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July 5,
2014 - The
Southern Nationals Bonus Series rolled into Tazewell Speedway on Saturday evening
for its fifth event of the 2014 season and when all was said and done, Ray Cook
of Brasstown, NC had driven to the victory and a $5,000 payday aboard his A Plus
Moving and Storage/Tommy Pope Construction/Integra Shocks/American Racer Tires
sponsored #53 MasterSbilt Race Car sporting power from Jay Dickens Race Engines.
The win by Cook made him the fifth different winner in five Southern Nationals
Bonus Series events so far in 2014 as Cook would inherit the lead after a lap
16 tangle between Vic Hill and Brad Neat put Cook out front.
Vic Hill
would take the lead at the drop of the green flag in the 40 lap contest, with
Ray Cook, Brad Neat, Justin Rattliff, and Bobby Mays giving chase. Rattliff would
pressure Neat for third on laps 3 and 4, while Hill and Cook pulled away a bit
from the rest of the field. Mays would draw the first caution of the event while
still running fifth on lap 8 when he looped his machine exiting turn two. The
restart would see Hill and Cook scoot away from the field, but as that pair worked
the bottom groove, Neat would get going on the top side and by lap 14 had ran
down the lead duo. As the leaders approached slower traffic and began lap 16,
Neat and Cook would make a move on Hill for the lead, resulting in the trio going
three-wide for the lead in turns one and two, However, Hill would get out of shape
a bit and he and Neat would make contact, resulting in Neat spinning down the
back chute and Hill receiving a flat left front tire, drawing a caution flag.
This turn of events put Cook on the point, with Rattliff and Ogle now in pursuit
of the leader. Cook would pull away from the field once again, while Neat would
begin to charge his way toward the front and making his way back into the top
five on lap 28. Two more cautions in the final 10 laps would slow the action briefly,
but Cook would not be challenged and would drive to the race victory. Rattliff
would settle for runner-up honors, while Ogle would finish in the third position.
Neat would wind up in position number four in the final rundown, with Dennis Roberson
turning in a great run and completing the top five. Local favorite Billy Ogle
Jr. suffered engine woes and would not start the feature. Michael Chilton wrecked
in qualifying and was scratched from the main event as well. Southern
Nationals Bonus Race Super Late Models
1. 53 Ray Cook
2. 16 Justin Ratliff
3.
10 Chad Ogle
4. 16N Brad Neat
5. 25 Dennis Roberson
6. 25 Bobby Mays
7.
101 Casey Roberts
8. 11 Austin Smith
9. 1C Kenny Collins
10. 11B Stacy
Boles
11. 1 Vic Hill
12. 56J Jody Horton
13. XXX Bo Eaton
14. 11S
Lavon Sparks
15. 5 Bryan Hendrix
16. 3 Steve Smith
DNS 201 Billy Ogle
Jr.
DNS 97 Michael Chilton Justin
Beeler of Knoxville would end his long winless spell leading every lap of the
Sportsman feature in the Thomas Beeler Construction, Lane's Lawn Care, Tazewell
Chiropractic Center, J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment, H2O Plumbing, Competition Racing
Equipment sponsored Stinger Race Car. Fast qualifier Jordon Horton of Sneedville
worked from his third starting spot to challenge Beeler and finish a solid second.
Sportsman
1.
25 Justin Beeler
2. 56H Jordon Horton
3. 11 Josh Fields
4. 4 Clyde Overholt
5.
34V Jason Varner
6. 2 Steve Smith
7. G7 Billy Gordon
8. 8 Jacob Owens
9.
39 Wade Howerton
10. 15 Roy McKinney
11. G71 Dustin Hoover
12. 50 Alan
Cole Robbie
Buchanan of Tazewell picked up where he left off on Thursday night leading every
lap of the Modified Street feature to make it two in a row in the Robbie’s
Auto Sales, Petty’s Wrecker Service, Sign Center, O.T.'s Frame and Body Shop,
P&P Cole, Christian Construction sponsored Monte Carlo with power from a D.J.’s
Performance Race Engine Modified
Street
1. P21 Robbie Buchanan
2. 88 Brad Davis
3. 54 Mitchell Burke The
scariest moment of the night came on the opening lap of the Classic Car feature.
As polesitter Phillip Thompson of Knoxville was leading the field down the front
stretch after the drop of the green, contact from Joe Keck would send Thompson
sliding sideways into turn one and crashing into the outside wall. With nowhere
to go several cars slammed on the brakes and wadded up in turn one. Richie Overholser’s
car ended up on it’s top with John Stevens’ car getting turned onto
the left side. Also involved in the crash were Josh Chesney, Eli Keck, Cameron
Skinner, Justin Overton and Chris Evans. No injuries were reported. After the
track was cleared Logan Dukes of Knoxville would lead every lap of the feature
for his first win of the season in the Carway Auto Sales, Jim Ford Automotive,
Koontz Plumbing & Mechanical, Shields Electronics, AFCO Racing Products sponsored
Classic Car coupe. Classic
Cars
1. 5 Logan Dukes
2. 78 Joe Keck
3. 17 Robbie Sands
4. 13J
Joel Wolfenbarger
5. C74 Cliff Lane
6. 2 Chris Evans
7. 24 Phillip Thompson
8.
99 Justin Overton
9. 33X Cameron Skinner
10. 18 Eli Keck
11. 59 John
Stevens
12. XXX Josh Chesney
13. 88 Richie Overholser Jonathan
Miracle of Tazewell held off Jason Saylor of Harlan to lead every lap of the Pure
Street feature for his fifth win of the season in the Whitaker Motorsports Dodge
Ram pickup. Pure
Street
1. 26 Jonathan Miracle
2. 5 Jason Saylor
3. 15 Jason Long
4.
97 J.J. Green
5. 10 Austin Neely Jeromy
Collins of Tazewell was looking for his first win of the season in the 4 Cylinder
feature. Collins would take the early lead and battle door to door with Chuck
McMahan. On lap ten McMahan slipped under Collins in turn two to take the lead
and record his eighth win of the season in the Round Boy Motorsports, FBR, Lowes
Auto Parts Ford Mustang. 4
Cylinder
1. 99 Chuck McMahan
2. 44J Jeromy Collins
3. 22 Chris Reichert
4.
2 Roger Hurst
5. 21 Danny Pennington 
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