Chip Brindle
photo by Ronnie Barnett
Chip Brindle of Dalton/Chatsworth, Georgia won his third United Crate Racing Alliance main event of the season, Saturday night at Fort Payne (AL) Motor Speedway. Turning back local favorite Kasey Hall of Geraldine, "Chipper" won the $2,500/40-lap feature race, while halting Hall's two-race series win streak.
Brindle in his
Team 17/Hill Motorsports "Beyea Custom Headers, Advance Tufting, FK Rod Ends, Garrison Automotive, BDR Loopers & Clips" sponsored Racetek powered machine won by 3.183 seconds ahead of Hall and reigning/defending and current UCRA points champion Rusty Ballenger of Seymour, Tennessee. Nine of the 14 starters finished completed all 40 laps.
Runner up Hall won two previous UCRA stops at Fort Payne this season and was leading Crossville (TN) Speedway main event in July before mechanical problems ended his night prematurely. There have been six different winners in 10 series races this season.
Brindle has three series wins, while Hall and Anthony White have two wins each. Crossville, TN's Jesse Lowe had a streak of five consecutive runner-up finishes in UCRA competition going into Fort Payne Saturday. That run came to an end with a 7th place finish for the Rookie of the Year continder. Richie Stephens (# 00) of Phenix City, AL won the 25-lap UCRA 602/Sportsman Mini Series Round # 9 feature, claiming five of the last seven series events.
Performance Race Enginges Inc Fast qualifier Rusty Ballenger earned a bonus $100 setting Fast Time: 14.415 seconds in qualifying. Thirteen-year-old Sam Seawright and Brindle won their heats to earn the front row start. Seawright led the first two laps and gave up the position on lap 3 before heading pit-side. Ross White of Karns, TN and Perry Delaney of Crossville, TN made their debut at Fort Payne both in their second ventures with UCRA competition.
1. Chip Brindle 2. Kasey Hall 3. Rusty Ballenger 4. Shane Tankersley 5. Kyle Courtney 6. Sam Seawright 7. Jesse Lowe 8. Larry Higgins 9. Robert Gant 10. Rod Carroll 11. Ross White 12. Ryan Law 13. Perry Delaney 14. Bobby Pruitt
Richie Stevens
photo by Ronnie Barnett