Fayetteville Motor Speedway
Franklin captures Clash opener at Fayetteville
From correspondent reports
Dennis Franklin earned $4,000. (butlerracingphotos.com))
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (April 12) — Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, S.C., outdueled fellow front-row starter Ricky Weeks early at Fayetteville Motor Speedway for a $4,000 victory in the season-opener on the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series. Weeks, the four-time and reigning series champion of Rutherfordton, N.C., finished second ahead of hometown driver Craig Shuffield, Doug Sanders of Springwood, N.C., and Scott Neighbors of Spring Lake, N.C. | Slideshow | Audio slideshow
Weeks and Franklin started on the front row by virtue of their dash victories, and Franklin got the jump and went on to his first series victory since winning last Aug. 4 at Fayetteville. “My car was good tonight,“ Franklin said. ”It was really on a rail.”
Said the polesitting Weeks: “Rambo was better tonight. We had a good race car, but he was just a little better.”
Notes: Franklin's Barry Wright house car is sponsored by En Compass and Cherokee Landscaping. ... The event was the first of the season on the series after four March events were postponed or cancelled by inclement weather. ... Ricky Boahn was running among the top five when he fell out after drawing a lap-37 caution. ... Jordan Bland, Tim Allen and Shane Riner failed to make the feature lineup. ... The series heads to Travelers Rest (S.C.) Speedway for a $4,000-to-win event on April 26.
Carolina Clash @ Fayetteville: (1) Dennis Franklin, (2) Ricky Weeks, (3) Craig Shuffield, (4) Doug Sanders, (5) Scott Neighbors, (6) Deano Long, (7) Chris Blackwell, (8) David Taylor, (9) Scott Autry, (10) Scott Shirey, (11) Ed Gibbons, (12) G.R. Smith, (13) Ricky Boahn, (14) Derek Francis, (15) Roger Lucas, (16) Jason Altiers, (17) Mike Mason, (18) Timmy Blackwell, (19) Brent Robinson, (20) Steve Hendren, (21) Chris Ferguson, (22) Craig Miller, (23) Anthony Sanders, (24) Shawn Beasley, (25) Jeff Smith. Heat race winners: Autry, Lucas. Dash winners: Weeks, Franklin.
Correction: An earlier version of this story listed incorrect hometowns for Doug Sanders and Scott Neighbors.
