kadams1991
04-03-2011, 09:13 AM
MIKE HEAD NABS SEASON OPENER AT NEW SENOIA RACEWAY
By Katherine Adams
April 2, 2011 (Senoia, GA) Legendary short track driver, Mike Head of Ellenwood, capped the season opening event at New Senoia Raceway with a return to victory lane in the Mike Wheeler’s Automotive & Transmission Late Model division. The former track champion joined opening night winners Russ Ogletree in the Crown Security Crate Late Models, Scott Sherrer in the Summit Racing Supplies Hobby Stock, Brand Lewis in the Newnan Bonding B-Cadets and Matt Black in the Mini Stocks.
The second season of racing under the direction of Tim and Tony Moses opened with a nearly full grandstand cheering on the former champion Mike Head in the Mike Wheelers Automotive & Transmission Late Model feature. Head won a number of races including seventeen during the 1984 season at New Senoia Raceway, but this one came against some strong current competition including hot shoe Oliver Gentry of Newnan. Gentry led the 25-lap main event until lap 18 when he dropped to the inside of the front stretch losing power. That was all Head needed as he then cruised to the victory.
“This track has so much history,” said Mike Head in victory lane. “Leon Archer, Roscoe Smith, Charlie and Mike Bagwell. This win is for the guys who made this place what it is.”
Phenix City, AL, driver Russ Ogletree led every single lap of a caution filled 25-lap main event for the Crown Security Late Model division. The race was slowed by three attempts to initially start the race including a wild wreck that saw Eddie Terry flip his Chevrolet after climbing the turn one wall. Ogletree held off a late race charge by Columbus’ Randy Hester and Grantville’s Doug Ludwig to pick up the opening night laurels.
“This track is known for needing to start up front to finish up front,” said Ogletree in victory lane. “I am glad we did not have to be included in all the wrecks.”
The Summit Racing Supplies Hobby Stock division did not disappoint the enthusiastic race fans. Last year’s dominator, Scott Sherrer of Newnan, grabbed the early lead but had to visit the pit area after cutting a tire during a scrap with second place runner Clifton Moran of Carrollton. Moran inherited the lead on the restart, but spun his Chevy in turn four on lap 7 forcing him to the tail of another restart. Franklin’s Gary Brand was the next man to have the lead position and he held the point until Sherrer charged up through the field to take back the lead on lap 14. Moran also charged back to the number two position and was looking to retake the lead from Sherrer on the last lap when Sherrer got caught up with the lapped car of Kerry Carden forcing the final caution of the race. Sherrer held off one final charge on the outside by Moran to nab the feature victory.
“That was a wild one,” said Sherrer afterwards. “Moran was strong and it was a good race with him. We got this one and we will take it.”
Douglasville’s Matt Black battled with Newnan’s Dusty Jones for the top spot in the Mini Stocks for the first half of the race before Bo Chambers, Dorough Bright and Gary Parker joined the fray. Chambers worked his way to second despite issues with the power plant of his Ford Mustang. Black would hold off Chambers over the final two circuits as Chambers Mustang shot fire out of the headers. Black would win the first race of the season for the Mini Stocks, Chambers would come home second ahead of Bright and Parker.
In the Newnan Bonding B-Cadet main event, Brand Lewis of Hamilton led flag to flag en route to his first feature victory at New Senoia Raceway. Lewis was challenged early by Union City’s Billy Bright, Jr., but Bright’s car blew an engine on lap nine allowing Lewis to cruise to victory.
New Senoia Raceway cranks back up this Saturday, April 9th with the ‘Spring Fling’ 40-lap feature for the Mike Wheelers Automotive & Transmission Late Model division. The special event will pay a purse of $2000 to the main event winner. The Crown Security Late Models, Summit Racing Supplies Hobby Stocks, Newnan Bonding B-Cadets and Mini Stocks will also be on the racing card. Plus, the track will host a Kid’s Candy Scramble where kids of all ages will be invited to snag as much free candy as their pockets can hold during the track’s intermission.
The pit gates open at 5:00pm Saturday. The grandstands open at 6:00pm. Hot laps begin just after 7:00pm with racing set to go green at 8:00pm. Grandstand admission is $12 for general admission, $5 for children (under 55 inches tall) while five and under are free.
For additional information on New Senoia Raceway, visit the speedway website at www.newsenoiaraceway.com, join their family of friends on Facebook or call the speedway at 770-599-6161.
