Columbus Speedway
Clanton snags the pole for Magnolia State 100
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
Shane Clanton cruises toward a victory in the first heat at Columbus. (DirtonDirt.com)
COLUMBUS, Miss. (Sept. 24) — Shane Clanton has captured Columbus Speedway's Magnolia State 100 two of the last three years, and he's starting the 21st version of the event in an enviable spot.
The 35-year-old driver from Fayetteville, Ga., set fast time Friday and cruised to victory in the first of six heats to earn the pole position for Mississippi's richest Dirt Late Model race, which pays $25,010 to the winner of Saturday's unsanctioned 100-lapper. | Friday notebook | Slideshow
Clanton, who was a mere one-thousandth of a second off the track record with his 13.270-second qualifying lap at the third-mile oval, is glad to be up front but knows it's no guarantee.
"Starting on the front is a lot to it here, but if you've got a good car, you can always start in the back. Moyer did last year and came to the front," Clanton said. "Definitely starting in the front makes like easier. I've been both places and run pretty good both places."
Clanton starts alongside David Breazeale of Four Corners, Miss., another heat race winner along with former race winner Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn.; Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.; seven-time Magnolia State 100 winner Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark.; and 18-year-old Ethan Hunter of Tiger, Ga. They're scheduled to start among the first three rows in Saturday's main event.
"Hopefully tomorrow I can get the lead and set the tempo and pace that I want to run, instead of what Breazeale — or if Moyer gets by us or something — that they want to run," Clanton said. "If we can set the tempo and set the pace that I want to run, maybe we can save my equipment and tires and be there at the end."
Clanton had one slipup in his heat race on a restart, allowing Jason Cliburn to briefly slip into the lead before Clanton regain control and dominated the rest of the prelim. He was happy with his snazzy No. 25 in his heat race — the decal scheme is an homage to a University of Georgia football jersey — but knew he wasn't as fast in qualifying as he might've been.
"I was mad after qualifying because I messed up in (turns) three and four on both laps," Clanton said. "I pushed one lap, and bent it sideways the next lap and scrubbed speed. As close as I was to the track record, I think if I wouldn't have screwed up a little bit, I could've set a new track record."
The top three finishers in each of six heat races transferred to the main event, while everyone fourth on back will run one of three consolation races on Saturday.
Breazeale fought off several low-side challenges from fellow Mississippi driver Bub McCool to win the second heat, pulling away in the final laps while McCool transferred to the main event along with hometown driver Rick Rickman.
In the third heat race, Marlar wasn't challenged while the battle for the other two transfer spots saw multiple position changes. Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., held the second spot with five laps remaining, but got too high in turns one and two, allowing Tony Knowles of Tyrone, Ga., and Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., to slip by. Stovall fought off Madden the rest of the way.
Francis led the fourth heat comfortably most of the way, but fought off inside-groove challenges from fellow front-row starter Clint Smith in the closing laps. Former race winner Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., who held the second spot early, got the final transfer spot.
The fifth heat was the most exciting at the finish as polesitter Billy Moyer Sr. of Batesville, Ark. struggled late in the race after losing his power steering. His son Billy Moyer Jr., nosed ahead exiting turn two on the final lap while David Gentry of Lewisburg, Tenn., challenged on the high side. The elder Moyer held on to win by a half-length just ahead of his son and Gentry.
In the sixth and final heat, Hunter got the jump on fellow front row starter and former race winner Terry English of Benton, Ky., and held him off the rest of the way. Brooks Strength of Jackson, Miss., won a late-race duel for the final transfer spot with Anthony Rushing of Kosciusko, Miss., who climbed behind the wheel for the first time in nearly three years.
Two of the fastest drivers at Columbus didn't compete in heat races at all after officials ruled they used chemically-treated tires during time trials. Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., whose 13.223-second lap would've lowered the track record, and Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, Ala., also among the fastest qualifiers, were disqualified for the rest of the weekend. Both teams denied using illegal chemicals to improve tire performance.
Notes: The event is sponsored by Premier Ford. ... The most serious accident in the heat races came when hometown veteran Eddie Rickman got the worst of a tangle exiting turn two in the fifth heat and ripped the rear end out of the car; he was driving Dean Carpenter's backup car. ... Kyle Beard of Trumann, Ark., was running second in the first heat when a broken radiator forced him out. ... Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., had a forgettable night. He got into the frontstretch wall in hot laps and damaged his GRT house car. He qualified respectably but got into the wall again in turns one and two on the first lap of his heat race. ... Brian Rickman, Eddie's son, started outside the front row in the fifth heat but fell from contention with a flat tire while battling for a transfer spot. ... Chad Winkles of Falkville, Ala., scratched from time trials with a broken camshaft. ... Anthony Rushing's rare appearance came in a Jeff White-owned Trak-Star Race Car. ... Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., entered a Steve Rushin-owned car fresh off a two-victory weekend on the Comp Cams Mid-South Racing Association. ... Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn., drove a car owned by Bob Harris of Shelbyville, Tenn.; Weaver has frequently run the Harris car on a part-time basis the past two seasons. ... The event drew 71 Late Models but three drivers that practiced Thursday scratched with mechanical problems: Jimmy Cliburn, Ray Mauldin and Kelly Hanvey.
Heat race results
(15 laps; top three transfer)
First heat: Shane Clanton, Randy Weaver, Jason Cliburn, Freddy Smith, Jeremy Broadus, Tim Busha, Wade Byars, Neil Baggett, Timothy Culp, Mickey Trosclair, Kyle Beard, Jeremy Glasgow.
Second heat: David Breazeale, Bub McCool, Rick Rickman, Josh Putnam, Steve Bryan, Chase Washington, Matthew Turner, Keith House, Chris Hoomes, Jack Sullivan. Scratched: Chad Winkles.
Third heat: Mike Marlar, Tony Knowles, Jesse Stovall, Chris Madden, Scott Dedwylder, Tony Shelton, Keith Freeman, Kurt Radojcsics, Brandon Brown. Scratched: Virgil Taylor.
Fourth heat: Steve Francis, Clint Smith, Wendell Wallace, Tommy Kerr, Dane Dacus, Chad Thrash, Tombo Callahan, Clint Logan, Daniel Moore, Dean Carpenter, Chad Washington.
Fifth heat: Billy Moyer, Billy Moyer Jr., David Gentry, Anthony Burroughs, Scott Creel, Klint Byars, Brian Rickman, Hunter Carroll, Joey McKinney, Eddie Rickman. Scratched: Michael Womack.
Sixth heat: Ethan Hunter, Terry English, Brooks Strength, Anthony Rushing, Dewaine Hottinger, Greg Fore, Henry Cooper, April Farmer, Mark Dodson, Leon Henderson, Cale Finley.
Time trials (unofficial)
Michael Womack (59), Starkville, Miss., no time
