July 16, 2011 - The speedway sat idle last Saturday but this weekend the racers and fans got back to the exciting regular weekly racing program and left the Lucas Oil and World of Outlaw programs in their mirrors; however, the much anticipated Ray Cook, Southern National finale was only a week away. Rain was on the minds of everyone as they came through the gates as showers were all around the area. Track officials watered the surface and hoped for the best. The cars hit the track just before sundown to run-in the racing surface and to hot-lap followed quickly by qualifications. The Tazewell Late Model class took to the high banks first and when it was finished the fast time belonged to Jason Trammell with a lap of 11.967 seconds. Trammell's was the only lap in the 11-second range. Second to qualify was the Modified Street class and the pole position went to Brad Davis with a lap of 13.539 seconds. Third on the track to battle the clock was the Tazewell Classics and the pole winning time went to Robbie Sands with a lap of 14.345 seconds. The Pure Street class hot-lapped next and then Daniel England handed the microphone over to Danny Sexton for a beautiful prayer and National Anthem.

It was now time for the Modified Street feature and Brad Davis would be leading the field to green with Chris Collinsworth alongside him. Petty Racing rounded out the top three spots with Robbie Buchanon starting from the third spot. Leonard Bray began tonight's event from fourth. Before one lap was finished Buchanon took a wild ride after contact with another car sent him into the backstretch wall nearly turning over. The field was reassembled and restarted. Davis and Bray took off in the front of the field with Collinsworth behind them. On lap ten Jordon Horton and Warren McMahan got tangled up in turn two and brought out a caution. On the restart it was Davis, Bray, Collinsworth, Petty and Jordon Horton the top five. They raced hard once again until a lap fourteen caution for an incident in turn four left Clyde Overholt, Tony Horton and McMahan damaged. All would rejoin but McMahan for the restart. Davis took the win and Leonard Bray finished second with Collinsworth third. Finishing out the top five were Buchanon and Jordon Horton.
The Pure Street class qualified right after the finish of the Modified Street feature with the pole going to Appaches Quinton with a lap of 14.367 seconds.

Modified Street Results
1 88 Brad Davis
2 17 Leonard Bray
3 77 Chris Collinsworth
4 P21 Robbie Buchanan
5 56H Jordan Horton
6 4 Clyde Overholt
7 56 Tony Horton
8 22 Jason Sizemore
9 3 Tim Hatfield
10 20 Scott Adkins
11 33 Warren McMahan
12 5 Gary Blanken DNS

The Four-Cylinder feature was next and Hayston Collett and Bubby Braden made up row one. Braden took the lead and began pulling away but Joey Allen quickly passed Collett for second. Braden's three second lead slowly faded away lap by lap until a caution in turn three brought the field up directly behind him for the restart. The top three were Braden, Allen and Collett on the restart. When the pack was let loose it looked to be only a matter of time before Allen took over at the point but the purple #7 of Braden got wide on the final lap took the win in a side-by-side photo finish. Collett, Holloway and Mark Wallace rounded out the top five.

Four Cylinder Results
1 B7 Bubby Braden
2 A00 Joey Allen
3 OO7 Hayston Collett
4 A27 Allen Holloway
5 1 Mark Wallace
6 22 Ethan Hansard
7 10 David Creech
8 52 Ronnie Graves

The Tazewell Late Model 30-lap feature was next with Jason Trammell leading the pack to the green flag with Steve Carr filling Jody Horton's spot after engine problems kept him from starting. Trammell and Carr went door to door into turn one and Trammell drove away to a large lead with Carr, Travis Fultz and Greg Estes in a fierce battle behind him for the top four spots. On lap five the race was slowed for a caution giving the field a shot at the fast Trammell. On lap five Anthony Arnwine got the fifth spot from Freddie Brock. Estes and Fultz battled for third as the leader began finding lap machines. On lap seventeen Trammell found Billy Gordon's G7 in turn two sliding sideways bringing out a caution. Trammell got the top spot back and the race resumed. Trammell had to withstand another close call on lap seventeen when Brock and Mike Rutherford spun and were stopped in turn two. Estes got third on lap eighteen and was now looking at the Back of Carr's #77. Arnwine was all over Fultz until traction failed him in turn two and caused him to spin. Still, It was Arnwine's best run of the season. Back at the front Trammell looked to have the field covered with the only scare coming from Carr running the low side. Mike Rutherford moved up into the fifth spot for the lap-24 restart. Trammell took the victory with Carr second and Estes third. Fultz and Rutherford rounded out the top five.

Tazewell Late Model Results
1 90J Jason Trammel
2 77 Steve Carr
3 31 Greg Estes
4 T0 Travis Fultz
5 18 Michael Rutherford
6 G7 Billy Gordon
7 0 Freddie Brock
8 11 Anthony Arnwine
9 75 Chris Long
10 24 Allen Holt
11 11 Andy Wilder
12 54 Blake Smith
13 J11 Jordan Horton
14 56J Jody Horton DNS
15 97 Keith Chapman DNS

The Classics were next and were led to the green by Robbie Sands. The second place #59 of Charlie Tharpe had trouble bringing out a caution and subsequently had to go the back of the pack on the restart. Joe Keck and Phillip Shockley were running in the top three and had opened up nearly a half-track lead on the rest of the field. On lap ten Sands failed to complete the lap yeilding the point to Keck. Sands was put at the rear for the restart with Shockley moving up to second and Ron Rudder third. After a lap twelve caution the top three was Keck, Shockley and now Sands. In the final few laps Sands tried high and low looking for a way back to the front but his charge to the front ended at third place. Keck got win number three of the season. Shockley finished second and Sands third. Tharpe and Daris Breeding rounded out the top five respectively.

Classic Car Results
1 8 Joe Keck
2 34 Phillip Shockley
3 17 Robbie Sands
4 59 Charlie Tharpe
5 1 Daris Breeding
6 2 Ron Rudder
7 7 Jim Yeary

The final race but of no less importance was the Pure Street class. This class has consistently been a fan favorite and tonight's race was led to green by Appaches Quinton and Jonathan Miracle. Quinton went to the point at the drop of the green with Miracle hanging right with him. Settling in the third spot was Steve Smith. Tony Spoon and Austin Atkins touched in turn two bringing out another caution on lap three. On the restart Miracle challenged for the lead but Gary Harville lost a left rear wheel while David Middleton was having problems with his hood blocking his field of view after folding over. The top three were still Quinton, Miracle and Jason Long. Quinton became the middle of a race car sandwich on lap eleven and his night was over due to the damages. Miracle now had the point with Long second and Dustin Eldridge third. Miracle finished at the front with Long, Eldridge, Atkins and Jason Whitaker rounding out the top five.

Pure Street Results
1 41 Johnathan Miracle
2 15 Jason Long
3 94 Dustin Eldrige
4 14 Austin Atkins
5 26 Jason Whitaker
6 O7 Tony Spoon
7 15 Appaches Quinton
8 28 Justin James
9 11 David Middleton
10 2 Steve Smith
11 27 Gary Harville
12 R2 Brain Ausband

The night of racing ended at 11:36 and Tazewell Speedway as always thanks the fans for their continued and loyal support. Next Saturday the $ 5,300 to win Southern Nationals finale will take place for more information on ticket prices and all things Tazewell Speedway log on to www.tazewellspeedway.net.