Mays, King capture Steel Head Late Model victories at Volunteer Speedway

Mays, King capture Steel Head Late Model victories at Volunteer Speedway

BULLS GAP, Tenn. (March 25, 2017) — Following a nice springtime day with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s around East Tennessee, a large gathering of fans assembled at Volunteer Speedway for an outstanding five division weekly racing program Saturday night.

Bobby Mays of Jonesborough and Ryan King of Seymour each captured Steel Head Late Model feature wins as the class competed in twin 20-lap main events.

Mays and King led the 23-car field to green in the first race with Mays jumping out to the lead over King and Jason Trammell. But caution waved just three laps in when Tim Maupin, Dale Reed, Shane Taylor, Preston Whitehead and Lynn Leach were involved in an accident in turn one, with Maupin, Reed and Taylor forced to retire into the infield pits for remainder of the race with damage.

Only a couple of laps back under green and John Tweed got into the turn three wall to bring the caution out again.

Finally back up to speed, Mays had King glued to his rear bumper, while Josh Henry was up-on-the-wheel in overtaking Trammell for third in the running order. Trammell began feeling pressure from Jason Cardwell and Chase King, with both working their way around Trammell and dropping him back to the sixth spot.

Out front Mays was in command on the point, while King was just waiting for the opportune moment to try and make his move. The event’s final caution waved on lap 15 when Leach spun.

Ready for a five-lap sprint to the finish, when the green flag waved Mays, driving the B&B Auto Repair/L & L Steam Cleaning/McCroskey Trucking/Jimmy Morrow Trucking/West Haven Speed Equipment/Porky’s Fast Bodies/Matlock Decal Company/Vic Hill Racing Engines/TNT Race Cars/No. 25 Camaro SS, smashed the loud pedal to hold his ground and take his first-ever Steel Head Late Model victory over King, Henry, Chase King and Cardwell.

Trammell and Layne Clifton were on the front row for second feature, with Chase King and Ryan King alongside one another in row two. Trammell launched out ahead over Clifton with waving of the green flag, while Ryan King moved in behind Clifton.

Ryan got to inside of Clifton between turns one and two on lap 3 to make pass for second place, setting his sights ahead on leader Trammell. Caution waved just one circuit later when Leach’s engine began smoking.

Back under green Trammell was feeling heat from Seymour’s Ryan King, and working the eighth circuit King got around Trammell and never looked back. King, driving the Brian King Roofing Inc./Jim Sands Roofing/Mighty Muffler/SunCrest Home Health Hospice & Private Care/Day Gutter, Siding, Windows & Roofing/Parton’s Smokin’ Butt BBQ/O’Reilly Auto Parts/High Velocity Heads/Simpson Racing Products/Hoosier Racing Tire/Fox Shocks/Mike Nuchols IG Shock Service/Phantom Racing Engines/Warrior Race Cars/King Motorsports/No. 30 Corvette, recorded his second career win at “The Gap” over Trammell, Chase King, Clifton and Mays.

Terry Poore and Tyler Smith led the stellar 24-car Sportsman Late Model field to green from the front row, with Poore jumping out to the lead quickly over Jordon Horton and Jed Emert. Horton, from New Tazewell, used a strong run working the fourth circuit racing off the second corner to launch down the backstretch and get to the inside of Poore entering the third turn to take a lead he would never relinquish.

Emert slowed on lap 4 and headed into the pits to end a strong run early in the 20-lap feature. Behind Horton and Poore, action was heated involving several including Smith, Matt Tharp, Heath Alvey, Zach Sise, Brad Seagle, Travis Fultz and Wayne Rader.

But out front the race belonged to Horton, driving the Discount Auto Parts/Southern Pride Land & Cattle/All Out Bail Bonds/Norton Heating & Air/GRT Race Cars/No. 57 Chevrolet Camaro SS, as he captured the win over Poore, Tharp, Alvey and Sise.

Chris Rickett of Morristown didn’t compete in the season-opener a couple of weeks ago. But the defending Modified Street track champion came out of the gates wide-open in the second event driving the Blistered Chicken Saloon/Rickett Sheet Metal/No. 36 Chevrolet, as he led flag-to-flag in winning over Brad Davis, Cody Thompson, Eddie Stewart and Bret Banks.

John Stevens of Wallins Creek, Ky., grabbed the lead at start of the Classic feature and never looked back en route to capturing his second straight win to start the season. Chasing Stevens, driving The Parts House/Anna Mae’s Vapor/Hensley Trucking & Excavating/Chad Shannon State Farm Insurance/Hensley Grocery/Slingin’ Ink Tattoos/Red Eye Racing/No. 7 to the checkers were Tony Trent, Joe Keck, Hayston Collett and Eli Keck.

