Tri-County Racetrack
Roberts turns back McDowell for Southern Nat'ls win
Casey Roberts tells announcer Chris Tilley about his $4,000 victory. (dt52photos.com)
BRASSTOWN, N.C. (April 12) — Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., raced to his first victory of the season Friday night at Tri-County Racetrack, with a flag-to-flag performance in the third-mile oval’s Spring Nationals event. Roberts earned $4,000 in the third round of Ray Cook’s 10-race series that runs through early May.
The second-starting Roberts got the jump on polesitter Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., on the start of the 40-lap race and later turned back heavy pressure from ninth-starting Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga. | Video | Slideshow
Roberts survived McDowell’s challenges through the race’s closing laps and crossed the finish line ahead of Ogle and Stacy Boles of Claxton, Tenn., while McDowell ended up forth after suffering a flat tire on the final lap. Johnny Chastain of Murphy, N.C., rounded out the race’s top five finishers.
Ogle took over the series points lead with his runner-up finish as Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., who entered the event atop the standings, dropped back to second after a lap-35 spin led to an eighth-place finish.
Notes: Roberts drives a Capital Race Car sponsored by Starrette Trucking, Cushman Paint & Body and Schaeffer Oil. ... The main event was slowed by six cautions, all of which came in the final 15 laps. ... The final three cautions occurred while attempting a green-white-checkered finish. ... The 40-lap feature took just over 35 minutes to complete. ... McDowell and John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va., split victories during the tour’s opening doubleheader at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. ... The series completes its doubleheader weekend Saturday with a $6,000-to-win event at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn.
Spring Nationals @ Tri-County: (1) Casey Roberts, (2) Billy Ogle Jr., (3) Stacy Boles, (4) Dale McDowell, (5) Johnny Chastain, (6) David Payne, (7) Chris Madden, (8) Steve Casebolt, (9) Jamie Oliver, (10) Randy Nichols, (11) Michael Chilton, (12) Joe Denby, (13) Clint Smith, (14) Brett Miller, (15) Jake Knowles, (16) Rodney Weeks, (17) Dillon Wood, (18) George Mashburn, (19) Josh Collins, (20) Shawn Chastain, (21) Charlie Parker, (22) Ryan King. Fast qualifier (among 27 cars): Ogle, 12.645 seconds. Consolation winners: McDowell, Smith.
