Jones records first Volunteer Speedway Super Late Model victory of season in Pizza Plus ‘Summer Sizzler Shootout’

By Robert Walden

BULLS GAP, Tenn. (Aug. 7) — Kerry Jones of Bristol is a two-time Volunteer Speedway Super Late Model champion, having won track titles in 2001 and ’07. However, the 2009 racing season had been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride for Jones, with its ups and downs.

The veteran driver Jones came out with guns-a-blazin’ for “Friday Night Fights at The Gap,” as he led flag-to-flag in recording his first feature win of the season worth $3,000 in the Pizza Plus “Summer Sizzler Shootout.”

From the outside front row starting position Jones sped into the lead on the opening lap over Shon Flanary, Tommy Kerr, Rick Rogers and Vic Hill. Just outside the top-five, Mark Vineyard got around Jeff Maupin racing off turn two on lap 3 for sixth in the running order.

Hill got a strong run off turn two on lap 9 to get inside Rogers racing into third turn to move into the fourth spot, also opening the door for Vineyard to come along for the ride to settle into fifth while dropping Rogers back to sixth place. Racing off the fourth turn on lap 15, Hill got around Kerr to move into third.

Meanwhile out front, Jones was running a flawless race chauffeuring the Kerry Jones Trucking/ Bigfoot Enterprises - Used Trucks & Parts//VP Racing Fuels/Ohlins Shocks/Signs by Roach/Hoosier Racing Tires/Vic Hill Race Engines/Scott Bloomquist Race Cars/No. 6 Chevrolet Impala SS, as he led Flanary, Hill, Kerr and Vineyard at the halfway point.

After looking to both the inside and outside trying to get around Flanary for several circuits, Hill pulled the trigger to complete the pass to move into the runner-up position on lap 26. But the four-time track champion’s race ended prematurely when an oil line suddenly came loose and smoke began billowing from under the hood of Hill’s car, also dropping fluid on the track to bring out the event’s first caution on lap 29.

On the restart Jones led Flanary, Kerr, Vineyard and Rogers back up to speed. Vineyard was the main on the move, getting around Kerr for third on lap 30 racing off turn two, and just three circuits later passing Flanary to move into second, setting his sights on leader Jones. Maupin passed Rogers racing off the fourth turn on lap 34 to grab the fifth spot.

With 10 laps remaining, Jones had a rearview mirror full of the hard-charging Vineyard. Vineyard worked the bottom and also top grooves trying to get around Jones, but Jones never flinched. The final caution waved on lap 46 for a spin in turn two by Rogers, setting up a four-lap sprint to the checkers.

Trailing Jones for the run to the finish were Vineyard, Flanary, Kerr and Maupin. With the waving of the green Jones was hard on the gas trying to hold Vineyard off for the victory.

Leading from the drop of the green to having the checkered flag within sight, Jones would not be denied the opportunity to celebrate his first feature win of the season in victory lane as he held off Vineyard. Maupin moved around both Kerr and Flanary on the final lap to finish third, with Flanary coming home fourth and Kerr in fifth.

Completing the top 10 finishers were Anthony White, Michael Smith, Stacy Boles, Ryan Gifford and Rogers.

“Man, we definitely needed this win tonight,” said a smiling Jones from victory lane. “We’ve had some decent runs this season, and we’ve also had our bad runs as well. Just a couple of weeks ago we didn’t even make the field for the O’Reilly Southern Nationals Series event here, which Tommy Kerr won. And tonight we run up front and win the race over several very good cars, including Kerr. It just makes you kind of shake your head trying to figure out why we ran well tonight and we didn’t at the last race.

“Our car was really good tonight, from the moment we headed onto the track for practice and then we backed it (practice run) up in qualifying to get a front row starting position. During the race I could drive the car wherever I needed, either down on the bottom or in the middle groove or up top on the cushion. I want to thank John Estes, Dave Burks and Andy McCroskey for working on the car during the week back at the shop and on race night at the track. Some times I don’t have a lot of confidence in myself, but those guys always do and they try and keep me pumped-up. I also want to thank my wife Sharon (Jones) for all her support of my racing. It feels great getting this win tonight, and hopefully we’ll come back in a couple of weeks and have a good run in the big Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series $20,000-to-win Scorcher 100. With all the top guns in dirt late model racing that will be here for that event, it will be an accomplishment just making the field.”

