Hill pockets $5,000 for 'Showdown @ The Gap' Ultimate Super Late Model victory

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Hill leads flag-to-flag for $5,000 Volunteer Speedway ‘Showdown @ The Gap 50’ Ultimate Super Late Model Series victory

By Robert Walden
Volunteer Speedway Media/Public Relations

BULLS GAP, Tenn. (June 9) — The Ultimate Super Late Model Series made its second visit this season to Volunteer Speedway for running of the $5,000-to-win Showdown @ The Gap 50. Vic Hill of Morristown started from the pole position and launched into a lead he would never relinquish on the opening lap en route to capturing his third consecutive series victory.

Hill paced the 26-car field in VP Race Fuels time trials with a fast-lap of 12.261-seconds, with Billy Ogle Jr. second quickest.

Hill smashed the loud pedal off the fourth turn with waving of the green flag on the Showdown @ The Gap 50 to grab the lead over Riley Hickman and Stacy Boles, who both used strong starts to get around Billy Ogle when he got out of shape as they raced off turn two down the backstretch, with Jeff Maupin riding in fifth behind Billy Ogle completing the opening lap.

Hill was clearly the dominant car as he quickly began to put distance between himself and his closest challengers. The only thing slowing Hill in the early going was minor cautions when Tim Allen slowed with a flat tire and Mark Vineyard looped his mount in turn two on lap 13.

The event’s only major incident occurred on lap 25, when Tyler King suddenly slowed down the backstretch leaving a hard-on-the-throttle Josh Henry with nowhere to go. Henry attempted to avoid King, but his car violently slammed into the outside wall near the turn three exit gate, sustaining extensive damage.

Back under green, Hill led Billy Ogle, Hickman, Boles and Maupin. Hill once again began to pull away out front, while just outside the top-five in the running order Chad Ogle, Casey Roberts, Casey Barrow, Mark Douglas, Mike Weeks and Brett Miller were mixing it up around the high banks.

With 10 laps remaining, Hill, driving the Landair Transport Inc./Pilot Travel Centers/Preferred Sandblasting & Painting/Outlaw Race Parts/The Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky/American Racing Tire South/Vic Hill Race Engines/Peterson Fluid Systems/VP Racing Fuels/CP Pistons/Sweet Mfg./Manley Performance/Braswell Carburetors/Dart Blocks/Comp Cams/MSD Ignition/CV Racing Products/Jesel/Edelbrock/Dyers Top Rods/Bert Transmission/Total Control Suspension/Fastlane Signs & Graphics/Warrior Race Cars/No. 1 Chevrolet Impala, was in control out front with a comfortable lead over Billy Ogle.

Chad Ogle, running in sixth on lap 43, moved up high in the banking to in a two-lap stretch to ride around the outside to overtake Boles, Maupin and Hickman to move into third behind Billy Ogle. But there would be no denying Hill, a five-time Volunteer Speedway Super Late Model champion, the $5,000 Showdown @ The Gap 50 Ultimate Super Late Model Series victory. Chasing Hill to the checkers were Billy Ogle, Chad Ogle, Hickman and Maupin

Completing the top-10 finishers were Boles, Roberts, Weeks, Miller and David Watts.

“No doubt about it, we’re definitely on roll right now with this being our third consecutive Ultimate Super Late Model Series touring win,” said Hill back at his hauler in the pits following the victory lane ceremonies. “It’s always awesome to win here at Volunteer Speedway in front of these home-track fans. We’ve really got this Warrior Race Car working great anywhere we show up. We were fast when we unloaded for practice tonight, and backed it up with the pole and then led flag-to-flag in the race. Counting tonight, over the past three Ultimate races we’ve ran we have three fast-times in qualifying and three start-to-finish victories. We’ve led 140 straight laps. We set a new track record in qualifying last weekend up at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va., as we were the first car to ever get in the 15’s up there at that big half-mile.

