Chris Madden celebrates in victory lane after winning Saturday night’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race at Smoky Mountain Speedway. Photo: Heath Lawson Photography
Chris Madden survived a late-race scare en route a $50,000 victory on Saturday night in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned,Mountain Moonshine Classic at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tennessee,
Madden made heavy contact with the fourth turn wall which allowed Jonathan Davenport to close the gap heading into the final lap. However, Madden held on for the win despite severe damage to the right rear of his No. 44 entry – crossing the finish line .355 seconds ahead of Davenport.
Brandon Overton took third at the stripe with Ricky Thornton, Jr. in fourth, and Mike Marlar in fifth.
Madden bolted from the pole position to grab the lead at the start of the 60-lap event. Davenport moved around Carson Ferguson on the second lap to take over the second position. Madden then began to put some distance between himself and the other contenders in lapped traffic. With 22 laps complete Davenport started to gain on Madden as he fought heavier lapped traffic before the second caution of the race flew just one lap later.
As the race continued, Madden still held the point, fighting off challenges from Davenport and Brandon Overton. As Madden approached the back of the field in the closing laps he made hard contact with the turn four wall while battling through lapped traffic. Madden held off a final bid from Davenport to claim the victory – the richest overall purse in the history of Smoky Mountain Speedway.
“I caught (Tyler Erb) there and I thought going down the back straightaway he was going to commit to the bottom, so I committed to the top and tried to get up beside him,” Madden said. “He made a lane change suddenly and I was running way faster than him. We had to get on the binders hard and I got loose, I just backed it in the fence. You know when you have (Davenport) and Overton chasing you then you’ve got it hit every mark and you had better not miss a mark if you do then they will get by you.”
Tim McCreadie, Zack Mitchell, Carson Ferguson, Brandon Sheppard, and Ricky Weiss rounded out the top 10.
For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit LucasDirt.com.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Smoky Mountain Speedway – Maryville, TN
Mountain Moonshine Classic – June 18, 2022
1. 44M-Chris Madden
2. 49-Jonathan Davenport
3. 76-Brandon Overton
4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, Jr.
5. 157-Mike Marlar
6. 39-Tim McCreadie
7. 57-Zack Mitchell
8. 93-Carson Ferguson
9. 1-Brandon Sheppard
10. 7W-Ricky Weiss
11. 46-Earl Pearson, Jr.
12. 1V-Vic Hill
13. 20-Jimmy Owens
14. 0-Scott Bloomquist
15. 58-Garrett Alberson
16. 71-Hudson O’Neal
17. 79-Ross Bailes
18. 40B-Kyle Bronson
19. 1T-Tyler Erb
20. 83-Jensen Ford
21. 51-Mack McCarter
22. 23B-John Blankenship
23. 11-Spencer Hughes
24. 89-Ashton Winger
25. 18D-Daulton Wilson
26. 7-Ross Robinson
27. 88-Trent Ivey
28. 17M-Dale McDowell
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