Lavon Sparks took the victory in the Late Model feature at New Senoia Raceway Saturday night. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
Lavon Sparks and Gary Parker picked up feature victories Saturday night at New Senoia Raceway and with the outcome, both competitors used their wins to move into their respective division’s point’s lead. Sparks takes a six point lead over “Racin Jason” Williams into the final night of racing in the Mike Wheeler’s Automotive & Transmission Late Models while Parker holds a slim two point lead on Dorough Bright for the Mini Stock points title. The season championship is set for Saturday, September 24th.
Joining Sparks and Parker in this past Saturday’s winner’s circle included Newnan’s Marcus Caswell in the Newnan Bonding B Cadets, LaGrange’s Tod Darda in the Crown Security Crate Late Models and Clifton ‘Hog Head’ Moran won for the eighteenth time this season in the Summit Racing Equipment Hobby Stock division.
Phenix City, Alabama’s Lavon Sparks made his statement early by qualifying the fastest and nabbing the pole position for the Mike Wheeler’s Automotive & Transmission Late Models feature race. Sparks entered the night’s action in a tie for the points lead with ‘Racin’ Jason Williams of Locust Grove. Williams qualified third behind Sparks and Senoia’s Joe Armistead, Jr.
On the initial start of the race, Williams slid high before being tapped on the quarter panel by Thomaston’s Laddie Fulcher. The nudge sent Williams spinning in front of the field collecting Fulcher, Newnan’s Scott Duffey and Fulcher’s son Shane at the bottom of turn two. Fans anxiously stood by to see if Williams’ Chevrolet would be able to continue.
All cars but Duffey would be able to restart the race and when the green did drop for good over the field, Sparks shot out to the lead ahead of Armistead and Williams. Armistead would cut low on Sparks in the fourth turn to try and sneak past down the front stretch. But Sparks slammed the door shut by pinching him down low out of the second turn.
Sparks pulled away for the middle part of the 25-lap main event until lapped traffic would factor into the final couple of circuits. Armistead pulled to within striking distance as the white flag flew for the final lap of the race. He snuck down low in turn one, but Sparks would slide down to cut him off as the two touched and Armistead made contact with inside retaining wall at over 100 miles per hour. Sparks held on for the victory with Armistead coming home second, Williams third and Shane Fulcher fourth. Fayetteville’s Glenn Morris rounded out the first five across the finish line.
“I knew Joe was there and he would try to push me, but I had to move down there,” said Sparks in victory lane. “I’ve got the points lead again and I am not giving it back.”
On the strength of his win and Williams third place finish, Sparks leads Williams by six points going into the championship night. Williams holds the tie-breaker, as he has won ten features this season to Sparks four victories.
“It will come down to two positions on the track,” explained New Senoia Raceway promoter Tim Moses. “Jason (Williams) has to beat Lavon (Sparks) by two positions on Saturday night to win the title. It’s hard to believe it will come down to the final race of the year and it is this close.”
The story remains the same for the battle for championship honors in the Mini Stock division. Whitesburg’s Dorough Bright and Barnesville’s Gary Parker have battled back and forth for the entire second half of the season. The dueling drivers have swapped the point’s lead back and forth seven times since the 4th of July. It happened again Saturday night.
Bright came into Saturday night’s racing action with a twelve point lead over Parker. Bright started in the third row while Parker started outside row two.
On the drop of the green, Senoia’s Robert Caldwell grabbed the lead over Parker, Newnan’s Joe Spencer and Bright. Caldwell’s lead was short lived as the young driver spun in turn two bringing out the race’s first caution.
Parker inherited the lead and held off strong charges by Bright for several laps while Spencer ran third. The threesome pulled away from the field until lap ten when Caldwell brought out the final caution of the race. It proved to be the undoing for Bright as the point’s leader heading into the night developed problems just after the restart.
As Parker moved out ahead, Bright faded on the high side allowing Spencer to move past. That was quickly followed by Douglasville’s Rocky Johnson moving past Bright and then Sharpsburg’s Joshua Blume continuing the slide. Only the checkered flag helped Bright from falling to the last place position.
Parker won his first of the season ahead of Joe Spencer. The runner-up was the best finish of the season for Spencer as well. Rocky Johnson, Joshua Blume and Loganville’s Donald McDonald rounded out the first five. Bright would end up sixth.
The combination of Parker’s feature victory and Bright’s drop to sixth created a fourteen point swing and moved Parker to the lead by only two points heading into the final night of the season this Saturday, September 24th.
“It has been a crazy season,” said Parker. “I guess will find out who wins next week.”
Clifton Moran scored another victory in the Hobby Stock feature. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
Carrollton’s Clifton ‘Hog Head’ Moran celebrated his birthday Saturday night with his unprecedented eighteenth victory of the season. Moran won the pole by capturing the early qualifying heat race win and then used the starting position to keep everyone chasing him.
Newnan’s Scott Sherrer won thirteen features last season, but has been absent for most of the 2011 season that has seen Moran dominate like no other. Sherrer chased Moran through the race and even made it interesting over the final three laps of their feature race.
