Cleveland Speedway
Casebolt fends off Cook, grabs first SAS victory
By Richard Allen
TennesseeRacer.com
Steve Casebolt heads to victory at Cleveland Speedway. (Ronnie Barnett)
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (May 18) — Steve Casebolt’s successful Southern ventures rolled on Saturday at Cleveland Speedway as the 34-year-old Richmond, Ind., driver. pocketed $4,000 in his first-ever Southern All Star Racing Series triumph.
The recently crowned Spring Nationals champion added the 35th annual Coca-Cola Tennessee Memorial triumph to victories in Alabama and Georgia as his connection with Tennessee-based D&R Motorsports continued to pay dividends.
“It’s just teamwork. You know, I’m the same driver I’ve always been. I’m not any better, I don’t feel like I’m any worse,” said Casebolt, who fought off challenges from former D&R Motorsports driver Ray Cook for the victory. “I’ve just got a good group of guys that are willing to work with me and it’s just racing. Everybody thinks it’s all the driver, but it’s not. You’ve gotta have a good team behind you and I’ve struggled to have good experienced guys with me in the past with my own car, and every time when I get with a team that has good guys and surround myself with good people, we normally have good performances.”
Cook, of nearby Brasstown, N.C., settled for second with ninth-starting William Thomas of Phenix City, Ala., in third. Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn., winner of the previous Southern All Star visit to Cleveland, and pole-starting Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., rounded out the top five.
Casebolt jumped into the lead at the outset over Ogle, Cook, Weaver and Aaron Ridley and still in command when a lap-16 caution flew for an incident involving Ridley and provisional starter Bo Shirley.
Cook used the restart to take second from Ogle and set his sights on Casebolt, pressuring the leader who settled into the high groove at the third-mile oval. Cook pulled alongside on lap 36, but couldn’t complete the pass as Casebolt held on for the victory in the 40-lapper.
“I knew he was close because my crew guys were signaling me. Luckily enough they signaled me to make the right move at the right time on the racetrack, so we kind of kept him at bay,” Casebolt said. “I saw him poke his nose underneath of me a couple of times. I think when I got up there on that top and had that momentum rolling around, at this place, it’s just really hard to pass a guy that can keep a straight line up there on that top.”
Notes: Casebolt’s D&R Motorsports MasterSbilt Race Car has a Race Engine Design powerplant with sponsorship from Hicks & Ingle Mechanical Contractors, B&M Concrete, American Racer Tires and JE Pistons. ... Casebolt won a week earlier in Spring Nationals action at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga. ... Casebolt won the Spring Nationals title after the series declared the points chase over by virtue of Friday’s rainout at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Ga. ... Rain threatened Cleveland, too, but officials played hurry-up to get the program in.
Coca-Cola Tennessee Memorial: (1) Steve Casebolt, (2) Ray Cook, (3) William Thomas, (4) Randy Weaver, (5) Billy Ogle Jr, (6) Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (7) Skip Arp, (8) Riley Hickman, (9) Derek Ellis, (10) Mike Weeks, (11) Michael Asberry, (12) Jason Hiett, (13) Dusty Carver, (14) Jason Welshan, (15) Chris Wilson, (16) Bo Shirley, (17) Bret Holmes, (18) Mark Rosner, (19) Jeff Franklin, (20) David Payne, (21) Kayne Hickman, (22) Aaron Ridley, (23) Ross White, (24) Shawn Chastain. Fast qualifier (among 29 cars): Ogle, 13.442 seconds. Consolation race winners: Thomas, Weeks. Provisional starters: Holmes, Shirley.
Correction: Fixes Casebolt's engine builder and sponsors.
