Fayetteville Motor Speedway
Weeks strikes first as Clash Countdown begins
From correspondent reports
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 30) — With the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series debuting its playoff-style Countdown to the Cup, four-time series champion Ricky Weeks of Rutherfordton, N.C., solidified his top spot in the points lead with a $5,000 victory at Fayetteville Motor Speedway. Weeks, who has a series-high 26 career victories, started on the pole and outran Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, S.C.
Jeff Smith of Dallas, N.C., was third followed by G.R. Smith of Troutman, N.C., who started outside the front row. Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., finished fifth in the first of six races that will determine the Carolina Clash champion. Weeks has 3,280 points to lead Franklin (3,265), Smith (3,175) and Doug Sanders (3,174), who finished 12th at Fayetteville. Nine drivers are battling in the Countdown to the Cup.
Notes: The next Carolina Clash events are Sept. 5-6 at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C., and Friendship Motor Speedway in Elkin, N.C.. ... Among drivers failing to make the Fayetteville feature: Steve Blackburn, Roger Lucas and Dale Hammond. ... Justin Labonte's sixth-place finish was his best-ever Clash performance. Labonte, who started ninth, is the son of two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Terry Labonte, who was among those on hand. ... Scott Neighbors was 11th despite two spinouts. ... Deano Long was among the early departees after losing a driveshaft. ... Fayetteville is closed Sept. 6 and reopens Sept. 13 with an open-tire Super Late Model race. ... Fayetteville has a busy October stretch coming up, too, with Super Late Models on Oct. 3, the Carolina Clash finale on Oct. 4, and the makeup race for the rained out World of Outlaws Late Model Series event on Oct. 7.
Carolina Clash @ Fayetteville: (1) Ricky Weeks, (2) Dennis Franklin, (3) Jeff Smith, (4) G.R. Smith, (5) Brent Robinson, (6) Justin Labonte, (7) Ray Tucker, (8) Scott Autry, (9) Scott Shirey, (10) Tim Allen, (11) Scott Neighbors, (12) Doug Sanders, (13) David Taylor, (14) Mike Mason, (15) Ed Gibbons, (16) Dean Bowen, (17) Timmy Blackwell, (18) Shawn Beasley, (19) Chris Blackwell, (20) Larry Blankenship, (21) Craig Shuffield, (22) Deano Long, (23) Dustin Mitchell, (24) Anthony Sanders. Fast qualifier (among 34 cars): Weeks, 18.010 seconds.
