King, Henderson, Alvey, Rickett, Flanary, Overholser visit victory lane at Volunteer Speedway

King, Henderson, Alvey, Rickett, Flanary, Overholser visit victory lane at Volunteer Speedway

BULLS GAP, Tenn. (May 13, 2017) — Heavy rainfall around the East Tennessee region threatened to wash out racing at Volunteer Speedway on Saturday, but the track crew worked tirelessly throughout the day getting the surface prepared for action on the high banks.

Chase King of Seymour captured his first-ever Steel Head Late Model feature win at “The Gap,” with Matt Henderson of Lenoir City winning in Crate Late Model. Heath Alvey of Dandridge recorded his second Sportsman Late Model victory in 2017, while Chris Rickett of Morristown won for the third time this season in Modified Street. Shon Flanary of Surgoinsville captured the Open Wheel Modified victory, with Richie Overholser of Corryton winning the Classic feature.

Chase King set fast-time in Steel Head Late Model qualifying at 13.223 to earn the pole position for the 30-lap main event. The 24-year old King jumped out into the lead over Mike Weeks, Greg Estes, Eddie King Jr. and Jason Cardwell on the start.

However, caution waved working the second lap when Chris Chandler spun. Immediately off the ensuing restart, contact between turns one and two caused Estes to spin and the caution flag waved once again, with Estes returned to his position for the next attempt to go green.

Finally under green King flexed his muscle out front as he quickly began to stretch his advantage over Weeks, Estes, King Jr. and Cardwell. Both King Jr. and Cardwell got around Estes for position on lap 4, dropping Estes back to fifth in the running order.

King’s half-straightaway lead over Weeks and King Jr. was erased on lap 11 when Layne Clifton slowed with a flat tire to bring the caution out. Only one lap back up to speed and the yellow waved once again when Chris Barton also slowed with a flat right-rear tire.

King rocketed back out ahead over Weeks and King Jr. and as he had done since start of the race he began to quickly put some distance between his machine and closest challengers. With the race reaching the 20-lap mark and 10 laps remaining, King held a full straightaway advantage over Weeks and King Jr. The event’s final caution waved on lap 27 when Ellery Leake tagged the outside wall in turn two.

With a three-lap shootout for the win looming, would either Weeks or King Jr. be able to mount a challenge for victory? King was not going to be gunned down, as he easily won over King Jr., Weeks, Josh Henry and Cardwell. … It was a clean sweep for King as he sat fast-time and led flag-to-flag for the victory.

“This is only my fifth time ever racing here and it’s great to be able write my name in the record book as a winner at Volunteer Speedway,” King said after climbing from his car on the front straightaway in victory lane. “To be able and win here at ‘The Gap’ is really special not only to me, but to my family. Because my father competed in the Super Stock class back in the ‘90s and he won races, and now that I’ve joined him as a race winner here is pretty cool.

“I really love racing on these high banks, because this is a fast track and you’re really rolling (carrying speed) around this place. Even though I only have a few races under my belt here at Volunteer Speedway, for some reason I’ve easily gotten adjusted to how you’ve got to drive this layout. I also want to brag a little about my Stinger Race Car chassis, because it was just awesome tonight. Whether I drove the car down low on the bottom or up high in the banking, the car handled great and worked to perfection.”

Matt Henderson was quickest in Crate Late Model qualifying at 13.599 seconds to earn the pole position for the 30-lap feature. Henderson and Tim Maupin started alongside one another on the front row, with Henderson powering out into the lead at drop of the green flag. The race ran caution-free over the first 11 laps until Dennis Stiles slowed on the track with a flat left-front tire.

Back under green Henderson wasted no time in putting some distance between himself and closest challengers. With Henderson in command out front, behind him the action was heated involving Maupin, Bryson Dennis, Ross White, Drew Kennedy, Josh Henry, Tim Byrd and Gary Crittenden.

While Henderson was comfortably riding out front in the lead, positions were shuffling over the final couple of laps behind him. Henderson led from green-to-checkered in recording his first feature win on the season over Kennedy, who barely edged out Maupin for second place, with White and Henry finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Heath Alvey and Jordon Horton started on the front row for the 20-lap Sportsman Late Model feature, and the duo battled side-by-side over the opening five circuits for the lead before Alvey moved to the point.

Two caution periods slowed the action close together, with the event’s first yellow waving on lap 6 when Tyler Pearson spun in the fourth turn, and then on lap 8 when Richard Adkins, Grant Corum and Nicholas Shelton spun between turns one and two. Back under green flag racing with Alvey leading Horton and Brad Seagle, after restarting from rear of the field following his previous incident, Adkins went for a wild ride along the front straightaway on lap 11.

