FASTRAKPR
08-11-2015, 10:35 AM
By Wesley Outland
(Carnesville, Georgia) – Dennis “RAMBO” Franklin last visited victory lane with the FASTRAK Racing Series in October 2013 in Beckley, West Virginia taking the $15,000 World Championship. Franklin admitted that he hasn’t really worked on the “pro” late model program in a while. However Friday evening at Lavonia Speedway in Georgia he had everything fall into place for him to finally get back into Hoosier Race Tires/VP Race Fuels winner circle ending a near 2 year drought taking the 4th Annual Charlie Mize Memorial holding off local regulars Frankie Beard and Steve Lamance to be the 4th different winner in the prestigious event in honor of one of the “best” promoters that was a part of motorsports in the South.
The event would get started with VP Race for the Pole/ Carters Royal Dispose All Qualifying and the driver from Franklin, NC in the #187 David McCoy was the winner of the $100 cash prize with a lap of 16.307 seconds on the 3/8th mile besting the rest of the field. Then the night continued along in the Georgia night with a pair of three 6 lap heats to set the field for the 40 lap $2000 to win feature. RockAuto.com Heat 1 would go to Frankie Beard in his #21 entry to lock in the pole. Eventual race winner Dennis Franklin would take Hoosier Tire Heat 2 and local favorite standout #85 Steve “Hotrod” Lamance would capture Chevrolet Performance Heat 3. After a special 15 minute fireworks show for the masses of fans in attendance and driver introduction to meet the stars, the fireworks would get underway in a wild 40 lap showdown on the 3/8th mile clay oval for the FASTRAK Racing Series Southeast Touring Division’s second visit in 2015.
The race would get started with a few cars having some hiccups getting going including #121 Drew Cole and new competitor to FASTRAK making his debut at Lavonia #19 Matthew Wyatt. The front from of Beard and Franklin we’re also anxious to get going to early forcing the yellow to fly. On the initial green it was Franklin and Beard to flip flop the opening laps with Beard looking to be the man to beat. Franklin however would use the “top shelf” to his advantage and muscle by Beard. All the while local regulars McCoy, Lamance we’re in the hunt with national stars David Smith and Ron Parker amongst the top 5.
The yellow would fall a total of 4 times in the 40 lap feature all after a sequence of 10 lap green flag runs. First caution would fall on lap 4 when #19 Wyatt would loop solo in turn 1 and 2. Caution would come out again on lap 14 after a restart got jumbled up on the front stretch #18 Chris Ausburn would get the bad end of the deal going around. Caution three would fall on lap 24 with a crazy stirring sequence to follow including problems for Franklin leading. Yellow would fall for #15 Cody Pritchett at the same time before the caution Franklin and Beard we’re racing hard and intense causing sheet metal to rub in the process. Under caution Franklin would then pull to the bottom to be informed by FASTRAK official that he had a fender rubbing his tire on the right rear.
Under FASTRAK rules we cannot pull sheet metal to assist drivers, they can come into the pits, but Franklin would gamble and stay out keeping the lead. During the same caution #42 Cla Knight would break a rear end on his machine putting a close to his evening and #29 Will Beard would retire as well with mechanical issues. Before coming back to the green then Beard would stop to check to see if he had a tire or fender rub but wouldn’t give up 2nd on the restart.
The green would come back out with drivers in the top two spots Franklin and Beard gambling it all like it was “vegas in poker”. They didn’t hold off an inch racing with each other side by side, door to door until the bitter end. Another notable “eye watcher” of the evening was the fierce show inside the top 10 between current FASTRAK Southeast points leader #8 Ron Parker and March Late Model Mania winner at Lavonia, GA #2 of Greenwood, SC native Colby Cannon. These two we’re going at it all night from being paired together in hot laps, to the heat race and eventual 40 lap feature disappointing no one with the awesome performance showed.
