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Cleveland, TN (4/7/12) --- The 58th racing season of the Cleveland (TN) Speedway opened up Saturday night to the roar of a huge crowd of spectators as well as competitors for the delayed annual running of the Southern All-Star SHAMROCK race. At the conclusion of the 50-lap $10,000 to-WIN "A" Main event for Super Late Models, THE NEWPORT NIGHTMARE Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN in his #20 "Reece Monument Company, Gantte Appraisals and Red Line Oil" sponsored Bloomquist Team Zero / Cornett Thunder powered racecar prevailed over 28 other raceteams from around the region. The 40-yr old, collected his first checkered flag of the season at Cleveland, in whats become like a second home, where he's been building a steady stream of "O-SHOW" fans in the Tennessee Valley.
"It's been a pretty rough season... a good season, but a rough season, and we finally got our first win of the year, and I'm pretty tickled," Owens told a the crowd in Victory Lane after capturing the victory. "The track was really, really racy. In the heats, I was a little bit worried because it was a little one-laned on the bottom. But it smoothed up and I was able to move around and get by those guys ... It feels good to get the first victory of the season here."
Polesitter Dale McDowell of Rossville, Ga., finished second, breaking a personal three-race winning streak, while reigning S.A.S series champion Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, TN, was third. Clint Smith of Senoia, GA., and Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY, rounded out the Top-5 finishers at the third-mile clay banked oval. The early stages of the 50-lapper looked as if it would be a tussle with most drivers fighting for real estate on the bottom and a handful of drivers looking to make the high side work for them. McDowell shot out to the early lead, but the second-starting Ogle immediately started working the high side of the track, working into the lead on the third lap.
After Ogle's teammate, Tommy Kerr, drew a lap-four caution, Owens went to work on the high side, taking second from McDowell. Owens then set his sights on Ogle. Owens and Ogle ran side-by-side for a number of laps before Owens finally grabbed the lead on the 12th circuit. Owens built a straightaway lead over Ogle by the halfway point, an advantage erased for Skip Arp's turn-three spin. On the restart, Owens once again pulled away from the field. McDowell got back around Ogle for second. Ogle then found himself in a battle for Smith for the third spot while Owens was out front alone.
"We were too loose," runner-up McDowell said. "We were pretty good in the heat race, and we just didn't change enough to tighten up. So hat's off to Jimmy and those guys. He had the car to beat and we'll just take note and come back next time and try it again." Ogle was strong early on the high side but couldn't hold off Owens, who made the winning pass exiting turn four. "I started running the top and I could feel it coming on, and I got the lead there," Ogle said. "It just seemed like I started slipping a little bit after that. I just could touch the gas pedal like I was. I was having to really baby it and started pushing a little. But you know, I'm happy to get third. If you'd have asked me before the night started if I'd have taken a top-three, I sure would've."
(1) Jimmy Owens #20, (2) Dale McDowell #17M, (3) Billy Ogle Jr. #201, (4) Clint Smith #44, (5) Brad Neat #41, (6) Randy Weaver #116, (7) Vic Hill #1, (8) Mike Marlar #5B, (9) Shane Clanton #25, (10) Eric Wells #18, (11) Tyler Millwood #X, (12) John Lobb #28, (13) Chad Ogle #10, (14) Ross White #0, (15) Brian Reese #33, (16) Dillon Wood #25, (17) Skip Arp #31, (18) Ray Cook #53, (19) Mark Vineyard #4, (20) Steve Smith #3, (21) Mike Weeks #22, (22) Tommy Kerr #4T, (23) David Payne #8, (24) Johnny Chastain #00.
Fast qualifier (among 29 cars): McDowell, 13.483 seconds.
Heat race winners: McDowell, Ogle, Owens.
Consolation winner: Vineyard.
Provisional starters: Smith, White.
Full Results for All Classes: 4/7/12
LLM/Crate: 1. Lamar Scoggins #32, 2. Shannon Bearden #32, 3.Bobby Mayse #22, 4.Jerry Coffman #30, 5.John Owenby #33
6.Craig Burrows #23, 7.Brian Pritchard #3, 8.Greg Martin #24, 9.Tod Hernandez #T6, 10.Jimmy Elliott #J39, 11.Craig Reece #74, 12.David Doss #28D, 13.Kenny Kizzar #22, 14.Austin Smith #11, 15.Brannon Armitage #51, 16.Matt Stewart #7. 17.Blake Armitage #37, 18.Tyler Adams #747, 19.Kayne Hickman #A1, 20.Andy Pickelsimer #48, 21.Steve Smith #3, 22.Bobby Doss #28, 23.Heath Abley #7, 24.Scott Ohms #74
A-Hobby: 1.Richard Dixon #3, 2.Johnny Hughes #14, 3.Matt Moore #17, 4.Josh Walker #16, 5.Jordan Rodabaugh #66, 6.Robby Greene #00, 7.John Clark #10, 8.Adam Earwood #34, 9.Lee Frederick #12, 10.Eric Hughes #01, 11.Greg Greene #X, 12.Michael Rearden #01
B-Hobby: 1.Lee Harbin #7, 2.Scott Boyd #0, 3.Boonie Gullett #15, 4.Roy Baker #31, 5.Corey Sanders #87, 6.Ray Strickland #42, 7.Chuck Helling #444, 8.Cody Hughes #C1, 9.Jason Earwood #E87, 10.Daniel Johnston #7, 11.Jason Brown #42, 12.Ernie Callahan #46, 13.Eric Hughes #15
"It's been a pretty rough season... a good season, but a rough season, and we finally got our first win of the year, and I'm pretty tickled," Owens told a the crowd in Victory Lane after capturing the victory. "The track was really, really racy. In the heats, I was a little bit worried because it was a little one-laned on the bottom. But it smoothed up and I was able to move around and get by those guys ... It feels good to get the first victory of the season here."
