KNOWLES TAKE DURRENCE LAYNE DLMS WIN #3 AT SMOKY MOUNTAIN

              MARYVILLE, TN – Jake Knowles of Rome, GA padded his Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series point lead with his third series win of the 2019 season on Friday night at Smoky Mountain Speedway in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Longhorn. Knowles led all 30 laps of the race, but it wasn’t easy.

            Knowles held off strong challenges from Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN and Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, TN in the last ten laps of the race. A Dixie-Style Double-File restart on lap 21 brought the crowd to their feet as Knowles, Williams, and Hedgecock battled into turn one three-wide.

              “Brandon drove under me on the inside, but I was able to drive back around him coming off the corner, and then towards the end of the race, Cory was right there with me,” Knowles said. “I have to hand it to both of them that they drove me clean, as close as we were, and it was some good racing.”

              Hedgecock got by Williams for second with four laps to go, throwing a big slide job pass that earned him the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award. Williams finished third in the Jeff Woods Construction Special. 

              Wil Herrington of Hawkinsville, GA drove the Middle Georgia Roofing CVR to a fourth-place finish, and after starting 11th, he was the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger of the Race. Herrington was also the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race. Michael Courtney of Powell, TN took the fifth spot in the Big Momma’s Concrete CVR.

              Grant Garrison of Walton, KY finished sixth in the Darrell Lanigan Racing Special, and Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL was seventh in the Skinner’s Body Shop Special to take the Fullmoon Graphics “Lucky 7” Award. Riley Hickman of Cleveland, TN took the eighth spot in the Competition Racing Products Special.

              Tyler Wood of Hohenwald, TN was ninth in the Johns Farms Special and T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL rounded out the top ten in the Brittain Hauling Warrior. Oakley Johns of Hohenwald, TN in the Johns Farms Special received the Keyser Manufacturing Hard Luck Award.

              In preliminary action, Knowles was the Boyd Bilt Fabricators Fast Qualifier with a lap around Smoky Mountain Speedway in 17.675 seconds. The two eight-lap KRC Power Steering B-Main Races were won by Seth Wimpey of Morganton, GA in the W.E. Hardscapes Stinger, and Garrison.

              Knowles took the lead from the pole position at the start of the race followed by Williams, 15-year-old Jake Rainey of Hiram, GA in the Wren’s Body Shop Special, Hedgecock and Courtney. Skinner moved into the top five on lap four when he got by Courtney. Knowles pulled away early in the race, as he had a ½ straightaway lead on Williams by lap five.

              Hedgecock threw a slider on Rainey in turn three to take over the third spot on lap ten. By lap 12, Knowles began to encounter the cars on the tail end of the lead lap. The battle for the second spot picked up on lap 15 when Williams, Hedgecock and Skinner went four-wide with a lapped car.

              The only caution flag of the race came out on lap 21 when Joe Denby of Tullahoma, TN in the Denby J&J Construction Special slowed in turn one. Rainey tried to go under Denby in turn one, but Denby came down in front of Rainey, and Rainey spun to the infield and made heavy contact with a large utility tire used to mark the inside of the race track.

              Knowles lined up in front of the field as Williams, Hedgecock, Skinner, Courtney, Garrison, Herrington, Zach Sise of Knoxville, TN in the MK Equipment Stinger, Hickman, and Ross White of Knoxville, TN in the R.T. Clapp Rocket doubled up behind the leader in second through tenth respectively.

              A three-car battle for the lead broke out in the final ten laps of the race. Turn one after the restart saw Williams dive to the inside of Knowles, and Hedgecock looking to the inside of Williams. Williams was able to dive under Knowles on several occasions in the next two laps and put the nose of his car ahead of Knowles in the center of the corners.

              Knowles was able to power off the high side of the historic turns at Smoky Mountain Speedway to drive back by Williams and remain the leader of the race. Hedgecock put the pressure on Williams by lap 24, and Knowles began to drive away. 

            Hedgecock threw a hard slider on Williams, diving for the inside in turn three and sliding up in front of Williams in turn four, to take the second spot. Hedgecock reeled in Knowles on lap 28, but Knowles was able to hold off the challenge and take a .446 second margin of victory under the checkered flag.
           
            The Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series moves to Duck River Raceway Park in Lewisburg, TN on Saturday night for a $2,500-to-win 50-lap race that is Round 10 of the 2019 National Touring season.

            For more information and rules about the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.durrencelayneracing.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Durrence Layne Racing. You can follow us on Twitter @DurrenceLayneRacing.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 9 AT SMOKY MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY IN MARYVILLE, TN ON 8/16/19:

POS      STRT   CAR #  DRIVER                            HOMETOWN                  LAPS    $ WON
1.           1            66          Jake Knowles                  Rome, GA                         30          $2,000
2.           5            14h       Cory Hedgecock                            Loudon, TN                      30          $1,000
3.           4            95          Brandon Williams          Crossville, TN                  30          $700
4.           6            14          Wil Herrington (R)        Hawkinsville, GA            30          $550
5.           2            C11       Michael Courtney           Powell, TN                        30          $500
6.           8            1            Grant Garrison               Walton, KY                      30          $425
7.           6            11          Cruz Skinner (R)            Oxford, AL                       30          $375
8.           14          33          Riley Hickman                Cleveland, TN                  30          $350
9.           13          17jr      Tyler Wood                      Hohenwald, TN                30          $325
10.         16          05          T.J. Brittain                     Centre, AL                        30          $300
11.         7            24          Seth Wimpey                    Morganton, GA               30          $275
12.         12          87p       Zach Pilcher                     Rome, GA                         30          $250
13.         15          9            Zach Sise                           Knoxville, TN                  30          $225
14.         18          19          Marcus Minga                 Shannon, MS                    30          $200
15.         17          2            Terry Poore                     Seymour, TN                    30          $200
16.         19          94          Jordan Hedger                Crittenden, KY                29          $200
17.         22          C66       Donald Johns                   Summertown, TN            27          $200
18.         9            0            Ross White                       Knoxville, TN                  23          $200
19.         3            87          Jake Rainey (R-YG)      Hiram, GA                        20          $200
20.         20          66w       Deke Waters                    Cookeville, TN                19          $200
21.         21          67          Joe Denby                         Tullahoma, TN                19          $200
22.         23          J8          Jadon Frame (R)             Decherd, TN                     16          $200
23.         10          C6         Oakley Johns                   Hohenwald, TN                15          $200

ENTRIES: 23
BOYD BILT FAST QUALIFIER: Knowles, 17.675
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Knowles, 1-30
KNOWLES RACE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Herrington (started 11th and finished 4th)
VP RACING LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE: Hedgecock
FULLMOON GRAPHICS LUCKY 7 AWARD: Skinner
KEYSER MANUFACTURING HARD LUCK AWARD: O. Johns
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Herrington
KRC B-MAIN RACE WINNERS AWARD: Wimpey and Garrison
CAUTIONS: 1
MARGIN OF VICTORY: .446 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 18 Minutes and 43.189 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: August 17, Duck River Raceway Park, Lewisburg, TN, $2,000-to-win, 40-Laps