New Senoia Raceway results from April 2, 2011
Mike Wheelers Automotive & Transmission Late Models
Feature Finish: 1-Mike Head, Ellenwood 2-Shane Criswell, Bowden 3-Glenn Morris, Fayetteville 4-Scott Duffey, Newnan 5-Thomas Mewborn, Greenville 6-Oliver Gentry, Newnan 7-Daniel Goodman, Senoia DNS-Rucker Orr, Newnan; David Burton, Fayetteville Fast Qualifier: Gentry
Crown Security Crate Late Models
Feature Finish: 1-Russ Ogletree, Phenix City, AL 2-Randy Hester, Columbus 3-Doug Ludwig, Grantville 4-Thomas Lewis, Hamilton 5-Doug Stevens, Griffin 6-Tim Bright, Jr., Waco 7-Craig Scott, Newnan 8-Parrish Duncan, Newnan 9-Marty Lunsford, Newnan 10-Trey White, Jenkinsburg 11-Eddie Terry DNS-Troy Tyson, Fayetteville Fast Qualifier: Ogletree
Summit Racing Supplies Hobby Stocks
Feature Finish: 1-Scott Sherrer, Newnan 2-Clifton Moran, Carrollton 3-Kip Stanfill 4-Eddie Albriton, Barnesvile 5-John Landrum, Jackson 6-Billy Brown, Loganville 7-Kerry Carden, Brooks 8-Randy Futral, Covington 9-Todd Hatchett, Concord 10-Russell Frost, Jackson 11-Mike Jenkins, Brooks 12-Ricky Garland, Newnan DQ-Gary Brand, Franklin (light at scales) Heat race winners: Sherrer & Brand
Newnan Bonding B-Cadets
Feature Finish: 1-Brand Lewis, Hamilton 2-Lee Trayler, LaGrange 3-Charlie Garrett, West Point 4-Jay Conner, Gay 5-TJ Joiner, Lithia Springs 6-Johnny Stinchcomb, Hapeville 7-Billy Bright, Jr., Union City DNS-Buck Williams, Watkinsville
Mini Stocks
Feature Finish: 1-Matt Black, Douglasville 2-Bo Chambers, Griffin 3-Dorough Bright, Whitesburg 4-Gary Parker, Barnesville 5-Michael Crawford, Thomaston 6-Robbie Scardon, Senoia 7-Dusty Jones 8-Joshua Blume, Sharpsburg 9-Marcus Snead, Grffin
By Katherine Adams
April 2, 2011 (Senoia, GA) Legendary short track driver, Mike Head of Ellenwood, capped the season opening event at New Senoia Raceway with a return to victory lane in the Mike Wheeler’s Automotive & Transmission Late Model division. The former track champion joined opening night winners Russ Ogletree in the Crown Security Crate Late Models, Scott Sherrer in the Summit Racing Supplies Hobby Stock, Brand Lewis in the Newnan Bonding B-Cadets and Matt Black in the Mini Stocks.
The second season of racing under the direction of Tim and Tony Moses opened with a nearly full grandstand cheering on the former champion Mike Head in the Mike Wheelers Automotive & Transmission Late Model feature. Head won a number of races including seventeen during the 1984 season at New Senoia Raceway, but this one came against some strong current competition including hot shoe Oliver Gentry of Newnan. Gentry led the 25-lap main event until lap 18 when he dropped to the inside of the front stretch losing power. That was all Head needed as he then cruised to the victory.
“This track has so much history,” said Mike Head in victory lane. “Leon Archer, Roscoe Smith, Charlie and Mike Bagwell. This win is for the guys who made this place what it is.”
Phenix City, AL, driver Russ Ogletree led every single lap of a caution filled 25-lap main event for the Crown Security Late Model division. The race was slowed by three attempts to initially start the race including a wild wreck that saw Eddie Terry flip his Chevrolet after climbing the turn one wall. Ogletree held off a late race charge by Columbus’ Randy Hester and Grantville’s Doug Ludwig to pick up the opening night laurels.
“This track is known for needing to start up front to finish up front,” said Ogletree in victory lane. “I am glad we did not have to be included in all the wrecks.”
The Summit Racing Supplies Hobby Stock division did not disappoint the enthusiastic race fans. Last year’s dominator, Scott Sherrer of Newnan, grabbed the early lead but had to visit the pit area after cutting a tire during a scrap with second place runner Clifton Moran of Carrollton. Moran inherited the lead on the restart, but spun his Chevy in turn four on lap 7 forcing him to the tail of another restart. Franklin’s Gary Brand was the next man to have the lead position and he held the point until Sherrer charged up through the field to take back the lead on lap 14. Moran also charged back to the number two position and was looking to retake the lead from Sherrer on the last lap when Sherrer got caught up with the lapped car of Kerry Carden forcing the final caution of the race. Sherrer held off one final charge on the outside by Moran to nab the feature victory.
