After last week’s racing was canceled due to pesky rains, fan and drivers alike were eager to get back to action at The Bad Fast Taz. Before the night was over two drivers were awarded with their first wins and the crowd on hand witnessed some of the best racing of the year.
Just two weeks after capturing his milestone one-hundreth career win Jason Trammell of Knoxville decided to dust off his Bloomquist Race Car and see how it measured up to his trusty Rayburn Race Car. Thirteen Limited Late Model drivers signed in with Trammell turning fast time in time trials and would start on the pole of the thirty lap feature after the invert draw. Greg Estes of Jonesville, VA would start on the outside of the front row. Winning the drag race down the front chute Trammell would shoot into the lead with Estes, David Clark of Tazewell, Michael Rutherford of Duff and Lynn Leach of Clinton giving chase. On lap four Estes would get loose in turn four which allowed Clark to slip by and take over second. Estes wouldn’t give the spot up easily as he raced door-to-door with Clark down the back stretch. Two laps later Hendrix would move past Estes to take over third.
Up front it was looking like Trammell would easily cruise for the win as he put distance between himself and Clark. Yet halfway through the feature Trammell’s car clearly was losing momentum and the right rear of the car was noticebly lower than normal. Josh Evans of Morristown would bring out the caution on lap ten which allowed Clark a shot at taking the lead away from Trammell. On the restart Clark mounted a challenge looking for the right line to use. Clark, who had visited Victory Lane in the Sportsman division, was searching for his first Limited Late Model win. With the laps winding down Clark was able to stay close to Trammell’s back bumper yet even with two more cautions tightening up the gap Clark couldn’t find the right spot to make the pass for the win.
Trammell would hang on for his eighth Tazewell Speedway win in the Fastlane Signs & Graphics, Quality Medical Center, Trammell Construction, Hatmaker Holdings, High Velocity Heads, Integra Shocks, Charlie Brown Screen Printing & Embroidery, Hoosier Tire by Pup, Vic Hill Race Engine powered Bloomquist Race Car. When he pulled the car into Victory Lane it was discovered that he had lost the right rear shock and spring.
Limited Late Model
1. 90 Jason Trammell
2. 1 David Clark
3. 5 Bryan Hendrix
4. 31 Greg Estes
5. 18 Michael Rutherford
6. 22 Matthew Holt
7. 56J Brian Shockley
8. 22 Lynn Leach
9. 15 Donovan Long
10. 119 Josh Evans
DNS 18 Jason Bowers
DNS 21K Dakotah Knuckles
Another large field of Sportsman Late Models were on hand as twenty drivers around the region attempted to make the twenty lap feature. Former Limited Late Model Travis Fultz of Harrogate turned the quickest lap in qualifying yet would start third in the feature after the invert draw. Looking for his second win in a row Anthony Burchett of Harrogate would start on the pole alongside Cody Smith of Barbourville, KY, who was in search of his first career victory. Burchett would jump into the early lead with Matt Tharp of Luttrell shoving his way past Smith for second. By the fifth lap Burchett had caught up with the tail end of the field whick allowed Tharp a chance at the lead. Just as Tharp was moving past Burchett the yellow flag would fly as the car of Gary Blanken lost a wheel on the front stretch.
The scariest moment of the night came on lap twelve as the car of Nick Kniat went barrell rolling down the front stretch after contact with another car. After a few tense moments Kniat would emerge from the destroyed car and walk away. With the track cleared the field would bunch up and on the restart Tharp found an opening and blasted by Burchett in turn to take away the lead. Two laps later Burchett would spin on his own in turn four as he was trying to hold Smith for second. The Luttrell Leadfoot would lead the rest of the way for his third win of the season in the Hickory Star Marina, Jovida Enterprises, Martin’s Drywall and Acoustics sponored GRT Race Car with power from a DJ’s Performance Race Engine.