Moran led from the drop of the green, but was slowed over the final three circuits by lapped traffic. Sherrer closed the gap drawing the fans to their feet. The two rivals sliced and diced their way through traffic with Sherrer getting side by side with Moran a couple of times only to see Moran power back out and cross the finish first. Sherrer settled for second, but made the statement that Moran may not win number nineteen. Newnan’s Rusty ‘Rocketman’ Johnson came home third ahead of fellow Newnan driver Lee Owenby and Temple’s Steven Parker.
“That’s what I wanted to do for my birthday present to myself,” said Moran. “It’s been an unbelievable season.”
Marcus Caswell came away with the B-Cadet feature victory. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
Newnan’s Marcus Caswell used the top side of the track to work his way from mid-pack of the Newnan Bonding B Cadet feature field. He worked past Watkinsville’s Buck Williams before shooting past 15-year-old Corey Payton.
The veteran driver jumped on top of Greenville’s Thomas Mewborn with only four laps remaining and shot past to the lead before cruising to his seventh win of the year.
Mewborn ended up second ahead of Payton, Williams and Hapeville’s Johnny Stinchcomb.
“This is my final race of the season,” said Caswell afterwards. “Thanks to the track and the fans, we will be back for more next year.”
Tod Darda visited victory lane again Saturday after winning the Crate Late Model feature. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
The final race of the night went to Tod Darda of LaGrange. Darda picked up his eighth win of the year in the Crown Security Crate Late Models. Darda shot out to the early lead past Columbus’ Randy Hester. His performance should help solidify his position within the regional standings for the crate late model competitors. Fayetteville’s Richie Williams was second followed by Grantville’s Doug Ludwig, LaGrange’s Todd Mitchel and Jenkinsburg’s Trey White.
This Saturday, September 24th will feature a full slate of racing in the Mike Wheeler’s Automotive & Transmission Late Models, Crown Security Crate Late Models, Newnan Bonding B Cadets, Summit Racing Equipment Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. It is championship night and all divisional champions will be crowned. Race fans are invited to come out and be a part of the final race night of the season for the 3/8ths mile clay speedway. There will be a fan photograph and autograph session featuring all competitors prior to the beginning of the season’s championship races.
For more information, visit www.newsenoiaraceway.com.
New Senoia Raceway – Senoia, GA
Race Results – Sept. 17, 2011
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Mike Wheeler’s Automotive & Transmission Late Models
1. Lavon Sparks – Phenix City, AL
2. Joe Armistead, Jr. – Senoia, GA
3. Jason Williams – Locust Grove, GA
4. Shane Fulcher – Thomaston, GA
5. Glenn Morris – Fayetteville, GA
6. Laddie Fulcher – Thomaston, GA
7. Troy Tyson – Fayetteville, GA
8. Chuck Hambrick – Conyers, GA
9. James Taylor – West Point, GA
10. Jeremy Stockey – LaGrange, GA
11. Scott Duffey – Newnan, GA
12. Michael Mills – Moreland, GA
Fast Qualifier: Sparks (15.028 seconds)
Crown Security Crate Late Models
1. Tod Darda – LaGrange, GA
2. Richie Williams – Fayetteville, GA
3. Doug Ludwig – Granville, GA
4. Todd Mitchell – LaGrange, GA
5. Trey White – Jenkinsburg, GA
6. Randy Hester – Columbus, GA
7. Eddie Terry – Douglasville, GA
8. Dennis Hale – LaGrange, GA
9. Joseph Darda – Greenville, GA
Fast Qualifier: Hester (15.924 seconds)
Newnan Bonding B.Cadets
1. Marcus Caswell – Newnan, GA
2. Thomas Mewborn – Greenville, GA
3. Corey Payton – Newnan, GA
4. Buck Williams – Watkinsville, GA
5. Johnny Stinchcomb – Hapeville, GA
6. Craig Scott – Newnan, GA
7. Charlie Garrett – West Point, GA
8. Kevin Horton – Grantville, GA
9. Jeff Carter – Stockbridge, GA
10. Chris Carr – Newnan, GA
Summit Racing Equipment Hobby Stocks
1. Clifton Moran – Carrollton, GA
2. Scott Sherrer – Newnan, GA
3. Rusty Johnson – Newnan, GA
4. Lee Owenby – Newnan, GA
5. Steven Parker – Temple, GA
6. Kerry Carden – Brooks, GA
7. Brandon Jones – Senoia, GA
8. Blake Coley – Senoia, GA
9. Bill Brown – Loganville, GA
10. Zak Sockwell – Newnan, GA
11. Mike Jenkins – Brooks, GA
12. Wayne Scott – Athens, GA
DNS: Eddie Albitron – Barnesville, GA; David Johnson – Griffin, GA
Mini Stocks
1. Gary Parker – Barnesville, GA
2. Joe Spencer – Newnan, GA
3. Rocky Johnson – Douglasville, GA
4. Joshua Blume – Sharpsburg, GA
5. Donald McDonald – Loganville, GA
6. Dorough Bright – Whitesburg, GA
7. Robbie Scardon – Senoia, GA
8. Robert Caldwell – Senoia, GA
DNS: Bo Chambers – Griffin, GA
