MARYVILLE, Tenn. - Chris Madden became the only driver in World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series history to score multiple wins at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tennessee on Saturday night with a win in the Tennessee Tipoff.
It marks the 29th career series win for the Gray Court, South Carolina racer, and came one year after a power steering issues sidelined him while leading in the same event.
While leading all 50 laps seemed like a dominant performance, Madden held off challenges from defending winner Mike Marlar and Blairsville, Georgia’s Jonathan Davenport in heavy lap traffic to take home the $12,000 prize.
Madden got the jump at the initial green flag, powering to the number one spot outside of Davenport in turn 2. He would hold that position easily through the only two cautions of the race, the first for debris on lap 5, the other for a collision between Cade Dillard and Sam Seawright on lap 7.
After the final re-start, Madden had to fight through a long green flag run and heavy lap traffic, which brought him under fire from Marlar.
“We got in lap traffic there at the end and I knew he (Marlar) was closing up on me, and I had to try to get some lap cars in between me and him, so I made a move to get a couple in front of him, and I did what I had to do to win the race,” Madden said.
Even after making that move, Madden knew patience would be the key in the closing laps of the event.
“I knew I had to be patient, not miss my marks, and not overcharge the corners,” Madden said.
Marlar had to settle for second, with Davenport in third, Hudson O’Neal in fourth and Tim McCreadie fifth.
Jimmy Owens, Chris Ferguson, Brandon Sheppard, Darrell Lanigan and Josh Richards rounded out the top 10.
The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series is back in action on March 26-27, for a doubleheader weekend at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney South Carolina. For more information, visit WorldofOutlaws.com.
WoO Morton Buildings Late Model Series
Smoky Mountain Speedway – Maryville, TN
Tennessee Tipoff – March 6, 2021
1. 44-Chris Madden
2. 157-Mike Marlar
3. 49-Jonathan Davenport
4. 71-Hudson O’Neal
5. 39-Tim McCreadie
6. 20-Jimmy Owens
7. 22-Chris Ferguson
8. 1-Brandon Sheppard
9. 29V-Darrell Lanigan
10. 14-Josh Richards
11. 76-Brandon Overton
12. 17M-Dale McDowell
13. 20RT-Ricky Thornton
14. 23-Cory Hedgecock
15. 8-Kyle Strickler
16. 83-Jensen Ford
17. 7-Ricky Weiss
18. 16-Tyler Bruening
19. 18-Chase Junghans
20. 58-Ross Bailes
21. 54-David Breazeale
22. 40B-Kyle Bronson
23. O-Scott Bloomquist
24. 19R-Ryan Gustin
25. 99B-Boom Briggs
26. 29-Christian Hanger
27. 28-Dennis Erb
28. B1-Brent Larson
29. 56-Tony Jackson
30. 11B-Stacy Boles
31. 97-Cade Dillard
32. 16S-Sam Seawright
