North Georgia Speedway
Arp edges Owens for SAS victory at North Georgia
By Steve Hixson
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Skip Arp (B97) leads the final lap. (mikessportsimages.com)
CHATSWORTH, Ga. (July 18) — Fighting off a strong side-by-side challenge from Jimmy Owens in the final laps, Skip Arp of Georgetown, Tenn., won at North Georgia Speedway for his first O'Reilly Southern All Star victory since last September at the same track. Arp, who started outside the front row and led most of the race, briefly fell behind Owens on the 48th of 50 laps before going back out front over the final lap and a half. | Slideshow
Owens, of Newport, Tenn., who couldn't stick in turn two to maintain his lead preceding the white flag, settled for second followed by polesitter Dale McDowell of Rossville, Ga., and 14th-starting Joe Armes of Petros, Tenn. Eric Jacobsen of Santa Cruz, Calif., was running among the top five before his lap-34 departure.
The feature was marred by a flipping accident by Stacy Holmes following a turn-two tangle with Jason Fitzgerald. No one was seriously injured.
Notes: Arp's winning GRT Race Car has a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsorship from Stanley Best Heating & Cooling, C.A.R. Auto Sales & Collision Repair and Tyler Bros. Farm. ... Arp can earn a $2,500 bonus from CarSmart Auto Sales with a Saturday night victory at Cleveland (Tenn.) Speedway, the second race in a series tripleheader. Rome (Ga.) Speedway hosts Sunday's finale. ... Gabe Wilson's smoking car was pulled pitside before an official lap was complete. ... Ronnie Johnson rallied to finish seventh after a lap-two flat tire. ... The leaders narrowly avoided contact with Anthony Hill midway through the race when he got sideways entering turn three. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: Brad Neat, Randy Weaver, Ricky Armes, Robert Gant and multitime track champion Gary McPherson.
O'Reilly Southern All Stars @ North Georgia: (1) Skip Arp, (2) Jimmy Owens, (3) Dale McDowell, (4) Joe Armes, (5) Jake Knowles, (6) Michael England, (7) Ronnie Johnson, (8) David Payne, (9) Derek Ellis, (10) Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (11) Anthony White, (12) Anthony Hill, (13) Eric Jacobsen, (14) Kevin Gibson, (15) Bobby Giffin, (16) Jamie Perry, (17) Cody Barnett, (18) Stacy Holmes, (19) Jason Fitzgerald, (20) Randy Burrows, (21) Todd Morrow, (22) Lee Sutton, (23) Mike Weeks, (24) Gabe Wilson. Fast qualifier (among 38 cars): McDowell, 12.646 seconds. Consolation race winners: Lloyd, England, Johnson. Provisional starters: Holmes, Hill.