Danny Pennington led all 20 laps to apparently capture the Mini Stock feature win over Chuck McMahan and Kurt Owens. However, following the event while at the scales for post-race inspection, all three were stripped of their finishing spots and disqualified. Thus, David Darden inherited the victory followed by Steve Owens, Mitchell Fox, Rufus Collett and Stephen Russell.

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017 – VOLUNTEER SPEEDWAY – BULLS GAP, TN – RACE RESULTS

STEEL HEAD LATE MODEL (Race #1)

1. Bobby Mays #25
2. Ryan King #30
3. Josh Henry #B00
4. Chase King #44
5. Jason Cardwell #07
6. Jason Trammell #90j
7. Andrew Littleton #87
8. Trevor Sise #73
9. Brian Shockley #17
10. Taran Hurst #22
11. Adam Tolliver #28
12. Preston Whitehead #81
13. Lynn Leach #22
14. Austin Neely #3
15. Layne Clifton #23
16. Gary Crittenden #18
17. Bryson Dennis #15
18. John Tweed #5
19. Michael Smith #4
20. Ellery Leake #34
21. Tim Maupin #3
22. Dale Reed #52
23. Shane Taylor #37

Did Not Start: Greg Estes #31, Aaron Wilson #14, Tristan Clawson #32

STEEL HEAD LATE MODEL (Race #2)

1. Ryan King #30
2. Jason Trammell #90j
3. Chase King #44
4. Layne Clifton #23
5. Bobby Mays #25
6. Jason Cardwell #07
7. Josh Henry #B00
8. Gary Crittenden #18
9. Trevor Sise #73
10. Brian Shockley #17
11. Adam Tolliver #28
12. Austin Neely #3
13. Ellery Leake #34
14. Bryson Dennis #15
15. Taran Hurst #22
16. Preston Whitehead #81
17. Andrew Littleton #87
18. Michael Smith #4
19. Dale Reed #52
20. Lynn Leach #22

Did Not Start: John Tweed #5, Tim Maupin #3, Shane Taylor #37, Greg Estes #31, Aaron Wilson #14, Tristan Clawson #32

SPORTSMAN LATE MODEL

1. Jordon Horton #57
2. Terry Poore #2
3. Matt Tharp #35
4. Heath Alvey #7
5. Zach Sise #9
6. Brad Seagle #31
7. Travis Fultz #T0
8. Wayne Rader #01
9. Tyler Smith #32
10. Warren McMahan #33
11. Chris Coffey #97
12. Joshua Sneed #79
13. Adam Mitchell #50
14. Ryan Carey #555
15. Richard Bailey #41
16. Bubba Long #10
17. Tyler Pearson #00
18. Corey Summers #18
19. Kyle Cole #18
20. Cody White #7
21. Mike Kelley #8
22. Kyle Manis #25k
23. Jed Emert #98
24. Jason Sizemore #22

Did Not Start: Chuck McMurray #00

MODIFIED STREET

1. Chris Rickett #36
2. Brad Davis #88
3. Cody Thompson #83
4. Eddie Stewart #119
5. Bret Banks #3
6. Jason West #35
7. Dave Smith #10
8. Jon Cook #0z
9. Tony Reed #17
10. Tracy Wolfe #11
11. Jeff Ferguson #24
12. Brandon Tipton #93
13. Austin Atkins #14

Did Not Start: Gary Blanken #5, Charles Bates #27, Kaleb Trent #3

CLASSIC

1. John Stevens #7
2. Tony Trent #501
3. Joe Keck #78
4. Hayston Collett #5
5. Eli Keck #8
6. Bradley Hutchinson #2
7. Will Carey #16
8. Luke Ellis #17
9. Chris Nix #44
10. Jerry Acuff #9
11. Tim Stevens #11
12. Richie Overholser #18
13. Chris Worhsam #3
14. Josh Chesney #19
15. Lee Merritt #9

Did Not Start: Scott Lacy #24

MINI STOCK

1. David Darden #31
2. Steve Owens #17
3. Mitchell Fox #5
4. Rufus Collett #72
5. Stephen Russell #77
6. Brandon Crawford #00

Did Not Start: Randy Dyke #111

Disqualified (DQ) Mini Stock Post-Race Tech: Danny Pennington #17, Chuck McMahan #99, Kurt Owens #7up

Volunteer Speedway (Recording Only): 423-235-5020 www.VolunteerSpeedway.com
Volunteer Speedway: 865-257-7223
Joe Byrd (Tech Official): 865-776-1798