North Georgia Speedway

Owens leads all 40 laps for Turkey Rumble win

November 8, 2008, 6:41 pm

By Todd Turner

DirtonDirt.com chief writer

Jimmy Owens (20) cruises toward his $5,000 victory. (DirtonDirt.com)

CHATSWORTH, Ga. (Nov. 8) — Most drivers would be thrilled to have 13 victories in a season. But Jimmy Owens didn't find 13 victories to be too lucky as the Newport, Tenn., driver was stuck on that number during his longest losing streak of the season entering North Georgia Speedway's Turkey Rumble. | Postrace notebook | Slideshow

The polesitting Owens put an end to that dry spell in the unsanctioned 40-lapper by leading every lap and cruising to a straightaway-margin victory over Dale McDowell of Rossville, Ga., who won the race last year at the third-mile oval. "We finally got past unlucky 13," Owens said following his first victory since Aug. 31. "It seems like it's been about 12 years since we won a race. Regardless, it's still been a killer year."

Eight cautions slowed the winner's progress, but with the final 24 laps running under green, Owens showed his dominance by pulling away from the fourth-starting McDowell. Eighth-starting Tommy Kerr of Maryville, Tenn., finished third followed by Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C., and first-time North Georgia visitor Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who rallied from 15th to finish fifth.

Several cars were banged up in a series of early cautions, including fast qualifier Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., whose damaged bumper forced him out on the second lap.

Owens, who finished third in last year's Turkey Rumble, was in control the entire distance, untroubled by the eight restarts over the first 16 laps. "We were watching the races tonight and it seemed like the inside lane was the (spot) to get a good start off the bottom of turn four. We had several restarts there and was able to pull off and get a good restart on the bottom groove itself. Everything played into our favor," he said. "We were able to move up high and get around some of the lapped traffic a little bit. Really the only rough spot was off turn two there, but it wasn't to bad as long as you (realized) there were a few rough spots there."

McDowell took the second spot from front-row starter Brad Coffey of Maryville, Tenn., on an early restart but wasn't able to keep up with Owens. He was a straightaway behind the winner with 10 laps remaining and never gained any ground the rest of the way in the Knoxville, Tenn.-based Warrior Race Cars house car, which he's driven a dozen or so times since mid-September.

"I think (Owens) was tired a little bit harder than we were," said McDowell, who hasn't finished worse than third when running at the finish in the Warrior No. 1G. "I could keep up with him three or four laps after a restart, but after that, he was just better than we were. I think he was just a little bit different on tires. Who knows? At this time of year, you gamble on tires. I started fourth, so I went a little soft to try and move early, so that hurt me on the long runs. We were real good on the starts, but just faded. I'd kind of level off after four of five laps. I'd kind of level off and he'd get a lot better. He was just the car to beat."

Kerr used the early restarts to his advantage as Cook, Coffey and others were shuffled back following cautions for minor incidents, including a tangle between Johnny Chastain and Anthony White in turn four on the fourth lap.

"We started eighth and ran third. I guess that's a good night. The racetrack, it was kind of a challenge to get around. It got rough there off (turn) two. We put ourselves behind the 8-ball when we qualified bad. We won that four (consolation) and that put us starting eighth, and we raced our tail off and got to third. I was done, then. I'd already used my stuff up and rode around there behind two of the best, I guess.

"It seemed like (Owens) car worked better through the rough than my and Dale's. Dale's car would get upset, and I could tell mine was upset, too. But anytime you can go out and run with those guys, I'll just keep making myself a better racer."

Notes: Owens drives a Bloomquist Race Car with a Cornett engine and sponsorship from Gantte Appraisals and Reece Monument. ... Skip Arp started sixth and was among drivers banged around in the early going. He dropped out on the fifth lap. ... Johnny Chastain departed on the ninth lap after losing a driveshaft. ... Tony Knowles and Ivedent Lloyd Jr. got together in turn four on the 14th lap. ... Jamie Perry lost an air cleaner on the 16th lap and pulled out. ... Ray Cook started outside the front row and won the first consolation over polesitter Austin Dillon. Cody Barnett, Davy Davis and Anthony Hill were eliminated in a turn-four accident on the second lap. ... Polesitter Skip Arp won the second consolation over Billy Ogle Jr.; second-starting Clint Smith ended up fifth. Ethan Hunter and Lee Sutton spun in separate incidents. ... Polesitter Tony Knowles won the third consolation over Anthony White. Ty Dillon gave up the fourth starting spot and elected to start on the tail and he finished sixth, one spot shy of transferring. ... In the fourth consolation, Tommy Kerr outran polesitter and fellow front-row starter Ivedent Lloyd Jr.; Todd Morrow was running third when he slowed midway through the race and dropped out. ... Shane Clanton's fast time of 12.279 seconds was just off the 12.216-second track record of Dale McDowell set May 16, 2008. ... Fourth-fastest qualifier Brad Coffey was the top non-touring qualifier. "I got to go out early before it got rough," Coffey told Dale McDowell. "That helped me out." ... Dillon, the grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, was the fifth fastest qualifier but spun on his second qualifying lap. ... The Limited Late Model and Crate cars were initially scheduled to run together, but with nearly 60 cars, promoter Monty Morrow split them into two separate divisions with 38 Limiteds and 21 Crates. Before anyone could ask at the drivers' meeting, Morrow reassured the drivers that he'd pay the same purse for both classes. "I know I'm a cheapskate," he said from his perch near the infield scales, "but I ain't that bad." Todd Morrow won the Limited Late Model feature. ... Teammate Mike Hill and Randy Weaver were among the late arrivals and parked their hauler at the entry to the pits near the pit shack. ... Another $5,000-to-win unsanctioned event, scheduled for Friday night at Boyd's Speedway in Ringgold, Ga., was rained out and rescheduled for Nov. 14.

Turkey Rumble: (1) Jimmy Owens, (2) Dale McDowell, (3) Tommy Kerr, (4) Ray Cook, (5) Brady Smith, (6) Tony Knowles, (7) Clint Smith, (8) Billy Ogle Jr., (9) Austin Dillon, (10) Kayne Hickman, (11) Gary McPherson, (12) Shawn Chastain, (13) Jake Knowles, (14) Brian Hickman, (15) Brad Coffey, (16) Jamie Perry, (17) Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (18) Johnny Chastain, (19) Anthony White, (20) Skip Arp, (21) Randy Weaver, (22) Mike Hill, (23) Derek Ellis, (24) Shane Clanton. Fast qualifier (among 42 cars): Clanton, 12.279 seconds. Consolation race winners: Cook, Arp, T. Knowles, Kerr.