Tazewell,
TN (April 20th, 2008) The saying goes, “the
third time is a charm” just not this time
as the seventh time proved to be a charm
for the 3rd Annual Thunder Thaw 50 at Tazewell
Speedway on Sunday afternoon. After six
prior attempts to get the event in the books
failed, Mother Nature finally smiled on
Tazewell Speedway Sunday afternoon.
John Gill of Mitchell , Indiana was running
only his second race at the track accurately
dubbed “The Bad Fast Taz” as the pilot of
the #1G Warrior House Car fielded by Sanford
Goddard of Warrior Race Cars based in nearby
Knoxville , TN. Following a treacherous
50 lapper on a very slick surface, Gill
stated from Victory Lane “I just want to
thank Sanford and Warrior Race Cars for
letting me drive this car. We had a tough
weekend at Charlotte (Colossal 100) and
it feels real good to get this win today.
It really helps build your confidence when
you get a win and any time you can beat
The Newport Nightmare (Jimmy Owens) here
at Tazewell you’ve really done something.”
Jimmy Owens really put on a show Sunday
afternoon piloting his famous #20 Bloomquist
Chassis for Reece Monuments of Tazewell
to a second place finish. After knocking
down the Powermaster Pole Award with a fast
lap of 12:819 seconds he was then required
to draw a pill from a bag that contained
the numbers 0, 1, 2 and 3 to determine if
and how many rows would be inverted for
the two Sunoco Dash Events; a rule change
that was implemented in the off-season to
promote more excitement for the fans. While
a few drivers voiced their displeasure with
the rule, the fans appeared to really like
the change and it did prove to be an exciting
twist to the event as Owens drew out the
number 3 which meant he would start sixth
in his dash among the top six qualifiers.
Mike Weeks of Friendsville was able to take
advantage of the rule. As the sixth overall
qualifier he would start from the pole in
the first dash which he led wire to wire
over Gill, #77 Joe Armes of Petros, TN,
Owens, #3 Steve Smith of Powell, TN and
#1 Vic Hill of Morristown, TN. Dash number
two contained the seventh through twelfth
fastest qualifiers, which were also inverted
based on the pill draw, enabling the #8
of David Payne of Murphy, NC to start from
the pole after posting the twelfth fastest
time among twenty-seven entries. Payne would
claim the dash win over #86 Jeff Neubert
of Knoxville, TN, #32W Shane Roberts; Bristol,
TN, #10 Chad Ogle; Sevierville, TN, #201
Billy Ogle Jr.; Knoxville, TN and #4T Tommy
Kerr of Maryville, TN
The two West Haven Speed Equipment B-Mains
would transfer the top four from each to
the Advance Auto Parts A-Main and were claimed
by #17 Shannon Thornsberry of Martin, KY
and #11B Stacy Boles of Claxton, TN respectively.
The Series points provisionals (based on
’07 finishing results) were claimed by #12T
Dan Tipton of Kingston, TN and #00 Richard
Smith of Science Hill, KY while the Fast
Time provisionals were awarded to #7 Marty
Calloway of Maynardville, TN and Rookie
Contender #14 April Farmer of Livingston,
TN.
When the twenty-four car field took the
green flag for the fifty lap A-main John
“The Modern Day Cowboy” Gill charged from
the outside pole to take the early lead
over Weeks with Owens getting by Armes to
take third followed by Steve Smith, Vic
Hill and David Payne but the first of six
caution flags flew on lap #2 for a spin
among the back markers. Caution #2 waved
on lap five for Chad Ogle who slowed to
a stop with a flat tire while Armes spun
down the backstretch after tagging the wall
off of turn two ending his afternoon early.
Additional cautions waved on laps nine and
fourteen for Shane Roberts and Richard Smith
respectively.
The red flag waved on lap seventeen when
Shannon Thornsberry and Brian Smith tangled
off of turn four with Smith coming over
the nose of Thornsberry causing Smith to
flip over on his top. He was un-hurt and
the car suffered only moderate damage. The
#25 of Bobby Mayes of Jonesboro , TN was
also collected in the incident.
Once the race was back underway, Weeks began
to wage a fierce battle to get by Gill and
was able to pull alongside on several occasions
but was never quite able to make the pass.
