Dirt on Dirt - McDowell wins at Taz, Owens secures title

July 30

Tazewell Speedway,

Tazewell, TN

Sanction: Schaeffer's Southern Nationals (Ray Varner Ford 53) - $10,053

Information provided by: Robert Holman, series and track reports (last updated July 31, 11:02 am)

McDowell wins at Taz, Owens secures title

Ray Varner Ford 53

Dale McDowell
Ricky Weiss
Jimmy Owens
Donald McIntosh
Jason Trammell
Kenny Collins
Jordan Koehler
Forrest Trent
Dakotah Knuckles
Brenden Smith
Carson Ferguson
Austin Neely
Mike Benedum
Aaron Guinn
David McCoy
John Llewellyn
Travis Fultz
Chris Chandler
Brian Shockley
Josh Henry
Joshua Chesney
Steve Smith

presented by

Live video Photo slideshow Feature highlights Related story

Michael Moats/mrmracing.net

Jimmy Owens wrapped up the Southern Nationals championship.

What won the race: Pole-starting Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., endured several restarts in the early stages and led all 53 laps Sunday at Tazewell Speedway to capture the $10,053 Ray Varner 53 season finale for the Schaeffer's Southern Nationals. McDowell recorded his third miniseries victory of the season and the 13th of his career, moving him into sole possession of third on the all-time list.

Quotable: “I’m very very blessed to drive a car like this and it’s so good, things are going our way,” McDowell said. “I can’t emphasize that enough. I’m blessed to drive it when it’s no good and when I’m not doing a good job, but I’m super blessed right now and I feel really fortunate. Everything is just clicking, we qualified fourth and got in the right heat race. I can’t emphasize how much it takes for the whole ingredients to go together.”

Key notes: It's McDowell's second triumph this season at Tazewell as he boosts his race winnings to more than $31,000 there after winning July 3's Lil' Bill Corum Memorial. ... Ricky Weiss moved into the runner-up position on a lap-three restart and trailed McDowell the rest of the way, finishing 3.475 seconds back. ... After losing an engine in hot laps and rolling out a backup car, sixth-starting Jimmy Owens finished third and clinched the 2023 Schaeffer's Southern Nationals title, the first of his career. ... Donald McIntosh's car got banged up in a lap-two crash in turn two, robbing him a chance at trying to wrest the points lead from Jimmy Owens. He rallied back to fourth, the last car on the lead lap. ... The lap-two incident necessitated a 15-minute red flag for cleanup when Austin Neely slid into McIntosh while the two battled for second, sending them spinning in front of the field; Dakotah Knuckles, David McCoy, Aaron Guinn, Carson Ferguson and Travis Fultz were involved but continued. ... Knuckles overcame two other incidents (spins on lap 6 and 15) to finish ninth. ... Entering trailing Owens by six points, Carson Ferguson never contended and finished 11th. ... Neely overcame two flats in the first six laps, finishing 12th. ... Josh Henry ran as high as fifth when he failed to accelerate on a lap-six restart and triggered a multicar incident before pulling off. ... Seven cautions slowed the first 15 laps before the final 38 were completed in succession; McDowell ran a torrid pace, lapping fifth-place finisher Jason Trammell at the checkers. ... Sunday's 44-minute feature had 15 drivers running at the finish. ... Steve Smith scratched from the feature. ... Michael Chilton lost a motor in his heat race and scratched for the rest of the night.

On the move: Forrest Trent of Morristown, Tenn., started 13th and finished eighth.

Winner's sponsors: McDowell’s Shane McDowell Racing Team Zero Race Car has a Clements Chevrolet engine and sponsorship from E-Z-Go, Cometic Gaskets, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Connected Strategy Advisors, Northeastern Fabrication, Fox Racing Shox, Campbell Insulation Specialists, Shackleford Enterprises and Spring-Pro.

Points chase: After Tazewell (final): 1. Jimmy Owens (1,392); 2. Donald McIntosh (1,384); 3. Ricky Weiss (1,374); 4. Carson Ferguson (1,372); 5. Kenny Collins (1,366); 6. Jordan Koehler (1,270); 7. Mike Benedum (1,266); 8. Brenden Smith (1,242); 9. Tyler Clem (1,195); 10. David McCoy (1,129).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 75°F

Car count: 23

Fast qualifier: Austin Neely

Time: 10.996 seconds

Polesitter: Dale McDowell

Heat race winners: Dale McDowell, Ricky Weiss, Donald McIntosh

Consolation race winners: Carson Ferguson

Next series race: August 18, East Alabama Motor Speedway (Phenix City, AL) $7,553

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

From staff reports

TAZEWELL, Tenn. (July 29) — Updates from the final round of the Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals at Tazewell Speedway, an event highlighted by a $10,053-to-win feature for Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Pole-starting Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., endured several restarts in the early stages and led all 53 laps at Tazewell Speedway to win Sunday's $10,053 Ray Varner 53 season finale for the Schaeffer's Southern Nationals. McDowell recorded his third miniseries win of the season and the 13th of his career, moving him into sole possession of third on the all-time list. It's McDowell's second triumph this season at Tazewell as he boosts his race winnings to more than $31,000 there after winning July 3's Lil' Bill Corum Memorial. Ricky Weiss moved into the runner-up position on a lap-three restart and trailed McDowell the rest of the way, finishing 3.475 seconds back.

Feature lineup

(53 laps)

Row 1: Dale McDowell, Ricky Weiss
Row 2: Donald McIntosh, Austin Neely
Row 3: Jason Trammell, Jimmy Owens
Row 4: Dakotah Knuckles, Jordan Koehler
Row 5: Kenny Collins, Josh Henry
Row 6: John Llewellyn, David McCoy
Row 7: Forrest Trent, Brenden Smith
Row 8: Brian Shockley, Carson Ferguson
Row 9: Mike Benedum, Aaron Guinn
Row 10: Travis Fultz, Chris Chandler
Row 11: Joshua Chesney, Steve Smith

Consolation results

(10 laps; all transfer)

First consolation: Carson Ferguson, Mike Benedum, Aaron Guinn, Travis Fultz, Chris Chandler, Joshua Chesney, Steve Smith. Scratched: Michael Chilton