Sportsman
1. 35 Matt Tharp
2. 11 Cody Smith
3. T0 Travis Cults
4. 28 Randy Davis
5. 24 Andy Wilder
6. 15 Wade Howerton
7. 54 Mitchell Burke
8. 73 Ray Jarnigan
9. 818 Jeffrey Wood
10. 7X Mark Sexton
11. 18 Anthony Burchett
12. 50M Jonathan Miracle
13. 47 Nick Kniat
14. 41 Richard Bailey
15. 4 Clyde Overholt
16. 05 Gary Blanken
17. 21 Brian Howerton
18. 77 Jimmy Galloway
DQ’d 111 Anthony Arnwine
DQ’d 99 Jeff Day
Don Adams of London, KY extended his points lead by leading every lap of the Open Wheel Modified feature and notch his fifth win of the season in the Rayburn Performance sponsored Lightning Chassis House Car.
Open Wheel Modified
1. 90 Don Adams
2. 82 Wade Rookard
3. 43 Ben Petrey
4. J4 Tyler James
5. 40 Jamie Mosley
6. 16 Josh Lee
7. 00 Jeff Akard
8. 36 Billy Palmer
DNS 4 Wayne James
Some of the best advice that young race car drivers receive is to be patient and let the race come to them. This would be the case as Morristown’s Jeffrey Melton inherited the lead on the last lap of the Super Stock feature to notch his first career win. Cody Thompson of Tazewell turned the fastest time in qualifying and start on the outside of the front row of the feature beside current points leader Brad Davis. With the drop of the green Thompson, who was looking for his first Super Stock win, jumped into the lead with Davis following in his tracks. Even with Davis moving high and low searching for a way to challenge him for the lead Thompson held his own. On lap six Thompson’s car started spewing ominous smoke. The caution flag would slow the field on lap seven and on the restart Davis seized the opportunity and shot to the low side of turn two and pulled up beside Thompson going into turn three. As the pair came out of turn four Thompson’s engine erupted in smoke and sparks, ending his quest for the win.
Taking over the lead it appeared that all Davis woul have to do was put the car on cruise control and easily score the win. Melton had others plans as he stayed within striking distance as the laps wound down. Davis’s car would lose a driveshaft on the back stretch and Melton would lead the rest of the way for his first Super Stock win piloting the Hamblen Marina, Coffee Boyz Racing Bodies, B&B Warehousing & Logistics, We’s Garage, DJ’s Performance Race Engine Special.
Super Stock
1. 4 Jeffrey Melton
2. 20 Scottie Atkins
3. 88 Brad Davis
4. 00 Shannon Smith
5. 83 Cody Thompson
6. 56 Tony Horton
7. 11 Tracy Wolfe
8. C4 Logan Cobb
DNS 119 Eddie Stewart
Hayston Collett of Harlan, KY became the second driver of the night to score his first win as he led every lap of the Classic Car feature. Current points leader John Stevens would start on the pole of the feature with Collett on the outside. The pair would drag race down the back stretch with Collett sliding into the lead. The close friends would race hard and clean throughout the feature bringing the crowd to it feet several times.
Classic Car
1. 5 Hayston Collett
2. 7 John Stevens
3. 17 Tim Stevens
4. 00 Billy Woods
5. 55 Sawyer Walton
6. 2 Brandon Muncey
7. 1 Josh Chesney
8. 9 Jerry Acuff
Current 4 Cylinder points leader Chuck McMahan of Dandridge took over the lead with three laps to go in the feature for his fifth win of the year in the Roundboy Motorsports, Lowe’s Auto Parts, Jim Ford Automotive, Original Mr. Freezo Ford Mustang. Tyler Haynes of Hickory Flat, VA was leading the way until engine woes took him out of contention on lap twelve.
4 Cylinder
1. 99 Chuck McMahan
2. 22 Chris Reichert
3. 2 Bryant Idles
4. 72 Rufus Collett
5. B7 Bubby Braden
6. 11 Tyler Haynes
7. 69 Jessie Hickman
8. 66 David Nolan
9. 1 Mark Wallace
