FASTRAK Racing Series News Release:  Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157

July 22, 2017

WITH A REBEL YELL, KNIGHT WEAVES HIS WAY FOR FASTRAK WIN AT SCREVEN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

               SYLVANIA, GA – The defending FASTRAK Pro Late Model Series Champion Cla Knight of North Augusta, SC was in the right place at the right time to make a winning move and take his first FASTRAK South East Region Tour victory of 2017 driving the Augusta Aquatics Longhorn on Saturday night in the Rebel Yell 40 at Screven Motorsports Complex. 

Knight weaved his way around the race leader and the second-place driver on lap 31 to take the $2,000 win.  Early race leader Travis Pennington of Stapleton, GA had an issue on lap 31, and suddenly slowed off the pace in his Milford Body Longhorn with the second-place car of Matthew Nance of Ronda, NC right on his back bumper. 

Just behind the top two race cars, Knight was in the third spot, sensed what was happening in front of him, and was able to go hard right and sail around the outside of the top two cars and into the lead.

“I can’t believe how blessed I am tonight to get this win,” Knight said.  “I made a big mistake in our last race and it really bothered me, so tonight makes up for that.  I could see Travis was having an issue at the back of his car as it was really starting to lay over after the last restart.  He was really backing up to Matthew and me, so I was prepared to make the move that I did.”

Nance recovered to finish second in the Diversified Finishers Longhorn and Jordy Nipper of Gray, GA drove the Scotty’s Muffler Walter Newman to a third-place showing.  Four-time FASTRAK Champion David Smith of Inman, SC was fourth in the Smather’s Excavating/Hi Bridge Automotive TNT, and Joshua Bishop of Statesboro, GA took the fifth spot in the Augusta Industrial Service Longhorn.

Former FASTRAK Champion Ron Parker of Belwood, NC finished sixth in the Schaeffer Oil Rocket, and seventh went to Ben Faircloth of Swainsboro, GA in the Sunbelt Heating and Air Scorpion.  Jim Manka of Rincon, GA started 21st in the J.C. Lewis Ford Rocket and finished eighth to earn the Hard Charger of the Race Award. 

Ryan Davis of Guyton, GA took the ninth spot in the Phoenix Transport Rocket, and Caleb Gay of Dublin, GA rounded out the top ten in the Harden Trucking Rocket.  Phillip Thompson of Knoxville, TN finished 23rd, but was the Rookie of the Race.  In preliminary action, Parker was the Fast Qualifier with a lap around the 3/8-mile clay oval in 15.908 seconds.  The three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Pennington, Nance and Knight.

Nance took over the FASTRAK SE point lead with his second-place finish.  The results of the Rebel Yell for the top five in the standings closed them up to within 12 points of each other.  Nance has 209 points and holds a five point lead over Benji Hicks of Mt. Airy, NC with 204 points, Jensen Ford of Piney Flats, TN with 203 points, Parker with 202 points, and Knight with 197 points.

Hicks and Ford came into the evening tied for the FASTRAK SE point lead.  They were both involved in a crash not of their own making early in the race, and after extensive repairs to their respective race cars, they both returned to the race.  Hicks finished 15th three laps down, and Ford ended up 16th four laps down.  The point lead has changed hands after each FASTRAK race this season among Hicks, Knight, Ford, and now Nance.

The race was slowed by seven caution flags for various spins and stalls, but the biggest yellow flag was brought out on lap six when Brandon Yawn of Springfield, GA in the Yawn Racing Warrior got into several cars going into turn one.  The ensuing multi-car pile-up involved title contenders Hicks and Ford.

A significant restart occurred on lap 12 when Knight was running second to Pennington, and instead of the choosing to restart outside of Pennington in the double-file restart, Knight close to start on the inside behind the leader.  Nance took the outside alongside the race leader from his third spot, and he ended up passing Knight for second on the restart. 

Pennington had a half straightaway lead on Nance and Knight when the caution flag came out on lap 20 to bunch up the field for a single-file restart.  When the green flag came out, Pennington could no longer breakaway from Nance and Knight.  It all came apart for Pennington going down the backstretch on lap 31.

When Pennington suddenly fell off the pace, Nance got into the back of Pennington, as Knight made a quick move to the outside and sailed around both machines.  Nance was able to recover and get back up to racing speed, but Knight was long gone.  Knight took the checkered flag with a 2.391 second advantage over Nance.

The next race for the FASTRAK Pro Late Model Series will be a points race for both the South East and the Mid-Ohio Valley Regions on Saturday night, July 29 at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, VA.  This will be a $3,000-to-win, $250-to-start make-up race for the FASTRAK Triple Crown that was rained out over the Memorial Day Weekend.

