ROME, GA - Hollywood couldn't have written a better script going into the final points race of the year at Rome Speedway in Rome, GA Sunday night as the Dixie/Rome Speedway Track championship was up for grabs, with Michael Page and Jason Croft coming into the night in a tie.<br />
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Meanwhile, Tom Maddox scored the feature win as the points battle raged.<br />
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Tony Knowles took fast time in qualifying with Croft getting the outside pole. Page had also qualified well, but blew a motor as he pulled off the track. He was able to switch to a backup car and start in the rear of the feature. Croft jumped to an immediate lead while Page began passing slower cars making his way to the front. Just a few laps in, Croft exploded a right rear tire sending him to the pits for a new one. He was able to change the tire before the track was cleared of debris and restart the race in the rear.<br />
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On the restart, Knowles took the lead with Maddox hot on his tail. Maddox took the lead with Knowles in pursuit. Meanwhile, Page had made his way into the top five, while Croft was able to take advantage of a couple of cautions to move in behind him. A battle for the fourth spot began between the two, both giving all they had to finish ahead of the other.<br />
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Croft had moved to fourth and Page was working to try to get the spot back when, on lap 35, the car of Tony Knowles slowed suddenly off turn four, right in front of Page, leaving him nowhere to go. Page slammed into Knowles, bringing his championship bid to an end.<br />
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During the caution, the left front tire of second place Jeff Smith had gone flat. With five laps left to go, Smith elected to stay on the track in an attempt to finish the race. When the flag flew for the start, Smith's right blew sending him into the turn one wall ending his night.<br />
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On the next restart, Maddox once again set sail went on to score the victory. Croft finished second, with Cody King in third. Dingus Griffin followed in fourth while Mike Bruner completed the top five.<br />
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It was Don Jenkins all the way in the Steel Head Late Model feature. Jenkins took the lead and never looked back as Oliver Gentry followed in second with Trevor Thompson, point champion Chris Fennell, and Scott Hall rounding out the top five.<br />
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It was a tight points battle in the Crate Late Model feature, as a handful of points separated Justin Shipley and Maddie Crane going into the nights feature. When the checkers flew, Larry Higgins of Tunnel Hill, GA in his first ever visit to the track, found himself in victory lane ahead of Zach Pilcher, T.J. Brittain, Justin Shipley, and Ryan King. With his fourth place finish, Shipley became the division points champion.<br />
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Several weeks ago, Willie Winsome of Ketchum, AL destroyed a car when he tagged the wall, but tonight he returned and went straight to victory lane in the Super Bomber feature. Josh Pilcher followed in second with Blant Duke in third, Donnie Morgan in fourth and Daniel Brewer in fifth.<br />
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The Economy Bomber points title was also up for grabs between Dan Meadows and David Burtz, both with both drivers starting in the back of the 21 car field. Rome's Austin Smith took the lead and never looked back going on for his first ever win at his home track. John Davis worked his way up for second at the checkered flag with Carl Richards in third. Points contender David Burtz raced his way from dead last to a fourth place finish but wound up 10 points shy of winning the championship against Meadows who finished in tenth place. Eric Hamby rounded out the top five.<br />
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Jake Jones took the Pony Stock win as well as becoming the division points champion when the apparent winner refused to tear down after a post race protest was lodged against him. This moved everybody up a notch making the top five Jones, Von Casey, David Kirkland, Ronnie Faucett and C.J. Dettmar.<br />
