MARYVILLE, Tenn. (July 27) — Live blog-style updates from Friday's $5,300-to-win Schaeffer's Southern Nationals Series event at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. (results unofficial):
Rain out
With steady rain starting to fall shortly after opening ceremonies, Friday’s Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals Series event at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn., was washed out. No immediate makeup date was announced for the $5,300-to-win program. The series points chase will wrap up on Saturday with the $10,000-to-win finale at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway.
Consolation lineups
(10 laps; top five transfer)
First consolation
Row 1: Dakotah Knuckles, Tommy Kerr
Row 2: Robby Moses, Eric Hickerson
Row 3: Cla Knight, Kenny Collins
Row 4: Dusty Carver, Ryan King
Row 5: Eric Webber, Lamar Winkle
Second consolation
Row 1: David Crabtree, Forrest Trent
Row 2: Carder Miller, Craig Vosbergen
Row 3: Jadon Frame, Aaron Ridley
Row 4: Brad Skinnr, Sammie Russell
Row 5: Craig Greer
Pre-race notes
With the three previous Smoky Mountain Southern Nationals winners absent from Friday’s field, the track will have a first-time series winner tonight. … Dakotah Knuckles of Ewing, Va., is making his first series start of the season on Friday night. He notched a sixth-place finish in April’s World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series action at Smoky Mountain. … Among other drivers making their first series start of the season at Smoky Mountain are Eric Hickerson of Linden, Tenn., Lamar Hinkle of Knoxville, Tenn., and Sammie Russell of Madisonville, Tenn. … Robby Moses of Maryville, Tenn., has rejoined the field for Friday’s program. Teammate Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, Tenn., remains idle. … Hometown driver Tommy Kerr is on hand for Friday’s show. He scored his first career Southern All Stars victory at Smoky Mountain back in June. … After posting a runner-up finish in the July 17 series event at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn., Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., is back with the tour for its final two events.
Pre-race setup
The Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals Series moves to Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn., on Friday for the second-to-last event on the tour’s 2018 slate. The miniseries returns to the red clay oval, located just outside of Knoxville, for the first time since 2015.
Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., scored his fourth Southern Nationals victory of the season on Thursday night at Crossville (Tenn.) Speedway. The reigning series champion has had past success at Smoky Mountain, capturing a World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series victory at the Maryville, Tenn., oval last year.
Finishing runner-up to Overton on Thursday night, Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., leads the series points chase heading into Smoky Mountain, holding a six-point advantage over Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga. Winning last year’s Lucas Oil Series stop at Smoky Mountain, McDowell picked up a WoO victory there earlier this season.
Friday’s program will include hot laps, time trials, two last chance heat races and the 53-lap main event. The top five cars from each qualifying group will be locked in to the feature, with the top five finishers from each last chance heat transferring to the main event. Provisionals will set the final row of the 22-car starting field. The Durrence Layne Chevrolet Series for Crate Late Models is among other divisions that will be in action.
Time trial results
Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Group A
Joey Coulter (2), Concord, N.C., 15.789
Michael Chilton (97), Salvisa, Ky., 15.820
Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 15.846
Eric Wells (18), Hazard, Ky., 15.853
Donald McIntosh (58), Dawsonville, Ga., 15.916
Dakotah Knuckles (21), Ewing, Va., 15.948
Tommy Kerr (4T), Maryville, Tenn., 16.182
Robby Moses (21M), Maryville, Tenn., 16.201
Eric Hickerson (98), Linden, Tenn., 16.212
Cla Knight (42), North Augusta, S.C., 16.224
Kenny Collins (1C), Colbert, Ga., 16.414
Dusty Carver (9), Englewood, Tenn., 16.449
Ryan King (1G), Seymour, Tenn., 16.635
Eric Webber (25), Morristown, Tenn., 16.960
Lamar Winkle (5), Knoxville, Tenn., 17.221
Group B
Ivedent Lloyd Jr. (21), Ocala, Fla., 15.483
Tyler Millwood (31), Kingston, Ga., 15.813
Casey Roberts (101), Toccoa, Ga., 15.849
Bobby Giffin (97), Maryville, Tenn., 16.022
Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 16.101
David Crabtree (C5), Maryville, Tenn., 16.225
Forrest Trent (101), Morristown, Tenn., 16.267
Carder Miller (69*), Salem, Va., 16.268
Craig Vosbergen (8), Perth, Australia, 16.418
Jadon Frame (J8), Winchester, Tenn., 16.449
Aaron Ridley (81), Chatsworth, Ga., 16.477
Brad Skinner (17), Springhill, Tenn., 16.674
Sammie Russell (F4), Madisonville, Tenn., 16.871
Craig Greer (7), Cleveland, Tenn., 17.645
Friday’s schedule
7 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
7:15 p.m. - Hot laps/qualifying
- Super Late Model hot laps
- Crate Late Model hot laps
- Mid-South street stock qualifying (three laps)
- Kajun mini stock qualifying (three laps)
- Super Late Model qualifying (two laps)
- Crate Late Model qualifying (two laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Super Late Model last chance heats (10 laps)
- Crate Late Model heats (eight laps)
Intermission
- Mid-South street stock feature (20 laps)
- Super Late Model feature (53 laps)
- Kajun mini stock feature (20 laps)
- Crate Late Model feature (40 laps)