The final yellow flag would come out again on lap 34 with six laps to the finish after debut driver #19 Matthew Wyatt would spin but come back to secure a top 10 finish in his first race with FASTRAK. On the final restart Franklin would jump out front but Beard was right there like a “coiled cobra” ready to strike. Franklin like the top but then would change lanes to the bottom, Beard liked the bottom but would shadow move Franklin by driving the topside. This would go on until the white flag when Beard drove hard into Franklin to the top in turn one then changed lanes to the bottom off turn two. The two drivers “one a national star –Franklin” and “weekly favorite – Beard” brought the crowd to their feet to decide it.
However exiting the backstretch Beard would run up the cushion and out of the groove after trying to make a final “banzai” move on Franklin coming to the checkers. The two drivers shook hands and rubbed fenders congratulating the two on the cool down lap and showing respect to eachother. For Franklin it was his first 2015 FASTRAK Touring series win and ended the drought from October 2013 where he captured the World Championship. Beard would survive running up the track to take the second spot with #85 Steve Lamance proudly representing Lavonia for 3rd. The drivers named David, MCoy and Smith rounded out the Top 5.
The FASTRAK Racing Series Southeast Touring Division will conclude the Georgia double header weekend with the return Saturday August 8th to the 5/16th mile Toccoa Raceway in Georgia for the Inaugural Stephen Wragg Memorial Race paying $2000 to the winner. Follow FASTRAK corporate website and social media for all the details throughout the race day for the event.
Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com and/or www.fastrakne.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.
FASTRAK Companies International would like to thank all of its marketing partners for their great and continuing support. Those 2015 FASTRAK sponsors include: Hoosier Race Tires, VP Race Fuels, Chevrolet Performance, Arizona Sport Shirts, Sports Media Net, Thomas Clarke Performance, Dirtwrap, Velocita USA, Indocil Art, TNT Race Cars, Rocket Chassis and RockAuto.com to our line-up of product sponsors. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the “Nations First, Premier and Most Prestigious Pro Late Model Series in the Country” please contact Founder Stan Lester at the FASTRAK Corporate Office at (678) 935-7304 Extension #1.
(Carnesville, Georgia) – Dennis “RAMBO” Franklin last visited victory lane with the FASTRAK Racing Series in October 2013 in Beckley, West Virginia taking the $15,000 World Championship. Franklin admitted that he hasn’t really worked on the “pro” late model program in a while. However Friday evening at Lavonia Speedway in Georgia he had everything fall into place for him to finally get back into Hoosier Race Tires/VP Race Fuels winner circle ending a near 2 year drought taking the 4th Annual Charlie Mize Memorial holding off local regulars Frankie Beard and Steve Lamance to be the 4th different winner in the prestigious event in honor of one of the “best” promoters that was a part of motorsports in the South.
The event would get started with VP Race for the Pole/ Carters Royal Dispose All Qualifying and the driver from Franklin, NC in the #187 David McCoy was the winner of the $100 cash prize with a lap of 16.307 seconds on the 3/8th mile besting the rest of the field. Then the night continued along in the Georgia night with a pair of three 6 lap heats to set the field for the 40 lap $2000 to win feature. RockAuto.com Heat 1 would go to Frankie Beard in his #21 entry to lock in the pole. Eventual race winner Dennis Franklin would take Hoosier Tire Heat 2 and local favorite standout #85 Steve “Hotrod” Lamance would capture Chevrolet Performance Heat 3. After a special 15 minute fireworks show for the masses of fans in attendance and driver introduction to meet the stars, the fireworks would get underway in a wild 40 lap showdown on the 3/8th mile clay oval for the FASTRAK Racing Series Southeast Touring Division’s second visit in 2015.
The race would get started with a few cars having some hiccups getting going including #121 Drew Cole and new competitor to FASTRAK making his debut at Lavonia #19 Matthew Wyatt. The front from of Beard and Franklin we’re also anxious to get going to early forcing the yellow to fly. On the initial green it was Franklin and Beard to flip flop the opening laps with Beard looking to be the man to beat. Franklin however would use the “top shelf” to his advantage and muscle by Beard. All the while local regulars McCoy, Lamance we’re in the hunt with national stars David Smith and Ron Parker amongst the top 5.
