KNOWLES SWEEPS DURRENCE LAYNE DLMS NASCAR WEEKEND AT TST

              EASTABOGA, AL – Just call him butter because he’s on a roll! Jake Knowles drove the Phillips Properties/Curbow Logging Longhorn to his seventh Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win of the season on Saturday night at Talladega Short Track. Knowles took the lead on lap 44 and then pulled away to sweep NASCAR Weekend at the Hornet’s Nest.

              In his last four starts, Knowles has three wins and a second-place finish. In taking his third Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series win at Talladega Short Track this season, Knowles now has a 104 point lead with three or four races left in the season. Knowles is close to clinching the $10,000 National Championship and hoisting the Durrence Layne Cup.

              Knowles had to earn his seventh win of the season, as Jadon Frame of Decherd, TN took the lead from the pole position at the start of the race, and led the first 43 laps. The track locked down early in the race, and Frame was trying to hang on to a damaged race car. Knowles put on the pressure late in the race, and shot alongside Frame down the backstretch on lap 44.

              “Jadon slowed down late in the race, so I figured he has used up his tires,” Knowles said. “I got under him coming off turn two, and had the inside line going to turn three. I was able to hit the rubber in the groove, and then drive off turn four to take the lead. I have a great crew that do all of the work on my car back at the shop because I’m always busy working on customers’ cars. I couldn’t do all of this without them.” 

            Knowles is looking forward to going to Southern Raceway in Milton, FL for the two-race 12th Annual Southern 100 on November 8 and 9, but is he anxious to race, or is he looking forward to partaking in the local cuisine?
           
            “We have some good notes from last year at Milton, FL, so we’ll start with what we learned, and go from there,” Knowles said. “There is one that’s for sure, we’re going to eat some good seafood!”
           
            Frame hung on to finish second in the Frame Racing Rocket that was wrecked on lap two and he was the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race. The “Hohenwald Gang” raided the field with Oakley Johns of Hohenwald, TN taking third in the Johns Farms Special, and Tyler Wood of Hohenwald, TN finishing fourth in the Johns Farms Special. 
           
            T.J. Brittain of Centre, AL was fifth in the Brittain Hauling Warrior, and Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL took the sixth spot in the Skinner’s Body Shop Special. Wil Herrington’s Crew Chief Hank put the Gold Lab touch on the Middle Georgia Roofing CVR, as he started 18th and finished seventh to earn the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger Award and the Fullmoon Graphics “Lucky 7” Award.
           
            Jake Teague of Oliver Springs, TN finished eighth in the Wade’s Body Shop Special to take the Tire Skinz Eighth-Place Award, and Chase Walls of Decherd, TN was ninth in the Live Pure CVR. Mike Combs of Odenville, AL rounded out the top ten in the Legacy Environmental Process Rocket.
           
            In preliminary action, Frame was the Boyd Built Fabricators Fast Qualifier in group qualifying for the 29-car field. Frame turned a lap around Talladega Short Track in 14.521 seconds.  The two ten-lap KRC Power Steering B-Main Races were won by Skinner and Teague.
           
            The race got off to a wild start with anxious drivers and hard contact. The outside front row starter Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN jumped the start two straight times, and was penalized one row for the second restart. That put Knowles on the outside of the front row next to the polesitter Frame.
           
            Frame took the lead at the start of the race followed by Knowles, Williams, Wood, and Johns. When the field reached turn one, a multi-car crash ensued with cars stacked on top of each other to black the track and bring out the red flag.  Everyone was able to continue except Randall Walker of Eastaboga, AL in the Walker Racing Rocket.
           
            Williams was on the outside of Knowles for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart, and Williams tried to put his Jeff Woods Construction Special between Knowles and Frame when the green flag came out. Williams hooked his right front on the left rear of Frame and they spun in front of the field in turn one. Several cars piled in to block the track and bring out another red flag. Williams’ car had too much damage and was out for the night.
           
            Frame had a car with damage on the left front and the left rear, but he led Knowles, Wood, Johns, and Britton for the restart. After the green flag came back out, the field raced another lap before John Ownbey of Cleveland, TN and Christian Hanger of Winchester, TN got together on the backstretch.
           
            Hanger stalled the Hanger Racing CVR on the front straightaway on lap three to bring out the third caution flag. Frame led Knowles, Johns, Wood, Britton, Skinner, Herrington, Teague, Ownbey in the Orr Brothers Construction Special and Donald Johns of Summertown, TN in the Stewart Farms Special for the double-file restart.
           
