Smoky Mountain Speedway
Kerr leads flag-to-flag at Smoky Mountain
By Richard Allen
tennesseeracer.com
Tommy Kerr heads for victory at Smoky Mountain. (mrmracing.net)
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (April 13) — Tommy Kerr doesn’t race as often as he used to, but he does his best to make the most of the chances he gets. The Maryville, Tenn. driver did just that Saturday night at Smoky Mountain Speedway, racing to a $6,000 victory when the Ray Cook-promoted Spring Nationals tour visited his hometown racetrack.
Kerr, who ended his 2012 season with a Southern Regional Racing Series victory at Smoky Mountain’s 4/10-mile oval, beat Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., to the finish in the 50-lap event, while Vic Hill of Mosheim, Tenn., Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., and Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., rounded out the race’s top five finishers. | Video | Slideshow
“This one’s real special to me,” said Kerr, who became the fourth different winner in four events for the 10-race Spring Nationals series. “I’ve taken a back seat in this racing stuff because I told my kids I’d spend more time with them. It feels good to get out here and win against these guys who do this for a living.”
After starting the night by topping the 37-car field in time trials, Kerr used his front-row starting spot to grab the lead on the start of the main event while outside polesitter Hill moved into second.
One of the race’s early favorites suffered misfortune almost immediately as Kerr’s Blount Motorsports teammate Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., cut down a right-rear tire on the second lap to bring out an early caution.
Kerr again asserted himself as the front runner when racing resumed and held the point as the next 25 laps ran caution free. Lapped traffic became a factor during the long green-flag run, allowing Hill to pressure Kerr as the two worked their way around slower machines, while Davenport and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., moved into third and fourth respectively and closed in on the two leaders.
George Mashburn of Murphy, N.C., slowed to bring out the race’s second caution on lap 27, setting up what proved to a pivotal moment in the race. The following restart turned disastrous for several top contenders when mechanical issues on McDowell’s car spewed fluid all over the track. Along with McDowell, Mark Douglas of Knoxville, Tenn., Ogle and Brett Miller were all caught up in the ensuing melee and suffered race-ending damage.
The race ran caution free following the next restart, allowing Kerr to pull away from his rivals and cruise the victory.
Ogle, who entered the event atop the Spring Nationals points standings after a pair of runner-up finishes and a fourth-place finish in the three previous series races, was overtaken in the series points chase by Casebolt.
Notes: Kerr’s Custom-powered Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Arnold Trucking, Bearden Oil Company, Blount Excavating, Cherokee Millwright, GEOServices, Insurance Partners, Massey Electric, Stowers (CAT) Machinery Corp. and Wine and Spirits Cellar. ... Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., slowed from a top-five spot and pulled to the pit area on lap 23. ... Dillon Wood of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., earned the race’s Keyser Manufacturing Hard Charger Award with his run from 18th to sixth. ... Spring Nationals competitors return to action April 18-20 with a tripleheader weekend at 201 Speedway in Sitka, Ky., Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky., and Cleveland (Tenn.) Speedway.
Spring Nationals @ Smoky Mountain: (1) Tommy Kerr, (2) Jonathan Davenport, (3) Vic Hill, (4) Clint Smith, (5) Steve Casebolt, (6) Dillon Wood, (7) Mike Marlar, (8) Chris Ferguson, (9) Skylar Marlar, (10) Bobby Griffin, (11) Josh Collins, (12) Ryan King, (13) David Payne, (14) Dale McDowell, (15) Mark Douglas, (16) Brett Miller, (17) Billy Ogle Jr., (18) George Mashburn, (19) Mike Weeks, (20) Chris Madden, (21) Jeff Wolfenbarger, (22) Daniel Baggerly, (23) Michael Chilton, (24) Stacy Boles. Fast qualifier (among 37 cars): Kerr, 15.83 seconds. Consolation winners: Madden, C. Smith, Casebolt, Ferguson. Last-chance winner: Payne.