“That was a wild one,” said Sherrer afterwards. “Moran was strong and it was a good race with him. We got this one and we will take it.”
Douglasville’s Matt Black battled with Newnan’s Dusty Jones for the top spot in the Mini Stocks for the first half of the race before Bo Chambers, Dorough Bright and Gary Parker joined the fray. Chambers worked his way to second despite issues with the power plant of his Ford Mustang. Black would hold off Chambers over the final two circuits as Chambers Mustang shot fire out of the headers. Black would win the first race of the season for the Mini Stocks, Chambers would come home second ahead of Bright and Parker.
In the Newnan Bonding B-Cadet main event, Brand Lewis of Hamilton led flag to flag en route to his first feature victory at New Senoia Raceway. Lewis was challenged early by Union City’s Billy Bright, Jr., but Bright’s car blew an engine on lap nine allowing Lewis to cruise to victory.
New Senoia Raceway cranks back up this Saturday, April 9th with the ‘Spring Fling’ 40-lap feature for the Mike Wheelers Automotive & Transmission Late Model division. The special event will pay a purse of $2000 to the main event winner. The Crown Security Late Models, Summit Racing Supplies Hobby Stocks, Newnan Bonding B-Cadets and Mini Stocks will also be on the racing card. Plus, the track will host a Kid’s Candy Scramble where kids of all ages will be invited to snag as much free candy as their pockets can hold during the track’s intermission.
The pit gates open at 5:00pm Saturday. The grandstands open at 6:00pm. Hot laps begin just after 7:00pm with racing set to go green at 8:00pm. Grandstand admission is $12 for general admission, $5 for children (under 55 inches tall) while five and under are free.
For additional information on New Senoia Raceway, visit the speedway website at www.newsenoiaraceway.com, join their family of friends on Facebook or call the speedway at 770-599-6161.
New Senoia Raceway results from April 2, 2011
Mike Wheelers Automotive & Transmission Late Models
Feature Finish: 1-Mike Head, Ellenwood 2-Shane Criswell, Bowden 3-Glenn Morris, Fayetteville 4-Scott Duffey, Newnan 5-Thomas Mewborn, Greenville 6-Oliver Gentry, Newnan 7-Daniel Goodman, Senoia DNS-Rucker Orr, Newnan; David Burton, Fayetteville Fast Qualifier: Gentry
Crown Security Crate Late Models
Feature Finish: 1-Russ Ogletree, Phenix City, AL 2-Randy Hester, Columbus 3-Doug Ludwig, Grantville 4-Thomas Lewis, Hamilton 5-Doug Stevens, Griffin 6-Tim Bright, Jr., Waco 7-Craig Scott, Newnan 8-Parrish Duncan, Newnan 9-Marty Lunsford, Newnan 10-Trey White, Jenkinsburg 11-Eddie Terry DNS-Troy Tyson, Fayetteville Fast Qualifier: Ogletree
Summit Racing Supplies Hobby Stocks
Feature Finish: 1-Scott Sherrer, Newnan 2-Clifton Moran, Carrollton 3-Kip Stanfill 4-Eddie Albriton, Barnesvile 5-John Landrum, Jackson 6-Billy Brown, Loganville 7-Kerry Carden, Brooks 8-Randy Futral, Covington 9-Todd Hatchett, Concord 10-Russell Frost, Jackson 11-Mike Jenkins, Brooks 12-Ricky Garland, Newnan DQ-Gary Brand, Franklin (light at scales) Heat race winners: Sherrer & Brand
Newnan Bonding B-Cadets
Feature Finish: 1-Brand Lewis, Hamilton 2-Lee Trayler, LaGrange 3-Charlie Garrett, West Point 4-Jay Conner, Gay 5-TJ Joiner, Lithia Springs 6-Johnny Stinchcomb, Hapeville 7-Billy Bright, Jr., Union City DNS-Buck Williams, Watkinsville
Mini Stocks
Feature Finish: 1-Matt Black, Douglasville 2-Bo Chambers, Griffin 3-Dorough Bright, Whitesburg 4-Gary Parker, Barnesville 5-Michael Crawford, Thomaston 6-Robbie Scardon, Senoia 7-Dusty Jones 8-Joshua Blume, Sharpsburg 9-Marcus Snead, Grffin