BULLS GAP, Tenn. - Jason Welshan bested World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series star Ricky Weiss to win Saturday’s crate late model feature at Volunteer Speedway.
With Volunteer Speedway set to host the $20,000 Crate Late Model National Championship and sanctioned by the American Crate All-Star Series Nov. 12-14, a strong field of 28 competitors were in the pits tuning-up for the big show next weekend.
Defending American Crate All-Star Series national champion Tyler Arrington set fast-time in qualifying at 13.742 seconds to earn the pole position, with Welshan second quickest at 13.828 seconds to nail down the outside front-row starting position.
Arrington powered out to the lead on the first lap over Weiss, Welshan, Matt Henderson and Aaron Guinn. Racing into the first turn on lap four, Weiss executed a slide-job to briefly take the lead away from Arrington. But the pole-sitter battled back on the opposite end of the track to throw a slider of his own to reclaim the lead from Weiss, who also got passed by Welshan.
The front-running group of cars quickly caught tail of the field, and tough break for Arrington on lap six when Josh Baker spun between turns three and four leaving nowhere for Arrington to go and he also spun to bring out the caution. Instead of going to the rear to restart, Arrington instead chose to pull into the pits and end his hopes of winning.
Back under green and Welshan was showing the way out front over Weiss, Henderson, Guinn and Jensen Ford. Some might say racing during the daytime with sun baking down doesn’t produce good racing, but the action back through middle of the field had four-time winner this season Zach Sise, Mack McCarter, Jason Cardwell, Mike Smith, Anthony White, Bryson Dennis, Shannon Emery, Nathan Martin, Ryan King, Tim Maupin, Raymond Nichols and Chris Chandler jockeying for real estate around the high banks running two- and three-wide on occasions.
With leader Welshan closing in on the rear of the field to start lapping cars, once he entered traffic Weiss made a move to overtake Welshan for the lead between turns three and four. Weiss appeared to be heading to victory, but it’s never over until it’s over. Caution waved on lap 21 when Chris Raines spun, thus setting the stage for a four-lap sprint to the finish.
Welshan anticipated waving of the green entering the front straightaway out in the fourth turn, with some thinking he possibly jumped the start. Welshan pulled to the inside of Weiss racing past the flag stand into the first corner where he drove in deeper than Weiss, sliding up in front of him to take the lead. Welshan went on to record the $1,000 win over Weiss, with Henderson and McCarter trading some sheet-metal on the last lap and Henderson finishing third, followed by Ford and McCarter.
Addison Cardwell of Knoxville grabbed the lead at start of the Sportsman Late Model race and stayed out front all 25 laps for his fourth win of the season with Austin Atkins, Joe Bray, Brad Seagle and Hayden Cardwell rounding out the top five finishers.
To say that summer 2020 was rough for Gary Blanken is an understatement. He suffered broken lower leg and foot in a racing accident back the first of June and didn’t get back behind the wheel of a race car until October. Blanken, from Russellville, and Kurt Owens have battled it out for victories on many occasions over the years and the duo went at it once again.
While Owens was leading with Blanken right behind him, Owens sailed off into the first turn on lap 14 just a little too hard and bounced off the outside guardrail. That allowed Blanken to scoot by for the lead and he went on to capture his first win of the season over Owens, David Clark, Landon Steele and Floyd Self.
Shaun Sise of Knoxville held off a hard-charging Bobby Mays over the closing laps to capture his second straight Classic win. Finishing third through fifth, respectively, were John Stevens, Mark Sise and Jeff Mays.
Zack Walton of Blountville jumped out into the lead on opening lap of the Front Wheel Drive race and cruised to his division-leading eighth win of the season over Eric Partin, Ryan Wyatt, Raymond Fuson and Justin Tate.
Wayne Rader and David Clark raced side-by-side off the fourth turn to the flag stand coming to the checkered flag, with Rader, from Parrottsville, taking his fourth win of the season by about one-foot. Tony Trent was right on their back bumper, followed by Colby Long and Bean Station’s Tony Trent.
Brad Amarson picked up his first Mini Late Model victory over Bryan Funk, Adam Engel, Tyler Keel and Cody Taylor.