It isn’t often that a fifth-place finisher has the best summarization of a race, but Eric Wells’ description of a 40-lap Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals (presented by Sunoco and Tennessee RV Supercenter) event Friday night at Tazewell Speedway couldn’t have told the tale much better.
“THAT…was a race,” he said. “It sure was a good one, and a lot of fun for us while it lasted. If the fans didn’t get their money’s worth tonight, then I have no idea what to tell ‘em. ”Bingo, Mr. Wells. Period. Exclamation point.The outcome didn’t play in Wells’ favor, either. He was leading with six laps remaining when popular home track favorite Dakotah Knuckles took a stubborn, refuse-to-lose stance and headed for the high groove at the blazing fast, third-mile oval. The Ewing, Va., driver put forth an edge-of-your-seat performance when he drove past Wells in the treacherous upper lane to nab the point for good with six laps remaining en route to the first Super Late Model victory of his career.
He earned $5,000 and drew strong admiration from the crowd after his daring maneuvers, which were triggered by signals from his father to head his Cornett Racing Engines-powered entry to the high side of the steeply-banked track. Responding to the suggestion, Knuckles made good on the decision, and topped a wild six-car scramble for the lead by retaking a lead that Wells had grabbed from him just seven laps earlier.
“Eric [Wells] had gotten by us on the low side, but the track was changing and I could see that my dad was signaling me to the top,” Knuckles said. “I played it cool after we got passed, and when we moved to the high side, the car started really rolling good up there. I’m just glad we rallied back to get the win.”
Knuckles paced the opening 27 laps from the pole, getting an early jump on fellow front-row starter Carder Miller, who dropped from the event on the 25th circuit while running third. Wells, who had been chasing Knuckles closely from the start and looking for an opening on the low side, finally made a pass for the lead on the 28th circuit.
He led the next seven circuits in his quest for victory, but fell short when Knuckles launched his determined bid for the win. Racing on the high side with a squadron of competitors battling fiercely for position behind him, Knuckles moved to the front of the field and went on to claim the top prize over Donald McIntosh, Billy Ogle Jr. and Shanon Buckingham, while the victimized Wells dropped to a fifth-place finish in the highly-competitive affair.
“The track got better up top, and we’d made most of our gains on the bottom,” Wells said. “They teach you in this sport to watch the guy in front of you and gauge your performance and what you do off him. I guess tonight they had a chance to watch me lead the race, and they gauged what they needed to do off me.”
Knuckles, who started racing at the track in the Modified Street division in 2012 and was last year’s Limited Late Model track champion, raced to his biggest-career victory in a Brucebilt Performance entry. The car carried sponsorship from Hill’s Truck Repair, Timberline Barns, Liberty Sport & Pawn, Hickory Star Resort and Marina, Marcum Oil Company, Estes Bros. Construction and Florida Veterinary Cardiology.
“During hot laps I didn’t feel we had the car to win the race,” Knuckles said. “We made some spring and shock adjustments, tinkered with the car a little bit, and set fast time. The qualifying lap felt quick, but not that quick. We just got into Super Late Model racing in the middle of last season, and we worked out some stuff over the winter. We’ve made some changes to our program, and I’m well pleased with our progress.
“We’ve got a lot of family and friends here who come out to watch us race, and it’s always good to get your first big win at your home track.”
Top contenders who experienced difficulties included the teen sensation Miller, who was among the leaders when his car abruptly slowed and was hit from behind by Casey Roberts. Forrest Trent, also among the frontrunners, dropped from the race on lap 28. Jason Jameson, who spun and went to the rear of the field on lap two, ripped through the pack into contention before a flat left-rear tire halted his charge.
Schaeffers Spring Nationals Finishing Order
1. 21K Dakotah Knuckles
2. 58 Donald McIntosh
3. 201 Billy Ogle Jr.
4. 50 Shanon Buckingham
5. 18W Eric Wells
6. 101 Casey Roberts
7. 144 Chicky Barton
8. 8 David Payne.
