Lee Tissot avoided trouble to score his first Late Model victory of the 2013 season at Kingsport Speedway. Photo courtesy Kingsport Speedway Media
Since Kingsport Speedway in Kingsport, TN opened for weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sanctioned racing under the guidance of former NASCAR racer Robert Pressley in 2011, Lee Tissot of Asheville, NC, has visited victory lane on seven occasions. But it had been almost one year since his last win at “The Concrete Jungle,” coming on June 8, 2012.
Through the first nine events this season Tissot had put together six top-five finishes, but he also had three DNF’s (did not finish) to his credit. Back on May 3, Tissot set a new track record in qualifying with a fast-lap of 14.959 seconds.
The 43-year-old Tissot set the standard on Allied Waste Night at the Races in “Dalton Direct Carpets” Late Model Stock qualifying with a quick lap of 15.249 seconds. Following an invert of the top four from qualifying, Zeke Shell and Chad Finchum brought the 20-car field to the green flag from the front row.
Finchum got the jump on the start to take the lead, with Tissot moving into the second spot and Shell in third. The event’s first caution waved on the third lap when Paul Nogradi Jr. spun between turns one and two.
Finchum and Tissot started from the front row on the double-file restart, with Tissot moving into the lead over Finchum, Blake Jones, Shell and Kres VanDyke. But Tyler Goodwin got around VanDyke for fifth on lap 6 racing off the fourth turn.
Jones began pressuring Finchum for second, pulling alongside on lap 10 and they raced side-by-side for two circuits before Jones too the position. Finchum had a rearview mirror full of Shell, who was wanting the third spot. Meanwhile out front, Tissot was pulling away to a comfortable advantage and was leading by a half-straightaway on lap 15 over Jones.
A solid fifth-place run for Goodwin ended when he slowed and entered the pits on lap 17. Just two laps later Shell got around Finchum for third racing off the fourth turn.
Daniel Pope II qualified fifth, but after having to make a rear end and driveshaft change he was relegated to starting at rear of the field. Making a strong run up through the field, Pope got around VanDyke on lap 22 to move into fifth in the running order.
Just past the halfway point in the 60-lap main event, Tissot was encountering heavy lapped traffic which allowed Jones and Shell to close within a couple of car lengths of the leader’s rear bumper. But after clearing the slower cars, Tissot once again began to put some real estate between himself, Jones and Shell.
Jones was feeling heat from Shell for the second spot, and on lap 49 racing down the front straightaway into the first turn Shell got to the inside of Jones and the ensuing contact between the two saw both spin.
However, each quickly righted their cars and got them back under power. Even with the caution flag waving, under the Kingsport Speedway “blend rule” a driver is able to move back into line to restart where they pull back in line. Jones was only passed by Finchum, so he restarted in third, while Shell was only passed by Pope and he restarted in fifth.
Leader Tissot chose the outside line, leaving Finchum on the inside of the front row for the double-file restart, with Jones and Pope in the second row.
The cars of Blake Jones (80) and Chad Finchum (19) made contact on lap 50, triggering several other cars to become involved. Photo courtesy Kingsport Speedway Media
Back under green on lap 50, Jones got to the inside of Finchum racing into the third turn to make it three-wide, with Tissot on the outside. Then total chaos erupted when Jones got into the driver’s side of Finchum, damaging both cars and also leaving several others behind to take evasive action with some spinning and contact causing sheet-metal damage. Finchum had to go into the pits to let his crew change a flat left-front tire, while Jones and also Allen Hawkins were finished for the race.
Tissot and Pope were alone on the front row for a double-file restart. Tissot jumped back into the lead with Pope ahead of Shell. Shell passed Pope for second with only a couple of laps remaining, leaving him not enough time to try and mount a charge to get around Tissot.
Tissot recorded his first win of the season over Shell, Pope, Finchum and VanDyke. Completing the top-10 finishers were Nogradi, Robbie Ferguson, Austin Peters, Taylor Coffman and Mike Potter.
“Finally, it took us long enough to get back into victory lane,” said a smiling Tissot after the race. “Not only do you have to have a good race car and team behind you, but you’ve also got to have some luck on your side – and we’ve had our share of bad luck this year with three races we didn’t finish. I really believe we’ve had a couple other races we should’ve won. Just last week we were at the front and had a flat right-front tire that cost us a win. I know we’d a won that race.
“I’m just glad we got this win tonight. It’s for all the guys on this team, because they put their heart and soul into this race car and work their butts off preparing the car during the week and here at the track on race night. They really deserve this win. You’ve got the owners Jeff Herron, Jason Herron and Willie Hamilton, along with Mark Williams, David Ball, Kenny Hunley, Richard Hicks, Kevin Morgan, Mike Gratton and Gerald Williams. Plus I really want to thank the sponsors who allow us the opportunity to have fun racing. We’ve got this win under our belt and hopefully it’s just the start of several more wins we’ll reel off this season.”
Jared Broadbent and Rob Austin side-by-side for the opening five circuits in the Street Stock feature before Broadbent moved into the lead. John Harrell of Surgoinsville got around Austin for second on lap 7 racing off turn two, and set his sights ahead on leader Broadbent.
Harrell pulled alongside Broadbent to challenge for the lead on lap 13, and two laps later racing off the fourth turn he moved ahead. Harrell was chased to the checkered flag by Broadbent, Jason Leatherwood, Austin and Chris Tunnell.
For the second time this season, it was a clean sweep of the top three finishing positions for the Ketron family in the Pure 4 feature. John Ketron of Kingsport captured his division-leading fifth victory, while sons Jason and Billy finished in second and third, respectively. Dylan Bates and Chris Neeley rounded out the top five.
Rocky Yates of Abingdon, VA, grabbed the lead at start of the 20-lap Mod 4 feature and stayed out front the entire distance to record his third win of the season. Finishing behind Yates were Brad Ball, Billy Duty, Joshua Gobble and Ron Hensley.
Kingsports Speedway – Kingsport, TN
Race Results – May 31, 2013
Late Models
1. Lee Tissot
2. Zeke Shell
3. Daniel Pope II
4. Chad Finchum
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6. Paul Nogradi, Jr.
7. Robbie Ferguson
8. Austin Peters
9. Taylor Coffman
10. Mike Potter
11. Rick Pannell
12. Dean Barrett
13. Blake Jones
14. Allen Hawkins
15. Justin Wright
16. Joey Trent
17. Erika Schmidt
18. Tyler Goodwin
19. Wayne Salyers
20. Ryan Stiltner
Street Stocks
1. John Harrell
2. Jared Broadbent
3. Jason Leatherwood
4. Rob Austin
5. Chris Tunnell
6. Nick Cole
7. Paul Shull
8 . Clint Watkins
9. Tony Ward
10. Dave Schmidt
Pure 4
1. John Ketron
2. Jason Ketron
3. Billy Ketron
4. Dylan Bates
5. Chris Neeley
6. Derek Penley
7. Jimmy Hillard
8. Keith Helton
9. Lloyd Baker
10. David Trent
11. Danny Pless
12. Tim Abelseth
13. Darrell Whitehead
14. Shawn Peters
Mod 4
1. Rocky Yates
2. Brad Ball
3. Billy Duty
4. Joshua Gobble
5. Ron Hensley
6. Hershell Robinnete
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