With the season winding down it was time for Tazewell Speedway’s Annual Fall Brawl with big money on the line for our weekly divisions. Along with the increased purses there were Points Championships on the line. The event also saw the return of the Chris Collinsworth Memorial Super Stock race which honored the Modified Street standout who passed away in the fall of 2011.
The Ground Pounding, High-Horsepower Late Models were on showcase in a forty lap feature paying $2,000 to win. Third-generation driver Jason Trammell of Knoxville earned the pole for the feature and $100 from Vic Hill Racing Engines for setting the fastest lap in qualifying with a blistering lap of 11.551 seconds. Points leader Dakotah Knuckles of Ewing, Va, who came into the night with an eleven point lead over Trammell, turned the second quickest lap of 11.580 seconds. With the drop of the green flag Trammell and Knuckles began drag racing for the lead down the back stretch. Knuckles would use the low line to take the lead in turn four. Behind them Tazewell’s Josh Fields, Greg Estes of Jonesville, VA and Morristown’s Eric Webber gave chase. Knuckles would set a fast pace early with Trammell staying within striking distance. By lap eighteen Knuckles had caught the tail end of the field which allowed Trammell to close the gap. Three laps later, as the pair navigated past the lap traffic, Trammell would make a move coming off of turn four and pull even with Knuckles on the front stretch. With the crowd on it’s feet Knuckles fended off Trammell to keep the lead. Meanwhile Fields and Estes were putting on a show of their own weaving through the lap traffic while battling for third.
Possibly the scariest moment of the entire season happened on lap twenty-six. Tazewell’s Austin Neely was trying to gain positions while holding off Fields to keep from going a lap down. Fields would make contact with Neely on the front stretch sending Neely’s car into the outside wall and up in the air. The car would tear through the catch fence and have a hard landing at the entrance of turn one after flipping several times. After several tense moments was helped out of the car with assistance from the rescue squad.
After the track was cleared and the repairs were made to the fence the field was reset. On the restart Knuckles would slide up in turn one allowing Trammell another opportunity to take the lead. Knuckles would settle back in line yet Trammell didn’t give him any slack. The veteran drivers kept the crowd on their feet as they raced hard yet respectfully with the laps winding down. With nine laps to go Knuckles went high in turn four with Trammell right on his bumper and making slight contact. Holding off his friendly rival Knuckles would lead flag-to-flag for his eighth win of the season and earn his first Track Championship piloting the Florida Veterinary Cardiology, Marcum Oil, Howerton Roofing, ALACO, Jovida Enterprises, Hickory Star Marina, C&C Trucking, Liberty Sport & Pawn, Hill’s Truck Repair, Timberline Barns sponsored Rocket Race Car powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine.
Late Models
1. 21K Dakotah Knuckles
2. 90J Jason Trammell
3. 31 Greg Estes
4. 11 Josh Fields
5. 25 Eric Webber
6. 4 Clyde Overholt
7. 2 John Lewellyn
8. 17 Brian Shockley
9. 18 Michael Rutherford
10. 22 Lynn Leach
11. B7 Bubby Braden
12. 3 Austin Neely
DNS 97 Keith Chapman
Coming into the $1,000 to win Sportsman feature Harrogate’s Travis Fultz held only a six point lead over Aaron Guinn of Russellville in the championship battle. In qualifying Fultz earned the pole and collected $100 from DJ’s Performance Race Engines with a lap of 11.920 seconds, the only Sportsman car in the sub 12 second bracket. Cody Smith of Barbourville, KY was only a tick behind with a lap of 12.034 seconds, Fultz would take the early lead on the back stretch trailed clsoely by Smith, Guinn, Morristown’s Michael Boyd and Luttrell’s Matt Tharp. The caution flag would fly on lap seven for a spinning Paul Whitley. During the caution Smith would retire from the race with an overheating engine. This would move Guinn up to second and Boyd third.
Some of the best racing was waged in the middle of the feature. While Fultz and Guinn were racing hard for the lead Tharp was working hard trying to take third away from Boyd. Behind them Warren McMahan of Dandridge raced door to door with Sneedville’s Jason Sizemore for the fifth spot. With ten laps to go Fultz had pulled away to an eight car lead over Guinn. Navigating his way through lap traffic in the waning laps Fultz was able to notch his ninth win of the season and capture his first Sportsman Points Championship driving the Overholt Racing, Petty’s Wrecker Service, Bailey’s Auto Body, Tim Fletcher Heating & Cooling sponsored Rocket Race Car with power from a DJ’s Performance Race Engine.
Sportsman
1. T0 Travis Fultz
2. 97 Aaron Guinn
3. 3 Michael Boyd
4. 43 Matt Tharp
5. 33 Warren McMahan
6. 00 Chris Raines
7. 10 Bubba Long
8. 22 Jason Sizemore
9. 24 Andy Wilder
10. 17 Logan Seal
11. 15 Donovan Long
12. 8W Paul Whitley
13. 11 Cody Smith
14. 76 Joe Bray
DNS 21 Brian Howerton
When it was recently announced that the twenty-seven lap Chris Collinsworth Memorial Super Stock feature would pay $1,077 to win several local businesses and individuals added money to the purse and increased the winner’s share to $2,077. Former Modified Street Champion Robbie Buchanan came into the night with only eight points between himself and Cody Thompson for the points chase. Buchanan was fastest in time trials with a lap of 12.949 seconds, collecting a $100 award from Jeffers Exterminating. Kurt Owens of Newport was second in qualifying with Morristown’s Shannon Emery qualifying third.
