The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series continued its 2021 Fourth of July weekend of racing with the Firecracker 40 at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN and Dakotah Knuckles of Ewing, VA would make a turn four, last lap pass of race leader Jensen Ford to claim the $5,000 victory. The win by the 27-year old Knuckles would be second career Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series victory, as Knuckles drives a Rocket Chassis powered by a Vic Hill Race Engines and has sponsorship from Florida Chiropractic, Marcum Oil Company, Timberline Barns, Hickory Star Resort and Marina, Western Building Supply, Hill’s Truck Repair, Alaco, Estes Brothers Construction, and Jovida Enterprises.
Jensen Ford would snag the lead at the start of the Firecracker 40 main event, followed by Dakotah Knuckles, Vic Hill, Pierce McCarter, and Jason Trammell. The action would be slowed immediately on lap two for a spin in turn four on lap two. The restart would see Ford and Knuckles remain first and second, with McCarter taking third from Hill, while McIntosh go to the fifth spot. Hill would slow with a flat left-rear tire on lap three to draw another caution. This restart would see Ford and Knuckles continue to the top two spots, while McCarter and McIntosh would run third and fourth, while Jamison McBride take fifth. Jonathan Rowan would take fifth from McBride on lap four, while Ford would pull away a bit from Knuckles and would enter lapped traffic on lap ten, but the caution would appear again one circuit later on lap eleven when Lynn Leach would stop on the track at the top of turn two. Ford would maintain the lead on the start, with Knuckles and McCarter second and third, while Rowan would scoot past McIntosh for fourth and this pair would continue to battle for the fourth spot until the final caution of the race flew on lap eighteen when Matt Tharp would slow in turn four.
The restart would see the front three of Ford, Knuckles, and McCarter hold the podium positions, with McIntosh taking fourth and 12th place starting Ryan King taking fifth. Ford and Knuckles would pull away a bit while McIntosh would battle with McCarter for third and as the lead pair started working traffic, McIntosh would take third from McCarter. Knuckles would close the gap between himself and Ford and by lap thirty-five, Knuckles would close in Ford, while McIntosh and McCarter would close in on the front duo as well. This quartet would work through slower traffic and Ford would have the lead as the field started the final lap of the race. Knuckles would make his move entering turn three and would slide up in front of Ford and take the lead exiting turn four and win the drag race to the checkered. McIntosh would get by Ford for runner-up honors, with Ford finishing third. McCarter and King would complete the top five. The remainder of the top ten finishers would be Jonathan Rowan, John Llewellyn, Vic Hill, Ryan Winchester, and Jeff Neubert.
Valvoline Iron-man Late Model Firecracker 40
- 21K Dakotah Knuckles
- 7 Donald McIntosh
- 83 Jensen Ford
- 71 Pierce McCarter
- 1G Ryan King
- 56 Jonathan Rowan
- 90 John Llewelyn
- 1 Vic Hill
- 51 Ryan Winchester
- 86 Jeff Neubert
- 54 Mitchell Burke
- 52 Troy Eads
- 17 Brian Shockley
- 24H Phil Helton
- 215 Jamison McBride
- 35 Matt Tharp
- 22 Lynn Leach
- 90J Jason Trammell
The first feature of the evening would set the tone for the evening as 4 Cylinders battled for $500 to win in a twenty lap dash. Three-time track champion Chuck McMahan was quickest in qualifying and would pull the three on the invert draw. This would put Scottie Frazier and current points leader Chad Manning on the front row. With the green flag in the air Manning took the lead as the field went into the first turn. By the third lap Manning had pulled away by over four car lengths. On the next lap McMahan, who had slipped by Frazier, began chasing Manning down for the lead. By the halfway mark the pair had caught the tail of the field and began putting cars a lap down. The caution flag would fly on lap eleven as Mark Dalton slowed on the speedway. On the restart McMahan dove to the inside of Manning in turn one and it was a drag race down the back chute. In the remaining laps the good friends and neighbors put on a show as they raced door to door only inches from each other. With the white flag displayed McMahan mounted one last effort to earn his first win of the season yet Manning was able to hold on and secure his second win in the row driving the Dyke’s Body Shop, CTR sponsored Ford Mustang.
