Dirt on Dirt - Owens tunes up, wins Smoky Mountain prelim

June 17

Smoky Mountain Speedway,

Maryville, TN

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (Mountain Moonshine Classic (Group B)) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac and staff reports (last updated June 18, 9:27 am)

Owens tunes up, wins Smoky Mountain prelim

Mountain Moonshine Classic (Group B)

Jimmy Owens
Jonathan Davenport
Carson Ferguson
Vic Hill
Zack Mitchell
Ross Bailes
Tim McCreadie
Scott Bloomquist
Garrett Alberson
Kyle Strickler
Ben Watkins
Tyler Erb
Daulton Wilson
Trent Ivey
Jensen Ford
Garrett Smith
Dusty Carver
Matt Henderson
Sam Seawright
Cory Hedgecock
Ross Robinson
Lynn Leach

presented by

Photo slideshow Feature highlights Video recap Related story

Heath Lawson/heathlawsonphotos.com

Winner Jimmy Owens (20) battles Carson Ferguson (93).

What won the race: Tuning up in search of a $50,000 prize in his home state, Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., scored a wire-to-wire triumph in Friday’s second 30-lap Mountain Moonshine Classic preliminary feature at Smoky Mountain Speedway. The veteran turned back a mid-race challenge from upstart Carson Ferguson and beat Jonathan Davenport to the checkered flag by 1.224 seconds for the $5,000 winner’s check.

Quotable: “I’ve never raced with him a whole lot,” Owens said of Carson Ferguson. “He did kind of surprise me there (to challenge for the lead) — I seen him on the outside and I got a good run coming off the (second) corner and I thought I’d cleared him, but evidently I didn’t. We kind of rubbed a little bit down the back straightaway, but we were able to keep it together and hold on.”

Key notes: Owens nearly lost the top spot to Ferguson following a lap-13 restart when the Super Late Model rookie swung around the outside of Davenport for second in turns one and two and ran side-by-side with Owens into turns three and four. ... Ferguson went on to battle for second with Davenport until the Eldora Million winner finally gained control of the position on lap 22. ... Ferguson settled for third as he continued turning heads in his first Super Late Model season. ... Caution flags flew for a Sam Seawright/Garrett Alberson tangle (lap 11), Jensen Ford (lap 13) and Cory Hedgecock (lap 22), who had climbed from the rear to 10th after rolling over in his heat. ... Friday’s 45 Lucas Oil Series entries were split into two groups for the Mountain Moonshine Classic preliminary program. Each group had its own set of heats and feature; no B-mains were contested with all drivers in each group running a 30-lap, $5,000-to-win feature. ... The finish from each feature will be used to determine heat lineups for Saturday’s 60-lap, $50,000-to-win finale.

On the move: Ben Watkins of Lancaster, S.C., started 17th and finished 11th.

Winner's sponsors: Owens drives a Ramirez Motorsports Rocket Chassis powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Reece Monument, Boomtest Well Service, Tim Short Auto Group, Red Line Oil, Georgia Arms, Midwest Sheet Metal and Ohlins Shocks.

Points chase: Before Smoky Mountain Friday: 1. Brandon Sheppard (2,865); 2. Tim McCreadie (2,785): 3. Tyler Erb (2,750); 4. Ricky Thornton Jr. (2,620); 5. Earl Pearson Jr. (2,540); 6. Hudson O’Neal (2,460); 7. Ashton Winger (2,395); 8. Devin Moran (2,320); 9. Garrett Alberson (2,260): 10. Jimmy Owens (2,235).

Current weather: Overcast, 77°F

Car count: 45

Fast qualifier: Ross Bailes

Time: 15.601 seconds

Polesitter: Jimmy Owens

Heat race winners: Jimmy Owens, Jonathan Davenport

Next series race: June 18, Smoky Mountain Speedway (Maryville, TN) $50,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

MARYVILLE, Tenn. — Live updates from Friday’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Mountain Moonshine Classic qualifying program feature twin 30-lap, $5,000-to-win features at Smoky Mountain Speedway (results unofficial):

Feature

Tuning up in search of a $50,000 prize in his home state, Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., scored a wire-to-wire triumph in Friday’s second 30-lap Mountain Moonshine Classic preliminary feature at Smoky Mountain Speedway. The veteran turned back a mid-race challenge from upstart Carson Ferguson and beat Jonathan Davenport to the checkered flag by 1.224 seconds for the $5,000 winner’s check.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; all transfer to first 30-lap feature)

First heat: Jimmy Owens, Tim McCreadie, Carson Ferguson, Ross Bailes, Vic Hill, Tyler Erb, Trent Ivey, Ross Robinson, Ben Watkins, Lynn Leach, Matt Henderson.

Second heat: Jonathan Davenport, Zack Mitchell, Kyle Strickler, Sam Seawright, Garrett Alberson, Scott Bloomquist, Daulton Wilson, Jensen Ford, Garrett Smith, Dusty Carver, Cory Hedgecock.