Kevin Gibson
Booger Brooks
Brandon Stanfield
The first of four “Final 4 Races” are in the books and The AXE MAN Kevin Gibson waited til exactly the right time to chop up the competition for his first win of the season. The Ringgold racing veteran outdrove 11 other teams Saturday night in order to park the black # M45 “Tennessee Roofing Contrators, Benton Oil Service, Stanley Best Heating & Cooling, A-1 Towing, Ste-Don Farms” GRT racecar in Victory Lane.
The double points win also catapulted Gibson outta the bottom two of the Chase for the Dirt Cup Track Championship and unofficially up to fourth in the standings. Second place Craig Burrows was the only car not in fear of being lapped by Gibson in the non-stop 25 lap feature as David Gamble made a late season debut to finish third ahead of Alabama’s D.J. Hayes and rookie Zach Dunsmore.
In the Crate feature Booger Brooks of Chattanooga earned the pole, but it was the “Big Red Machine” Brian Pritchard stepping out into the early lead from the “Cat-Birds Seat”. Brooks driving Riley Hickman’s #148 “Hickman Manufacturing, American Billet, A-1 Towing, Rock Springs Tire, Chickamagua Force, Stone Cypher Drywall, Brooks Bros Racing" sponsored 604 battled back to Pritchard and took command, by mere inches at the line, just prior to a caution. On the restart Pritchard’s attempt to regain control were thwarted allowing Andy Pickelsimer and David Tindell past. Finishing behind Pritchard in fourth was Alabama’s Adam Gauldin. The A-Hobby saw the return of Soddy Daisy's Brandon Stanfield. A two-week hiatus from action showed no mercy to the rest of the division. Robbie Greene was second with Charlie Shook rallying to finish third.
In the B-Hobby Chattanooga's Michael Brooks kept his pressure leading flag to flag over a debuting Lamar Hughes and polesitter Jason Emahiser. In the Road Warrior finale; Allen Stroupes of Cleveland took the win over Katie Bishop and Patrick Wilson.
Cleveland Speedway takes off next Saturday before returning to wrap up the month on the 26th. Eliminated from the “Final 4 Races” due to being the two lowest in points after Race #1 Saturday is; Bobby Doss and Forest Trent in Crate, Paul Tims and Brandon Williams in Late Model, Chuck Christopher and Charles Devine in A-Hobby, Greg Humphrey and Daniel Johnston in B-Hobby, and Ron McNew and Robert Barnett in Road Warriors. The Powder Puff Diva's didn't get a chance to race due to the carnage left behind from all the Road Warrior race cars. The second of four “Final 4 Races” is scheduled for Saturday Oct. 3.
Visit the track's official website www.ClevelandSpeedwayLLC.com for further information.
Late Model:
1. Kevin Gibson M45
2. Craig Burrows 23
3. David Gamble 27
4. D.J. Hayes 393
5. Zach Dunsmore 97
Crate
1. Booger Brooks 148
2. Andy Pickelsimer 1
3. David Tindell 111
4. Brian Pritchard 3
5. Adam Gauldin 17
A-Hobby
1. Brandon Stanfield 28
2. Robbie Greene 00
3. Charlie Shook 88
4. Josh Beagan 5
5. Jim Clark 46
B-Hobby
1. Michael Brooks 48
2. Lamar Hughes 10
3. Jason Emahiser 49
4. Charles Williams 43
5. Brandon Francis 8
Road Warriors
1. Allen Stroupes 28J
2. Katie Bishop 28
3. Patrick Wilson 72