R-W
09-11-2011, 08:20 AM
Cook knocks out competition for Volunteer Speedway ‘Tennessee vs. Carolina Brawl’ Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series $5,000 victory
By Robert Walden
Volunteer Speedway Media/Public Relations
BULLS GAP, Tenn. (Sept. 10) — With the feel of fall in the air around East Tennessee on Saturday night, Volunteer Speedway hosted round two of the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series “Tennessee vs. Carolina Brawl – Saturday Night Fight @ The Gap.”
Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C., proved to be the ultimate warrior as he knocked out the competition by first, setting fast-time at 12.385 seconds and then secondly, leading all 60 laps to record the $5,000 victory and capturing the impressive championship title belt.
Cook bolted out of the gate at drop of the green, taking the lead over 15-year-old Zack Mitchell, Ross Bailes, Mark Douglas and Jonathan Davenport. With Cook setting a blistering pace out front leading the 24-car field around the high-banked, 4/10-mile oval, the first caution waved on lap 8 when series points leader Luke Roffers and Jay Sessoms tangled on the front straightaway about the start-finish line and spun down against the inside wall.
Following the restart, Cook once again began to put some distance between himself and his closest challengers – Mitchell, Bailes, Douglas and Davenport. Cook caught the tail of the field and was faced with working lapped traffic on lap 20, but the veteran chauffeur maneuvered his way past cars with the skills of a surgeon.
Chad Ogle was having a strong run in sixth, riding on Davenport’s rear bumper. Just back behind Ogle, Johnny Pursley, Ricky Weeks, Kennie Compton Jr., Tim Allen, Dennis Franklin, Dustin Mitchell, Jeff Maupin and Brett Miller were all battling for real estate. After Maupin had just gotten around Miller for 13th-place on lap 21 between turns three and four, on lap 23 racing into the first turn Maupin attempted a slide job under Dustin Mitchell – but instead contact was made and Maupin spun between turns one and two to bring the caution out.
Back under green for just three circuits, on lap 26 fourth-running Douglas saw his night come to a disappointing end when he got high between (turns) one and two and hit the wall. Then on lap 29 the caution waved once again when Travis Yow spun.
Cook brought the field back up to speed and glued to his rear bumper was Davenport, who had gotten around both Bailes and Zack Mitchell for positions. The chilled grandstand crowd was hoping to see a battle up front between Cook and Davenport for the lead, but Cook put a quick end to those thoughts as he left Davenport and Bailes to duel for the runner-up spot.
With the race running “clean-and-green” for the entire second half of the 60-lapper, Cook continued to build on his advantage. While Cook was in command out front, he did encounter a few tense moments late in the race when negotiating lapped traffic just 10 circuits from the finish. That briefly allowed Davenport and Bailes to close within four car lengths of the leader.
But once the “Tarheel Tiger” Cook cleanly worked his way around the slower cars, he pulled back comfortably ahead of Davenport and Bailes. Lapped traffic played out favorably for Bailes as he was able to overtake Davenport to move into second-place.
However, the 39-year-old Cook completed a dominant flag-to-flag run to the $5,000 victory driving the Rockstar Energy Drink/Makita Industrial Power Tools/Hicks & Ingle Co./Race Engine Design/D&R Motorsports/PPM Racing Products/VP Racing Fuels/Performance Rod & Custom/K&N Filters/A+ Moving & Storage Co/James Cook Construction/JB Performance/Bill Elliott Racing/Real Racing Wheels/Integra Racing Shocks/Stealth Racing Carburetors/Demon Carburetion/Schaeffer’s Specialized Lubricants/American Racer Tires/Peterson Fluid Systems/Bert Transmission/Sweet Mfg./MSD Ignition/Wiles Racing Driveshafts/Scott Performance Wire/FK Rod Ends/T&D Machine Products/Wilwood Disc Brakes/GW Performance/ISC Racers Tape/Brodix Cylinder Heads/Chizmark & Larson Insurance Agency/Delph Communications/Frankland Racing Supply/Eibach Springs/Daniel Built Racing Starters/Turbo Start Batteries/MasterSbilt Race Cars No. 53 ride. Cook was chased to the checkers by Bailes, Davenport, Ogle and Zack Mitchell.