9. 21M Robby Moses
10. 12 Jason Jameson
11. 7 Brian Smith
12. 18 Brandon Kinzer
13. 101T Forrest Trent
14. 86 Jeff Neubert
15. 1G Ryan King
16. 24 Zach Leonardi
17. 69 Carder Miller
18. 1H Vic Hill
19. 11 Stacy Boles
20. C5 David Crabtree
21. 81 Aaron Ridley
22. 54 Mitchell Burke
Sportsman Late Models were also on showcase with $1,000 up for grabs in a twenty lap feature. Last year’s points champion Travis Fultz of Harrogate was quickest among twenty entries in time trials with a lap of 12.165 seconds. Dandridge’s Heath Alvey was second quickest and shared the front row of the feature with Fultz. Using the bottom groove Fultz took the lead as he exited turn two. As Alvey was giving chase on Fultz, east Tennessee racinng veterans Warren McMahan of Dandridge and Morristown’s Rex Coffey dueled for the third spot in the early laps. The feature slowed for only a few cautions which allowed Fultz to cruise for his second win in a row piloting the Overholt Racing, Petty’s Wrecker Service, Bailey’s Auto Body, Tim Fletcher Heating & Cooling sponsored Rocket Chassis with power from a DJ’s Performance Race Engine.
Sportsman
1. T0 Travis Fultz
2. 7 Heath Alvey
3. 97 Aaron Guinn
4. 35 Matt Tharp
5. 53 Rex Coffey
6. 8 Randy Davis
7. 122 Matt Shockley
8. 22 Jason Sizemore
9. 53 Floyd Branham
10. 00 Chris Raines
11. 6 Clay Coghlan
12. 9 Nicholas Shelton
13. 28J Justin James
14. 24 Andy Wilder
15. 14 Odie Overholt
16. 33 Warren McMahan
17. 76 Joe Bray
18. 50 Jonathan Miracle
19. 17 Logan Seal
DNS 21 Bryan Howerton
In the Classic Car feature Harlan County, KY natives John Stevens and Jason Saylor kept their friendly rivalry going as the pair shared the front row. Saylor would use the high line to jump into the lead on the back stretch followed by Stevens, Tim Stevens, Quincy Arnwine and Josh Chesney. With three laps in the books Stevens was on the back bumper of Saylor which made Saylor turn up the wick. On lap eight Stevens began his challenge for the lead pulling even with Saylor in turn two. The duo raced door to door and traded paint for a few laps until Stevens muscled his way into the lead on the back stretch on lap ten and began pulling away from Saylor and the rest of the field. Stevens would lead the rest of the way unchallenged for his second week in a row in the Eagle Race Engine powered, Hensley Trucking, The Parts House, State Farm Insurance, Hensley Logging, Wallace Auto Sales, Hensley Grocery, Anna Mae Vapors, Red Eye Racing, Autism Awareness sponsored Classic Car.
Classic Car
1. 7 John Stevens
2. 5 Jason Saylor
3. 19 Tim Stevens
4. XXX Josh Chesney
5. 1A Quincy Arnwine
6. 20 Jacob Taylor
7. 37 Shane Taylor
8. 28 Ryan Bailey
DNS 1W Rusty Welch
Debuting a new car, Derik Duggan of Knoxville wrestled the lead away from Dandridge’s Chuck McMahan in the late stages of the 4 Cylinder feature to notch his first win of the season in the Turpin’s Auto Repair & Wrecker service, Turpin’s Transmission Service, Coalhill Fabrication, Fullmoon Graphics, T&N Machine Shop & Race Engines sponsored Ford Mustang.
4 Cylinder
1. 25 Derik Duggan
2. 99 Chuck McMahan
3. 25S David Singleton
4. 72 Walter Walsh
5. 13 Terry Boshears
6. 49 Joey Allen
7. 5 Robbie Steakley
8. 2B Shane Bullock
9. 38 James Collett Jr.
10. 3 Jarrod Wise
11. 72 Rufus Collett
12. 5 Frank Clark
DNS 5 Donnie Turpin
DNS 01 Jonathan Beckler
The race fans that stayed to see the Street Stock feature were treated to one of the best Victory Lane celebrations in recent memory. Tazewell native Wendell Williams, whose parents both worked at the track in the early days, led every lap of the feature for his first ever dirt car win after spending years racing karts around the region. In Victory Lane Williams tearfully dedicated the win to his mother who passed away several years ago. Williams Street Stock gets sponsorship from Williams Electric, 1st Class Recovery, PTSD Awareness and Clyde Overholt Racing.
Street Stock
1. 71 Wendell Williams
2. 1 Jamie Whitt
3. 15 Dustin Harville
4. 52 Kevin Crane