“I want to thank my crew chief Shawn Gage for all of his hard work back at the shop during the week and on race night, along with Jordan Casey for all he does, plus my wife Christa Hill for all of her support and helping run the race engine (Vic Hill Race Engines) business. And none of this would be possible without the support of all the sponsors. We’ve just really got a great deal going on right now. Running strong and winning races, that’s what it’s all about.”

Jensen Ford of Piney Flats ran 13.334 to earn pole for the 30-lap Fastrak Racing Series-sanctioned Pro Late Model feature. Ford and Adam Beeler brought the 21-car field to green from the front row, with Ford jumping out into the lead over Beeler, Mike Smith, John Tweed and Bobby Mays.

The first caution waved while working the second lap, when Cody Brake, Dennis Stiles and Richard Adkins tangled exiting turn two on the backstretch. The race was over for both Stiles and Brake with damaged rides.

Back under green Ford and Beeler began to put a little distance between themselves and Smith, Tweed and Mays. The front-runners began lapping cars running at rear of the field at the 10-lap mark. With Beeler pressuring Ford for the point, riding on his rear bumper, on lap 15 as they raced off the fourth turn Ford made contact with Greg Burchett, sending Burchett spinning to bring the caution out.

Beeler was ruled to have been leading Ford at the scoring loop and on the restart was placed out front leading. With Ford riding in Beeler’s rearview mirror, shadowing his every move back up to speed, racing down the backstretch into the third turn on lap 20, Ford got to the inside of Beeler and as they raced off turn four he powered into the lead.

Just behind Ford and Beeler, Tweed tried the outside to get around Smith but his car got loose and he almost collected both Smith and the outside concrete wall. While they reeled their mounts back in, Mays made a daring move to overtake both and jump from fifth in the running order into the third spot.

Over the final 10 circuits, Ford, driving the Williams II Racing/AFCO Silver Advantage/Envy Suspension & Race Consultants/Hy-Tec Specialty Coatings/Sweet Mfg./FK Rod Ends/Wilwood Disc Brakes/QuickCar Racing Products/Simpson/Twisted Roofs/Primetime Designs Race Car Decals & Body Wraps/TNT Race Cars & Parts/No. 83 Chevrolet Camaro, cruised to his first victory of the season over Mays, Smith, Dale Ball and Beeler, who faded to fifth-place.

Completing the top-10 finishers were Tim Byrd, Andy Ogle, John Harrell, Ricky Moore and Doug Price.

Jamie Whitt of Wise, Va., captured his division-leading fourth Modified Hobby feature win the hard way. Whitt led the first seven circuits before slowing with a flat right-front tire between turns one and two bringing out the caution, which moved Ray Jarnigan to the point for the restart.

Racing off the second corner on lap 9, Jon Cook passed Jarnigan to assume the lead which he held until unlucky lap 13, when he slowed with a flat tire, thus moving Jarnigan back out front. While Jarnigan was showing the way out front over Dennis Metcalf, Whitt was charging back towards the front, moving into third in the running order on lap 16.

Whitt got around Metcalf for second on lap 17, and on the final lap Whitt drove the B&D Repair/Baldwin Filters/Iron Horse Race Cars/No. 1 Chevrolet Monte Carlo past Jarnigan and held on for the victory. Finishing behind Whitt and Jarnigan were Metcalf, Charlie Bates and Terry Dean.

Tyler James of Cosby, driving the Dave’s Roofing/Lane’s Market/West Haven Speed Equipment/No. 420 ride, recorded his second Open Wheel Modified victory over Josh Driskill, Jeff Akard, Mack McCarter and Tony Spoon.