Meanwhile Owens was making attempts at Weeks
for second and Hill was trying to get by
Owens for third. This would continue throughout
the event but was intensified on lap twenty-five
when the 00 of Smith spun in front of the
leaders in turn two and nearly took the
leader out after swiping Gills left side
causing heavy body damage.
The final caution waved in the latter stages
of the event following contact between mid-pack
runners #2X Anthony White of Clinton, TN
and #6 Kerry Jones of Bristol, VA ending
both cars efforts early.
Meanwhile, back up front, the battle continued
to wage for the lead with Weeks still hounding
Gill, Owens hounding Weeks and Hill hounding
Owens until the closing circuits when Owens
decided to take a chance on the rim of the
track to get by Weeks on the outside and
it paid off with a pass on lap forty-eight
and by now he would then charge to the rear
of Gill with the crowd on their feet Owens
was able to pull along side Gill off of
turn two and down the back shoot only to
drift a little too high off of the exit
of turn four and lost ground to Gill as
he took the checkers. Owens settled for
second with Weeks, Hill and Steve Smith
rounding out the top five.
Stacy Boles, after starting fourteenth,
was locked in a fierce battle with David
Payne for much of the event and was able
to take home a sixth place finish. Payne,
Tommy Kerr, Billy Ogle Jr. and Rick Rogers
rounded out the top ten.
TAZEWELL SPEEDWAY OFFICIAL STATS 4-20-08
ADVANCE
AUTO PARTS THUNDER SERIES EVENT #2
3RD ANNUAL THUNDER THAW 50
ENTRIES: 27 Representing five states (TN,
KY, NC, VA, IN)
TIME OF RACE: 41 Minutes - 5:17pm - 5:58pm
YELLOW FLAGS: 6
RED FLAGS: 1 (#7 Brian Smith flips on top
– turn 4)
LAP LEADERS: 1 (#1G John Gill 1-50)
POWERMASTER
FAST TIME: Jimmy Owens #20 (12:819)
PHOENIX CONVERSIONS HARD CHARGER: #12T Dan
Tipton (21st to 12th)
SUNOCO Dash #1 – #22 Mike Weeks
SUNOCO Dash #2 - #8 David Payne
WEST HAVEN SPEED EQUIPMENT B-MAIN #1 - #17
Shannon Thornsberry
WEST HAVE SPEED EQUIPMENT B-MAIN #2 - #11B
Stacy Boles
FSR - HANS AWARD: #1G John Gill
RACIN' WITH REX RACER OF THE RACE: #20 Jimmy
Owens
TIGER REAR ENDS/ DWB RACE CARS ROOKIE: #86
Jeff Neubert
HOOSIER TIRE SOUTH MOVE OF THE RACE: Jimmy
Owens (Passes Weeks for 2nd on lap 48 –
challenges Gill for lead on lap 49)
Goddard Guttering Gas Give-A-Way Winner:
Matt Taylor of Maynardville , TN
ADVANCE
AUTO PARTS A- MAIN
1.
John Gill #G1
2. Jimmy Owens #20
3. Mike Weeks #22
4. Vic Hill #1
5. Steve Smith #3
6. Stacy Boles #11B
7. David Payne #8
8. Tommy Kerrr #4T
9. Billy Ogle Jr. #201
10. Rick Rogers #44
11. Jeff Neubert #86
12. Dan Tipton #12T
13. Richard Smith #00
14. Chad Ogle #10
15. April Farmer #14
16. Jeff Wolfenbarger #28
17. Anthony White #2X
18. Bobby Mays #25
19. Kerry Jones #6
20. Shannon Thornsberry #17
21. Brian Smith #7
22. Shane Roberts #32W
23. Joe Armes #77
24. Marty Calloway #7
In Modified Street action it was the father
and son team of last week’s winner Tony
Horton and Jody Horton on the front row
of the 20 lap feature. Row number two was
made of Tazewell Speedway veterans, Larry
“Goat Man” Burke and Allen Holt. At the
drop of the green flag it was Jody Horton
taking the lead followed by Tony Horton,
Holt, Burke and Dustin McMurray. Chris Collinsworth
brought out the first caution on lap number
after spinning with no change in the top
five. On lap 16 Larry Burke dropped out
with a lost cylinder surrendering fourth
place to former Modified Street champion
Anthony Morgan. As the laps were winding
down, last week’s winner, Tony Horton made
his charge for the lead . On lap 18 just
as he was making the pass for the lead,
Dustin Harville brought out the last caution
with a spin. From then on it was Jody “Hot
Rod” Horton taking his first win of the
season.