Jensen Ford set fast-time to earn the pole position for the 25-lap Fastrak Racing Series-sanctioned “Courtesy Chevrolet” Pro Late Model feature, but outside front row starter David Watts of Buchanan, Va., jumped into the lead over Ford at the drop of the green with Shanon Buckingham, Jerry Broyles and Dale Ball in tow. While looking under Watts to challenge for the lead on lap 4, Ford spun between turns one and two to bring out the caution.

Going back green Watts had Buckingham riding on his rear bumper, followed in line by Broyles, Ball and Kenny Peeples Jr. Vic Chandler got around Peeples for fifth on lap 5 racing off turn two.

With the leaders working lapped traffic over the last 10 laps, Buckingham was pressuring Watts for the point. But Watts made no mistakes working past the slower cars and held Buckingham off for his first-ever Pro Late Model victory at “The Gap.” Finishing third through fifth, respectively, were Broyles, Ball and Chandler.

Mark Leach of Andersonville led all 20 laps in winning his second Steel-Head Late Model feature over Phillip Nichols, Ross White, Terry James and Jeff Franklin.

Ray Jarnigan of Thornhill grabbed the lead over Jamie Whitt on the opening lap of the “McDonald’s” Hobby Stock feature and never looked back en route to capturing his third victory of the season. With Jarnigan in command out front, Whitt, Dale Reed, Dennis Metcalf and Chris Long rounded out the top five finishers. 

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS – PIZZA PLUS “SUMMER SIZZLER SHOOTOUT” – OFFICIAL RESULTS

“TSC CARS” SUPER LATE MODEL (50 laps)

1) Kerry Jones #6-Bristol, TN
2) Mark Vineyard #4v-Powell, TN
3) Jeff Maupin #0-Greeneville, TN
4) Shon Flanary #98-Church Hill, TN
5) Tommy Kerr #4T-Maryville, TN
6) Anthony White #2x-Clinton, TN
7) Michael Smith #4-Rogersville, TN
8) Stacy Boles #11B-Claxton, TN
9) Ryan Gifford #29-Winchester, TN
10) Rick Rogers #44-Knoxville, TN
11) Dale Ball #7-Johnson City, TN
12) Chris Chandler #8-Weaverville, NC
13) Vic Hill #1-Morristown, TN
14) Brandon James #j1-Newport, TN
15) Jeff Wolfenbarger #28-Clinton, TN

Did Not Start: Steve Smith #3-Powell, TN; Cody Barnett #18-Ringgold, GA; Tony Schrimsher #12-Loudon, TN

“COURTESY CHEVROLET” PRO LATE MODEL (25 laps)

1) David Watts #6l 2) Shanon Buckingham #50; 3) Jerry Broyles #00; 4) Dale Ball #2; 5) Vic Chandler #88; 6) Kenny Peeples Jr. #k22; 7) Kelly Glass #01; 8) Jensen Ford #83; 9) Steve Cook #17c; 10) Josh Henry #B00; 11) Ricky Moore #75; 12) John Harrell #H19; 13) Todd Brooks #T1; 14) Tim Byrd #24; 15) Jackie Hughes #27; 16) James Cole #5; 17) Ernie Atwell #9; 18) Tommy Eastridge #37; 19) Justin White #02

STEEL-HEAD LATE MODEL (20 laps)

1) Mark Leach #66; 2) Phillip Nichols #33; 3) Ross White #0; 4) Terry James #j11; 5) Jeff Franklin #j12; 6) Hugh “Wishbone” Scalf #B4 – Did Not Start: Daniel Sauceman #CD17

“MCDONALD’S” HOBBY STOCK (20 laps)

1) Ray Jarnigan #73; 2) Jamie Whitt #j1; 3) Dale Reed #52; 4) Dennis Metcalf #55; 5) Chris Long #75; 6) Tracy Wolfe #11; 7) Bobby Reed #54; 8) Blake Kelley #k5; 9) Terry Dean #47; 10) Charlie Bates #27; 11) Mike Kelley #8; 12) Chris Carver #87; 13) Mike Mays #30; 14) Devin Helton #17H; 15) Roger Hunter #7-11; 16) Chuck Johnson #17; 17) Jon Cook #0z; 18) Everett Cobb #13; 19) Robbie Wood #16; 20) Jesse Wilder #79; 21) Eddie Adams #9; 22) Phillip Gentry #33; 23) Chuck Killian #22k

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