Compton, Miller, Pursley, Franklin and Weeks completed the top 10 finishers. Jeff Smith finished 11th, the last car on the lead lap.
By Robert Walden
Volunteer Speedway Media/Public Relations
BULLS GAP, Tenn. (Sept. 10) — With the feel of fall in the air around East Tennessee on Saturday night, Volunteer Speedway hosted round two of the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series “Tennessee vs. Carolina Brawl – Saturday Night Fight @ The Gap.”
Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C., proved to be the ultimate warrior as he knocked out the competition by first, setting fast-time at 12.385 seconds and then secondly, leading all 60 laps to record the $5,000 victory and capturing the impressive championship title belt.
Cook bolted out of the gate at drop of the green, taking the lead over 15-year-old Zack Mitchell, Ross Bailes, Mark Douglas and Jonathan Davenport. With Cook setting a blistering pace out front leading the 24-car field around the high-banked, 4/10-mile oval, the first caution waved on lap 8 when series points leader Luke Roffers and Jay Sessoms tangled on the front straightaway about the start-finish line and spun down against the inside wall.
Following the restart, Cook once again began to put some distance between himself and his closest challengers – Mitchell, Bailes, Douglas and Davenport. Cook caught the tail of the field and was faced with working lapped traffic on lap 20, but the veteran chauffeur maneuvered his way past cars with the skills of a surgeon.
Chad Ogle was having a strong run in sixth, riding on Davenport’s rear bumper. Just back behind Ogle, Johnny Pursley, Ricky Weeks, Kennie Compton Jr., Tim Allen, Dennis Franklin, Dustin Mitchell, Jeff Maupin and Brett Miller were all battling for real estate. After Maupin had just gotten around Miller for 13th-place on lap 21 between turns three and four, on lap 23 racing into the first turn Maupin attempted a slide job under Dustin Mitchell – but instead contact was made and Maupin spun between turns one and two to bring the caution out.
Back under green for just three circuits, on lap 26 fourth-running Douglas saw his night come to a disappointing end when he got high between (turns) one and two and hit the wall. Then on lap 29 the caution waved once again when Travis Yow spun.
Cook brought the field back up to speed and glued to his rear bumper was Davenport, who had gotten around both Bailes and Zack Mitchell for positions. The chilled grandstand crowd was hoping to see a battle up front between Cook and Davenport for the lead, but Cook put a quick end to those thoughts as he left Davenport and Bailes to duel for the runner-up spot.
With the race running “clean-and-green” for the entire second half of the 60-lapper, Cook continued to build on his advantage. While Cook was in command out front, he did encounter a few tense moments late in the race when negotiating lapped traffic just 10 circuits from the finish. That briefly allowed Davenport and Bailes to close within four car lengths of the leader.
But once the “Tarheel Tiger” Cook cleanly worked his way around the slower cars, he pulled back comfortably ahead of Davenport and Bailes. Lapped traffic played out favorably for Bailes as he was able to overtake Davenport to move into second-place.
However, the 39-year-old Cook completed a dominant flag-to-flag run to the $5,000 victory driving the Rockstar Energy Drink/Makita Industrial Power Tools/Hicks & Ingle Co./Race Engine Design/D&R Motorsports/PPM Racing Products/VP Racing Fuels/Performance Rod & Custom/K&N Filters/A+ Moving & Storage Co/James Cook Construction/JB Performance/Bill Elliott Racing/Real Racing Wheels/Integra Racing Shocks/Stealth Racing Carburetors/Demon Carburetion/Schaeffer’s Specialized Lubricants/American Racer Tires/Peterson Fluid Systems/Bert Transmission/Sweet Mfg./MSD Ignition/Wiles Racing Driveshafts/Scott Performance Wire/FK Rod Ends/T&D Machine Products/Wilwood Disc Brakes/GW Performance/ISC Racers Tape/Brodix Cylinder Heads/Chizmark & Larson Insurance Agency/Delph Communications/Frankland Racing Supply/Eibach Springs/Daniel Built Racing Starters/Turbo Start Batteries/MasterSbilt Race Cars No. 53 ride. Cook was chased to the checkers by Bailes, Davenport, Ogle and Zack Mitchell.
Compton, Miller, Pursley, Franklin and Weeks completed the top 10 finishers. Jeff Smith finished 11th, the last car on the lead lap.