Cleveland Speedway
McDowell's bad luck lifts Owens at Cleveland
By Steve Hixson
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Jimmy Owens picked up $5,000. (mrmracing.net)
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (July 19) — Inheriting the mid-race lead when Dale McDowell got tangled up with a lapped car, eighth-starting Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., led the rest of the Jean Johnson Memorial for his second O'Reilly Southern All Star victory of the season at Cleveland Speedway. "I had committed low on that lap where Dale was high, and it was just a bad deal for him," Owens said.
Polesitter Brad Neat of Dunnville, Ky., who got his outside wheels up on the backstretch wall early in the race before reigning in his No. 41, posted a second-place finish but never challenged Owens in the second half of the race. Eric Jacobsen of Santa Cruz, Calif., finished third followed by Rick Rogers of Knoxville, Tenn., and Jamie Perry of Ringgold, Ga. Randy Burrows of Chattanooga, Tenn., the driver leading Cleveland's Super Late Model title chase, was battling for a top-five spot when he slowed to bring out the final caution on lap 43 of the 50-lapper.
McDowell led the first 23 laps. The Rossville, Ga., veteran was running in the high groove when Cody Barnett climbed the turn-three wall and got tagged by Anthony Hill. With nowhere to go, McDowell slammed into both cars and retired with front-end damage to his No. 17m.
Notes: The winning No. 20 Bloomquist Race Car has a Cornett-built Ford powerplant and sponsorship from Gannte Appraisals, Reece Monument Co., Byrd's Radiator and VP Racing Fuels. .... In victory lane, Owens mentioned the July 14 death of Bobbie Reece, the mother of his car owner, Mike Reece. She was 82 ... Skip Arp, the July 18 North Georgia Speedway winner, failed in his bid for a $2,500 bonus for any driver who could win at North Georgia and Cleveland ... Joe Armes scratched for the night after getting into the turn-one wall in time trials. ... Randy Weaver was leading a consolation race when a blown left-rear tire ended his night. ... The Southern All Stars wrap up the tripleheader weekend on Sunday, July 20, at Rome (Ga.) Speedway.
O'Reilly SAS @ Cleveland: (1) Jimmy Owens, (2) Brad Neat, (3) Eric Jacobsen, (4) Rick Rogers, (5) Jamie Perry, (6) Billy Mayo, (7) Todd Morrow, (8) Skip Arp, (9) Lamar Scoggins, (10) Billy Ogle Jr., (11) David Payne, (12) Derek Ellis, (13) Jason Fitzgerald, (14) Anthony White, (15) Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (16) Anthony Hill, (17) Randy Burrows, (18) Mark Vineyard, (19) Dale McDowell, (20) Cody Barnett, (21) Kevin Gibson, (22) Jake Knowles, (23) Shawn Chastain, (24) David Crabtree. Fast qualifier (among 42 cars): Neat, 13.844 seconds. Consolation winners: Gibson, Mayo, Arp. Provisional starters: Ellis, Hill.
