Dixie Speedway
Points-leading Casebolt collects $6,000 at Dixie
Steve Casebolt takes the checkers at Dixie. (praterphoto.com)
WOODSTOCK, Ga. (May 11) — While he’s led the points on the first-year Spring Nationals virtually all the way, Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., hadn’t cracked victory lane. Until now.
Casebolt took the lead from Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., on the 24th lap Saturday at Dixie Speedway and raced to a $6,000 victory in the second-to-last event on the Ray Cook-promoted tour. Casebolt, who started outside the front row, became the eighth winner in eight series races in solidifying his points lead. | Slideshow | Video
“It was just a lot of fun — well, the first few laps weren’t too fun. I was struggling. But once these American Racers (tires) started digging, they didn’t stand a chance. ... It was just a great night,” said Casebolt, who is in his first season running mostly a Southern schedule for Tennessee-based D&R Motorsports. “I love these racetracks down here. They’re good. You can race on these places. I know the South gets a bad rap for some of these tracks. We’ve had fun everywhere we’ve gone. We’ve raced all over these places and got to meet a lot of new people I’ve never raced with before, so it’s really been great.”
McDowell, who won the series opener, settled for second while Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., Casebolt’s closest pursuer in the title chase, was third. Aaron Ridley of Chatsworth, Ga., and Shawn Chastain of Murphy, N.C., rounded out the top five. Riley Hickman, who started on the pole and led the first nine laps before giving up the lead to McDowell, ended up eighth in the 23-car field.
McDowell, who led laps 10-23, agreed that Casebolt’s tire combination was key. “I felt like the car was OK,” he said. “With these conditions, he was more maneuverable. He had the best car.”
The 50-lap feature was slowed by a single caution for former track champion Frank Ingram’s lap-34 spin.
Notes: Casebolt’s D&R Motorsports MasterSbilt Race Car has a Race Engine Design powerplant with sponsorship from Hicks & Ingle Mechanical Contractors and B&M Concrete. ... Casebolt was caught up in a traffic jam on I-75 and saie he might've missed time trials had rain not delayed the evening's racing. ... Dale McDowell had his second straight runner-up finish on the series. ... The 50-lap feature went green just after 11 p.m. and took fewer than 17 minutes to complete. ... Mother Nature loomed throughout the evening and briefly delayed the beginning of the program. ... Eight drivers were light at the scales following time trials and lost their qualifying times: Michael Chilton, Mike Marlar, Lamar Haygood, Randy Weaver, Michael Page, Chase Elliott, Jerry Loudermilk, Duane Treadwell. ... Weaver rallied from near the tail of the final consolation race to take the lead in just a few laps, but he pulled up lame and retired shortly after. ... Riley Hickman lowered the track record in qualifying with a 13.743-second lap. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Marlar, Weaver, Gary McPherson, Laddie Fulcher, Jody Knowles, Lamar Haygood, Ryan Gifford, Luther Jenkins, George Mashburn, Jeff Franklin, and Chase Elliott, the son of former NASCAR star Bill Elliott was making his Super Late Model debut in a Ray Cook-owned car. ... Friday's trip to Boyd's Speedway was postponed due to flooding; Boyd's will host the series finale May 17.
Spring Nationals @ Dixie: (1) Steve Casebolt, (2) Dale McDowell, (3) Billy Ogle Jr., (4) Aaron Ridley, (5) Shawn Chastain, (6) Michael Asberry, (7) Tony Knowles, (8) Riley Hickman, (9) Frank Ingram, (10) Stacy Boles, (11) Michael Chilton, (12) Ryan King, (13) Josh Collins, (14) Dale Thurman, (15) Tyler Millwood, (16) David Payne, (17) Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (18) Hunter Peacock, (19) Michael Page, (20) Jake Knowles, (21) Johnny Chastain, (22) Jason Croft, (23) Derek Ellis. Fast qualifier (among 44 cars): Hickman, 13.743 seconds. Consolation race winners: Ingram, Thurman, Asberry, Ellis. Last-chance winner: J. Knowles. Provisional starters: Payne, Chilton.
Correction: Fixes Casebolt's engine builder and sponsors.
