Joe Armistead, Jr. scored the win Saturday in the Late Model feature at New Senoia Raceway. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
The 2011 stock car racing season culminated with the crowning of five new champions at New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, Georgia, this past Saturday night. Lavon Sparks picked up the season laurels in the Mike Wheeler’s Automotive & Transmission Late Model division while Doug Ludwig won the top honors in the Crown Security Crate Late Model class. Jeff Carter was the top dog in the Newnan Bonding B Cadets and Clifton ‘Hog Head’ Moran rode eighteen wins to his title in the Summit Racing Equipment Hobby Stocks. Gary Parker claimed the points championship for the Mini Stocks.
A crowd of 1,244 was on hand to cheer on the new champions and witnessed a fantastic night of short track racing. Taking home feature victories were Joe Armistead, Jr. in the Late Models, Chad Wallace in the Crate Late Models, Blake Griffin in the B Cadets, Winford Minix in the Hobbies and Stephen Hill for the Mini Stocks.
In the Mike Wheeler’s Automotive & Transmission Late Model division, Phenix City, Alabama’s Lavon Sparks came into the night with a slim six point advantage over Locust Grove’s “Racin Jason” Williams. Sparks overtook the points lead a week earlier on the strength of his fourth win of the season. Williams would apparently time in the quickest during preliminary time trials, but all of the division’s competitors were put through a post qualifying inspection and Williams was found to have altered the roof panel on his American Pie Pizzeria Chevrolet. The infraction cost Williams his pole position for the final feature race of the season.
“It is unfortunate for Jason,” explained track promoter Tim Moses. “We spoke earlier in the week about making changes to the spoilers and stuff before the final race of the year. The track planned on looking at tires, spoilers and a visual inspection of all the cars after qualifying. Jason’s car was out of the specs allowed. I hate it for their team.”
Lavon Sparks was the Mike Wheeler's Automotive & Transmission Late Model division champ for 2011. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
The adjusted line-up placed Senoia’s Joe Armistead, Jr. on the pole and Lavon Sparks on the outside. Armistead jumped to the lead on the drop of the green with Sparks falling in behind the leader. Fayetteville’s Glenn Morris settled into third ahead of Newnan’s Rucker Orr, Fayetteville’s Troy Tyson and Brooks’ ‘Magic’ Matt Dooley.
Jason Williams started at the back of the pack and put on a show charging to the front. By the third lap of the 25-lap feature race, Williams was in fifth position, but would need some help if he were to overtake Sparks for the championship title.
The race went nearly flag to flag with Armistead, Jr. pulling away to his fourth victory of the season. Sparks would come home second and secure the points title while Morris ended up third, Orr fourth and Williams fifth.
Chad Wallace, making his first appearance of the year at New Senoia, scored the Crate Late Model victory. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
The final feature of the season in the Crown Security Crate Late Model division saw a new winner. LaGrange’s Chad Wallace made his first appearance of the season at New Senoia Raceway and took advantage of his outside front row starting position to snare the lead at the drop of the green flag. Nine time feature winner Tod Darda, also of LaGrange, would fall in behind Wallace followed by birthday boy Trey White from Jenkinsburg.
Newnan’s Craig ‘Zero Hero’ Scott returned to the division he won in earlier this season and was the hard charger for the race. Scott made his way past points champion Doug Ludwig of Grantville on lap 10 and then scooted past White at the checkers to finish third behind Wallace and Darda.
“Tod and I are good friends,” said Wallace in victory lane. “I knew that it was vital to beat him to turn one on that first lap. We had talked about that part of racing at this track.”
Blake Griffin scored the win in the Newnan Bonding B-Cadet feature. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
Grantville’s Blake Griffin was the man on top after the caution-filled feature race for the Newnan Bonding B Cadets. Grffin stayed out front of all the carnage created behind him to win his third of the season. Newnan Bonding B Cadet point’s champion Jeff Carter of Stockbridge finished in the runner-up spot followed by Carrolton’s Clifton ‘Hog Head’ Moran in third. Moran swapped engines and tires to compete in the B Cadets Saturday night. He had won eighteen features this season in the Hobby Stock division and wrapped up that division’s point title a week prior.
Twenty cars took the green flag for the Summit Racing Equipment Hobby Stock division feature race and Senoia’s Winford Minix jumped out to the initial lead with Concord’s Todd Hatchett moving into second place ahead of Athens’ Wayne Scott. Second row starters Kerry Carden of Brooks and Rusty “Rocketman” Johnson of Newnan locked horns entering the first turn with the end result Carden forced to the top side with a cut tire.
Winford Minix celebrates his victory in the Hobby Stock feature. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
Minix would battle with Hatchett through the first eight laps of the race before Hatchett would make the move to the inside of Minix in turn four. Hatchett would secure the top spot and then work lapped traffic to near perfection through the remainder of the race.
Newnan’s Lee Owenby would be the man on a mission to the front of the pack. Owenby was moving up through the field when he got tangled with Wayne Scott coming out of turn two. The drivers came to rest just in front of the back stretch pit entrance. Owenby restarted at the back of the pack.
