Bristol Motor Speedway
Weeks virtually clinches Clash crown with victory
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 8) — Capitalizing on flat tire by two top contenders, Ricky Weeks of Rutherfordton, N.C., virtually sewed up his fourth consecutive Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series championship with a $5,000 victory at Fayetteville Motor Speedway.
Dennis Franklin led the first 43 laps until his too-soft right rear tire went flat, and the same fate struck Jeff Smith on lap 46 after he inherited the lead. Weeks had a harder right-rear tire that had rubber to spare as he took the checkered flag for his seventh victory of the season and second in a row.
"We just outsmarted them, that's what we did," Weeks said. "Me and Raymond, my crew chief, talked about it, and I told him, 'That track's way harder than everybody thinks it is, we're going to put on something hard.' My other guy was going, 'We're messing up, we're messing up,' and when the flag dropped I went backwards. But as the race went, it come to me, and it paid off."
Dan Breuer finished second with Scott Autry, Neal Sykes and Craig Shuffield rounding out the top five. Franklin, second in series points to Weeks, salvaged a seventh-place finish while Smith was 14th. — Thomas Pope of the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer
Notebook
David Taylor had a front-row starting spot but broke a rear end gear on the pace lap and was listed last in the 24-car field. ... Dale Hammond, Shawn Beasley and Craig Miller didn't qualify for the feature event. ... Weeks has a virtually insurmountable points lead with 2,854 points over Franklin (2,611) and Smith (2,519). ... The series has two races remaining: Sept. 15 at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va., and Sept. 29 at Fayetteville. ... The Fayetteville 60-lapper will pay a series-record $8,000 to the winner. The top six qualifiers will draw for starting spots. ... D.J. Tyndall won the night's Late Model feature for Fayetteville regulars.
Fayetteville Motor Speedway: (1) Ricky Weeks, (2) Dan Breuer, (3) Scott Autry, (4) Neil Sykes, (5) Craig Shuffield, (6) Travis Pennington, (7) Dennis Franklin, (8) Chris Blackwell, (9) Mike Mason, (10) Jonathan Davenport, (11) Dion Deason, (12) Brent Robinson, (13) Scott Shirey, (14) Jeff Smith, (15) Deano Long, (16) Dean Bowen, (17) Jack Pennington, (18) Doug Sanders, (19) Ed Basey, (20) Gary Mabe, (21) Scott Neighbors, (22) Roger Lucas, (23) Derek Francis, (24) David Taylor.
