It was only fitting that Jason Trammell of Knoxville would win the annual season opener at Tazewell Speedway that was created in honor of his grandfather Charles. Since the creation of the Charles Trammell Memorial by track owner Gary Hall in 2010, Jason had marked the race as a goal that he wanted to achieve.
After two weeks of postponements due to soggy track conditions and frigid temperatures, fans and drivers were itching to get the 50th season of racing under way at the World’s Fastest 1/3 Mile Dirt Track. Josh Collins of Powell, TN would set fast time in Limited Late Model qualifying in the Howerton Motorsports Warrior Race Car. Collins and Trammell would pace the field to the green in the forty lap feature. Just as the cars were storming into turn two Josh Fields of Tazewell, who started fourth, would lose a right rear wheel sending him into the outside wall. Fields’ was uninjured with his car sustaining sheet metal damage yet done for the night. With the field reset Trammell jumped into the lead trailed by Collins, Brad Hall of Knoxville and Dakotah Knuckles of Ewing, VA. While Trammell was riding the middle groove, Collins was searching for a line that would help him make the pass for the lead.
By lap fifteen the top three had caught up to the tail end of the field. On lap twenty-one Trammell moved up to the lap car of Greg Estes of Jonesville, VA. With the leaders on his tail Estes was shown the lay-over flag for several laps. On lap twenty-five Trammell and Estes made contact in turn three, sending both cars spinning. Track officials allowed Trammell to keep his spot due to Estes being shown the lay-over flag for three laps. During the caution Hall, who had been running third, dropped out with a busted brake line. From there Trammell was a man on a mission as he pulled away from Collins to lead every lap of the feature and capture his first win of the season. In Victory Lane an emotional Trammell said, “This is the one we’ve been wanting. We know he was watching over us tonight.” Trammell’s Bloomquist Race Car is sponsored by Trammell Construction, Hatmaker Holdings, Quality Medical, Vic Hill Engines, HVH heads, Hoosier Race Tires by Pup, Shorty’s Shocks, Charlie Brown Co. Screen Printing & Embroidery Services, Schaeffer’s Oil, and Tornado Alley Car Wash.
Limited Late Model
1. 90J Jason Trammell
2. 63 Josh Collins
3. 21K Dakotah Knuckles
4. 3 Steve Smith
5. 22 Matthew Holt
6. 5 Bryan Hendrix
7. 31 Greg Estes
8. 17 Brian Shockley
9. 45 B.J. Morris
10. 47 Brad Hall
11. 22 Lynn Leach
12. 97 Keith Chapman
13. 11 Josh Fields
14. 54 Mitchell Burke
DNS 144 Chris Barton
Heath Alvey of Dandridge, TN earned the pole for the Sportsman feature with Clyde Overholt of Tazewell joining him on the front row. Overholt , who already had one win this season at 411 Motor Speedway under his belt, shoved his way into the lead at the drop of the clean with Alvey, Steve Smith of Barbourville, KY, Taylor Coffman of Bean Station giving chase. Alvey closed in on Overholt several times during the feature. Coffman’s night ended early as his car slammed the outside wall coming out of turn four on the ninth lap. Overholt would go flag-to-flag for the win in the Petty’s Wrecker Service, Noah’s Wholesale, Baker’s Tree Service, Eagle Race Engines powered Rayburn Race Car.
Sportsman
1. 4 Clyde Overholt
2. 7 Heath Alvey
3. 2 Steve Smith
4. 24 Andy Wilder
5. 02 Michael Hawk
6. 1 David Clark
7.51 Dalton King
8. 111 Anthony Arnwine
9. 25 Terry Smith
10. 5 Josh Chesney
11. 15 Wade Howerton
12. 30 Taylor Coffman
13. 50 Jonathan Miracle
14. 555 Ryan Carey
15. 28 Justin James
16. 14 Larry Burke
DNS 35 Matt Tharp
Philip Thompson of Knoxville picked up where he left off last season by earning the pole and leading every lap of the Classic Car feature in the Skyline Transportation, Filmax Filtration, Hooker Harness, Wells Racing Photography, Crockett Creek Beef Jerky sponsored Classic Car with power from an Eagle Racing Engine.
Classic Car
1. 24 Philip Thompson
2. 98 Justin Overton
3. XXX Josh Chesney
4. 8 Eli Keck
5. C74 Cliff Lane
6. 65 Michael Maiden
7. 7 John Stevens
8. 3 Jason Beeler
9. 88 Richie Overholser
10. 0 Joe Keck
DNS 18 Rusty Welch
Joey Allen of Cosby, TN easily won 4 Cylinder feature. The 2010 Tazewell Speedway 4 Cylinder Points Champion gets sponsorship help from Allen’s Railroad Contracting, Norton’s Body Shop and New Vision Graphics.
4 Cylinder
1. A00 Joey Allen
2. B7 Bubby Braden
3. 11 Tyler Haynes
4. 69 Jesse Hickman
5. 72 Rufus Collett
DNS 007 Hayston Collett
A new racing division, Super Stocks, debuted on Saturday night. The new class is a combination of Modified Street and Pure Street rules. Brad Davis of Tazewell, a former Modified Street champion, quickly jumped into the lead. By lap ten Glen Hounshell of Mount Vernon, KY had caught up with Davis. Just as the crowd was ready to witness a shootout, Davis dropped out on lap fifteen with problems. Hounshell, the 2014 Super Stock champion at Richmond (KY) Raceway and Ponderosa (KY) Speedway, went on to score the win in his first ever visit to Tazewell Speedway. Hounshell’s Super Stock is sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, Kentucky’s Best Transmission, Jays Golf Carts, Jennings Do It Best, R&R Builders, Shannon’s Truck & Auto and Reds Tire & Auto.
Super Stock
1. 20 Glen Hounshell
2. C5 Daniel Carpenter
3. 1 Luke Sharp
4. 88 Brad Davis
5. 92T Travis Crosby