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Wes Chavez and George Wilson staged a side by side battle for the Cruiser win with Chavez getting the lead for good on the final lap. Wilson remained in second followed by Chris Neese, the team of Jerry Fowler/Jerry Barnes and Randy Ledford.<br />
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<strong>Rome Speedway - Rome, GA</strong><br />
<strong> Race Results - Aug. 31, 2014</strong><br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Super Late Models</strong></span><br />
1. 43 - Tom Maddox<br />
2. 9 - Jason Croft<br />
3. 2 - Cody King<br />
4. 49 - Dingus Griffin<br />
5. 18 - Mike Bruner<br />
6. 18 - Doug King<br />
7. 3 - Luther Jenkins<br />
8. 98 - Casey Barrow<br />
9. 311 - Scott Groves<br />
10. 44 - Rod Carroll<br />
11. 17s - Jeff Smith<br />
12. 9 - Cass Fowler<br />
13. 24 - Michael Page<br />
14. 26 - Tony Knowles<br />
15. 66 - Jake Knowles<br />
16. 77 - Doug Stevens<br />
17. 12 - Ken Hickman<br />
18. 15 - Brian Smith<br />
19. 38 - Dillon Tidmore<br />
DNS: 24x - Buster Goss<br />
DNS: 47 - Brad Hall<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Steel Head Late Models</strong></span><br />
1. 1B - Don Jenkins<br />
2. 03 - Oliver Gentry<br />
3. 23 - Trevor Thompson<br />
4. c87 - Chris Fennell<br />
5. 07 - Scott Hall<br />
6. 37 - Jimmy Price<br />
7. 21 - Mario Gresham<br />
8. 22 - Michael Brewer<br />
9. o07 - Clifton Moran<br />
10. 11 - Ryan Law<br />
11. 19 - Austin Horton<br />
12. 87 - Andrew Littleton<br />
13. 16 - Jeff Fields<br />
14. 34 - Chuck Padgett<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Crate Late Models</strong></span><br />
1. 85 - Larry Higgins<br />
2. 07 - Zach Pilcher<br />
3. 05 - T.J. Brittain<br />
4. 08 - Justin Shipley<br />
5. 55 - Ryan King<br />
6. 54 - Hunter Jones<br />
7. 78 - Maddie Crane<br />
8. 97 - Ted Minnix<br />
9. 151 - July Turner<br />
10. 19 - Trey Wood<br />
11. 4 - Shane Smith<br />
12. 7 - Brian Rapp<br />
13. 71 - Cody Richards<br />
14. 6 - Billy Callahan<br />
15. 25 - Matt Larson<br />
16. 7c - Dillon Crill<br />
17. 71 - Dustin Knighten<br />
18. 11 - Chip Burke<br />
19. 17 - Cary Johnson<br />
20. 67 - Kyle Clifton<br />
21. 37 - Tim Williams<br />
22. 10 - Matthew Turner<br />
23. 37 - Kevin Burke<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Super Bombers</strong></span><br />
1. 66 - Willie Winsome<br />
2. 57 - Josh Pilcher<br />
3. 01 - Blant Duke<br />
4. 18 - Donnie Morgan<br />
5. D22 - Daniel Brewer<br />
6. 3 - Tom Watson<br />
7. 82 - Randall Powell<br />
8. 40 - Terry Fennell<br />
9. 80 - Benton Morris<br />
10. 43 - Billy Dean<br />
11. J21 - Justin Begley<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Economy Bombers</strong></span><br />
1. 84 - Austin Smith<br />
2. 06 - John Davis<br />
3. 95 - Carl Richards<br />
4. 31 - David Burtz<br />
5. 21 - Eric Hamby<br />
6. 16 - Wesley Scott<br />
7. 22 - Jimmy Fetterman<br />
8. 1A - Ryan Ray<br />
9. 19 - Landon Bagby<br />
10. 07 - Dan Meadows<br />
11. 35 - James Gagnon<br />
12. 14 - Drew Larson<br />
13. 16 - Kyle Beavers<br />
14. 13 - Jesse Goss<br />
15. 39 - Rodger Pilcher<br />
16. 711 - Clyde Alexander<br />
17. T21 - Steven Tippen<br />
18. 17 - Jake Pilgrim<br />
19. 57 - Tyler Williams<br />
20. 1 - Wesley Brown<br />
21. 8 - Charles Grogan<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Pony Stocks</strong></span><br />
1. 21 - Jake Jones<br />
2. 28 - Von Casey<br />
3. 04 - David Kirkland<br />
4. x6 - Ronnie Faucett<br />
5. 20 - C.J. Dettmar<br />
6. 62 - Charles Dettmar<br />
7. 42 - William Reed<br />
8. 22 - Matt Thompson<br />
9. 06 - Bruce Lovitt<br />
10. 56 - Mitchell Pope<br />
11. J10 - John Land<br />
12. 29 - Jojo Morgan<br />
13. 72 - Charles Qualls<br />
14. 189 - James Barber<br />
15. 48 - Eric Lowe<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Cruisers</strong></span><br />
1. 3 - Wes Chavez<br />
2. 1 - George Wilson<br />
3. 26 - Chris Neese<br />
4. x11 - Jerry Barnes/Jerry Fowler<br />
5. 83 - Randy Ledford<br />
6. 15 - John Sexton<br />
7. 10 - Tony Newman<br />
8. B13 - Brian Dempsey<br />
9. 43 - Jimmy Wilson<br />
10. 10 - Charlie Ivey
