over, it was time to get down to racing action at “The Gap.”

Jason Trammell of Knoxville led flag-to-flag in the Steel Head Late Model feature to pocket $2,000 for the victory.

Trammell was fastest in qualifying, with a lap at 12.857 seconds to earn the pole position. Trammell powered into the lead on the opening lap over Barrett Lowe, Cory Hedgecock, Greg Estes and Chase King. The event’s first of two cautions waved on lap 5 when Bobby Mays spun in the fourth turn.

Back under green, the 39-year-old Trammell was setting a blistering pace out front as he quickly began to distance himself from his closest challengers. Lowe, Hedgecock and Estes were racing each other hard, while behind the trio King began to feel pressure from Jason Manley, Trevor Sise and Jason Cardwell.

Estes got around Hedgecock for third on lap 18, while caution waved on lap 20 when Steve Smith and Dakotah Knuckles tangled between turns one and two and both cars slowed on the track. With the field under yellow, fourth-running Hedgecock pulled into the infield pits ending his race.

Once again Trammell jumped back out ahead of Lowe and Estes under green racing conditions. Behind them Manley, Sise and Cardwell were battling. Cardwell got past Sise for fifth place on lap 28 between turns one and two.

Lowe, grandson of former NASCAR Late Model Sportsman/Busch Series racer Bosco Lowe, lost his grip on the runner-up spot on lap 31 when Estes got around him. But out front, Trammell, driving the Trammell Construction Co./Hatmaker Holdings/Quality Medical Center/Fast Lane Signs & Graphics/Vic Hill Race Engines/Merle 96.7 FM/Tornado Alley 3 Minute Car Wash/Hoosier Racing Tire/CJ Rayburn Race Cars/Team Trammell Racing/No. 90j Chevrolet Camaro SS, was class of the field in capturing his second career Volunteer Speedway victory. Trammell was chased to the checkers by Estes, Lowe, Manley and Cardwell.

Completing the top 10 finishers were King, Sise, Mays, Stanley Donahoo and Josh Collins.

With an impressive 29-car field of Sportsman Late Models in the pits, the top 18 from qualifying locked into the 25-lap feature, while a B-main would determine starting positions 19-24.

Tim Byrd of Jonesborough jumped out into the lead at the start over Warren McMahan, Ricky Moore, Tim Maupin and Jody Horton. Just outside the top five the action was two- and three-wide around the high banks involving Gary Crittenden, Marty Calloway, Chris Chandler, Josh Henry, Jordon Horton, Bryson Dennis and Rex Coffey.

With Byrd in command out front, behind him McMahan was feeling the heat from Moore and Maupin. Henry and Jordon Horton were taking no prisoners as they marched forward, getting past Chandler, Calloway and Crittenden to challenge Jody Horton for the fifth spot. Henry grabbed the position on lap 9, opening the door for Jordon Horton to also get past.

Next in Henry’s sights was Maupin, and he got around him on lap 12 racing off the fourth turn. At the halfway point, Byrd was eight car lengths ahead of McMahan and Moore. A late race caution on lap 22, when Adam Tolliver spun in turn two set the stage for a three-lap sprint to the finish.

But Byrd, driving the Charles Byrd & Son Logging/Unaka Forest Products/RDM Trucking/Grace Salon/Team Afco Racing Products/Hoosier Racing Tire/Hy-Tec Specialty Coatings/Weld Racing/AR Bodies/Allstar Performance/FK Rod Ends/TNT Race Cars/Tim Byrd Motorsports/No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro SS, would not be denied capturing his third Sportsman Late Model victory on the season in winning over Henry, Jordon Horton, McMahan and Moore.

Completing the top 10 finishers were Maupin, Jody Horton, Calloway, Chandler and Coffey.

Chris Rickett of Morristown and Kurt Owens raced side-by-side into the first turn in the Modified Street feature before Rickett powered into the lead racing off the second corner down the backstretch. But Owens was glued to Rickett’s back bumper followed by Brad Davis, Tony Horton and Austin Atkins. Atkins would bring the caution out on lap 5 when he spun in turn two.