With the drop of the green flag Buchanan jumped into the lead with Owens, Morristown’s Chris Rickett, Emery and Jeff Ferguson of Jonesborough giving chase. The first caution would fly as Ferguson’s car slowed on lap five. During that caution Rickett would retire from the race with problems. On the restart Brad Davis of Tazewell, who started tenth, started working his way toward the front. Just as it looked that Buchanan had the car to beat his night would end on lap ten with rear end gear woes. Owens would inherit the lead as the field was reset.
On the ensuing restart Emery would flex his muscle and use the low line in turn two to take the lead away from Owens. As the field raced to the other end of the track Owens and Davis would make contact allowing Tazewell’s Jonathan Miracle, who started seventh in a Petty Motorsports entry, to slip by into second. Owens would dive pitside with a flat right rear tire. On the next restart Davis began working on Miracle for second. The pair raced hard and side by side for several laps until Davis took over the point lap fourteen on the front straight. Another caution flag on lap twenty-one would bunch up the field. A three way battle for third would wage for fourth between Greg Estes, Cody Thompson and Owens after the restart. Thompson’s car would get sideways in turn four collecting Owens and causing right side body damage to his car.
With the laps winding down Emery held off Miracle to score his second Fall Brawl Super Stock victory in the Winstead Farrms, S & S Millwright, BNB Tool sponsored, Spider’s Race Engine powered Monte Carlo. Miracle would earn a $77 Hard Charger Award from Five Star Properties. Even after retiring early from the race early Buchanan had enough points to secure his first Super Stock Points Championship.
Super Stock
1. M2 Shannon Emery
2. XP21 Jonathan Miracle
3. 83 Cody Thompson
4. 31 Greg Estes
5. 88 Brad Davis
6. 14 Kurt Owens
7. C4 Logan Cobb
8. P21 Robbie Buchanan
9. 36 Chris Rickett
10. 24 Jeff Ferguson
A good field of 4 Cylinders were on hand to compete for $400 in a twenty lap feature. Points leader Chris Reichert of Knoxville came into the event only ten points ahead of Cosby’s Joey Allen. Reichert turned the fastest lap in qualifying and collected a $100 Fast Time Award from Koontz Plumbing & Mechanical. Allen would qualify second with Claxton’s Walter Walsh qualifying third. Using the outside line Allen jumped into the lead on the first lap of the feature trailed by Reichert, Caryville’s Shane Bullock and Tyler Haynes of Hickory Flat, VA. Haynes and Bullock would battle side by side for second during the early laps with Haynes taking the spot on the third lap. On the next lap bad luck would strike Reichert as his car slowed on the back stretch, giving up second to Haynes.
On the ensuing restart it looked like Haynes might have something for Allen as he started pressuring for the lead. Haynes stayed on Allen’s back bumper for several laps until he spun on the back stretch on the ninth lap. Allen cruised the rest of the way for his ninth win of the season in the Allen’s Railroad Contracting, New Vision Graphics Ford Mustang. Even after retiring early from the race Reichert was able to earn his first 4 Cylinder Points Championship with only three marker between himself and Allen in the final points tally.
4 Cylinder
1. 00 Joey Allen
2. 2B Shane Bullock
3. 99 Chuck McMahan
4. 13 Scottie Frazier
5. 72X Walter Walsh
6. 1 Mark Wallace
7. 72C Rufus Collett
8. 22 Chris Reichert
9. 21 Tyler Haynes
10. 5X Joe Freels
11. 97 Rodney Griffin
DNS 5 Donnie Turpin
John Stevens of Wallins Creek, KY scored the trifecta on Saturday night; first by earning the $100 Fast Time Award from M & E Boat Services, second by leading every of the $400 to win Classic Car feature which helped him capture his second Points Championship in a row. Stevens would duke it out early in the feature with Jason Saylor of Harlan, KY until lap four when Saylor got loose in turn four and fell back to fourth. Fighting off challenges from Union County natives Josh Chesney and Will Carey, Stevens picked up his twelfth Tazewell Speedway win of the season in the Hensley Trucking & Excavating, Anna Mae’s Vapor, The Parts House, Chad Shannon State Farm Insurance, Hensley Grocery, Slingin Ink Tattoos, Red Eye Racing Classic Car sedan.
Classic Car
1. 7 John Stevens
2. 16 Will Carey
3. 1 Josh Chesney
4. 501 Tony Trent
5. 5 Hayston Collett
6. 58 Chris Turner
7. 14M Clyde Mincey
8. 5S Jason Saylor
9. 1N Chris Evans
10. 9 Tony Reed