The Wythe Raceway FASTRAK Triple Crown Race will be the second jewel.  Steve Blackburn of Greensboro, NC won the first jewel of the Triple Crown on May 26 at 311 Motor Speedway in Pine Hall, NC.  The defending FASTRAK Triple Crown Champion Ross Bailes of Clover, SC finished second in the 311 Motor Speedway race.

The third jewel and crowning the FASTRAK Triple Crown Champion is scheduled for Saturday night, August 5 at Princeton Speedway in Princeton, WV with a 40-lap $2,000-to-win race.  On Friday night, August 4, 311 Motor Speedway will host the FASTRAK Pro Late Models for a 40-lap $2,000-to-win race.

Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at   www.fastrakracing.com and continue to follow our social media networks for the FASTRAK Racing Series.  Like and Follow our Fan Page on Facebook plus follow @FASTRAK_SE and/or @FASTRAK_MOV on Twitter to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.

OFFICIAL FINISH OF ROUND 7 AT SCREVEN MOTORSPORTS COMPLEX IN SYLVANIA, GA ON 7/22/17:

POS       STRT    CAR #   DRIVER                             HOMETOWN                   LAPS     $ WON
1.            3             42           Cla Knight                         North Augusta, SC           40           $2,000
2.            2             24n        Matthew Nance                Ronda, NC                         40           $1,000
3.            6             1n           Jordy Nipper                    Gray, GA                           40           $700
4.            7             11           David Smith                      Inman, SC                          40           $600
5.            4             J1           Joshua Bishop                   Statesboro, GA                 40           $500
6.            15           8             Ron Parker                       Belwood, NC                     40           $450
7.            10           27           Ben Faircloth                    Swainsboro, GA                              40           $400
8.            21           60           Jim Manka                        Rincon, GA                        40           $375
9.            11           R2          Ryan Davis                        Guyton, GA                       40           $350
10.          23           17g        Caleb Gay                          Dublin, GA                         40           $325
11.          16           6r           Shane Riner                       Guyton, GA                       40           $315
12.          24           121        Drew Cole                          Lavonia, GA                      40           $300
13.          20           8h           Wayne Harbin                  Sharpsburg, GA                              40           $275
14.          17           07           Kerry Gibbons                 Manning, SC                     39           $265
15.          12           55           Benji Hicks                        Mt. Airy, NC                     37           $250
16.          9             83           Jensen Ford                       Piney Flats, TN                 36           $250
17.          1             01           Travis Pennington           Stapleton, GA                   30           $250
18.          5             44           Eddie Morris                    Savannah, GA                   24           $250
19.          19           24d        Mark McLeod                  Sumter, SC                        19           $250
20.          14           20           Cole Godowns                   Louisville, GA                   9             $250
21.          8             4s           Brandon Yawn                  Springfield, GA                5             $250
22.          13           G2G      Jordan Fieder                   Springfield, GA                5             $250
23.          22           24T        Phillip Thompson             Knoxville, TN                   5             $250
24.          18           1             Brent Dixon                       Elberton, GA                     0             $0/DNS

ENTRIES:  24
FAST QUALIFIER:  Parker, 15.908 Seconds
PROVISIONALS:  None
LEAD CHANGES:  1
LAP LEADERS:  Pennington, 1-30; Knight, 31-40
LAPS LED:  Pennington, 30; Knight, 10
HARD CHARGER OF THE RACE:  Manka (started 21st and finished 8th)
ROOKIE OF THE RACE:  Thompson
CAUTIONS:  7
MARGIN OF VICTORY:  2.391 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE:  42 Minutes and 42.966 Seconds
NEXT RACE:  Saturday, July 29, Wythe Raceway, Rural Retreat, VA, 40 Laps, $3,000-to-win, $250-to-start.

GROUP QUALIFYING:

HEAT RACES – 8 LAPS:

               1ST HEAT:  1. Pennington; 2. Bishop; 3. Smith; 4. Faircloth; 5. Feider; 6. Riner; 7. McLeod; 8. Thompson.

               2ND HEAT:  1. Nance; 2. Morris; 3. Yawn; 4. Davis; 5. Godowns; 6. Gibbon; 7. Harbin; 8. Gay DQ/LT.

               3RD HEAT:  1. Knight; 2. Nipper; 3. Ford; 4. Hicks; 5. Parker; 6. Dixon; 7. Manka; 8. Cole DQ/LT.