4 Cylinder
- 111 Chad Manning
- 99 Chuck McMahan
- 00 John Gulliver
- 13 Terry Boshears
- 1 Mitchell Fox
- 70 Greg Everhart
- 1 Mark Dalton
- 4 Jacob Callebs
- 13 Scottie Frazier
- 18 Damien Holt
Sportsman Late Models were also on showcase with a $800 to win feature in front of the huge crowd. Former Modified Street champion Robbie Buchanan was quickest in time trials with a lap of 12.257 seconds and would pull the two on the invert draw. This would put current Sportsman championship points leader Odie Overholt on the pole for the twenty lap feature. With the flash of the green light, Overholt took control snatching the lead on the back chute as Buchanan, Jerry Boling, Logan Seal and Jonathan Miracle gave chase. By the third lap Overholt had opened up a commanding lead and with the quick pace caught the tail of the field by the eighth lap. A couple of cautions slowed the pace with the last one coming out on lap thirteen for Joshua Chesney. On the restart Miracle shot to the inside of Buchanan with the veterans battling for second for several laps.
Up front Overholt set sail and led every lap of the feature for his sixth win of the season piloting the Reece Monument Company, Clyde Overholt Racing, Tazewell Drug & Express Care, Petty’s Wrecker Service, Sparky’s Window Tinting, Debbie Fields-The Realty Group, Tim Fletcher Heating & Air, Shorty’s Shock Service, Pizza Inn of Tazewell sponsored Rayburn Race Car powered by a Phantom Race Engine.
Sportsman
- 14 Odie Overholt
- 13 Robbie Buchanan
- 50 Jonathan Miracle
- 17 Logan Seal
- 00 Chris Raines
- 000 Greg Goins
- 5 Jerry Boling
- 21 Bryan Howerton
- 17 Matt Melton
- 5 Joshua Chesney
- 77 Jimmy Calloway
- 24 Andy Wilder
DNS 22B Tyson Britt
in Classic Car action, Kevin Crane recorded the fastest lap in qualifying with a lap of 14.469 seconds yet would draw the three on the invert. This would put Hunter Graybeal & Josh Chesney on the front row of the $500 to win feature. After taking the green flag the front row duo would drag race down the front stretch with Chesney taking the lead as they went down the back. Behind them, Jason Saylor, Eli Keck and Crane duked it out for positions. On the second lap Graybeal would spin on his own and bring out the caution flag. On the restart Saylor, Keck and Crane went three wide down the back straight while racing cleanly. The racing remained furious for the entire race yet none could touch Chesney as he notched his third win in a row and fifth of the season.
Classic Car
- XXX Josh Chesney
- 52 Kevin Crane
- 88 Richie Overholser
- 5S Jason Saylor
- 2 Cade Marshall
- 16 Will Carey
- 58 Michael Tharp
- 18 Hunter Graybeal
DNS 5 Jack Kress
DQ’d 8 Eli Keck
Former Modified Street champion Tony Trent earned the pole for the $500 to win Street Stock feature by turning the fastest lap in time trials and drawing the one on the invert. Austin Lefevers would share the front row of the twenty lap event. Trent took control on the first lap as Lefevers, Logan Cobb, James Weaver and James Collett Jr fell into queue. Trent would lead every lap yet after a post race protest, his car was disqualified. Lefevers would be awarded the win, his third in a row, driving the S&H Services, Screen Designs by Sheila, Garretson’s, McBride Security sponsored Monte Carlo.
Street Stock
- 90 Austin LeFevers
- C4 Logan Cobb
- 20S James Weaver
- 38 James Collett Jr
- 26 Zach Campbell
- 38 Brian Williams
- 51 Brett Cupp
- P21 Bob Petty
- 6 Jacob Boshears
- 77B Bradley Bean
DNS 20 Scottie Atkins
DNS 01 Luke Sharp
DNS 10 Colby Long
DQ’d 18 Tony Trent
