Fayetteville Motor Speedway
Fayetteville win gives Weeks Clash points lead
From correspondent reports
Ricky Weeks celebrates at Fayetteville. (Jerry Ingram)
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (July 6) — Four-time and reigning series champion Ricky Weeks of Rutherfordton, N.C., came from his 18th starting spot into the lead after just 20 laps to win the 40-lap Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series event at Fayetteville Motor Speedway. Weeks earned $5,000 for his first series victory of the year and took the points lead from Dennis "Rambo" Franklin of Gaffney, S.C., who didn't finish for the second consecutive event.
Jeff Smith of Dallas, N.C., finished second followed by Scott Autry, 20th-starting Larry Blankenship and Brent Robinson in an event run Sunday after rain washed out the even following Saturday night time trials. Polesitter Chesley Dixon led early but departed shortly after a lap-19 spin while fellow front-row starter Shawn Beasley was out front when Weeks took over. Beasley dropped out on lap 28. Mike Mason actually crossed the finish line fourth, but he was disqualified at the scales because his car was light.
Notes: Weeks unofficially leads the series with 1,711 points over Franklin (1,704) and Jeff Smith (1,614). ... Weeks leads the series with 24 career victories and his 104 career starts ties Scott Autry for the most in series history. The series has run 171 events. ... Dennis Franklin, who entered the race leading the series points, broke a shock mount, then had an electrical problem. He's not worried about the points because of the playoff-style system adopted by the series for 2008. "Don't matter," he said. "They're gonna reset the points anyway." ... Drivers failing to make the feature: Derek Francis, Casey Barrow, Greg Stutts, Craig Miller, Chuck Smith and Ohio transplant Jason Altiers. ... Drivers who didn't return after Saturday's rainout: Kent Wright, Furman Parton, Dale Hammond and Scott Shirey. As a result of those absences, Clash officials went from a locked-in top 12 to a locked-in top 16, with seven cars in each of two consolation races. ... Willie Milliken won Fayetteville's Limited Late Model feature. ... The next Clash event is scheduled for July 12 at Friendship Speedway in Elkin, N.C., which returned to a dirt surface this season.
Clash @ Fayetteville: (1) Ricky Weeks, (2) Jeff Smith, (3) Scott Autry, (4) Larry Blankenship, (5) Brent Robinson, (6) Dustin Mitchell, (7) David Taylor, (8) Roger Lucas, (9) Scott Neighbors, (10) Doug Sanders, (11) Craig Shuffield, (12) Ed Gibbons, (13) Randle Chupp, (14) Shawn Beasley, (15) Chesley Dixon, (16) Dennis Franklin, (17) Deano Long, (18) Timmy Blackwell, (19) Chris Blackwell, (20) G.R. Smith, (21) Ricky Boahn, (22) Anthony Sanders. DQ: Mike Mason. Scratched: Dan Breuer. Fast qualifier: Dixon, 18.510 seconds. Consolation race winners: Autry, Weeks.
