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10-13-2019, 06:27 PM
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
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