Douglas leads flag-to-flag for Volunteer Speedway $4,000 Carolina Clash victory

Douglas leads flag-to-flag for Volunteer Speedway $4,000 Carolina Clash victory

BULLS GAP, Tenn. (Aug. 8, 2015) — Mark Douglas has struggled with his racing program the past few seasons, but there’s never been anyone who would doubt his abilities behind the wheel of a race car. The Knoxville driver has many feature race wins to his credit and he captured back-to-back Volunteer Speedway Super Late Model track championships in 2002 and ’03.

Douglas was class of the field Saturday night as he led flag-to-flag for the $4,000 Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series Carolinas vs. Tennessee Border Wars at “The Gap” victory.

Douglas set fast-time at 12.381 seconds to earn the pole position for the 40-lap main event, with Donald McIntosh nailing down the outside front-row starting berth.

Douglas rocketed out to the lead on the start over McIntosh, Mack McCarter, Tommy Kerr and Vic Hill. With the track very wet and tacky, lap times turned during the feature were quicker than during time trials.

Racing off the fourth turn on lap 4, Hill got around Kerr to move into the fourth spot and close to McCarter’s rear bumper. Hill dove to the inside of McCarter between turns one and two on lap 9, and racing down the backstretch he completed the pass for the third position.

The event’s first caution waved on lap 15 when Bryan Hendrix slowed, and only back under green for one lap the yellow waved yet again when Ellery Leake spun.

With Douglas all alone out front leading, side-by-side behind him for the restart were McIntosh and Hill. Hill powered his way past McIntosh as they raced off turn two and set his sights ahead on Douglas. Behind the front-running trio of Douglas, Hill and McIntosh, McCarter, Kerr and Chad Ogle were running right together.

The third caution waved on lap 22 when former full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Joey Coulter and Kevin Wilson got together and spun off the fourth turn on the front straightaway.

Douglas smashed the loud pedal to surge back out ahead off the restart, with McIntosh taking the second spot over Hill. Douglas, driving the C. Laney & Son Construction/McClain’s Speed Shop/Allied Glass Co./Worldwide Equipment/Jordan’s Creek Custom Townhouses/Ohlins/Team DBM – David Bryant Motorsports/Vic Hill Race Engines/Allstar Performance/Schaeffer’s Racing Oil/Fastlane Signs & Graphics/AR Bodies/FK Rod Ends/VP Race Fuels/Weld Racing/PPM Racing Products/Performance Friction Brakes/Hoosier Race Tire/Rocket Chassis/No. 52D Chevrolet Camaro SS, was clearly the dominant car as he steadily increased his advantage over McIntosh and Hill.

Making a charge up into the top five in the running order was series point leader Ben Watkins, who started from the 12th spot.

With the 44-year-old Douglas holding right at a full-straightaway lead, the last thing he wanted to see was a late race caution. However, that happened when Hill and McCarter tangled at end of the backstretch on lap 36 with McCarter spinning to bring the yellow flag out and set up a sprint to the finish.

As he had done throughout the race, Douglas nailed the throttle and pulled away to easily capture his first career Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series victory over McIntosh, Watkins, Ogle and Kerr.

Completing the top 10 finishers were Hill, Anthony Sanders, Dale Ball, Coulter and Leake, with the top eight cars finishing on the lead lap.

With a stellar 30-car field of Sportsman Late Models present, track officials decided to hold A-main and B-main Sportsman feature events to divide the field and allow every competitor the opportunity to race.

Jensen Ford of Jonesborough was overall fastest Sportsman qualifier with a quick-time at 13.575 seconds, with Ricky Moore just a tick behind at 13.577. On first attempt to start the race, before one lap was completed the caution waved when several cars jammed-up between turns three and four with Tim Maupin, Tim Byrd, Todd Brooks and Bryson Dennis sustaining damage.

Finally under green, Ford jumped out to the lead and never looked back en route to recording a convincing (lapped up to fifth-place car) victory over Chris Chandler, Forrest Trent, Moore and Byrd.

Taran Hurst and Richard Adkins led the Sportsman B-main field to green from the front row and the duo battled for the lead over the first few laps. But Eric Weber of Morristown was making his presence felt, in first getting around Adkins for second and then on lap 5 passing Hurst for the lead. Once out front, Weber cruised to victory with Hurst, Adkins, Greg Burchett and Hugh Scalf rounding out the top five finishers.

Chris Rickett grabbed the lead over Brad Davis and Tony Horton at start of the Modified Street feature. While battling for second on lap 8, Davis and Horton tangled between turns three and four to bring the caution out with each car receiving sheet-metal damage along with flat tires.

With the race back under green and Rickett leading, on lap 14 at end of the front straightaway the right-rear wheel came off his car and he slowed to a stop in turn two to bring the caution out.

