Tazewell Speedway kicked off their 52nd year of racing on Saturday night with the 8th Annual Charles Trammell Memorial named in honor of the patriarch of the Trammell racing family and one’s of the track’s first drivers.
Late Models were on showcase for the season opener as they gathered to compete for $2,000 to win in a 35 lap feature. Jason Trammell was quickest in time trials with a blistering lap of 11.383 seconds, only .07 seconds from breaking the track record that he set last year. He was awarded with $100 from Phoenix Conversions of Knoxville and a $25 gas card from Pilot/Flying J Travel Centers for his effort. Dakotah Knuckles of Ewing, VA qualified second with a lap of 11.760 seconds. The top five qualifiers were entered into a five lap Hoosier Race Tire South Dash to determine the starting spots for the feature. Trammell easily won the dash and earned a new tire courtesy of Hoosier Race Tire South. Finishing out the dash were Knuckles, former Sportsman Champion Clyde Overholt of Tazewell, Chicky Barton of Pineville, KY and Thorn Hill’s Brian Shockley.
With the drop of the green Trammell jumped into the lead as Knuckles and Barton battled side by side down the back stretch. By lap twelve Trammell pulled out to a half track lead over Knuckles. Two circuits later Trammell caught the tail of the field and began weaving his way through lap traffic. With five laps to go Overholt would slip past Barton for third. Josh Collins of Powell, who started tenth, raced his way to finish fifth.
Leading flag-to-flag Trammell scored his first win of the season and become the only three-time winner of the event piloting the Trammell Construction, Fast Lane Signs & Graphics, Hatmaker Holdings, Quality Medical Center, Smoky Mountain Wellness Magazine, Dents-R-Us Collision Repair, thirteen year old Rayburn Race Car powered by a Vic Hill Race Engine. As the emotional Trammell displayed the trophy and check featuring photos of his grandfather he said, “This is our Super Bowl and this win means so much to myself and my family. This is the smoothest the track has ever been since I’ve been racing here. Thank you to everyone at Tazewell Speedway for giving us an awesome track to race on and for presenting the race in honor of my grandfather. We know that he was smiling as he looked down on us tonight!”
Late Models
1. 90J Jason Trammell
2. 21K Dakotah Knuckles
3. 4 Clyde Overholt
4. 144 Chicky Barton
5. 1 Josh Collins
6. 17 Brian Shockley
7. 22 Matthew Holt
8. 54 Mitchell Burke
9. 11 Richie Bean
10. 22 Lynn Leach
Eighteen Sportsman drivers from around the region signed in to battle for the $700 to win in a twenty lap feature. Anthony Burchett of Harrogate set quick time with a lap of 11.952 secons with Luttrell’s Matt Tharp qualifying second fastest with a lap of 11.987 seconds. Using the outside line Tharp would take the lead coming out of turn two trailed by Burchett, Aaron Guinn of Morristown, Cody Smith of Pineville, KY and Harrogate’s Travis Fultz. Just as it looked like Tharp was the one to beat his car slowed on the back stretch with a flat right rear tire on the fourth lap. Burchett would inherit the lead with Guinn and Smith moving up a spot. On lap nine Burchett would slow with mechanical woes and bring out the caution. Guinn would take over the point with Smith in second. Before the caution Jordon Horton of Sneedville shoved his way past Fultz for third. As the laps wound down Horton worked his way around Smith for second. With the white flag in the air Horton staged a last attempt for the lead. Guinn was able to hold off the challenge to score his first Sportsman win in a brand new Warrior Race Car. After a post race inspection the car of Horton was disqualified due to an illegal suspension part. Cody Smith was awarded second with Dustin McAnally, in only his second year of competition, finishing third.
An emotional Guinn celebrated in Victory Lane greeting the cheering crowd while atop his LaBel Commercial Realty, ProTech Tire & Auto, Stinson DDS, Cowboy’s Auto Sales, Fast Lane Signs & Graphics sponsored Warrior 1G Race Car.
Sportsman
1. 97 Aaron Guinn
2. 11 Cody Smith
3. 10M Dustin McAnally
4. 35 Matt Tharp
5. 22 Jason Sizemore
6. 122 Matt Shockley
7. 41 Richard Bailey
8. T0 Travis Fultz
9. 00 Chris Raines
10. 7 John Stevens
11. 15 Jason Long
12. 28 Randy Davis
13. 24 Andy Wilder
14. 18 Anthony Burchett
15. 21 Bryan Howerton
DNS B7 Bubby Braden
DQ’d 57 Jordon Horton
Last year’s points champion Brad Davis of Tazewell shattered the previous Super Stock qualifying record of 12.710 with a new time of 12.476 seconds and would lead every lap to take home the $700 top prize in the feature. Last year’s winner, Eddie Stewart of Manchester, KY was racing hard with Davis until a tag with the outside wall in turn two ended his night.
Davis picked up the win behind the wheel of a Phantom Race Engine powered Rainmaker Race Car with sonsorship from Jeffers Exterminating, Andrews Construction, Dynamic Machine, Locus Church, Forever Young Amusements, Little Caesars Pizza of New Tazewell, Paradise Marine, Old Town Grill, Allen Earl Photography, Matlock Decals and Rick Welch Racing.
Super Stock
1. 88 Brad Davis
2. 14 Austin Atkins
3. 83 Cody Thompson
4. 1 Jamie Whitt
5. 119 Eddie Stewart
John Stevens of Wallins Creek, KY took the lead away from Maynardville’s Josh Chesney on lap fifteen of the Classic Car feature to score the win. The 2016 Classic Car points champ’s car gets help from Hensley Trucking & Excavating, Anna Mae’s Vapor, The Parts House, Chad Shannon State Farm Insurance, Hensley Grocery, Slingin Ink Tattoos and Red Eye Racing.
Classic Car
1. 7 John Stevens
2. Josh Chesney
3. 11 Tim Stevens
4. 5 Hayston Collett
5. 5S Jason Saylor
6. 19 Quincy Arnwine
7. 16 Will Carey
8. 2 Bradley Hutchinson
9. 52 Kevin Craine
A stout field of 4 Cylinders were on hand to help kick off the season. Virginia’s Danny Pennington set quick time in qualifying and shared the front row of the feature with Joey Allen of Cosby. Allen would take the early lead over Pennington and last year’s points champion Chuck McMahan. Starting fourth, Derek Duggan of Knoxville flexed his muscle taking second away from Pennington on lap four. By lap ten Duggan was on the bumper of McMahan. The duo would race door to door until lap twelve when McMahan’s car slid high in turn four allowing Duggan and Chris Reichert of Knoxville to slide by. Duggan would lead the rest of the way yet after a post race inspection his car was found to have an illegal carburetor. Reichert was awarded the win in the Drip or Die, West Haven Speed Equipment, Friendly Tire sponsored Ford Mustang.
4 Cylinder
1. 22 Chris Reichert
2. 99 Chuck McMahan
3. 7UP Kurt Owens
4. 72 Walter Walsh III
5. 25 Joe Myers
6. 72 Rufus Collett
7. 14 Johnny Coggins
8. 21 Greg Morton
9. A00 Joey Allen
10. 5 Terry Broshears
11. 17 Danny Pennington
12. 63 Toby Brock
13. 25 Brandon Johnson
Racing returns on Saturday, April 15 with a full racing program plus $1 Hot Dog Night and a Bunny Hop.
