Ultimate Motorsports Park
Roffers captures opener on Carolina Clash's Chase
Luke Roffers talks about his victory at Friendship. (Gary Laster)
ELKIN, N.C. (Aug. 20) — Polesitter Luke Roffers of Concord, N.C., led all 40 laps Saturday at Friendship Motor Speedway to grab a victory in the opening round of the Chase for the Championship on the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series. | Slideshow
Roffers earned $4,000 in winning the first of five events in the playoff-style showdown, sponsored by JE Pistons and Roush Yates Performance Parts. He notched his fourth series victory of the season and fifth of his career.
Third-starting Johnny Pursley of Clover, S.C., finished second in the main event with Kennie Compton Jr. of Bland, Va., improving five positions to finish third. Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, S.C., started and finished fourth while Ross Bailes of Clover, S.C., rounded out the top five. Tim Allen of Kannapolis, N.C., who started outside the front row, finished eighth.
Notes: Roffers drives a Rocket Chassis with sponsorship from Wolf-Pack Racing, Cal-Les-2 Transport, Wayne Roffers Trucking, Chad Roffers Trucking, Roffers Wildlife Studio and Wisconsin Lock & Load. ... G.R. Smith of Cornelius, N.C., earned Safety Kleen Hard Charger honors for his 22nd-to-11th run. ... Among drivers failing to make the main event: Doug Sanders, Dane Burns, Bruce Hall of Bubba McGee. ... Next up in the JE Pistons/Roush Yates Performance Parts Chase for the Championship is a Sept. 10 event at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., paying $5,000 to the winner.
Carolina Clash @ Friendship: (1) Luke Roffers, (2) Johnny Pursley, (3) Kennie Compton Jr., (4) Dennis Franklin, (5) Ross Bailes, (6) Ricky Weeks, (7) Scott Autry, (8) Tim Allen, (9) Dustin Mitchell, (10) Jeff Smith, (11) G.R. Smith, (12) Craig Shuffield, (13) David Taylor, (14) Chad Paxton, (15) Gary Mabe, (16) Dan Breuer, (17) Jay Sessoms, (18) Justin Labonte, (19) Kyle Pierce, (20) Chris Cheeks, (21) Mike Gault, (22) Brian Moody, (23) Travis Yow, (24) Ray Tucker. Fast qualifier: Roffers, 15.531 seconds. Heat race winners: J. Smith, Paxton. Consolation winner: Breuer. Provisional starters: Gault, Labonte.
