
JULY 4,
2014
Casey Roberts Rides to Thrilling Victory in Southern
Nationals Bonus Race Action at Tri-County
The
adage of “taking the bull by the horns” applied
to Casey Roberts of Toccoa, GA on Friday evening at Tri-County
Race Track as he led all 40 laps of the Circuit World Independence
Day Championship for the Southern Nationals Bonus Series driving
his Cushman Motorsports owned Cushman Paint and Body/M&S
Concrete/Starrette Trucking/Schaeffer Oil/Hoosier Tire South
sponsored #101 Longhorn Chassis, Custom Race Engines powered
mount.
The win by Roberts made him the fourth different
winner in four Southern Nationals Bonus Series events so far
in 2014, but the victory was not easy for Roberts as Kennie
Compton, Jr., who started 15th, charged his way to second and
pressured Roberts over the final few laps, but would come up
a bit short in his charge to the front.
The start of the event would see a pair of cautions
on the opening lap slow things, but once action got going, Roberts
would take the race lead, with David Payne, Jamie Oliver, Shawn
Chastain, and Kenny Collins giving chase. Chastain would pressure
Oliver for third on lap 4, as Roberts would enter slower traffic
one lap later. Lavon Sparks would slow on the back-chute on
lap 6 to draw the next caution. Once action resumed, Chastain
would get by Oliver for third, while Collins and Austin Smith
would battle for fifth.
Caution waved again for Randy Nichols on lap 12
as his mount slowed on the front-chute entering turn one. The
restart would see Chastain pressure Payne for second, while
Roberts again motored away from the pack, while Preston Graves
got by Collins for fifth on lap 18. Meanwhile, Kennie Compton,
Jr. was charging his way through the field on the low side of
the racing surface and would make his way to fifth on lap 21.
Ronnie Payne would slow on the track on lap 25 to draw the next
caution of the event and the restart would see Compton take
fourth over Oliver.
The final caution of the race flew on lap 28 for
a turn-two spin by George Mashburn, setting up Compton’s
final charge toward the front. The restart would see Payne slow
in turn two for a moment, with Chastain and Compton, Jr. slipping
past, but Payne would regroup and continue. Compton, Jr. would
sail past Chastain on lap 30 and set his sights on Roberts.
As the field saw the five lap to go signal, Compton had closed
in Roberts back bumper and the pair would battle for the lead
over the final five circuits, with Compton, Jr. looking under
Roberts at both ends of the track on laps 37 and 38, but Roberts
would be better through turns one and two on the final lap,
with Compton, Jr. making one last ditch effort exiting turn
four, but coming up short, seeing Roberts taking the win. Payne
would slip past Chastain on the final lap to take third, while
Graves would complete the top five.
The remainder of the top ten would be Kenny Collins,
Austin Smith, Gabe Wilson, Gar Dickson, and Jamie Oliver. The
40 lap, $3,000 to win would be slowed by seven caution flags.
The Southern Nationals Bonus Series returns to
action Saturday July 5 at Gary Hall’s Tazewell Speedway
in Tazewell, TN. The event will be 40 laps in distance and pay
$5,000 to the winner.
Official Summary of Results
Southern Nationals Bonus Races
Tri-County Race Track-Brasstown, NC
Friday Night July 4, 2014
Feature Finish:
1.
Casey Roberts-Toccoa, Ga.
2. Kennie Compton Jr.-Bland, Va.
3. David Payne-Murphy, N.C.
4. Shawn Chastain-Murphy, N.C.
5. Preston Graves-Murphy, N.C.
6. Kenny Collins-Colbert, Ga.
7. Austin Smith-Cedartown, Ga.
8. Gabe Wilson-Waynesville, N.C.
9. Gar Dickson-Flinstone, Ga.
10. Jamie Oliver-Murphy, N.C.
11. Lavon Sparks-Phenix City, Ala.
12. George Mashburn-Murphy, N.C.
13. Bo Eaton-Blue Ridge, Ga.
14. David Conley-Hayesville, N.C.
15. Rodney Weeks-Blue Ridge, Ga.
16. Charlie Parker-Hayesville, N.C.
17. Michael Barnett-Hayesville, N.C.
18. Ronnie Payne-Murphy, N.C.
19. Benji Shaw-Tellico Plains, Tenn.
20. Randy Nicholds-Young Harris, Ga.
21. Jacob Grizzle-Blairsville, Ga.
22. Glen Barnett-Murphy, N.C.
23. Andy Standridge-Tellico Plains, Tenn. (DNS)
Entries: 23
Schaeffer’s Oil Fast Time: Casey Roberts-12.771 seconds
Lap Leaders: Roberts (1-40)
Lead Changes: None
Cautions: Seven (laps 0, 0, 6, 12, 25, 28)
Red Flags: None
Crate Late Model:
1)
7 Jason Deal
2) 2x Anthony White
3) 17 Brett Shook
4) 23 Barry Anderson
5) 88 Brad Coffey
6) t35 Tanner Works
7) 64 Jacob Anderson
8) 88 Ricky Smith
9) 8s Steven Sofield
10) 14 Sylvan Schuette
11) h11 Larry Henderson
12) 2 Anthony Rymer
13) 88 Paydon Shook
14) 1 Josh Morrow
Interstate Welding Modified Street:
1)
34 Greg Suddereth
2) 818 Jeffrey Wood
3) 14 Charles Devine, Jr.
4) 03 Lynn Griggs
5) 44 Robert Elkins
6) j17 Ronnie Wren
7) 21 Troy Turner
8) 39 Brandon Newton
DNS) 50 Charles Devine, Sr.
DNS) 22 Mike Bryson
Street Stock:
1)
31 Andy Morrow
2) 22 Josh Roberts
3) 17 Charles Toomey
4) 27 Drew Bowers
5) 6 Joe McClure
6) 7 Dylan Truhan
7) 49 Daryl Matheson
8) t11 Ty Crisp
DNS) 1 Jason Newton
DNS) 00 Charles Devine
Pony:
1)
55 Jamie Cross
2) 11 Dalton Cochran
3) 18 Lucas Beaver
4) c11 Cody Campbell
5) 56 Mitchell Pope
6) 28 Brandon Elliott
7) 1 Buggie Carter
8) 56 Jason Berrong
9) 11 Colt Thomas
10) 7 Eric Burchfield
11) 11 Ricky Dyer
12) 2 Michael Doves
DNS) 08 Aaron Davis
To View the Entire Gallery from July
4, 2014 - Visit Marty Bingham's Website! - www.binghamfreelance.com





