Despite an early evening Thunder Shower the 2002 Points Season at the Cleveland Speedway came to a close Saturday night in what would be one of the fastest races of the year at the clay banked dirt track. The "Lawman Mike Tinker of Ringgold GA rallied from his ninth starting position to pass fastest qualifier / early race leader Paul Tims on the 19th circuit of the 30 lap "A Main feature. Todd Morrow held on after a heat race crash to advance from 14th to 7th to earn the 2002 Cleveland Speedway Track Championship. Action Saturday also drew a close the local divisions points races. In the Claimer Late Models Bobby Doss of Cleveland took the win, but it was Dewayne Powell (last years Novice Award winner) of Cleveland winning the season long battle and winning the division championship. In the Hobby feature Shawn Reece of Harrison took the checkers. Clevelander Richard Dixon had a rough night, but nonetheless won the division championship. In the Pony Stock Jason Spraker of Cleveland showed why he,s his divisions champ by winning the evenings feature. And in the Street finale Chad Holcomb won the 12 lap "Anything Goes feature. Fourth finishing Roy Nichols earned another division title. Other award recipients were; P.D. Doss of Cleveland winning the 2002 Track Rookie of the Year title and Justin Winters of Benton TN earning the 2002 Novice Award for first time Late Model racers.

A field of seventeen Super Late Models signed in for Budweiser: King of Speed Qualifying Time Trials. Georgetown,s Paul Tims clocked a ultra-fast 13:745 seconds coming just 185 one-thousandths of a second from the Track Record set by Dale McDowell at the November 2001 Gobbler event. Tims was followed by the top four in qualifying all turning 13 second laps with Tinkers fifth fastest time being the first in the 14 second bracket. In heat one Tims and Tinker sped away from third fast qualifier Robby Mason. Unfortunately for the "Lawman he a Tims collided through turn two sending the leader into a spin. This action put Tinker at the end of the line on the restart. Tims had a challenge from Bobby Mayse but took the checkers for the pole of the feature. Dewayne Smith rallied past Robby Mason on the white flag lap to earn third with Tinker getting back to fifth. In the second heat John Owenby backed-up his second fast time winning the heat over fourth fastest qualifier rookie Billy Mayo. Last weeks winner Jake Lowry was third with James Gamble and Eddie Benefield rounding out the top five. As the field took the green it seemed Tims might be on his way for yet another win as Mayse, Owenby and Smith followed the leader until a caution waved around the halfway point. Tinker began inching forward and passed by Lowry, Owenby and Mayo to drop into third as the caution for Smith (pretty much securing Morrow the Championship Title) flew over the field. It took Tinker only two laps to pass Mayse and Tims for the lead. After a couple more minor cautions Tinker took the checkers putting the "Hair Tamers, Steel Detailers International, Tinkers Garage Chevrolet Monte Carlo # T22 in victory lane for the fourth time this season. Tims, Mayse, Mayo and Lowry followed. Sixth thru tenth were; Mason, Morrow, Benefield, James Gamble and Peanut Clinton.

Other Racing

Claimer Late Model: Winner Bobby Doss (# 28) of Cleveland
2.Nick Yancy (# 7), 3.Brent Runyan (# 40), 4.Barney Stiles (# B5), 5.Stephanie Yancy (# Y7)

Hobby: Winner Shawn Reece (# 16) of Harrison TN
2.Kenny Pierce (# 4), 3.Kenny Scroggins (# 34), 4.James Nichols (# K3), 5.Chad Hoffman (# C21)

Pony Stock: Winner Jason Spraker (# 25) of Cleveland
2.Jimmy Brown (# 10), 3.Scott Ledford (# 32), 4.Daniel Burnette (# 5), 5.Danny Burnette (# 4)

Street: Winner Chad Holcomb (# T3) of Cleveland
2.Alex Nash (# 02), 3.Jeff King (# K1), 4.Roy Nichols (# 00), 5.Terry Graham (# 55)