Brandon Overton won the United Crate Racing Alliance race at the Crossville Speedway Friday
photo by Mark Wooten
Making a cameo with the United Crate Racing Alliance series, Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., topped Jason Welshan of Maryville, Tn., to win Friday's 11th tour stop at the Crossville Speedway.
Twenty-three racers, six of which made their UCRA debut on Friday night, competed for the near $10,000 purse for Round #11 of the 2017 UCRA Championship season in the night's 40 lap main event.
Overton, Welshan and third finishing, two-time Dirt Track World Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, all invaded the Crate series, coming from their normal Super Late Model stables for a special rumble around the Tennessee Plateau high banked clay oval.
Overton pocketed the $2,500 victory, piloting Jake Teague’s (# 117) “Wade’s Body Shop, C&C Timber, Bill Bunch, Jakeman Racing” sponsored Eagle Racing Engines / Longhorn, based out of Petross, Tn. Teague hasn’t raced much this season due to new family endeavors, but won the 2015 UCRA inaugural championship. Overton beat Welshan to the checkers by 1.733 seconds with 14 cars finishing the race.
Crossville’s favorite son Randy “The Dream” Weaver was in the house Friday, as car owner/doting dad, as 19-year old Cameron Weaver debuted his new Black-Diamond Crate Late Model. Young Weaver finished a respectful 14th.
The series added two other races at Crossville, Oct. 13 and 14, two full shows which will conclude the 2017 season for both the series as well as the track. Overton is the seventh different winners this season.
Georgia’s Chip Brindle leads all drivers with three wins, but finished fifth Friday. After starting 17th, local racer Jesse Lowe improved 13 positions to finish fourth. Rusty Ballenger (the reigning and defending UCRA champion) leads Lowe and Kyle Courtney in the points standings with four remaining races. Alabama’s Kasey Hall set Fast Time 12.963 seconds, the only car to trip a 12 second lap. Heat race winners included Courtney, Overton and Brindle.
The next UCRA series race is Friday, Oct. 6, at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville. For further information visit www.UCRAracing.com or like them on Facebook.
1. Brandon Overton 2. Jason Welshan 3. Ronnie Johnson 4. Jesse Lowe 5. Chip Brindle 6. Greg Martin 7. Mike Weeks 8. Rusty Ballenger 9. Josh Henry 10. Kasey Hall 11. Jimmy Elliott 12. Chase Walls 13. Floyd Turner 14. Cameron Weaver 15. Jeff Cotterman 16. Michael Smith 17. Kyle Courtney 18. Sylvan Schuette 19. Jordan Horton 20. Jerry Green 21. Perry Delaney 22. Troy Davenport 23. Rod Carroll