I-30 Speedway
Tippen's woes open door for Sitton at I-30
By Bryan Wimberley
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Kevin Sitton (20) and Allen Tippen (71a) battle at I-30 Speedway. (Best Photography)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (July 21) — Taking the lead when Allen Tippen’s car broke a rear end with five laps remaining, Kevin Sitton of Baytown, Texas, earned $2,500 at I-30 Speedway for his second Southern United Professional Racing Series victory in three races. | Slideshow
The fifth-starting Sitton’s third SUPR victory of the season is the eight of his career as he took the checkers three seconds ahead of fellow Texan Morgan Bagley of Longview in a race where light rain began to fall in the final laps.
Jon Mitchell of Texarkana, Texas, overtook Tyler Erb of Magnolia, Texas, late as Texas drivers swept the top four spots at the quarter-mile Hammer Hill.
Rob Litton of Alexandria, La., rounded out the top five, taking the championship lead from Tippen by 23 points. Tippen, of Minden, La., ended up 18th in the 22-car field.
Tippen led the first 18 laps before a back-and-forth duel with Sitton for a half-dozen circuits in the 40-lapper. Tippen regained command on lap 24, but when he broke exiting turn four on lap 35, he coasted to a halt on the frontstretch and was pushed off the track.
Notes: Sitton’s Barry Wright Race Car is sponsored by Sitton Racing, Ed George Racing, Erb Racing and Best Auto Parts. ... Runner-up Morgan Bagley rallied on the cushion to get second, challenging Sitton for that spot before Tippen’s departure. ... Bud Mullins, a previous SUPR winner at I-30 this season, came from 19th to finish eighth. ... Chandler Petty, 16, of Austin, Ark., started on the front row but faded early. ... Sean Jones of Mansfield, Texas, who grabbed his first SUPR victory the previous night, was the first retiree in the 23-minute feature slowed by two cautions. ... Next up for SUPR competitors is a doubleheader weekend at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas, on July 27-28.
SUPR @ I-30: (1) Kevin Sitton, (2) Morgan Bagley, (3) Jon Mitchell, (4) Tyler Erb, (5) Rob Litton, (6) Timothy Culp, (7) Bubba Mullins, (8) Bud Mullins, (9) Shane Hebert, (10) Robbie Stuart, (11) Ronny Adams, (12) Derek Perkins, (13) Robert Baker, (14) Jim Bryant, (15) Chandler Petty, (16) Zach McMillan, (17) Jeff Chanler, (18) Allen Tippen, (19) Ray Moore, (20) Steven Whiteaker Jr., (21) Brett Frazier, (22) Sean Jones. Heat race winners (among 26 cars): Sitton, Whiteaker, Tippen, Petty. Consolation winner: Adams. Provisional starters: McMillan, Perkins.