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VOLUNTEER SPEEDWAY – ULTIMATE SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES – $5,000-TO-WIN “SHOWDOWN @ THE GAP 50” – JUNE 9, 2012

Showing Finish Position, Starting Position In Parentheses, Driver Name, Car Number, Hometown

1. (1) Vic Hill #1-Morristown, TN
2. (2) Billy Ogle Jr. #201-Knoxville, TN
3. (7) Chad Ogle #10-Sevierville, TN
4. (3) Riley Hickman #R1-Chattanooga, TN
5. (5) Jeff Maupin #0-Greeneville, TN
6. (4) Stacy Boles #11B-Clinton, TN
7. (8) Casey Roberts #101-Toccoa, GA
8. (22) Mike Weeks #22-Friendsville, TN
9. (13) Brett Miller #47-Greeneville, TN
10. (19) David Watts #04-Buchanan, VA
11. (9) Casey Barrow #98-Savannah, GA
12. (20) Daniel Baggerly #16-Rural Retreat, VA
13. (11) Rick Rogers #88-Knoxville, TN
14. (23) Jeff Franklin #j12-Ten Mile, TN
15. (25) Heath Alvey #7-Dandridge, TN
16. (17) Mark Vineyard #4-Powell, TN
17. (21) Bryan Hendrix #5-Knoxville, TN
18. (12) Mark Douglas #52D-Knoxville, TN
19. (15) Josh Henry #B00-Newport, TN
20. (6) Zack Mitchell #57-Enoree, SC
21. (24) Tyler King #16-Hindman, KY
22. (16) Aaron Ridley #81-Chatsworth, GA
23. (10) Tim Allen #17-Kannapolis, NC
24. (14) Terry Wolfenbarger #14-Powell, TN
25. (18) Jensen Ford #25-Piney Flats, TN

Did Not Start: Sammie Russell #F4-Madisonville, TN

PRO LATE MODEL (30 laps)

1) Jensen Ford #83; 2) Bobby Mays #19; 3) Mike Smith #4; 4) Dale Ball #2; 5) Adam Beeler #66; 6) Tim Byrd #24; 7) Andy Ogle #68; 8) John Harrell #H19; 9) Ricky Moore #75; 10) Doug Price #p4; 11) Wes Johnson #57j; 12) Richard Adkins #73; 13) Tim Maupin #T2; 14) John Tweed #5; 15) Todd Brooks #T1; 16) Vic Chandler #88; 17) Greg Burchett #5g; 18) Tyler Dixon #00; 19) Cody Brake #586; 20) Dennis Stiles #00s; 21) Mack McCarter #51

MODIFIED HOBBY (20 laps)

1) Jamie Whitt #1; 2) Ray Jarnigan #77; 3) Dennis Metcalf #55; 4) Charlie Bates #27; 5) Terry Dean #47; 6) Jesse Wilder #79; 7) Shorty Ledford #41; 8) Kimberly Allen #15; 9) Kaleb Trent #3; 10) Jon Cook #0z; 11) Chris Gregg #73; 12) Dale Reed #52; 13) Mike Kelley #8; 14) Tyler Smith #32

OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED (15 laps)

1) Tyler James #420; 2) Josh Driskill #D00; 3) Jeff Akard #00; 4) Mack McCarter #10; 5) Tony Spoon #07

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Contact info for the Ultimate Super Late Model Series, Fastrak Racing Series and Volunteer Speedway is below:

Ultimate Super Late Model Series/Fastrak Racing Series Office: (678) 935-7304 www.FastrakRacing.com
Stan Lester – Ultimate Super Late Model Series/Fastrak Racing Series Owner/CEO: (706) 244-2732

Kelley Carlton – Ultimate Super Late Model Series Director: (864) 871-1442 kelcarms@gmail.com
Ultimate Super Late Model Series: www.UltimateSupers.com

Volunteer Speedway (Recording Only): (423) 235-5020 www.VolunteerSpeedway.com
Track Office – Weekdays Only 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.: (423) 378-5942
Phyllis Loven (Track Owner): (423) 676-9081
Robert Walden – Media/Public Relations: (423) 928-9644
Karen Tunnell – Marketing Director: (276) 393-9594
Robbie Williams – Race Director: (423) 483-4055