Green Valley Speedway
Casebolt wins $16,016 amid snow at Bama Bash
By Joshua Joiner
DirtonDirt.com staff writer
Steve Casebolt heads to victory at Green Valley. (photobyconnie.com)
GLENCOE, Ala. (March 2) — If Steve Casebolt were to record a mixed tape to commemorate his performance in Saturday night’s Bama Bash main event, it’d probably start off with a couple of holiday season tunes.
First up would likely be “Winter Wonderland” to describe the majority of Green Valley Speedway’s unsanctioned 75-lap event, which Casebolt controlled through steady but light snow flurries at the north Alabama dirt track. And of course the tape would have to include “Let it Snow,” which was exactly what Casebolt was saying after his right-rear tire went flat during a weather delay when the snowfall picked up under a lap-61 caution. | Video | Slideshow | Notebook
Luckily for Casebolt, the snow did continue to fall and race officials were forced to call off the remainder of the event, giving the 34-year-old, Richmond, Ind., driver a $16,016 victory in his first-ever trip to Green Valley’s 3/8-mile.
“I was sure hoping it would keep snowing,” said the polesitting Casebolt, who claimed the victory in his first start of the season and his first race since teaming up with Danny Dishman and Ron Ivey of D&R Motorsports. “I’ve never seen anything like tonight, and I’ve definitely never raced in snow before. Thankfully it picked up just at the right time for me and they ended up calling it.”
Last year’s Bama Bash winner Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., was second when the race was called with Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn., third and 14th-starting Walker Arthur of Forrest, Va., fourth. Three-time Bama Bash winner Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., rounded out the top five in a race that was slowed by eight cautions.
After surviving contact with second-starting Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., on the race’s opening lap, Casebolt pulled to a comfortable lead that he would maintain for the majority of the distance. His only serious challenge came from Clanton and McCreadie as the three leaders raced through heavy traffic during the race’s middle stages.
A brief slipup by Casebolt on lap 32 allowed Clanton to look under the leader in turn four. The two drivers again made slight contact, but Casebolt retained the position. That was as close as anyone got to Casebolt as a caution on lap 36 provided clear track ahead.
The race was slowed by three cautions, all caused by flat right-rear tires. Clanton’s was the first to go, forcing him to cede the third position with 45 laps complete. Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., also gave up third when he slowed with a flat on lap 56.
The final caution occurred on lap 61 for Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., before the wintry precipitation picked up under the yellow-flag period and ended what was turning into a race of attrition and handing Casebolt his biggest victory since winning the $100,000 Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio., in 2007.
“We’re thrilled. This is the biggest race I’ve won since the Dream, so that’s an accomplishment,” Casebolt said. “We’ve had some big paydays, but I’ve never won a race for more than $10,000 except the Dream, so this is definitely a career highlight.”
Casebolt was aware that tire wear might come into play in the race, but he never figured his rubber wouldn’t make the full distance.
“I thought I was saving it, but my guys told me afterward I wasn’t,” Casebolt said. “I guess I was going a little harder than I needed to, but I just didn’t know how close they were behind me. I knew tire wear would be a factor, but I’ve always had such good luck with the American Racers that I figured I could make. We didn’t make it to lap 75, but we made far enough.”
Besides the few tense moments before the race was officially called off, the run-in with Clanton on the opening lap was the only other occasion in which Casebolt had serious cause to worry. The two front-row starters made slight contact through the first corner on the opening lap before heavy contact nearly turned both cars sideways in turns three and four.
Both drivers continued running, but Clanton wasn’t happy with the incident, saying after the race that Casebolt didn’t give him enough room. Casebolt attributed the contact to racing on a singled-grooved surface.
“We got in there and touched fenders a little bit and touched wheels,” Casebolt said. That’s gonna happen when you’re racing in the rubber.”
After slipping by Clanton on the lap-36 restart, McCreadie never let Casebolt get too far ahead, but he wasn’t never seriously challenged for the lead either. Of course he would’ve preferred for the race to have ran to the finish, but he was happy with the runner-up performance.
“That’s the way it goes. I feel like our car was as good as anybody’s here and it showed all weekend,” said McCreadie, who scored his sixth top-five finish of the season. “We just missed timing in the top two and that was a big difference — not being on the front row.”
Running third on the one-lane track, McCreadie planned from the beginning to conserve his tires in case tire wear became an issue. That plan may have worked out if not for the snow.
“It laid rubber from the original green, so we just did what we could do,” McCreadie said. “I watched Clanton and (Casebolt) running sideways pretty good. I just kinda figured I couldn’t pass either of ‘em because they’re pretty good in the rubber, so I just slowed down and hoped something would happen. I guess it almost worked out because if we went back racing we would’ve been out front and I think we would’ve made it to the finish.”
Notes: Casebolt drivers a MasterSbilt Race Car powered by a Cornett engine with sponsorship from Arizona Sport Shirts, American Racer and Port City Racing. ... Casebolt lowered the track record in topping Friday night’s time trials. ... Contact from Busha sent Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C., spinning on lap 11, initiating a turn-four pileup that included among others Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., Tony Knowles of Tyrone, Ga., and Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn. ... Scott James of Bright, Ind., won a consolation race, but slowed to bring out the race’s first caution with eight laps complete. ... Michael Asberry of Crossville, Tenn., advanced from 13th to six in the first half of the race before spinning to bring out the lap-36 caution. ... Jason Hiett of Lincoln, Ala., and Tim Busha of Boaz, Ala., both joined Marlar in the pit area after also suffering flat tires under the lap-56 caution. ... Vic Coffey, Greg Skinner, Bo Shirley, Brian Reese and Jake Knowles were among drivers not making Saturday’s feature lineup. ... The Bama Bash Crate Late Model feature is scheduled to be made up during Green Valley’s Crate Nationals event March 29-30.
Bama Bash (Super Late Models): (1) Steve Casebolt, (2) Tim McCreadie, (3) Randy Weaver, (4) Walker Arthur, (5) Clint Smith, (6) Tony Knowles, (7) John Blankenship, (8) Michael Asberry, (9) Billy Ogle Jr., (10) Mike Marlar, (11) Tim Busha, (12) Jason Hiett, (13) Shane Clanton, (14) William Thomas, (15) Donald McIntosh, (16) Jason Wilson, (17) Josh Putnam, (18) Ray Cook, (19) Jonathan Davenport, (20) Michael Page, (21) Tyler Millwood, (22) Lavon Sparks, (23) Scott James, (24) Mario Gresham. Fast qualifier (among 37 cars): Casebolt, 13.605 seconds. Heat race winners: Casebolt, Clanton, McCreadie, Busha. Consolation winners: James, Sparks.
Bama Bash (Limited Late Models): (1) Kennie Compton Jr., (2) William Thomas, (3) Cory Hedgecock, (4) Jake Herrell, (5) Ryan King, (6) Matt Dooley, (7) Matt Henderson, (8) Brandon Williams, (9) Tod Darda, (10) Mickey Bailey, (11) Chip Burke, (12) Kevin Burke, (13) Larry Guilford, (14) Mark Haddon, (15) Greer Davis, (16) Mike McConnell, (17) Ryan West.
