Ultimate Motorsports Park
Allen beats foes, flat tire at Friendship
Tim Allen (17) battles en route to his Friendship victory. (dannyprincephotography.com)
ELKIN, N.C. (June 13) — Barely finishing before his right-rear tire went flat, Tim Allen of Kannapolis, N.C., overtook polesitter Ricky Weeks on the 11th lap at Friendship Motor Speedway and raced to a 40-lap victory on the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series. The fourth-starting Allen, who had a flat tire by the time he reached victory lane, earned $4,000 for his first series victory of the season and second of his career.
Denied a second straight series victory, Weeks settled for second while series points leader Jeff Smith of Dallas, N.C., was third in the event pushed well past midnight because of a rain delay of more than two hours. Dane Burns of New London, N.C., and Dennis "Rambo" Franklin of Gaffney, S.C., rounded out the top five in race slowed by five cautions over the first 10 laps.
Notes: Allen's GRT Race Car is sponsored by Granite Muffler. ... Allen's previous series victory came last season at his home track, Carolina Speedway near Gastonia, N.C. ... Drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Roger Lankford, Kenny Rominger Jr. and Randy Harmon. ... Kent Peckham won the night's NDRA-sanctioned feature for Crate Late Models. ... In a schedule change, Carolina Clash competitors head next to Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va., for a June 27 event paying $4,000 to the winner. A previously scheduled event at Lavonia (Ga.) Speedway for that same date is being moved to later in the season.
Carolina Clash @ Friendship: (1) Tim Allen, (2) Ricky Weeks, (3) Jeff Smith, (4) Dane Burns, (5) Dennis Franklin, (6) Luke Roffers, (7) Chris Ferguson, (8) Keith Freeman, (9) Craig Shuffield, (10) Scott Shirey, (11) Dan Breuer, (12) Chris Meadows, (13) Justin Labonte, (14) Frankie Beard, (15) Gary Mabe, (16) Larry Blankenship, (17) Doug Sanders, (18) Scott Neighbors, (19) Brian Moody, (20) Chris Knight, (21) Ray Tucker, (22) Ronnie Poole, (23) Noel Tucker, (24) Jimmy McCormick. Fast qualifier (among 27 cars): Weeks, 16.455 seconds. Consolation race winners: Blankenship, Mabe.
