Zeke Shell scored his second straight Late Model victory Friday night at Kingsport Speedway. Photo by Randall Perry Photos.net / Courtesy Kingsport Speedway
For several years Ford Motor Co. used the marketing slogan “Have you driven a Ford lately?”
Zeke Shell of Johnson City chauffeurs a fast Ford Fusion every Friday at Kingsport Speedway in Kingsport, TN, and for the second straight week he visited victory lane after winning the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series “Dalton Direct Carpets” Late Model Stock main event on Ken Wilson Ford Night at the Races in the Model City.
In time trials Paul Nogradi, Jr. flirted with lowering the track qualifying record by touring “The Concrete Jungle” at 15.064 seconds, just barely off the standard of 15.031 held by Hayden Woods.
With the top-four from qualifying inverted for the 60-lap feature, Daniel Pope II and Kres VanDyke led the 17-car field to the green flag from the front row. Pope grabbed the early lead over VanDyke, Woods, Nogradi and Shell at the start.
Chad Finchum got around Lee Tissot for sixth just a couple of laps in, but the current points leader Finchum lost the spot to Ryan Stiltner on lap eight racing off the fourth turn. The first caution waved on lap 19, when eighth-running Kyle Barnes cut a left-front tire down at end of the front straightaway and slowed.
With Pope and VanDyke on front row for the double file restart, unlike at start of the race Pope wasn’t able to move ahead of VanDyke once back under green. The duo battled side-by-side for the point over the next six circuits around the .375-mile banked concrete oval.
While Pope and VanDyke were fighting for the lead, on lap 26 racing down the backstretch into the third turn, Woods stuck his nose to the inside of Pope to make it three-wide. Contact from Woods sent Pope spinning in turn four to bring out the caution. Pope was sent to the rear for bringing out the yellow, and Woods was also relegated to the tail of the field for wrecking Pope.
VanDyke moved ahead of Nogradi and Shell on the ensuing restart. With the lead trio running nose-to-tail, they were followed by Stiltner and rookie Tyler Goodwin fourth and fifth in the running order. Just outside of the top-five Tissot, Finchum, Derrick Lancaster, Austin Peters, Pope and Woods were jockeying for position.
Shell got under Nogradi between turns one and two on lap 35 to move into second, setting his sights ahead on leader VanDyke. At end of the front straightaway on lap 37, Shell maneuvered his way to the inside of VanDyke to challenge for the lead. Racing up off turn two, Shell wrestled the position away from VandDyke to move out front.
With Pope getting around Peters for position, behind him the battle for real estate intensified involving Peters and Woods. On lap 45 racing off turn two and with both drivers holding their ground unwilling to give an inch, Peters and Woods tangled on the backstretch. Woods slammed hard against the outside concrete wall about midway down the straightaway to bring out the caution, thus ending his night with a heavily damaged ride.
Back under green for a shootout to the finish, Shell immediately drove ahead of VanDyke and Nogradi. Nogradi got around VanDyke for second on lap 50 racing off turn two, with Stiltner moving in to apply pressure on VanDyke for the third spot.
The 19-year-old Stiltner, son of two-time (1998 and 1999) Kingsport Speedway Late Model Stock champion Keith Stiltner, got around VanDyke with seven laps remaining and closed to Nogradi’s rear bumper.
But Shell would not be denied making his second consecutive visit to victory lane as he won over Nogradi, Stiltner, VanDyke and Tissot.
Completing the top-10 finishers were Pope, Finchum, Goodwin, Lancaster and Peters.
“Wow, winning two in a row is just an awesome feeling,” said Shell after climbing from his car in victory lane. “Even though we got our first win of the season last Friday, that didn’t mean we just sat back and celebrated all week and didn’t work on the car. As a matter of fact, we were in the shop the next day on Saturday checking the car over from the previous night. All the fans just would not believe how hard we work in the shop during the week preparing the car for the next race. It’s just part of the deal, you’ve got to put the hours in – and that’s after each of us (crew members) helping on the car works during the day at our full-time jobs.