            The field raced under green for five more laps when David Eubanks of Powder Springs, GA hooked the back of another car that caused his Norman Campers Rocket to make a hard right turn and nose into the wall at the head of the backstretch on lap eight. 
           
            Fortunately, there was a tire barrier at the spot of the heavy impact, but the sudden stop brought out the red flag so safety personnel could quickly reach Eubanks. Although he had his air knocked out of him, Eubanks climbed out of his car under his own power and was uninjured. Durrence Layne Racing officials called for a single-file restart due to track conditions.
           
            Frame was able to pull out to a four car-length advantage over Knowles after the restart, as the track began to develop a “sweet spot” in the laid down rubber, and a driver that dared move out of the fast groove did so at his own peril. The top ten of Frame, Knowles, Oakley Johns, Wood, Britton, Skinner, Herrington, Teague, Ownbey, and Donald Johns ran single file.
           
            Frame caught the cars on the tail end of the lead lap by lap 23, the field closed up as they carefully moved around lapped cars trying not to get out of the fast groove. By lap 34, Knowles began to look inside Frame for an opportunity to challenge for the lead.
           
            Ownbey brought out the fifth and final caution flag of the race on lap 36 when he stalled out of the ninth spot in turn two. Frame, Knowles, Oakley Johns, Wood, Britton, Skinner, Herrington, Teague, Walls, and Combs lined up single-file for the restart. Frame couldn’t shake Knowles after the green flag came back out, and Knowles once again began to look inside the leader by lap 40.
           
            Knowles pulled alongside Frame to challenge for the lead on lap 42, but couldn’t complete the pass for the lead. Knowles tried again coming off the second turn on lap 44, stayed side-by-side with Frame down the backstretch and through turn three. Knowles sealed the deal and took the lead coming off the fourth turn. 
           
            The pass for the lead on a locked down race track earned Knowles the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award. Once in the lead, Knowles pulled away from Frame in the seven remaining laps to take the checkered flag with a 3.354 second margin of victory.
           
            The next event for the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series will be the 12th Annual Southern 100 at Southern Raceway in Milton, FL on November 8-9. Friday November 8 will feature a $3,000-to-win 30-lap main event, and there will be a $7,000-to-win 70 lap race on Saturday November 9.

            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 16 AT TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK IN EASTABOGA, AL ON 10/12/19:

POS      STRT   CAR #  DRIVER                            HOMETOWN                  LAPS    $ WON
1.           4            66          Jake Knowles                  Rome, GA                         50          $2,500
2.           1            J8          Jadon Frame (R)             Decherd, TN                     50          $1,250
3.           6            C6         Oakley Johns                   Hohenwald, TN                50          $850
4.           3            17jr      Tyler Wood                      Hohenwald, TN                50          $700
5.           7            05          T.J. Brittain                     Centre, AL                        50          $650
6.           9            11          Cruz Skinner (R)            Oxford, AL                       50          $550
7.           18          14          Wil Herrington (R)        Hawkinsville, GA            50          $500
8.           10          117       Jake Teague                     Oliver Springs, TN         50          $450
9.           16          25          Chase Walls (R)                             Decherd, TN                     50          $400
10.         13          5            Mike Combs                     Odenville, AL                   50          $375
11.         19          J39       Jimmy Elliott                   Cleveland, TN                  50          $350
12.         20          19          Marcus Minga                 Shannon, MS                    50          $300
13.         11          C66       Donald Johns                   Summertown, TN            50          $280
14.         23          R44       Rod Carroll                      Eastaboga, AL                 50          $260
15.         24          B97       Lee Burdett                      Hueytown, AL                  43          $250
16.         12          J0          John Ownbey                   Cleveland, TN                  35          $250
17.         17          7            Dennis Collins                  Gadsden, AL                    24          $250
18.         8            29          Christian Hanger            Winchester, TN               22          $250
19.         22          1            Austin Freeman               Pell City, AL                    21          $250
20.         15          F97       Red Farmer                      Hueytown, AL                  16          $250
21.         5            16          Sam Seawright                Fort Payne, AL                7            $250
22.         21          14e        David Eubanks                Powder Springs, GA       6            $250
23.         2            95          Brandon Williams          Crossville, TN                  1            $250
24.         14          14jr      Randall Walker                             Eastaboga, AL                 1            $250     