Rickett brought the field back up to speed off the restart with Owens riding in his rearview mirror, trailed by Davis, Horton and Shannon Emery. While Rickett and Owens were beginning to put a few car lengths between themselves and those in pursuit with the race reaching the halfway distance, making a charge up through the field after starting last was Mike Mays.

Owens was pressuring Rickett for the lead, dropping to the inside racing off the corners. With five laps remaining, Owens was up-on-the-wheel trying to get up beside Rickett. Racing off the fourth turn on lap 23, Owens pulled to the inside door-to-door with Rickett at the flag stand. But between turns one and two, the engine in Owens’ ride began to spit-and-sputter and he dropped down low on the apron.

Rickett, driving the Lakeway Door & Glass/Sonny’s Collision Center/WJDT FM 106.5/Edwards Forest Products/Rickett Sheet Metal/Blistered Chicken Saloon/No. 36 Chevrolet, captured the win over Davis, Horton, Phillip Nichols and Mays.

Scotty Johnson of Roan Mountain battled with the “Virginia Bandit” Duke Bare over the first 10 laps of the Pure Street feature before passing Bare for the lead. Once out front Johnson went on to record the victory over Bare, Brad Ball, Brian Tate and Eddie Adams.

VOLUNTEER SPEEDWAY – BULLS GAP, TN – SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2015 – “FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT”

STEEL HEAD LATE MODEL (40 laps)

1. Jason Trammell #90j
2. Greg Estes #31
3. Barrett Lowe #72
4. Jason Manley #32
5. Jason Cardwell #07
6. Chase King #44
7. Trevor Sise #73
8. Bobby Mays #25
9. Stanley Donahoo #00
10. Josh Collins #63
11. Drew Kennedy #k37
12. Johnny Ridings #31
13. Craig Gregg #12
14. Jerry Williams Jr. #28
15. Dave Jurist #47
16. Cory Hedgecock #23
17. Steve Smith #3
18. Dakotah Knuckles #21k
19. Nick Barnard #169
20. Dale Ball #2

Did Not Start: Jensen Ford #83

SPORTSMAN LATE MODEL (25 laps)

1. Tim Byrd #24
2. Josh Henry #B00
3. Jordon Horton #56
4. Warren McMahan #33
5. Ricky Moore #75
6. Tim Maupin #2
7. Jody Horton #56j
8. Marty Calloway #79
9. Chris Chandler #88
10. Rex Coffey #3
11. Bryson Dennis #15
12. Aaron Guinn #97
13. Stephen Martin #46
14. Bradley Lewelling #07
15. Gary Crittenden #18
16. Kip Sawyer #11
17. Adam Tolliver #28
18. Anthony Arnwine #111
19. Tyler Pearson #00
20. Michael Boyd #3
21. Jaylon Shannon #37
22. Eric Webber #25
23. Jesse Helton #57
24. David Clark #1

Did Not Start: Taran Hurst #22, Terry Smith #25, Bradley Abner #71, Bryan Russell #1, Eugene Lawson #4

MODIFIED STREET (25 laps)

1. Chris Rickett #36
2. Brad Davis #88
3. Tony Horton #56
4. Phillip Nichols #33
5. Mike Mays #30
6. Bret Banks #3
7. Jeff Ferguson #24
8. Kurt Owens #14
9. Michael Woods #66
10. David Bullington #20
11. Parker Estes #31
12. Kaleb Trent #3
13. Austin Atkins #14
14. Landon Steele #18
15. Dave Smith #10
16. Dale Reed #52
17. Shannon Emery #m2
18. Robbie Woods #2
19. Mike Winstead #44
20. Cody Thompson #38

PURE STREET (15 laps)

1. Scotty Johnson #11
2. Duke Bare #52
3. Brad Ball #60
4. Brian Tate #79
5. Eddie Adams #9
6. Travis Stoots #0
7. Tony Reed #00
8. Hershell Robinette #9

Volunteer Speedway (Recording Only): 423-235-5020
Phyllis Loven (Owner): 423-676-9081

*** Photos courtesy of Randall Perry – RPM Photos