“With the caliber of competition here at Kingsport Speedway, you’ve really got to maintain your equipment if you expect to run up front. Wins definitely don’t come easy at this place, so you really enjoy each visit you get to victory lane. Unlike some of the teams up and down pit road that have several helping work on the car, we’re just a family-owned race team without much help. Bottom line is, I couldn’t do this (racing) without the help from my dad (Pat Shell), Darrin Goin, Scott Clark, and my girlfriend Amber Abram, along with the support of each of our sponsors. I’m very appreciative of everybody who helps me be able to race.”
With his No. 1 fan (mother) celebrating her 82nd birthday on Wednesday, she was hoping for one more present. And not wanting to leave her disappointed, John Harrell of Surgoinsville put a smile on his mother’s face and treated her to a third visit to victory lane this season. Harrell jumped into the lead at drop of the green flag and led all 30 laps of the caution free Street Stock feature to win over Jared Broadbent, Nick Cole, Royce Peters and Rob Austin.
The top-eight from qualifying were inverted for the 25-lap Pure 4 feature, but fast qualifier John Ketron of Kingsport moved to the point on lap five and once out front never looked back en route to capturing his second victory of the season. Chasing Ketron to the checkers were Keith Helton, Chris Neeley, Kenny Absher and Billy Ketron.
Brandon Sutherland of Johnson City and Billy Byington had a spirited battle for the lead throughout the 15-lap Rookie Pure 4 feature. Sutherland would not be denied his second victory of the season in winning over divisional point leader Byington, Billy Taylor, Mook Jeter and Bruce Crumbley.
Derek Lane of Kingsport led the first half of the 15-lap Legends feature before being overtaken by Jacob Owens and Zack Walton, and thought the opportunity to record his first-ever victory had slipped through his grasp. But Walton and Owens tangled just a couple of laps from the finish to put Lane back out front on the point, and that’s all he needed as he held on for the win over Owens, Walton and Trey Lane.
Kingsport Speedway returns to action on April 19. Visit newkingsportspeedway.com for more info.
Kingsports Speedway – Kingsport, TN
Race Results – April 12, 2013
Late Models
1. Zeke Shell
2. Paul Nogradi Jr.
3. Ryan Stiltner
4. Kres VanDyke
5. Lee Tissot
6. Chad Finchum
7. Daniel Pope II
8. Tyler Goodwin
9. Derrick Lancaster
There are many varied uses of benzocaine powder as compared to former one. You can imagine how embarrassing it would be to get naked in bed after and before sex. These tattoos have been seen in nichestlouis.com price tadalafil tablets pages of high fashion magazines, on runways, and on the streets worn by some of the world’s most cutting-edge fashionistas. Thereby, the growth of the arteries magnifies the agony. 10. Austin Peters
11. Kyle Barnes
12. Joey Trent
13. Allen Hawkins
14. Dean Barrett
15. Rick Pannell
16. Hayden Woods
17. Erika Schmidt
Street Stocks
1. John Harrell
2. Jared Broadbent
3. Nick Cole
4. Royce Peters
5. Rob Austin
6. Chris Tunnell
7. Sam Hurd
8. Tony Ward
9. Jeff Counts
10. Kirby Gobble
Pure 4
1. John Ketron
2. Chris Neeley
3. Kenny Absher
4. Billy Ketron
5. Dylan Bates
6. Darby Fleenor
7. Derek Penley
8. David Trent
9. Tim Abelseth
10. Steve Skeen
11. Bill Coleman
12. Todd Cross
13. Shawn Peters
14. Jimmy Hillard
15. Jason Ketron
Rookie Pure 4
1. Brandon Sutherland
2. Billy Byington
3. Billy Taylor
4. Mook Jeter
5. Bruce Crumbley
6. Jon Pittman
7. Tammy Cross
8. Sam Manis II
9. Jonathan Skeen
10. Tony Marshall
Legends
1. Derek Lane
2. Jacob Owens
3. Zack Walton
4. Trey Lane
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.