ENTRIES: 29
BOYD BILT FAST QUALIFIER: Frame, 14.521 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Frame, 1-43; Knowles, 44-50
LAPS LED: Frame, 43; Knowles, 7
KNOWLES RACE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Herrington (started 18th and finished 7th)
VP RACING LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE: Knowles
FULLMOON GRAPHICS LUCKY 7 AWARD: Herrington
TIRE SKINZ EIGHTH-PLACE AWARD: Teague
KEYSER MANUFACTURING HARD LUCK AWARD: Walker
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Frame
KRC HEAT RACE WINNER AWARDS: Skinner and Teague
CAUTIONS: 5 (3 Red Flags)
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 3.354 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 1 Hour, 8 Minutes and 12.891 Seconds
NEXT EVENT: November 8, Southern Raceway, Milton, FL, 12th Annual Southern 100, $3,000-to-win, 30 Laps; November 9, $7,000-to-win, 70 Laps


KNOWLES TAKES DURRENCE LAYNE LATE MODEL WIN NUMBER SIX AT TST

              EASTABOGA, AL – Jake Knowles of Rome, GA took another step towards the 2019 Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship with his sixth win of the season on Friday night at Talladega Short Track driving the Phillips Properties/Curbow Logging Longhorn. 

              In his last four Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series starts, Knowles has three wins and a second, and now holds a 92 point lead over Cruz Skinner of Oxford, AL in the National point standings with just a few races left in the season. In 15 races, Knowles has six wins, 12 top five finishes, and 15 top ten finishes.

              Knowles led all 40 laps of Friday night’s race and held off a late race charge from 16-year-old Sam Seawright of Fort Payne, AL. Seawright dove to the inside of Knowles on the last turn of the last lap in lapped traffic, but Knowles was able to out drag the youngster to the checkered flag.

              “After that last caution flag, I was trying to pace myself to keep from hitting lapped traffic before the end of the race, so I slowed down maybe a little too much on the last lap,” Knowles said. “We’re on a roll here lately, so we’ll dust this car off, and get a new set of Hoosier Tires to put on it, and we’ll be ready to go for tomorrow night.”

              Seawright had to settle for second in the Agcor Steel Special, and Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN took the third spot in the Jeff Woods Construction Special. Skinner was fourth in the Skinner’s Body Shop Special and was the Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race. T.J. Britton of Centre, AL drove the Brittain Hauling Warrior to a fifth-place finish.

              Chase Walls of Decherd, TN finished sixth in the Live Pure CVR and Jimmy Elliott of Cleveland, TN finished seventh in the Car Smart Auto Sales Special to earn the Fullmoon Graphics “Lucky 7” Award. Tyler Wood of Hohenwald, TN was eighth in the Johns Farms Special to take the Tire Skinz Eighth-Place Award.

              John Ownbey of Cleveland, TN started 22nd in the Orr Brothers Construction Special and finished ninth to earn the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger Award. Oakley Johns of Hohenwald, TN rounded out the top ten in the Johns Farms Special.

              In preliminary action, Knowles was the overall fast qualifier among the 36 entrants to take the Boyd Built Fabricators Fast Time Award in Group Qualifying with a lap around Talladega Short Track in 14.852 seconds. The two KRC Power Steering 15-lap B-Main races were won by Christian Hanger of Winchester, TN in the Hanger Racing CVR and Brittain.

              Knowles took the lead at the drop of the green flag from the pole position followed by Williams, Seawright, David Kay of Munford, AL in the Advantage Plus Excavating Special, and Johns. The first of five caution flags came out on lap two when Hanger spun in turn one. Lee Burdett of Hueytown, AL retired the LB Construction GRT in the opening laps to earn the Keyser Manufacturing Hard Luck Award.

              Knowles lined up as the leader for the Dixie-Style Double-File Restart, as second-place Williams chose the inside behind the leader. That put the third-place car of Seawright to Williams’ right on the outside. That worked out for Seawright when the field went green, as he drove around Williams for second, and that Earned Seawright the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award.

              Skinner also made a big move as he came from sixth to fourth by lap three. Jake Rainey of Hiram, GA brought out the second caution flag on lap 11 when he stalled the Wren’s Body Shop Special in turn two. 

            Knowles was the leader for the restart, and second-place Seawright chose the outside for the double-file restart. Williams, Skinner, Elliott, Kay, Brittain, Jadon Frame of Decherd, TN in the Frame Racing Rocket, Johns and Walls lined up in third through tenth. Mike Combs of Odenville, AL spun the Legacy Environmental Process Rocket in turn two on lap 12 to bring out the yellow flag.
           
