Dirt on Dirt - McDowell threepeats at Taz; McIntosh champion

July 27

Tazewell Speedway,

Tazewell, TN

Sanction: Schaeffer's Southern Nationals (Ray Varner Ford 75) - $20,053

Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated July 29, 7:39 am)

McDowell threepeats at Taz; McIntosh champion

Ray Varner Ford 75

Dale McDowell
Mike Benedum
Dakotah Knuckles
Zack Mitchell
Cory Hedgecock
Pierce McCarter
Scott Bloomquist
Travis Fultz
Austin Neely
Kenny Collins
Benji Hicks
Brian Smith
Gavin Cowan
Brandon Williams
Josh Henry
Donald McIntosh
Jensen Ford
Steve Smith
Stacy Boles
David Payne
Brian Shockley
Ricky Weiss

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Dale McDowell waves his fourth Southern Nationals checkers.

What won the race: Seventh-starting Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., captured the Schaeffer's Southern Nationals points finale for the third consecutive year, earning $20,053 Saturday at Tazewell Speedway after overtaking Mike Benedum on the 52nd of 75 laps. McDowell notched his series-leading fourth victory while Donald McIntosh, who entered the event with a 20-point series lead, retired running third on lap 33 but held on to capture his second title over fifth-finishing Cory Hedgecock.

Quotable: "Normally when you start (further) back here, you're in trouble. And there's an awful lot of good talent here, and just good racers," McDowell said. "You look up through there and, you know, when I was starting the seventh, I was really like, 'Man, I'm not gonna be able to drive up through there.' So it just worked out where we could maneuver around."

Key notes: McDowell has 17 career series victories, four of them at Tazewell. ... Outside front-row starter David Payne led the first 11 laps but slowed and retired with a broken shock, drawing the second of five cautions. ... Mike Benedum inherited the point and led laps 12-51. ... Josh Henry slowed on lap 72. ... Donald McIntosh was running third when he pulled pitside on lap 34. ... Jensen Ford slowed on lap 24 with a flat tire. ... The initial start was scrapped when polesitter Dakotah Knuckles looped it in turn two, collecting Payne with several other drivers caught up in the mess. Ricky Weiss was the lone driver unable to restart. Knuckle finished third and called his first-lap mistake a "bonehead move." ... Tazewell is the lone track to host an event every year on the series. ... Tazewell's event wrapped up series points, but because of rainouts, there's an Aug. 1-3 series tripleheader at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway, East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City and Senoia (Ga.) Raceway.

On the move: Zack Mitchell of Enoree, S.C., started 10th and finished fourth.

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, Shakleford Enterprises and Spring-Pro.

Points chase: Final: 1. Donald McIntosh (1,158); 2. Cory Hedgecock (1,148); 3. Gavin Cowan (1,106); 4. Benji Hicks (1,102); 5. Stacy Boles (1,016).

Current weather: Clear, 72°F

Car count: 25

Fast qualifier: Mike Benedum

Time: 11.616 seconds

Polesitter: Dakotah Knuckles

Heat race winners: Dakotah Knuckles, David Payne, Donald McIntosh

Consolation race winners: Kenny Collins

Next series race: August 1, Swainsboro Raceway (Swainsboro, GA) $7,553

Editor's note: Corrects winning purse.

From staff reports

TAZEWELL, Tenn. — Updates from Saturday’s seventh round of the Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals at Tazewell Speedway, an event highlighted by a 75-lap, $20,053-to-win feature for Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Seventh-starting Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., captured the Schaeffer's Southern Nationals points finale for the third consecutive year, earning $10,053 Saturday at Tazewell Speedway after overtaking Mike Benedum on the 52nd of 75 laps. McDowell notched his series-leading fourth victory while Donald McIntosh, who entered the event with a 20-point series lead, retired running third on lap 33 but unofficially held on to narrowly win the title over fifth-finishing Cory Hedgecock.

