Ricky Weiss took advantage of race leader Brandon Overton’s misfortune on the final lap of Friday night’s Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals feature to score the victory at Tennessee’s Crossville Speedway.
It marks the first career series victory for the Headingly, Manitoba, Canada driver, who took home a $4,000 payday for his efforts.
The initial start of the 40 lap feature would see a do-over, as third place starter Pierce McCarter spun his machine in turn four before the opening lap was completed. Once racing got underway, Overton would jump out to the race lead, with Dawsonville, Georgia’s Donald McIntosh, Shanon Buckingham, Ricky Weiss, and Forrest Trent in pursuit.
Disaster struck second place driver McIntosh on lap six when he tangled with a slower car, with both cars spinning out. Overton maintained the lead on the restart, with Weiss moving to second. As Overton started working traffic, Richard Frost slowed at the top of turn four to draw the caution flag.
Caution would again slow the field on lap 26 when Robby Moses spun exiting turn two, gathering up Pierce McCarter and ending both for the evening. The attempted restart would see one more lap completed before McIntosh, who had worked his way from the rear of the field back to seventh position, spin in turn four. The event would again be slowed on the restart when Skylar Marlar spun in turn four, with another car piling in.
As the race wound down, Overton appeared to have the win well in-hand, but his car started experiencing issues as the field saw the two lap to go signal. Overton’s entry would again stumble exiting turn four coming to the white flag, allowing Weiss to close the gap on the leader.
As Overton exited turn four coming to the checkered flag, his engine shut off and Weiss powered past the stricken machine to claim a half-car length victory at the checkered flag.
Buckingham finished third, with Payne in fourth and Michael Chilton in fifth.
The Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals concludes returns to action with a Memorial Day weekend triple header in the Peach State. It opens at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia on Friday, May 26 before moving to Woodstock, Georgia’s Dixie Speedway on Saturday, May 27. The weekend and the 2017 campaign wraps up on Sunday, May 28 at Rome Speedway in Rome, Georgia.
For more information, visit SouthernNationalsSeries.com.
Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals Series
Crossville Speedway – Crossville, TN
Race Results – May 19, 2017
1. Ricky Weiss – Headingly, Manitoba, Canada
2. Brandon Overton – Evans, GA
3. Shanon Buckingham – Morristown, TN
4. David Payne – Murphy, NC
5. Michael Chilton – Salvisa, KY
6. Forrent Trent – Talbott, TN
7. Jason Croft – Woodstock, GA
8. Steve Smith – Powell, TN
9. Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA
10. Billy Ogle, Jr. – Knoxville, TN
11. Kenny Cobble – Cookeville, TN
12. Jeff Neubert – Rockford, TN
13. Carder Miller – Salem, VA
14. Skylar Marlar – Winfield, TN
15. Robby Moses – Maryville, TN
16. Pierce McCarter – Gatlinburg, TN
17. Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN
18. Richard Frost – Clarksville, TN
19. Casey Turman – Lafayette, GA
20. Ronnie Choate – Cookeville, TN
21. Tim Damron – Oneida, TN
22. Riley Hickman – Ooltewah, TN
