Cleveland (TN) Speedway
03/24/01
Story By: Steve Hixson
Photo's By: Larry Lovelady

Candy Apple Red Hot Scoggins Wins Cleveland

The Cleveland Speedway was back to business as usual Saturday night with its full program of five regular racing divisions doing battle. A stellar field of 31 Super Late Models were on hand but in the end it was one red hot Lamar Scoggins firing up the competition to win his first race of the season. The new track shape didn't effect the 2001 season debut of Nick Yancy in his Claimer Late Model racecar. Reigning Hobby division champ Richard Dixon took the checkers for the first time this year. Alabama Pony Stock bandit Alan Glaze came and conquered the feature, proving you ain't gotta be pretty to win. And in the Street division the hits kept a rollin` as Herbert Chambers took the checkers in the 12 lap "anything goes" evening finale.

It was again Ricky Holland timing in as the fast qualifier during "Budweiser - King of Speed" time trials. Holland clocked a 14:698 lap to sit on the pole for the first of two preliminary heat races. Second fast qualifier of the field was former Cleveland Speedway rookie champion Craig Reece clocking a 14:743 lap. Holland and Reece were flanked towards the front of their heats by third thru fifth fast qualifiers: Dusty Carver, Lamar Scoggins and Shawn Chastain. Holland took command all the way in the 10 lap heat to earn the "A" Main feature race pole position. Johnney Parris came from fourth to second to take the runners up spot. Chastain finished third, with Kent Hicks and Chris Beavers following. In the second heat Scoggins powered by Reece from the outside spot to take the win. John Owenby corrected his machine from qualifying and rallied from sixth to finish second to his cousin. Reece finished third just in front of Mike Weeks and former track champion Rick Hixson. In the last chance consolation race another former track champion Kevin Gibson took the checkers. Also transferring from the consi. were; Keith Frazier, Randy Burrows and Kevin Gill

As Holland and Scoggins took the green the duo began a four lap wheel to wheel drag race around the facility. Holland peeked out into the lead briefly until Scoggins swung down to the bottom. Scoggins showed as the leader as the first caution waved for cousin Owenby's spin in turn four while running third. On the restart Holland's hands were full of Chastain. Rookie sensation Beavers was quickly disposing of the competition biting off position after position from his tenth starting spot. Mike Tinker and "Gobbler 100 Champ" Patrick Duggan were doing the same as a multitude of cautions waved over laps 11 - 13. The front straight-away became center stage for a crash when Frazier spun in front of Rick Standridge and Burrows. A few laps later and Tinker and Holland tangled down the front straight-away while racing for fourth on lap 18, thus ending the fast qualifiers night. Scoggins remained in command over Chastain and Beavers as Tinker, Duggan & Hicks battled for top five supremacy. On the last lap Duggan (after starting 18th) slipped under Tinker for fourth as Scoggins in his "Cleveland Auto Outlet, Candy Apple Auto Sales, Schrewl Enterprises" Pontiac Gran Prix took the checkers.

Super Late Model:
1.Lamar Scoggins (# 32) of Georgetown TN
2.Shawn Chastain (# 11) of Murphy NC
3.Chris Beavers * (# 03) of Cleveland TN
4.Patrick Duggan (# 15) of Lenior City TN
5. Mike Tinker (# 22) of Ringgold GA
6.Kent Hicks (# 15) of Cleveland TN
7.Johnney Parris (# 1) of Ellijay GA
8.Craig Reece (# 74) of Dalton GA
9.Mike Weeks (# 22) of Friendsville TN
10.Kevin Gibson (# M45) of Ringgold GA

Claimer Late Model: Winner - Nick Yancy (# Y7) of Soddy Daisy TN
2.Glen Seaton III (# 92), 3.Greg Tinker (# 1), 4.Chris Powell (# P9), 5.Bo Stanley Jr. (# 49)

Hobby: Winner - Richard Dixon (# 3) of Cleveland TN
2. Doug Works (# 35), 3.Dewayne Powell (# P17), 4.Jim Twiggs (# 99), 5.Lee Hogan (# 1)

Pony Stock: Winner - Alan Glaze (# 1a) of Talladega AL
2.Roger Beaver (# 17), 3.Danny Burnette (# 4), 4.Jimmy Brown (# 10), 5.Mathew Gainer (# 21)

Street: Winner - Herbert Chambers (# 31) of Cleveland TN
2.Donald Forgey (# 71), 3.Jason Seaton (# 92), 4.Jim Irwin (# 8), 5.Roy Nichols (# 00)