Magnolia Motor Speedway
Key restart lifts Breazeale past Thrash at the Mag
By Ben Shelton
Mid-South Racing
David Breazeale (54) heads for victory. (Woody Hampton)
COLUMBUS, Miss. (July 4) — David Breazeale of Four Corners, Miss., overtook race-long leader Chad Thrash of Meridian, Miss., on a lap-24 restart and led the rest of the 40-lapper at Magnolia Motor Speedway. The PRO Dirt Car Series event and finale of the Four Crown Nationals weekend in Mississippi paid $2,000. | Slideshow
Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, Ala., was second while the third-finishing Thrash vainly protested to officials on the frontstretch after the race, claiming Breazeale jumped the race-changing restart. Fast qualifier Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., the only driver to crack the 15-second mark, was fourth followed by Ray Moore of Haughton, La.
Thrash started outside the front row and built a straightaway advantage by lap eight, when he entered lapped traffic. The slower cars caused his lead to dwindle, and Breazeale made daring moves to slip by Brian Rickman, Hollingsworth and McCool to grab the second spot.
Cautions on laps 17 (a slowing Steve Bryan), lap 21 (for a slowing Kenny Merchant) and on lap 24 (a melee involving Jeremy Shaw, Klint Byars and provisional starter Ray Mauldin) slowed the action, the last one setting up Breazeale’s winning pass.
The race wrapped up the Four Crown Nationals, but the points championship won’t be determined until Aug. 13, when Greenville (Miss.) Speedway completes Thursday’s rained out weekend opener. Breazeale leads the miniseries standings after two victories and a runner-up finish.
Notes: Breazeale is sponsored by L&D Trucking and Henderson Motorsports. ... Bub McCool set fast time at every Four Crown Nationals event. He ran his backup Trak-Star Chassis after a problem with the engine in his Victory Circle Chassis cropped up in hot laps. ... Rick Rickman won the American Race Tires Hard Charger honors with his 18th-to-10th run. ... Clay Fisher qualified for the main event but a broken valve spring forced him to scratch. ... Drivers failing to make the main event: Jason Milam, Mark Gant, Jeremy Glasgow, Kurt Radojcsics, Dwight Falcon, Leon Henderson, Henry Cooper, Justin Carter, Wade Byars, Alex Ashley, Patrick Michelle, Chance Inman, Chris Hoomes, Chad Winkles, Trent Letson, Terry Atkins, Robert Lovette, Greg Fore, Scott Dedwylder, Jay Burchfield and Tony Shelton. ... The PRO Dirt Car Series takes a break before an Aug. 13-14 weekend at Greenville (Miss.) Speedway.
PRO @ Magnolia: (1) David Breazeale, (2) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, (3) Chad Thrash, (4) Bub McCool, (5) Ray Moore, (6) Brian Rickman, (7) Kyle Beard, (8) Jason Cliburn, (9) Chris Brown, (10) Rick Rickman, (11) David Ashley, (12) Kenny Merchant, (13) Dean Carpenter, (14) Bradley Price, (15) Klint Byars, (16) Hunter Carroll, (17) Jimmy Cliburn, (18) Jeremy Shaw, (19) Ray Mauldin, (20) Jason Brock, (21) Steve Bryan, (22) Bo Gordon, (23) Ross Camponovo, (24) Mark Dodson. Scratched: Clay Fisher. Fast qualifier (among 46 cars): McCool. Consolation race winners: Brown, Ashley, Jason Cliburn. Provisional starters: Mauldin, Dodson.
