KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Robbie Ferguson and two-time defending track champion Ronnie McCarty each captured NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car victories on Friday night at Tennessee’s Kingsport Speedway.
Both Ferguson and McCarty each had one win on the season, and they also each had several top-five finishes. But neither had visited victory lane since back at beginning of the season over the first two races.
Current point leader and nine-time winner this season Kres VanDyke set fast-time at 15.125 seconds in qualifying to earn pole position, with McCarty second quickest at 15.132.
McCarty jumped out to the lead at start of the first 35-lap feature over VanDyke and Nik Williams. While the lead trio began to put some distance between themselves and their closest challengers as the race reached the halfway distance, it was a four-car battle for position among Wayne Hale, Austin Peters, Joey Trent and Ferguson back behind them.
With the race running clean-and-green and the laps winding down, McCarty was feeling pressure from VanDyke for the lead. Lap-after-lap VanDyke was glued to McCarty’s back bumper racing off the corners down the straightaway, and tried sticking his nose underneath racing up off the turns.
Racing down the backstretch into the third turn on lap 28, VanDyke made contact with McCarty between turns three and four which resulted in the leader spinning, collecting Williams to bring the caution out. Both McCarty and VanDyke restarted from the rear of the field, while Williams remained in the pits.
Going back green proved disastrous for Trent, as his engine went up in smoke, dumping oil on the raceway. That led to a lengthy red-flag to allow for track clean up.
Hale and Peters were on the front row for the double-file restart, with Hale winning the drag race into the first turn to move ahead over Peters and Ferguson. Ferguson quickly disposed of Peters to move into second, and on lap 32 he drove past Hale for the lead. From there, Ferguson went on to record his second win of the season over VanDyke, who barely nosed out Hale for the runner-up spot. McCarty finished in fourth with Peters in fifth.
“Just an awesome run for our team and it’s a great deal to finally get back here in victory lane,” said the 56-year-old Ferguson. “I want to thank my car owner Ken Daffron who owns Dalton Direct Carpets for allowing me the opportunity to drive such a good hot rod, along with sponsor Sonny Brown who owns Quality Heat and Aire for his support.
“My old crew chief from back many years ago, Larry Collins, has recently started helping us and we’ve really got our car working exceptionally well. I’m fortunate to have Larry, along with Mark Williams, Jeff Herron, Jason Herron, Matt Bays, Andy Cleek and Jon Bays (spotter) in the pits because they all are very knowledgeable about preparing a race car.”
The top eight finishers from the first race were inverted for the second 35-lapper, placing Billy Light and Darin Silver on the front row. Before one lap was complete, Silver spun in the fourth turn following contact from behind to bring the caution out. But that would prove to be the only yellow period during the finale.
Finally under green, Peters grabbed the lead over Light, McCarty, Ferguson and Williams. Light quickly began dropping backward as he was quickly overtaken by McCarty, Ferguson, Williams and VanDyke.
McCarty got to the inside of Peters on lap six to take the lead, which also opened the door for Ferguson, Williams and VanDyke to also get past him as Peters was trapped on the high-side.
With the race reaching the halfway distance, the top four cars were running nose-to-tail around the .375-mile banked concrete oval. McCarty, driving a car with significant front-end damage – minus nosepiece, hood and both front fenders – following his incident in the first race, was the hunted with Ferguson, Williams and VanDyke chasing.
But the 30-year-old McCarty, captured his second win of the season over Ferguson, Williams, VanDyke and Hale.
“Even with our car minus the body pieces, we still had a really good race car tonight,” said McCarty. “Not having the hood, front fenders or nosepiece, it was almost like I was driving a NASCAR Modified. I really thought we were going to win the first race, but the deal with (Kres) VanDyke put an end to that. After my crew worked on the car in the pits while under caution removing the damaged pieces, we were able to get back on-track and salvage a fourth-place finish.
“Back in the pits before the finale, we had a lot to do getting the car ready for battle. We were on a mission, because we really felt like we had one (win) taken away from us in the first race. Never say quit, that’s our race team because we’re not going down without giving it our best effort.”
Alan Rich jumped out to the lead in the 30-lap Modified Street feature and appeared headed toward a visit to victory lane. But that changed when he tangled with the lap car of Paul Shull with five laps to go, sending Rich spinning and bringing out the caution.
Both Rich and Shull restarted from rear of the field. Rich was obviously upset with Shull, and showed his displeasure by spinning Shull when the race went back to green, leading track officials to park him for the rest of the night.