Last year’s dominant force in the Hobby Stock class was Newnan’s Scott Sherrer. The winner of twelve feature races in 2010 would charge up to challenge Rusty Johnson for the fourth place position with only a few laps remaining. Johnson and Sherrer came up on the lapped car of Senoia’s Brandon Jones in turn one creating a three wide race. Johnson and Sherrer touched and then bumped with Johnson cutting a tire and Sherrer being sent into the inside retaining wall ending his march to the front.
When the dust of a fantastic, action packed feature race finally came to an end, Hatchett would cross the finish line in first ahead of Minix. Conyers John Landrum came across in third followed by Kerry Carden and Lee Owenby who made a wild run back to the top five.
In post race inspection, Hatchett and Landrum were found to be in violation of the rules and disqualified from their positions. This handed the win over to Minix and moved Carden to second and Oweny to third.
Stephen Hill picked up the Mini-Stock victory Saturday night. Photo courtesy Francis Hauke/22fstops.com
The drama of the points race in the Mini Stocks was over after hot laps because Whitesburg’s Dorough Bright had mechanical problems and would be unable to start the feature race. Barnesville’s Gary Parker would take home the season title.
LaGrange’s Stephen Hill bolted to the feature race lead at the drop of the green and he never looked back posting his second win in the past month. Parker would secure his Mini Stock point’s title with a second place finish ahead of Griffin’s Bo Chambers, Newnan’s Joe Spencer and Douglasville’s Rocky Johnson.
The top ten drivers in each of the track’s weekly divisions will be honored in a special awards ceremony next month on Saturday, October 22. Drivers finishing in those positions will receive point fund bonuses and awards at that special ceremony that is free to the public.
For more on New Senoia Raceway, visit their website at www.newsenoiaraceway.com.
New Senoia Raceway – Senoia, GA
Race Results – Sept. 24, 2011
Mike Wheeler’s Automotive & Transmission Late Models
1. Joe Armistead, Jr.- Senoia, GA
2. Lavon Sparks – Phenix City, AL
3. Glenn Morris – Fayetteville, GA
4. Rucker Orr – Newnan, GA
5. Jason Williams – Locust Grove, GA
6. Troy Tyson – Fayetteville, GA
7. Matt Dooley – Brooks, GA
8. Calvin Pike – West Point, GA
9. Daniel Goodman – Senoia, GA
10. Chuck Hambrick – Conyers, GA
11. Jeremy Stockey – LaGrange, GA
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Season Champion: Lavon Sparks
Crown Security Crate Late Models
1. Chad Wallace – LaGrange, GA
2. Tod Darda – LaGrange, GA
3. Craig Scott – Newnan, GA
4. Trey White – Jenkinsburg, GA
5. Doug Ludwig – Grantville, GA
6. Richie Williams – Fayetteville, GA
7. Joseph Darda – Greenville, GA
8. Brandon Miller – Newnan, GA
9. Todd Mitchell – LaGrange, GA
Fast Qualifier: T Darda (15.680 seconds)
Season Champion: Doug Ludwig
Newnan Bonding B. Cadets
1. Blake Griffin – Grantville, GA
2. Jeff Carter – Stockbridge, GA
3. Clifton Moran – Carrollton, GA
4. Robert Chandler – Sharpsburg, GA
5. Corey Payton – Newnan, GA
6. Thomas Mewborn – Greenville, GA
7. Johnny Stinchcomb – Hapeville, GA
8. Charlie Garrett – West Point, GA
9. Buck Williams – Watkinsville, GA
10. Chris Justus – Hampton, GA
11. Kevin Horton – Grantville, GA
12. Josh Pitt – Stockbridge, GA
13. Branon Pijnenburg – Five Points, AL
14. Bobby Slawson – Monticello, GA
DNS: Chris Carr – Newnan, GA
Heat Winners: Griffin & Carter
Season Champion: Jeff Carter
Summit Racing Equipment Hobby Stocks
1. Winford Minix – Senoia, GA
2. Kerry Carden – Brooks, GA
3. Lee Owenby – Newnan, GA
4. Rusty Johnson – Newnan, GA
5. Bill Brown – Loganville, GA
6. Blake Coley – Senoia, GA
7. Shane Tidwell – Douglasville, GA
8. Zak Sockwell – Newnan, GA
9. Wayne Scott – Athens, GA
10. David Johnson – Griffin, GA
11. Brandon Jones – Newnan, GA
12. Scott Sherrer – Newnan. GA
13. Elijah Williams – Loganville, GA
14. Keith Short – Stockbridge, GA
15. Michael Stover – Jackson, GA
16. Russell Frost – Jackson, GA
17. Mike Jenkins – Brooks, GA
18. Eddie Albitron – Barnesville, GA
DQ: John Landrum – Conyers, GA; Todd Hatchett – Concord, GA
Heat Winners: Minix & Hatchett
Season Champion: Clifton Moran
Mini Stocks
1. Stephen Hill – LaGrange, GA
2. Gary Parker – Barnesville, GA
3. Bo Chambers – Griffin, GA
4. Joe Spencer – Newnan, GA
5. Rocky Johnson – Douglasville, GA
6. Robert Caldwell – Senoia, GA
7. Joshua Blume – Sharpsburg, GA
DNS: Dorough Bright – Whitesburg, GA
Season Champion: Gary Parker
