Whynot Motorsports Park
Fast qualifier Cook grabs heat race win at Whynot
Craig Scott's heavily damaged car. (theinfieldidiot.smugmug.com)
MERIDIAN, Miss. (Oct. 23) — Fast qualifier Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C., led a parade of six heat winners Friday night at Whynot Motorsport Park's 15th annual Coors Lite Fall Classic. Cook was the most impressive winner of a prelim as 18 cars transferred to Saturday's $15,000-to-win main event. | Slideshow
The opening night's prelims were marred by a scary flipping accident of Craig Scott of Newnan, Ga., whose No. 0 flipped over the turn-three wall and toward the pit area, landing just in front of the track's scales. Scott was taken to a nearby hospital complaining of shoulder pain, but he wasn't seriously injured.
Besides Cook, other heat race winners were Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, Ala., Dane Dacus of Arlington, Tenn., hometown driver Chad Thrash, Neil Baggett of Shannon, Miss., and Kyle Cummings of Sibley, La., at the quarter-mile oval promoted by part-time racer Rodney Wing.
Cook won the first heat over Rob Litton of Alexandria, La., and Rick Rickman of Columbus, Miss., as the top three drivers in each heat race secured spots in the unsanctioned main event. Hollingsworth won the second heat over Scott Slay of Clinton, Miss., and Chris Ragan of Ramer, Tenn., who captured the previous week's Super Late Model feature victory at Whynot.
In the third heat, Dacus raced to victory over 2006 race winner Chris Wall of Holden, La., and Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss. Thrash captured the fourth heat over Hall of Famer Billy Moyer with Scott Dedwylder of Vossburg, Miss., in third.
Baggett won the fifth heat over 1997 Fall Classic winner Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., with Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., in third. The sixth heat went to Cummings followed by Anthony Burroughs of Muscle Shoals, Ala., and Wing.
Notes: Ray Cook pocketed $200 from Cliburn Performance for his fast qualifying time ... Saturday's feature event is 75 laps with at least $1,000 going to each starter. ... Craig Scott's team was assisted by fellow Georgian Clint Smith in getting his heavily damaged car back into the trailer. While Scott's car cleared the wall and into the pit area, no spectators or anyone in the pits were injured. ... The five-division event drew more than 200 race cars with 60 Late Models and 44 Crate Late Models. ... The heat winners heading into Saturday's $2,000-to-win Crate Late Model heat were Justin McRee, Jim McDuffie, Mike Boland and Lucky Keeton.
