KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Zeke Shell scored his first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car win of the season to kick off the Independence Day holiday weekend with a bang at Tennessee’s Kingsport Speedway on Friday night.
Wayne Hale was quickest in time-trials with a lap at 15.199 seconds, but following an invert of the top six from qualifying, Shell and current point leader Kres VanDyke led the 20-car field to green from the front row.
Shell wasted no time in flexing his muscle to take the lead on the start, as he powered ahead of VanDyke racing off turn two on the opening lap, with Joey Trent, Ronnie McCarty and Hale in tow.
The event’s first caution waved on lap 10 when Lance Gatlin and David Strong spun at end of the backstretch entering the third turn. Immediately off the double-file restart the yellow was quickly thrown when Duke Bare and Marty Tunnell spun between turns one and two.
Finally back under green, Shell was leading VanDyke, McCarty, Trent and Robbie Ferguson. Ferguson moved past Trent for the fourth spot on lap 12 as they raced off the fourth turn. With Shell and VanDyke opening up a 10 car-length advantage over those in pursuit, behind them a good seven-car battle for position involved McCarty, Ferguson, Trent, Hale, Derek Lane, Nik Williams and Gatlin. But the race’s third caution appeared for Lane, when he spun racing up off turn two on lap 21.
Once again off the double-file restart Shell pulled back ahead into the lead over VanDyke, with Ferguson taking control of the third spot over McCarty, followed by Trent. The final caution period occurred on lap 31 when Darin Silver and Bare spun between turns three and four.
With the field lined back up for yet another double-file restart, just as he had done throughout the entire race Shell rocketed back out into the lead over VanDyke and Ferguson. Shell had come close on a couple occasions this season to scoring the victory, only to let the opportunities slip through his grasp.
VanDyke had recorded four straight wins, and Shell was looking in his rearview mirror knowing VanDyke was ready to capitalize should he make a mistake. But Shell was focused down the stretch and hit his marks each lap to remain out front and finally seal the deal and earn trip to victory lane with the win over VanDyke, with Ferguson in third, McCarty in fourth and Trent in fifth.
Hale, Lane, Allen Hawkins, Williams, and Gatlin rounded out the top ten.
In other action, Royce Peters took the win in the Modified Street feature, with Jason Leatherwood in second, Rusty Clendenin in third, Kevin Wolfe in fourth and Justin Fontaine in fifth.
John Ketron was the winner in the Pure 4 feature, with Billy Byington second, Kenny Absher third, Chris Neeley fourth and Billy Ketron fifth.
David Brown scored the victory in the Mod 4 feature. Kevin Canter, Hershell Robinette, Billy Duty and Darrell Whitehead rounded out the top five.
Doug Austin captured his fourth Pure Street feature win over Jamie Meadows in second, Jay Swecker in third, Stacey Castle in fourth, and Peter Alley in fifth.
Kingsport Speedway – Kingsport, TN
Race Results – June 30, 2017
Late Model Stock Cars
1. Zeke Shell #50 – Johnson City, TN
2. Kres VanDyke #15 – Abingdon, VA
3. Robbie Ferguson #40 – Jonesborough, TN
4. Ronnie McCarty #5 – Kingsport, TN
5. Joey Trent #26 – Gray, TN
6. Wayne Hale #19 – Bluff City, TN
7. Derek Lane #28 – Kingsport, TN
8. Allen Hawkins #14 – Kingsport, TN
9. Nik Williams #32 – Greeneville, TN
10. Lance Gatlin #27 – Morristown, TN
11. David Strong #53 – Weber City, VA
12. Duke Bare #22 – Meadowview, VA
13. Billy Light #8 – Bluff City, TN
14. Rick Pannell #33 – Kingsport, TN
15. Darin Silver #12 – Spruce Pine, NC
16. Marty Tunnell #57 – Wise, VA
17. Wade Day #4 – Seymour, TN
18. Austin Peters #66 – Kingsport, TN
19. Joshua Gobble #7 – Abingdon, VA
20. Royce Peters #40 – Kingsport, TN
DNS: Danny Casteel #41 – Johnson City, TN
Modified Street
1. Royce Peters #42
2. Jason Leatherwood #29
3. Rusty Clendenin #40
4. Kevin Wolfe #17
5. Justin Fontaine #52
6. Jared Broadbent #74
7. Rick Utsman #12
8. Paul Shull #48
9. Dustin Dowell #89
10. Sam Hurd #44
11. Bruce Crumbley #33
12. Keith McMurray #2
DNS: Dennis Deese #24
Pure 4
1. John Ketron #27
2. Billy Byington #11
3. Kenny Absher #11
4. Chris Neeley #94
5. Billy Ketron #26
6. William Hale #47
7. Bucky Smith #99
8. Kevin Darnell #4
9. Craig Phelps #00
10. Michael Blair #84
11. Larry Stapleton #15
12. Jimmy Thomas #14
13. David Trent #57
14. Jason Francis #6
15. Bobby Durbin #28
16. Jackie Jackson #16
17. Josh Collins #77
18. Alexcia Ray #99
19. Richard Quillen #13
20. Jason Ketron #28
21. Brandon Sutherland #5
22. Michael Nelson #17
23. Levi Cox #1
24. Paul Stanley #40
25. Nasty Jones #13
26. Cody Curtis #18
Mod 4
1. David Brown #88
2. Kevin Canter #3
3. Hershell Robinette #9
4. Billy Duty #1
5. Darrell Whitehead #43
6. Lynn Shaffer Jr. #2
7. Jessie Amburgey #7
8. Jerry Miller #01
9. Chris Amburgey #17
10. Larry Bowens #18
Pure Street
1. Doug Austin #18
2. Jamie Meadows #11
3. Jay Swecker #77
4. Stacey Castle #1
5. Peter Alley #7
6. Bobby Talbert #67
7. Jay Myers #22
8. Jeremy Draughn #7
9. Dustin Smith #5
10. Ryan Hyatt #28
11. Virgil Young #13
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/7/554702/shell-captures-kingsport-speedway-late-model-victory