            The next restart brought out the red flag when a six-car pile-up on the front straightaway completely blocked the track. The only car taken out of the race in melee was Heath Carr of Ashland, AL in the Carr Logging Special. The restart saw Brittain drive around the outside of Kay to take over the fifth spot.
           
            Knowles had a half straightaway lead over Seawright at the halfway point of the race, and he caught the cars on the tail of lead lap by lap 24. Knowles was able to keep at least one lapped car between himself and Seawright to begin with, but Seawright and Williams began to close in on Knowles by lap 27.
           
            Rainey spun in turn two on lap 29 to bring out the caution flag, which put the leaders with clear race track in front of them for the restart. Knowles led Seawright, Williams, Skinner, Brittain, Kay, Walls, Frame, Elliott, and Dennis Collins of Gadsden, AL in the Meeks Truck and Trailer Repair Rocket as the top ten for the restart.
           
            Knowles was able to put a car length on Seawright when the field went back to green, but he couldn’t pull away. Kay gave up the fifth spot on lap 32 and went to the pits, as the field stayed green. With two laps to go, Seawright and Williams closed to within a half car-length of the leader as Knowles began to work lapped traffic.
           
            On the last lap, Knowles went to the inside to lap Donald Johns of Summertown, TN in the Stewart Farms Special. Seawright dove for a sliver of real estate inside of Knowles in the fourth turn, as the checkered flag waved ahead. Knowles got the bite he needed coming off the last turn, and he beat the youngster to the $2,000 payday.
           
            The Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series returns to Talladega Short Track on Saturday night for a $2,500-to-win, 50-lap main event, Round 16 of the 2019 season, and the fifth race of the season for the season at TST.

            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 15 AT TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK IN EASTABOGA, AL ON 10/11/19:

POS      STRT   CAR #  DRIVER                            HOMETOWN                  LAPS    $ WON
1.           1            66          Jake Knowles                  Rome, GA                         40          $2,000
2.           3            16          Sam Seawright (YG)      Fort Payne, AL                40          $1,000
3.           2            95          Brandon Williams          Crossville, TN                  40          $700
4.           6            11          Cruz Skinner (R)            Oxford, AL                       40          $550
5.           10          05          T.J. Brittain                     Centre, AL                        40          $500
6.           15          25          Chase Walls (R)                             Decherd, TN                     40          $425
7.           8            J39       Jimmy Elliott                   Cleveland, TN                  40          $375
8.           17          17jr      Tyler Wood                      Hohenwald, TN                40          $350
9.           22          J0          John Ownbey                   Cleveland, TN                  40          $325
10.         5            C5         Oakley Johns                   Hohenwald, TN                40          $300
11.         7            14          Wil Herrington (R)        Hawkinsville, GA            40          $275
12.         9            29          Christian Hanger            Winchester, TN               40          $250
13.         13          7            Dennis Collins                  Gadsden, AL                    40          $225
14.         17          117       Jake Teague                     Oliver Springs, TN         40          $200
15.         14          J8          Jadon Frame (R)             Decherd, TN                     40          $200
16.         24          C66       Donald Johns                   Summertown, TN            39          $200
17.         20          19          Marcus Minga                 Shannon, MS                    39          $200
18.         11          5            Mike Combs                     Odenville, AL                   36          $200
19.         4            K5         David Kay                        Munford, AL                    32          $200
20.         23          87          Jake Rainey (R/YG)       Hiram, GA                        28          $200
21.         21          17          Hayden Franklin             Alabaster, AL                  22          $200
22.         19          14jr      Randall Walker                             Eastaboga, AL                 20          $200
23.         16          3            Heath Carr                       Ashland, AL                     12          $200
24.         18          B97       Lee Burdett                      Hueytown, AL                  1            $200

ENTRIES: 36
BOYD BILT FAST QUALIFIER: Knowles, 14.852 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Rainey and D. Johns
LEAD CHANGES: None
LAPS LED: Knowles, 1-40
KNOWLES RACE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Ownbey (started 22nd and finished 9th)
VP RACING LUBRICANTS SLICK MOVE OF THE RACE: Seawright
FULLMOON GRAPHICS LUCKY 7 AWARD: Elliott
TIRE SKINZ EIGHTH-PLACE AWARD: Wood
KEYSER MANUFACTURING HARD LUCK AWARD: Burdett
CRUISE WITH THE CHAMPIONS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Skinner
KRC HEAT RACE WINNER AWARDS: Brittain and Hanger
CAUTIONS: 5
NEXT EVENT: Talladega Short Track, Eastaboga, AL, $2,500-to-win, 50-laps