Modified Street Results
1. 56j Jody Horton
2. 56 Tony Horton
3. 24 Allen Holt
4. B8 Anthony Morgan
5. 21 Dustin McMurray
6. 74 Steve Wilder
7. 15 Dustin Harville
8. 54 Larry Burke
9. 45 Tim Mason
10. 7 Dixon Greenwood
11. OZ John Cook
12. 77 Chris Collinsworth
13. 2 Brian Carpenter
14. 4 Clyde Overholt
15. 99 David Lee Smith
16. 24 Charlie Rouse
17. 10M Bradley Llewellyn
18. 00 Rodney Brantley
Travis Fultz and Jason Trammel made up the
front row of the $1000 to win Steel Head
Late Model Feature with Fultz taking the
early lead followed by Trammel, Clyde Stanton,
Steve Smith, and Phillip Nichols. The first
caution flew on lap seven as Brian Dobbs
and Freddie Brock tangled. On the restart
Steve Smith put the pressure on Trammel
for second place when on lap 18 Trammel
spun on his own in turn 4. Taking over second
Smith set his sights on Fultz. On the last
lap in between turns 3 and 4 Smith made
his move diving under Fultz only to make
contact and spin. In Victory Lane, Fultz
thanked Jimmy Owens and Mike Reece for their
advice and support. Fultz’s Mopar late model
is sponsored by Harrogate Collision, Fultz
Automotive and Reece Monuments.
Steel Head Late Model Results
1. T0 Travis Fultz
2. 33 Philip Nichols
3. C11 Clyde Stanton
4. 24 Andy Wilder
5. 90J Jason Trammel
6. 7B Mike Bright
7. 22 Steve Smith
8. XXX Josh Chesney
9. 0 Freddie Brock
10. 11 Brian Dobbs
11. 07 Jason Cardwell DNS
12. 97 Keith Chapman DNS
After having a tough 2007 season, Knoxville’s
Brad Hall set fast time and led every lap
of the West Chevrolet Crate Late Model feature
helping Warrior Race Cars get their second
win of the afternoon. West Chevrolet announced
this week that they will award the points
champion of the Crate Late Model division
with a crate engine valued at over $5,000.
Hall’s Warrior Chassis Monte Carlo is sponsored
by Gary Hall Motors.
West Chevrolet FasTrak Crate Late Model
Results
1. 47 Brad Hall
2. 90 John Llewellyn
3. 90J Jason Trammel
4. 8 David Payne
5. 66 Mark Leach
6. 04 Blake Stewart
7. B00 Josh Henry
8. 9 Justin Duncan
9. 83 David Gamble
10. 2 James England
Pure Street action saw Jason Long taking
the early lead from Jack England with lots
of battling going on throughout the field.
Steve Smith had the fastest car early in
the race and made a charge to the front
after starting sixth. On lap number seven
he passed leader Jack England only to wreck
with England on the following lap sending
both cars to the tail end of the field.
This gave the lead over to Jordan Horton,
the younger brother of Jody Horton, who
was looking for his first feature win. After
a caution involving three cars on lap number
ten, the younger Horton never looked back
celebrating his first ever with a dance
on the roof of his car and a cold water
shower courtesy of big brother Jody. Steve
Smith battled back to finish second.
Pure Street Results
1. 92H Jordan Horton
2. 2 Steve Smith
3. 15 Jason Long
4. 55 Jack England
5. 10 Daniel Carpenter
6. 3 Michael Boyd
7. 27 Gary Harville
8. 39 Johnny Miller
9. 24 Gary Stacy
10. 18 Jr. Cody
11. 97 Aaron Guinn
12. 12 Michael Daniels
13. M35 Matt Tharp
14. 59 Brian McDaniel
15. 94 Dustin Eldridge
16. 10 Charles Barnett
17. 17 Tim Stevens
18. 12X Jerry Green
19. 40 Donnie Brown
20. 28 Buster Cupp
21. 17 Josh Brock
Next Saturday night, April 26th, we will
be back to regular racing action featuring
our Steel Head Late Models, West Chevrolet
Crate Late Models, Modified Street, Pure
Street and 4 Cylinder divisions. Pit gates
open at 4:00 p.m. and main grandstand open
at 5:00.