The yellow would fall a total of 4 times in the 40 lap feature all after a sequence of 10 lap green flag runs. First caution would fall on lap 4 when #19 Wyatt would loop solo in turn 1 and 2. Caution would come out again on lap 14 after a restart got jumbled up on the front stretch #18 Chris Ausburn would get the bad end of the deal going around. Caution three would fall on lap 24 with a crazy stirring sequence to follow including problems for Franklin leading. Yellow would fall for #15 Cody Pritchett at the same time before the caution Franklin and Beard we’re racing hard and intense causing sheet metal to rub in the process. Under caution Franklin would then pull to the bottom to be informed by FASTRAK official that he had a fender rubbing his tire on the right rear.
Under FASTRAK rules we cannot pull sheet metal to assist drivers, they can come into the pits, but Franklin would gamble and stay out keeping the lead. During the same caution #42 Cla Knight would break a rear end on his machine putting a close to his evening and #29 Will Beard would retire as well with mechanical issues. Before coming back to the green then Beard would stop to check to see if he had a tire or fender rub but wouldn’t give up 2nd on the restart.
The green would come back out with drivers in the top two spots Franklin and Beard gambling it all like it was “vegas in poker”. They didn’t hold off an inch racing with each other side by side, door to door until the bitter end. Another notable “eye watcher” of the evening was the fierce show inside the top 10 between current FASTRAK Southeast points leader #8 Ron Parker and March Late Model Mania winner at Lavonia, GA #2 of Greenwood, SC native Colby Cannon. These two we’re going at it all night from being paired together in hot laps, to the heat race and eventual 40 lap feature disappointing no one with the awesome performance showed.
The final yellow flag would come out again on lap 34 with six laps to the finish after debut driver #19 Matthew Wyatt would spin but come back to secure a top 10 finish in his first race with FASTRAK. On the final restart Franklin would jump out front but Beard was right there like a “coiled cobra” ready to strike. Franklin like the top but then would change lanes to the bottom, Beard liked the bottom but would shadow move Franklin by driving the topside. This would go on until the white flag when Beard drove hard into Franklin to the top in turn one then changed lanes to the bottom off turn two. The two drivers “one a national star –Franklin” and “weekly favorite – Beard” brought the crowd to their feet to decide it.
However exiting the backstretch Beard would run up the cushion and out of the groove after trying to make a final “banzai” move on Franklin coming to the checkers. The two drivers shook hands and rubbed fenders congratulating the two on the cool down lap and showing respect to eachother. For Franklin it was his first 2015 FASTRAK Touring series win and ended the drought from October 2013 where he captured the World Championship. Beard would survive running up the track to take the second spot with #85 Steve Lamance proudly representing Lavonia for 3rd. The drivers named David, MCoy and Smith rounded out the Top 5.
The FASTRAK Racing Series Southeast Touring Division will conclude the Georgia double header weekend with the return Saturday August 8th to the 5/16th mile Toccoa Raceway in Georgia for the Inaugural Stephen Wragg Memorial Race paying $2000 to the winner. Follow FASTRAK corporate website and social media for all the details throughout the race day for the event.
Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com and/or www.fastrakne.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.
FASTRAK Companies International would like to thank all of its marketing partners for their great and continuing support. Those 2015 FASTRAK sponsors include: Hoosier Race Tires, VP Race Fuels, Chevrolet Performance, Arizona Sport Shirts, Sports Media Net, Thomas Clarke Performance, Dirtwrap, Velocita USA, Indocil Art, TNT Race Cars, Rocket Chassis and RockAuto.com to our line-up of product sponsors. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the “Nations First, Premier and Most Prestigious Pro Late Model Series in the Country” please contact Founder Stan Lester at the FASTRAK Corporate Office at (678) 935-7304 Extension #1.