Adkins tried to avoid a spinning car by going to the outside near the flag stand, but his machine climbed the wall and began flipping before coming to a stop entering the first turn. The red flag was quickly displayed to stop the field in order for emergency personnel and track officials to rush to the scene. Thanks to a safely built race car, Adkins was uninjured and able to climb from the car to cheers from the crowd.

Finally back under green for a run to the finish, Alvey was in the lead while behind him Seagle got around Horton for second. Seagle was right on Alvey’s rear bumper as they received the white flag, and racing off the fourth turn to the checkered flag Seagle dropped to the inside to challenge for the win. In a photo finish Alvey won by a couple of feet over Seagle, with Horton, Terry Poore and James Cole rounding out the top five.

Chris Rickett grabbed lead over Jeffrey Melton and Wayne Rader at start of the Modified Street feature, with Shannon Emery, Parker Estes, R.J. Mayes, Tracy Wolfe and Jon Cook battling for position behind the lead trio.

After working on Melton trying to wrestle the runner-up spot from him, Rader finally got around him racing off the second corner on lap 12 and set his sights ahead on Rickett. Rader closed in to within striking distance over the final five laps, but Rickett would not be denied his third victory of the season.

Rickett was chased to the checkered flag by Rader, Melton, Emery and Wolfe.

Jeff Hamby jumped out to the lead over Shon Flanary in the Open Wheel Modified feature and led the first seven laps before spinning between turns one and two to bring out the caution. Back under green Flanary was in command leading the race over Jody Puckett, Logan Hickey, Mikah Reams and Wayne James.

The four-car battle for position involving Puckett, Hickey, Reams and James got interesting when Hickey spun exiting the fourth turn on white flag lap. Flanary easily captured the win over Puckett, Reams, James and Jimmy Dalton.

Lee Merritt led the opening three circuits of the Classic feature before Richie Overholser got around him to move out front, which also opened the door for Chad Manning to get past Merritt and take over the second position. With the race running clean-and-green from the start, a late race caution on lap 16 waved when Luke Ellis spun in the fourth turn.

Both Manning and Merritt pressured leader Overholser over the final three laps, but Overholser held on to capture his first win of the season. Overholser was trailed at the finish by Manning, Merritt, Eli Keck and Chris Nix.

VOLUNTEER SPEEDWAY – BULLS GAP, TN – SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2017 – OFFICIAL RESULTS

STEEL HEAD LATE MODEL (30 laps)

1. Chase King #44
2. Eddie King Jr. #39
3. Mike Weeks #K37
4. Josh Henry #B00
5. Jason Cardwell #07
6. Bobby Mays #25
7. Layne Clifton #23
8. Greg Estes #31
9. Mitchell Childress #2
10. Chris Chandler #8
11. Chris Barton #144
12. Michael Smith #4
13. Ellery Leake #34
14. David Clark #1
15. Dale Reed #52

Did Not Start: Taran Hurst #22

CRATE LATE MODEL (30 laps)

1. Matt Henderson #17
2. Drew Kennedy #K37
3. Tim Maupin #3
4. Ross White #0
5. Josh Henry #B00
6. Bryson Dennis #15
7. Tim Byrd #24
8. Gary Crittenden #18
9. Jason Melton #95
10. Kevin Lewis #15
11. Preston Whitehead #81
12. Dennis Stiles #00

SPORTSMAN LATE MODEL (20 laps)

1. Heath Alvey #7
2. Brad Seagle #31
3. Jordon Horton #57
4. Terry Poore #29
5. James Cole #18
6. Floyd Self #3
7. David Bullington #20
8. Tyler Smith #32
9. Grant Corum #49
10. Brandon Tipton #4
11. Richard Adkins #73
12. Tyler Pearson #00
13. Nicholas Shelton #9

MODIFIED STREET (20 laps)

1. Chris Rickett #36
2. Wayne Rader #01
3. Jeffrey Melton #4
4. Shannon Emery #M2
5. Tracy Wolfe #11
6. R.J. Mayes #6
7. Parker Estes #31
8. Austin Atkins #14
9. Jon Cook #0z
10. Nick Presley #69
11. Freddy Hillard #74
12. Scott Adkins #20
13. Shawn Henry #C5
14. Jim Canning Jr. #31
15. Bret Banks #3
16. Jeff Ferguson #24

OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED (20 laps)

1. Shon Flanary #98
2. Jody Puckett #J3
3. Mikah Reams #19
4. Wayne James #4
5. Jimmy Dalton #2
6. Tyler James #J4
7. Billy Palmer #92
8. Logan Hickey #16
9. Jeff Hamby #15
10. Jeff Akard #00

Did Not Start: Amos Bunch #50

CLASSIC (20 laps)

1. Richie Overholser #18
2. Chad Manning #78
3. Lee Merritt #9
4. Eli Keck #8
5. Chris Nix #44
6. Tony Trent #501
7. Luke Ellis #17
8. Jason Hartsock #21

Did Not Start: Chris Worsham #3

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