Polesitter Dale McDowell of Rossville, Ga., finished second, breaking a personal three-race winning streak, while reigning S.A.S series champion Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, TN, was third. Clint Smith of Senoia, GA., and Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY, rounded out the Top-5 finishers at the third-mile clay banked oval. The early stages of the 50-lapper looked as if it would be a tussle with most drivers fighting for real estate on the bottom and a handful of drivers looking to make the high side work for them. McDowell shot out to the early lead, but the second-starting Ogle immediately started working the high side of the track, working into the lead on the third lap.
After Ogle's teammate, Tommy Kerr, drew a lap-four caution, Owens went to work on the high side, taking second from McDowell. Owens then set his sights on Ogle. Owens and Ogle ran side-by-side for a number of laps before Owens finally grabbed the lead on the 12th circuit. Owens built a straightaway lead over Ogle by the halfway point, an advantage erased for Skip Arp's turn-three spin. On the restart, Owens once again pulled away from the field. McDowell got back around Ogle for second. Ogle then found himself in a battle for Smith for the third spot while Owens was out front alone.
"We were too loose," runner-up McDowell said. "We were pretty good in the heat race, and we just didn't change enough to tighten up. So hat's off to Jimmy and those guys. He had the car to beat and we'll just take note and come back next time and try it again." Ogle was strong early on the high side but couldn't hold off Owens, who made the winning pass exiting turn four. "I started running the top and I could feel it coming on, and I got the lead there," Ogle said. "It just seemed like I started slipping a little bit after that. I just could touch the gas pedal like I was. I was having to really baby it and started pushing a little. But you know, I'm happy to get third. If you'd have asked me before the night started if I'd have taken a top-three, I sure would've."
(1) Jimmy Owens #20, (2) Dale McDowell #17M, (3) Billy Ogle Jr. #201, (4) Clint Smith #44, (5) Brad Neat #41, (6) Randy Weaver #116, (7) Vic Hill #1, (8) Mike Marlar #5B, (9) Shane Clanton #25, (10) Eric Wells #18, (11) Tyler Millwood #X, (12) John Lobb #28, (13) Chad Ogle #10, (14) Ross White #0, (15) Brian Reese #33, (16) Dillon Wood #25, (17) Skip Arp #31, (18) Ray Cook #53, (19) Mark Vineyard #4, (20) Steve Smith #3, (21) Mike Weeks #22, (22) Tommy Kerr #4T, (23) David Payne #8, (24) Johnny Chastain #00.
Fast qualifier (among 29 cars): McDowell, 13.483 seconds.
Heat race winners: McDowell, Ogle, Owens.
Consolation winner: Vineyard.
Provisional starters: Smith, White.
Full Results for All Classes: 4/7/12
LLM/Crate: 1. Lamar Scoggins #32, 2. Shannon Bearden #32, 3.Bobby Mayse #22, 4.Jerry Coffman #30, 5.John Owenby #33
6.Craig Burrows #23, 7.Brian Pritchard #3, 8.Greg Martin #24, 9.Tod Hernandez #T6, 10.Jimmy Elliott #J39, 11.Craig Reece #74, 12.David Doss #28D, 13.Kenny Kizzar #22, 14.Austin Smith #11, 15.Brannon Armitage #51, 16.Matt Stewart #7. 17.Blake Armitage #37, 18.Tyler Adams #747, 19.Kayne Hickman #A1, 20.Andy Pickelsimer #48, 21.Steve Smith #3, 22.Bobby Doss #28, 23.Heath Abley #7, 24.Scott Ohms #74
A-Hobby: 1.Richard Dixon #3, 2.Johnny Hughes #14, 3.Matt Moore #17, 4.Josh Walker #16, 5.Jordan Rodabaugh #66, 6.Robby Greene #00, 7.John Clark #10, 8.Adam Earwood #34, 9.Lee Frederick #12, 10.Eric Hughes #01, 11.Greg Greene #X, 12.Michael Rearden #01
B-Hobby: 1.Lee Harbin #7, 2.Scott Boyd #0, 3.Boonie Gullett #15, 4.Roy Baker #31, 5.Corey Sanders #87, 6.Ray Strickland #42, 7.Chuck Helling #444, 8.Cody Hughes #C1, 9.Jason Earwood #E87, 10.Daniel Johnston #7, 11.Jason Brown #42, 12.Ernie Callahan #46, 13.Eric Hughes #15
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