KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Zeke Shell has found his groove at Tennessee’s Kingsport Speedway.
Shell took the lead on lap 23 of Friday night’s Late Model Stock Car feature, and went on to capture his second straight NASCAR Whelen All-American Series feature victory.
To start out the night, Shell set fast-time in qualifying with a lap at 15.063, with Kres VanDyke close behind at 15.089. After an inversion of the top four, Jeff Maupin and Nik Williams led the 14-car field to green from the front row.
Williams jumped out to the lead over Maupin, Shell, VanDyke and Robbie Ferguson. Shell quickly got around Maupin for second on lap two. Over the next several laps, Shell began working to reel in Williams.
After riding on Williams’ back bumper, Shell made his move on lap 21, using the inside line to challenge for the lead. Over the next lap-and-a-half, they raced side-by-side before Shell powered into the lead on lap 23.
The event’s only caution waved on lap 32 when Joey Trent spun between turns one and two following contact racing hard with Wayne Hale, Maupin and Derek Lane.
On the restart, Shell moved back out into the lead, while behind him VanDyke passed Williams to move into second place. With the race running clean-and-green, the leaders found themselves worked through slower traffic with five laps remaining. That allowed VanDyke to close to within a car length of Shell.
But Shell would not be denied his second straight win, as he held off VanDyke for the victory. Williams finished in third, with Ferguson in fourth and Hale in fifth.
Lane, Dillon Hodge, Darin Silver, Trent, and Maupin rounded out the top ten.
In other action, Trey Lane and Joshua Gobble battled for the lead throughout the Modified Street feature, with Lane going on to score his first win of the season. Gobble finished in second, with Paul Shull in third, Chase Dixon in fourth, and Kirby Gobble in fifth.
Kenny Absher was flagged the winner of the Pure 4 feature, but was light at the scales in post race, leaving him disqualified. That handed the win to Billy Byington, with Bruce Crumbley in second, Brandon Sutherland in third, William Hale in fourth and Dennis Stanley in fifth.
Brad Ball narrowly edged out Kevin Canter to win the Mod 4 feature. Zack Fritz, Billy Duty and Mitch Gibson rounded out the top five.
Joey Sykes cruised to his second consecutive Pure Street win over David Strong, with Jay Swecker in third, Jason Herron in fourth and Ricky Payne in fifth.
Kingsport Speedway returns to action on Friday, May 25. For more information, visit NewKingsportSpeedway.com.
Kingsport Speedway – Kingsport, TN
Race Results (Unofficial) – May 11, 2018
Late Model Stock Cars
1. Zeke Shell #1 – Johnson City, TN
2. Kres VanDyke #15 – Abingdon, VA
3. Nik Williams #32 – Greeneville, TN
4. Robbie Ferguson #7 – Jonesborough, TN
5. Wayne Hale #19 – Bluff City, TN
6. Derek Lane #28 – Kingsport, TN
7. Dillon Hodge #5 – Kingsport, TN
8. Darin Silver #12 – Spruce Pine, NC
9. Joey Trent #26 – Gray, TN
10. Jeff Maupin #0 – Greeneville, TN
11. Billy Light #8 – Bluff City, TN
12. Rick Pannell #33 – Kingsport, TN
13. Bryson Dennis #15 – Greeneville, TN
14 Allen Hawkins #14 – Kingsport, TN
Modified Street
1. Trey Lane #9
2. Joshua Gobble #88
3. Paul Shull #48
4. Chase Dixon #07
5. Kirby Gobble #63
6. Chris Tunnell #6
7. Hannah Seal #55
8. Gene Griffey #1
9. Joey Sykes #22
10. Rusty Clendenin #27
11. Alex Miller #37
12. Steven Roark #27
13. Dennis Deese #24
14. Royce Peters #42
15. T.J. O’Quinn #00
16. Sam Hurd #44
Pure 4
1. Billy Byington #11
2. Bruce Crumbley #33
3. Brandon Sutherland #48
4. William Hale #47
5. Dennis Stanley #21
6. Paul Stanley #40
7. Chad Jeffers #38
8. Jimmy Thomas #20
9. Craig Phelps #00
10. David Trent #57
11. Josh Collins #77
12. Josh Detwiler #38
13. Richard Isaacs #7
14. Nasty Jones #13
15. Larry Stapleton #15
16. Anthony Watson #91
17. Todd Duff #16
18. Hannah Ottinger #7
DQ: Kenny Absher #11
Mod 4
1. Brad Ball #17
2. Kevin Canter #3
3. Zack Fritz #22
4. Billy Duty #1
5. Mitch Gibson #06
6. Chris Coleman #20
7. Dennis Arnold #7
8. Larry Bowens #18
9. James Deese #14
10. Greg Clevenger #12
11. Jessie Amburgey #7
12. David Brown #13
13. Chris Amburgey #17
14. Dalton Thomas #22
Pure Street
1. Joey Sykes #23
2. David Strong #53
3. Jay Swecker #77
4. Jason Herron #7
5. Ricky Payne #1
6. Jessica Payne #12
7. Anitra Little #74
8. Penny Hurd #11
9. Chris Neeley #2
http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/5/670718/shell-goes-back-to-back-with-kingsport-late-model-win