Feature lineup

(75 laps)

Row 1: Dakotah Knuckles, David Payne
Row 2: Donald McIntosh, Mike Benedum
Row 3: Pierce McCarter, Jensen Ford
Row 4: Dale McDowell, Cory Hedgecock
Row 5: Josh Henry, Zack Mitchell
Row 6: Scott Bloomquist, Ricky Weiss
Row 7: Benji Hicks, Travis Fultz
Row 8: Austin Neely, Kenny Collins
Row 9: Brian Shockley, Stacy Boles
Row 10: Brandon Williams, Gavin Cowan
Row 11: Brian Smith, Steve Smith

Consolation results

(10 laps; top seven transfer)

Finish: Kenny Collins, Brian Shockley, Stacy Boles, Brandon Williams, Gavin Cowan, Brian Smith, Steve Smith, Matthew Holt, Troy Eads. Scratched: Forrest Trent

Heat race recap

Second-starting Dakotah Knuckles led all eight laps to win the first heat race by 0.395 of a second over Mike Benedum, with Dale McDowell starting and finishing third. Zack Mitchell and sixth-starting Benji Hicks rounded out the top five, punching their ticket into Saturday’s 75-lap regular season finale. … Pole-starting David Payne led the entire distance and won heat two by 0.712 of a second over second-starting Pierce McCarter, with sixth-starting Cory Hedgecock grabbing third on lap three and completing the podium finishers. Scott Bloomquist and Travis Fultz joined them as transfers into the $10,053-to-win main event. … Donald McIntosh wrestled the lead away from Jensen Ford on the opening lap and never looked back, winning the third and final heat race by 1.226 seconds over Ford. Josh Henry started and finished third, while Ricky Weiss improved one position for fourth and seventh-starting Austin Neely grabbed the fifth and final transfer spot. The race’s first caution came out on lap five when fifth-running Brandon Williams slowed with a flat tire. He changed the flat and finished sixth. The second stoppage came on the ensuing restart attempt. … The three heats combined to last nine minutes.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top five transfer)

First heat: Dakotah Knuckles, Mike Benedum, Dale McDowell, Zack Mitchell, Benji Hicks, Kenny Collins, Forrest Trent, Brian Smith, Troy Eads.

Second heat: David Payne, Pierce McCarter, Cory Hedgecock, Scott Bloomquist, Travis Fultz, Brian Shockley, Stacy Boles, Steve Smith.

Third heat: Donald McIntosh, Jensen Ford, Josh Henry, Ricky Weiss, Austin Neely, Brandon Williams, Gavin Cowan, Matthew Holt.

Time trials

Driver (car no.), hometown, time (unofficial)
1. Mike Benedum (25), Salem, W.Va., 11.616
2. David Payne (8), Murphy, N.C., 11.690
3. Donald McIntosh (79), Dawsonville, Ga., 11.710
4. Dakotah Knuckles (21k), Ewing, Va., 11.758
5. Pierce McCarter (71), Pigeon Forge, Tenn., 11.774
6. Jensen Ford (83), Johnson City, Tenn., 11.789
7. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 11.818
8. Travis Fultz (329), Harrogate, Tenn., 11.819
9. Josh Henry (B00), Newport, Tenn., 11.851
10. Zack Mitchell (57), Enoree, S.C., 11.889
11. Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., 11.894
12. Gavin Cowan (219), Rincon, Ga., 11.985
13. Kenny Collins (1c), Colbert, Ga., 12.014
14. Brian Shockley (17), Thorn Hill, Tenn., 12.020
15. Ricky Weiss (7), Headingley, Manitoba, 12.026
16. Benji Hicks (55), Mount Airy, N.C., 12.042
17. Cory Hedgecock (36), Loudon, Tenn., 12.044
18. Brandon Williams (95), Crossville, Tenn., 12.061
19. Forrest Trent (101), Morristown, Tenn., 12.063
20. Stacy Boles (11B), Clinton, Tenn., 12.093
21. Austin Neely (3n), New Tazewell, Tenn., 12.131
22. Brian Smith (7B), Barbourville, Ky., 12.386
23. Steve Smith (3), Powell, Tenn., 12.717
24. Matthew Holt (22), Thorn Hill, Tenn., 12.720
25. Troy Eads (52), Tazewell, Tenn., 12.778

Saturday’s schedule

(All times local)
2 p.m. - Pits open
5 p.m. - Grandstands open
7 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
7:30 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Sportsman hot laps
- Street stock hot laps
- Classic car hot laps
- Late Model time trials (2 laps)
- Sportsman time trials
- Street stock time trials
- Classic car time trials
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heats (8 laps)
- Sportsman feature (25 laps)
- Late Model consolation (10 laps)
- Street stock feature (20 laps)
Intermission/track prep
- Late Model feature (75 laps)
- Classic car feature (15 laps)