The new leader was Phillip Nichols, followed by Jon Cook and Dale Reed. While both Cook and Reed were wheeling strong rides, neither would be around at the finish – Cook due to engine issues and Reed after making contact with the backstretch wall.

Nichols, from Sneedville, would go on to take the victory over Mike Mays, Davis, David Bullington and Jeff Ferguson.

Mike Winstead of Bean Station won the Pure Street race over Scotty Johnson, Logan Morgan and Craig Schmalzried.

The next event scheduled at Volunteer Speedway will be the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series $10,000-to-win 12th annual Scorcher on Thursday, Aug. 20.

CAROLINA CLASH SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES – CAROLINAS VS. TENNESSEE BORDER WARS (40 LAPS … $4,000-TO-WIN) – SATURDAY, AUG. 8, 2015

Showing Finish Position, Starting Position In Parentheses, Driver Name, Car Number, Hometown, Laps Completed In Parentheses

1. (1) Mark Douglas #52D-Knoxville, TN (40)
2. (2) Donald McIntosh #7-Dawsonville, GA (40)
3. (12) Ben Watkins #16-Rock Hill, SC (40)
4. (7) Chad Ogle #10-Sevierville, TN (40)
5. (4) Tommy Kerr #4T-Maryville, TN (40)
6. (5) Vic Hill #1-Mosheim, TN (40)
7. (16) Anthony Sanders #421-Spartanburg, SC (40)
8. (13) Dale Ball #2-Johnson City, TN (40)
9. (9) Joey Coulter #2-Miami Springs, FL (39)
10. (10) Ellery Leake #34-Knoxville, TN (39)
11. (14) Kevin Wilson #618-Stoneville, NC (37)
12. (3) Mack McCarter #51-Gatlinburg, TN (36)
13. (17) Bryan Hendrix #5-Knoxville, TN (25)
14. (8) Doug Sanders #42-Springwood, NC (24)
15. (6) Ross White #0-Knoxville, TN (22)
16. (15) Forrest Trent #101-Talbott, TN (14)
17. (11) Travis Greer #11g-Marion, VA (7)

SPORTSMAN LATE MODEL (A-main – 30 laps)

1. Jensen Ford #83
2. Chris Chandler #88
3. Forrest Trent #101
4. Ricky Moore #75
5. Tim Byrd #24
6. Josh Fields #11
7. Gary Crittenden #18
8. Tim Maupin #2
9. Clyde Overholt #40
10. Kenny Ford #61
11. Warren McMahan #33
12. Jody Horton #56
13. Adam Tolliver #28
14. Joey Coulter #2
15. Todd Brooks #T1
16. Bryson Dennis #15

SPORTSMAN LATE MODEL (B-main – 20 laps)

1. Eric Weber #25
2. Taran Hurst #22
3. Richard Adkins #73
4. Greg Burchett #5
5. Hugh Scalf #56
6. Josh Evans #119
7. Cody Brake #58
8. Christopher Beeler #24
9. Chris Barton #144
10. Chris Long #75
11. Mike Kelley #X
12. Jason Light #5

Did Not Start: Jerry Broyles #72, Brandon Taylor #X1

MODIFIED STREET (B-main – 25 laps)

1. Phillip Nichols #33
2. Mike Mays #30
3. Brad Davis #88
4. David Bullington #20
5. Jeff Ferguson #24
6. Cody Thompson #38
7. Jon Cook #0z
8. Tony Horton #56
9. Landon Steele #18
10. Dale Reed #52
11. Robbie Woods #2
12. Chris Rickett #36
13. Jamie Whitt #1
14. Dave Smith #10
15. Tyler Smith #32

PURE STREET (12 laps)

1. Mike Winstead #44
2. Scotty Johnson #11
3. Logan Morgan #7
4. Craig Schmalzried #6

Ride around Volunteer Speedway at over 120 mph with Mark Douglas of Knoxville, Tenn., as he sets fast-time (12.381 seconds) to capture the pole position for the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series “Border Wars @ The Gap” on Saturday, Aug. 8. The 44-year-old Douglas, Volunteer Speedway Super Late Model champion in 2002 and ’03, would go on to drive the C. Laney & Son Construction/McClain’s Speed Shop/Allied Glass Co./Worldwide Equipment/Jordan’s Creek Custom Townhouses/Ohlins/Team DBM – David Bryant Motorsports/Vic Hill Race Engines/Allstar Performance/Schaeffer’s Racing Oil/Fastlane Signs & Graphics/AR Bodies/FK Rod Ends/VP Race Fuels/Weld Racing/PPM Racing Products/Performance Friction Brakes/Hoosier Race Tire/Rocket Chassis/No. 52D Chevrolet Camaro SS, to the $4,000 Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series victory. Click the following link to watch video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMtdj-GyaSE (Spencer Solomon GoPro video)