Meanwhile, Royce Peters captured his sixth feature win of the season, with Rusty Clendenin in second, Jason Leatherwood in third, Scott Franklin in fourth and Rick Utsman in fifth.
Keith Helton recorded his second consecutive Pure 4 feature win over points leader Kenny Absher, with Billy Ketron in third, Jason Ketron in fourth and Bucky Smith in fifth.
Kevin Canter took the win in the Mod 4 feature. Joshua Gobble, Kirby Gobble, Hershell Robinette and Chris Amburgey rounded out the top five.
Doug Austin was the winner in the Pure Street feature, with Jay Swecker in second, Jason Herron in third, Dustin Smith in fourth and Bobby Talbert in fifth.
Kingsport Speedway wraps up their regular season with Championship Night on Friday, September 1. For more information, visit NewKingsportSpeedway.com.
Kingsport Speedway – Kingsport, TN
Race Results – August 25, 2017
Late Model Stock Race 1
1. Robbie Ferguson #40 – Jonesborough, TN
2. Kres VanDyke #15 – Abingdon, VA
3. Wayne Hale #19 – Bluff City, TN
4. Ronnie McCarty #5 – Kingsport, TN
5. Austin Peters #66 – Kingsport, TN
6. Allen Hawkins #14 – Kingsport, TN
7. Derek Lane #28 – Kingsport, TN
8. Darin Silver #12 – Spruce Pine, NC
9. Billy Light #8 – Bluff City, TN
10. Jamie Harrison #76 – Church Hill, TN
11. Rick Pannell #33 – Kingsport, TN
12. Nik Williams #32 – Greeneville, TN
13. Joey Trent #26 – Gray, TN
14. Joshua Gobble #7 – Abingdon, VA
15. Sam Hurd #11 – Kingsport, TN
DNS: Lee Tissott #27 – Asheville, NC
Late Model Stock Race 2
1. Ronnie McCarty #5 – Kingsport, TN
2. Robbie Ferguson #40 – Jonesborough, TN
3. Nik Williams #32 – Greeneville, TN
4. Kres VanDyke #15 – Abingdon, VA
5. Wayne Hale #19 – Bluff City, TN
6. Austin Peters #66 – Kingsport, TN
7. Derek Lane #28 – Kingsport, TN
8. Joey Trent #26 – Gray, TN
9. Darin Silver #12 – Spruce Pine, NC
10. Jamie Harrison #76 – Church Hill, TN
11. Billy Light #8 – Bluff City, TN
12. Rick Pannell #33 – Kingsport, TN
13. Allen Hawkins #14 – Kingsport, TN
14. Joshua Gobble #7 – Abingdon, VA
15. Sam Hurd #11 – Kingsport, TN
DNS: Lee Tissott #27 – Asheville, NC
Modified Street
1. Royce Peters #42
2. Rusty Clendenin #40
3. Jason Leatherwood #29
4. Scott Franklin #7
5. Rick Utsman #12
6. Trey Lane #40
7. Chris Tunnell #6
8. Bruce Crumbley #33
9. Paul Shull #48
10. Kevin Wolfe #17
11. Jared Broadbent #74
12. Alan Rich #03
13. Dennis Deese #24
14. Same Hurd #44
Pure 4
1. Keith Helton #74
2. Kenny Absher #11
3. Billy Ketron #26
4. Jason Ketron #28
5. Bucky Smith #99
6. Billy Byington #11
7. Chad Jeffers #38
8. Kevin Darnell #4
9. Jimmy Thomas #14
10. Levi Cox #1
11. Larry Stapleton #15
12. Josh Collins #77
13. Paul Stanley #40
14. William Hale #47
15. Craig Phelps #00
16. Jason Francis #6
17. Alexcia Ray #99
18. Richard Quillen #13
19. Chris Stine #10
20. Dylan Bates #6
21. Michael Blair #84
22. Brandon Sutherland #5
Mod 4
1. Kevin Canter #3
2. Joshua Gobble #88
3. Kirby Gobble #77
4. Hershell Robinette #9
5. Chris Amburgey #17
6. Jerry Miller #01
7. Larry Bowens #18
8. Billy Duty #1
Pure Street
1. Doug Austin #18
2. Jay Swecker #77
3. Jason Herron #22
4. Dustin Smith #5
5. Bobby Talbert #67
6. Bobby Durbin #2
7. Ryan Hyatt #24
8. Jeremy Draughn #7
9. Anitra Little #31
10. Peter Alley #7
11. Virgil Young #13
12. Chris Neeley #2
