201 Speedway
Carrier breaks skid with $4,000 Spring Nationals win
Eddie Carrier Jr. earned $4,000 for Thursday's victory in Sitka, Ky. (Zola Miller)
SITKA, Ky. (April 18) — Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va., returned to his native Kentucky on Thursday to earn $4,000 for a 40-lap Spring Nationals victory at 201 Speedway. Carrier’s victory broke a personal 38-race winless streak in the first race of a weekend tripleheader on the Ray Cook-promoted series. | Slideshow
Carrier, who started outside the front row but slipped back to fifth early, took the lead from R.J. Conley of Wheelersburg, Ohio, on the 22nd lap and led the rest of the way at the quarter-mile oval in the fifth of 10 series events on the first-year series.
Rod Conley of Wheelersburg, Ohio, rallied from 17th to finish second ahead of his younger brother R.J., while Victor Lee of Danville, Ky., and series points leader Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., rounded out the top five.
Third-starting Jackie Boggs of Grayson, Ky., led the first two laps and ran second early in the race before getting too high in turns one and two and slipping back. Pole-starting D.J. Wells of Hazard, Ky., crossed the line seventh after just one lap, fading out of contention quickly.
The race was slowed by a single caution for a first-lap spin by Boggs between turns one and two that triggered a complete restart.
Notes: Carrier’s Rocket Chassis is powered by a Grover Racing Engine and sponsored by Engines Inc. of Ohio, Hess, Stewart & Campbell PLLC and Cox Wrecker Service. ... Carrier’s previous victory Aug. 4 at Lucky 7 Speedway in Whitesburg, Ky. ... Rod Conley’s 17th-to-second run gave him the $75 Keyser Mgf. Hard Charger award. ... Sixteen cars completed all 40 laps. ... Zack Dohm was the race's first retiree on lap nine. ... The caution-free feature began just after 10 p.m. and lasted only thirteen minutes. ... Billy Ogle Jr. experienced troubles with his primary car during hot laps and piloted Tommy Kerr's No. 4T machine the remainder of the evening. ... Kerr won the previous Spring Nationals event held at Smoky Mountain Speedway, but was not in attendance for Thursday's event. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: Jamie Ferguson, Anthony Adams, Walker Arthur, Brandon Fouts, Derek Fisher, Oscar McGown, Brad Neat, Steve Stollings, Raymond Nichols, Greg Johnson and Joe Ramey. ... Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., had competed in the previous four series events but skipped the race. ... Friday's Spring Nationals race at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky., was rained out. ... Series action continues Saturday at Cleveland (Tenn.) Speedway with a $5,000-to-win event.
Spring Nationals @ 201: (1) Eddie Carrier Jr., (2) Rod Conley, (3) R.J. Conley, (4) Victor Lee, (5) Steve Casebolt, (6) Brandon Kinzer, (7) Stephen Breeding, (8) Tim Dohm, (9) Jackie Boggs, (10) David Payne, (11) Kenneth Howell, (12) Billy Moyer Jr., (13) Josh McGuire, (14) Stacy Boles, (15) Michael Paul Howard, (16) Billy Ogle Jr., (17) Michael Chilton, (18) D.J. Wells, (19) Ryan King, (20) Josh Collins, (21) Michael Wright, (22) Justin Rattliff, (23) George Mashburn, (24) Zack Dohm. Fast qualifier (among 38 cars): Carrier, 13.152 seconds. Consolation race winners: Howell, Wright, T. Dohm. Last-chance winner: Howard. Provisional starters: Boles, Collins, Mashburn.
