Trammell, along with Henrys, record Volunteer Speedway ‘Fast Friday’ victories

Trammell, along with Henrys, record Volunteer Speedway ‘Fast Friday’ victories

BULLS GAP, Tenn. (April 29, 2016) — With six dirt-tracks in East Tennessee each racing on Saturday night, Volunteer Speedway decided to think outside of the box a little and move its regular racing programs featuring Steel Head Late Model, Sportsman Late Model, and Modified Street to Friday night. However, the touring series Super Late Model events will remain scheduled for Saturdays throughout the season.

The first “Fast Friday @ The Gap” show proved to be a success with good fan and car count. Jason Trammell of Knoxville recorded the $1,200 Steel Head Late Model victory, with Josh Henry of Newport banking $800 for winning the Sportsman Late Model feature, while Skimp Henry from Newport collected $500 for winning the Modified Street race.

Trammell set fast-time at 12.812 seconds in Steel Head Late Model qualifying to earn the pole position, with Jason Manley second quickest at 12.887.

Manley jumped out to the lead over Trammell, Greg Estes, Chris Barton and Drew Kennedy. Kennedy got around Barton for fourth on the third circuit, and just one lap later between turns three and four, Trammell passed Manley for the lead. A strong run for Kennedy ended when his car suddenly slowed on the backstretch on lap 8 to bring the caution out.

Trammell brought the field back to green followed by Manley, Estes, Barton and Ryan King. King quickly got around Barton for the fourth spot as they raced off the second corner, and on lap 12 he passed Estes to move into third in the running order. Meanwhile, leader Trammell had a rearview mirror full of the hard-charging Manley.

Manley passed Trammell to take the lead on lap 18 as they raced off (turn) two down the backstretch. But Trammell battled back to overtake Manley for the point on lap 20. What was a two-car race between Trammell and Manley had now developed into a three-car run at front of the field as King was on Manley’s rear bumper.

With Manley having to try and hold off King, that allowed the 40-year-old Trammell to drive the Trammell Construction Co./Hatmaker Holdings/Quality Medical Center/Tornado Alley 3 Minute Car Wash/R&R Sand Blasting/Winchester Metal Works/Vic Hill Race Engines/High Velocity Heads/Hoosier Tire South by Pup/Fastlane Signs & Graphics/Charlie Brown Co. Screen Printing & Embroidery Services/Shortys Shock Service/Integra Shocks/Team Trammell Racing/CJ Rayburn Race Cars/No. 90j Chevrolet Camaro SS to victory over King, who passed Manley for the runner-up spot on the final lap. Estes and Barton finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Friday, April 29, 2016 will be a night the Henry family will never forget, as both Josh and his father, Skimp, each visited victory lane for the first time ever on the same night. The 25-year-old Josh Henry, a third generation (Runah, Skimp and Josh) racer, advanced from his tenth starting position to win the Sportsman Late Model feature.

The race got off to a rough start, as front-row starters Jason Welshan and Tim Byrd tangled between turns one and two working the second lap. Contact between the duo resulted in Welshan spinning, while both Adam Tolliver and Tyler Smith were also collected in the fracas. The machines of Welshan, Tolliver and Smith each sustained significant damage.

Back under green Byrd was riding on the point leading his teammate Jensen Ford, Marty Calloway, Tim Maupin and Josh Fields. Calloway got around Ford for second place on lap 3, while Henry was making a charge into the top five as he passed both Fields and Maupin to get into the fourth spot. But he wasn’t content to ride in fourth, and he quickly worked his way past both Ford and Calloway into second behind leader Byrd.

Henry got to the inside of Byrd racing off the fourth turn on lap 8 to take a lead he would never relinquish. With Henry out front, behind him the racing action was fast-and-furious with position changes all throughout the field.

It was a tough ending for both Ford and Maupin, who were running fourth and fifth respectively, just a couple of laps from the finish. Ford got into the first turn outside wall and spun directly in front of Maupin, and with nowhere to go, Maupin slammed hard into Ford and both cars were badly torn up.

With a green-white-checkered shootout for the win, Henry, driving the Henry Trucking/Cocke County Monument Co./Hoosier Tire South by Pup/Fastlane Signs & Graphics/Pro Built Race Engines/No. B00 Chevrolet Camaro SS, pulled the trigger to capture the victory over Byrd, Calloway, Brandon Miller and Warren McMahan.

Skimp Henry has won many races (Crate Late Model, Open Wheel Modified and Street Stock) over a distinguished 30-year racing career, though the 51-year-old hasn’t been behind the wheel for the past few years while he focused on getting his son (Josh) started racing. But just like learning to ride a bicycle, once you know how to drive a race car, you don’t forget.

Henry established a new Modified Street track qualifying record when he laid down a fast-lap at 13.770 seconds. With work still to be done, he rocketed out into the lead driving the Henry Trucking/Cocke County Monument Co./Hoosier Tire South by Pup/Fastlane Signs & Graphics/Pro Built Race Engines/No. 25 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, at start of the 20-lap feature and never looked back en route to capturing the victory in impressive style over Chris Rickett, Shannon Emery, Tony Horton and Vic Chandler.

Another “Fast Friday @ The Gap” racing program is scheduled for next Friday, May 6.

STEEL HEAD LATE MODEL (30 laps)

1. Jason Trammell #90j
2. Ryan King #30
3. Jason Manley #32
4. Greg Estes #31
5. Chris Barton #144
6. Barrett Lowe #72
7. Stanley Donahoo #00
8. Brad Coffey #88
9. Bobby Mays #25
10. Chris Chandler #8
11. Drew Kennedy #k37

Did Not Start: Matthew Holt #22

SPORTSMAN LATE MODEL (25 laps)

1. Josh Henry #B00
2. Tim Byrd #24
3. Marty Calloway #7
4. Brandon Miller #89
5. Warren McMahan #33
6. Josh Fields #11
7. Bryson Dennis #15
8. Taran Hurst #22
9. Stephen Martin #46
10. Brandon Taylor #55
11. Gary Crittenden #18
12. Floyd Self #3
13. Nick Barnard #169
14. Jensen Ford #83
15. Terry Poore #2
16. Ross White #0
17. Tim Maupin #2
18. Richard Adkins #73
19. Eric Webber #25
20. Tyler Smith #32
21. Tyler Pearson #00
22. Kyle Cole #18
23. Chris Coffey #97
24. Jason Welshan #29
25. Adam Tolliver #28

MODIFIED STREET (20 laps)

1. Skimp Henry #25
2. Chris Rickett #36
3. Shannon Emery #m2
4. Tony Horton #56
5. Vic Chandler #88
6. Bill Curl #57
7. Jon Cook #0z
8. Charles Bates #27
9. Dale Reed #52
10. Bryan Presley #69
11. Mike Williams #119
12. Kaleb Trent #3
13. Chuck Kilian #96
14. David Bullington #20

Did Not Start: Floyd Humphrey #03

Volunteer Speedway (Recording Only): 423 235-5020
Phyllis Loven (Track Owner): 423-676-9081
Vic Hill (Vic Hill Race Engines): 423-312-4206