To the roar of the crowd, long-time fan favorite John Jones
of
Rock Springs Georgia climbed out of his red # J1 racecar in
victory
lane Saturday night at the Cleveland Speedway and added
his name to
the prestigious list of "Gobbler 100" race
winners.
"This is so great!" said Jones to the crowd
in his post
race interview. "We set the car up just right
tonight, and it
was so smooth." Jones continued in victory
lane by thanking
his sponsors; "Fisher Paint & Body,
Hicks Specialty
Welding, Race Engine Design" and his friends
and family.
The 11th annual "Gobbler
100" weekend kicked off Friday night as sixty six (66) super
late models signed in to attempt to make the twenty-four car
starting grid. In "BudLight Qualifying Time Trials"
Mark
Mears of Decatur Alabama set the fastest qualifying lap
at 14:930
seconds. The times from Qualifying set up six preliminary
heat
races that, would lock in the top three finishers (from
each heat
race) into the Saturday nights Gobbler "A"
Main feature
race.
The first heat was by far the most
exciting
of the night as Mears squared off against eleven other
drivers,
including outside pole sitter (seventh fast qualifier)
current
Southern All-Star points leader Jamie Perry. Mears and
Perry
rubbed sheet metal as the two entered turn one. Perry was
able
to get the advantage from Mears sling-shoting by on the
inside
coming out of turn two. Perry would take the win, which in
turn
earned his the "Gobbler 100" pole position for
Saturday
night. Mears and third place finisher David Gentry also
earn
transfer positions to the "A" Main race.
Clint Smith of Senoia Georgia was the second
fastest qualifier and line up against (last years Gobbler 100
runner up) Patrick Duggan for the second heat race battle. Duggan
was able to power by Smith and win the heat, which place him
along
side Perry for the front row starting positions. Smith
finished
second and local driver Carson Burris finished third
to earn the
valuable transfer positions.
In the third
heat race Jeff Smith of Kings
Mtn. North Carolina took the win from
the pole position. David
Millians (1999 Cleveland Speedway Track
Champion) and Paul Tims
finished second and third respectfully to
transfer.
The fourth heat pitted fourth
fastest qualifier
John Jones against tenth over-all qualifier Lamar
Scoggins. As
the green flag waved Scoggins and Jones raced side by
side for
the first lap, when Scoggins worked into the lead. The
weekends
bad brake nod then flew to Scoggins as his motor blew
going into
turn three. What could've been disaster for Jones, who
was trailing
Scoggins. Somehow Jones got stopped before colliding
with Scoggins.
Jones realigned back as the race leader and took the
checkered
flag. Jeff Walker and (1997 Cleveland Speedway Track
Champion)
DeWayne Wilson finished second and third.
Yhe fifth heat race saw pole sitter Billy
Ogle Jr. of Knoxville Tennessee hold off outside pole sitter
Phil
Coltrane. Coltrane transferred by virtue of finishing second
as did
(1999 TN Fall Classic Winner) Ricky Holland.
The sixth and final heat of the night took
to
the track with a big surprise on the pole. John Owenby (a
Y2K
Rookie Candidate) of Georgetown Tennessee was the sixth over-all
fastest qualifier. Johnney Chastain took the opportunity against
the upstart and won the final preliminary event of the night.
Owenby was second and Brandon King edged by the legendary Buck
Simmons for the final transfer position.
On Saturday night the first of two last
chance race took to the
track, transferring only the top two
finishers. Bill Robertson Jr.
and (1999 Cleveland Speedway Rookie
of the Year) Jerry Coffman
transferred in the first event. Jason
McMahan and Mike Hawley did
the same in the second "B"
main, with Mike Head finishing
third. Stan Amacher used his S.A.S.
provisional to make the
"Gobbler 100" event.
As the
field took the green flag for the
start of the "A" Main
Gobbler race Jamie Perry rocketed
quickly into the lead. John Jones
and Patrick Duggan collided
going down the back straight-away,
ripping Duggan's nose-piece
off the racecar. DeWayne Wilson
simultaneously reared the first
caution with a spin in turn one. On
the restart Perry began his
fight, as he three wheeling around the
1/3 mile dirt oval leading
Jones, Duggan, Johnney Chastain and Jeff
Smith. Back-marker traffic
began hindering the leader on lap ten,
as Jones stepped up the
pressure on Perry by pulling along side of
the race leader while
in traffic. David Gentry brought out the next
caution, giving
Perry some much needed breathing room. The race
went green again
and it wasn't too long 'til back-marker cars again
hindered Perry's
speed. In front of the leader's were Wilson, Mike
Head and Mike
Hawley all of which were battling for position. Like
a cat ready
to pounce, a mistake from Perry was what Jones was
looking. On
lap thirty-seven Jones got under Perry when the leader
tried
to pass Head on the outside of turn two. This was Jones
opportunity
and he took it and immediately pulled away from the
field. With
Mother-nature threatening to interfere Jones lead as
caution
appeared just past the halfway point of the event. Smith
was
finally able to get by Chastain for third and pulled up to
Perry
as the two would battle for second rest of the race. Billy
Ogle
Jr. got into the top five passing Duggan late in the race.
Ogle
and Chastain would then battle for fourth 'til the drop of
the
checkers.
Official Finish:
1.John Jones (# J1) of Rock Springs GA
2.Jamie Perry (# P4)
of Ringgold GA
3.Jeff Smith (# 70) of Kings Mtn. NC
4.Johnney Chastain (# 00) of Murphy NC
5.Jeff Walker (# 49)
of McMinnville TN
6.Mark Mears (# 19) of Decatur AL
7.David Millians (# 9) of Rossville GA
8.Paul Tims (# 84) of
Georgetown TN
9.Ricky Holland (# 42) of Ooltewah TN
10.Phil Coltrane (# P1) of Freehome GA
11.Billy Ogle Jr.(#
201) of Knoxville TN
12.DeWayne Wilson (# 14) of Chattanooga
TN
13.Stan Amacher (# 21) of Tullahoma TN
14.Patrick
Duggan (# 15) of Lenior City TN
15.Mike Head (# 54) of
Ellenwood GA
16.Jerry Coffman (# 23) of Soddy Daisy TN
17.John Owenby (# J0) of Cleveland TN
18.Carson Burris (# 00)
of Cleveland TN
19.Brandon King (# 14) of Decatur AL
20.Jason McMahan (# 10) of Knoxville TN
21.Mike Hawley (# 24)
of Paint Lick KY
22.Clint Smith (# 44) of Senoia GA
23.David Gentry (# 56) of Shelbyville TN
24.Bill Robertson (#
01) of Florence
AL
Claimer Late Models: Winner - Denny Slayton
(# 89) of Rossville GA
2.Randy Stanfield (# 28), 3.Tyke
Prince (# P14), 4.Robbie Card
(# 94), 5.James Gamble (# 27)
Hobby: Winner - Lynn Roark (# 21L) of Birchwood
TN
2.Doyle Herron (# 77), 3.Richard Dixon (#3), 4.Dewayne
Powell
(# P17), 5.Doug Works (# 35)
Pony
Stock: Winner - Justin Winters (# J1)
of
Cleveland TN
2.Mark Cross (# 3), 3.Josh Doss (# 28), 4.Donnie
Henderson (#
86), 5.Don Stout (# 12)
Street: Winner - Anthony Hawkins (# 3) of
Cleveland TN
2.Kenneth Tatum (# P7), 3.Jeff King (# K1),
4.Richard Nichols
(# K2), 5.Chris Powell (#
50)
