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KC Classic finish - Unclebig - 10-04-2009 09:48 AM
Clanton Claims K-C Classic Cash
Blair takes title in O'Reilly LM Series
Conley grabs Lemaster Classic
By Scott Wolfe
CHILLICOTHE, OHIO- Conley, Georgia's Shane Clanton, an Outlaw veteran, rode into Jeff and Vicki Schrader's K-C Raceway Saturday night and stole the show along the winner's share of the $171,000 purse in the $20,000 to win O'Reilly All-Star Circuit of Champions Late Model crowning event. But Clanton's job description required a torrid late-race battle with Salt Rock, WV driver Eddie Carrier, Jr.--a battle that energized the crowd in the spirit of a successful inaugural run of the Dirt Track World Cup Classic. Kevin Morehouse claimed the $3000 modified portion of the program and Delmas Conley won the Late Model Non-qualifier of $3,000 to win in the Bob Lemaster Classic.
"I would like to thank the fans and drivers who turned out for our inaugural event," said K-C promoter Jeff Schrader. "The weather didn't help us Friday, but we survived. We want to grow this race each and every year. We didn't get rich, but fans can expect the second annual "Classic" about the same time next year. Thanks for making this event a success."
If the atmosphere around the event wasn't eventful enough, the racing put the icing on the cake. Although Clanton's run looked like a cake walk, the Georgia driver said, "Man, that's the hardest I've had to race all year." And after a somewhat sluggish 2009 Clanton has had a break-out run the last two weekends with a pair of $20,000 wins in the Ronnie Dobbins #25.
Brandon Kinzer and Rob Blair paced the 26 car field to the waving green of starter Daryl Owen. Neither driver accepted the "Back-to-the-front" Pole Challenge, but the move paid off for Blair who ended up with a six point win over Boom Briggs in the final O'Reilly All-Star Circuit of Champions points standings. That came after Boom Briggs, led nearly the entire All-Star season.
Shane Clanton, Duane Chamberlain, and Eddie Carrier, Jr. made quick passes of outside pole sitter Robbie Blair. Tim Dohm in the Seymour 17 then dogged Blair for fifth for the next ten laps. By lap 12 Kinzer was in lapped traffic with Clanton locked to his quarters.
Kinzer got locked behind the back-markers while Chamberlain tried Clanton with Carrier close in tow. Lap 18 went three wide as a 1-2-3-4 drama unfolded in typical K-C style. No run-aways here; just pure action.
By lap 22 Kinzer broke through the lapped traffic and jumped two lengths ahead. The same lap Coleby Frye popped a tire to bring out the first caution. The first case of anxiety wretched the leading driver's minds as thoughts of tire glazing raced to the cerebellums.
The double-file restart produced a wealth of action. Clanton took the lead on the restart and Chamberlain followed in second. Carrier was next as Kinzer shuffled all the way back to fourth. The army of cars marched three-wide in the multi-groove avenues. Kinzer regrouped to fend off Dohm for the next 18 markers, when the action took a break from the torrid cage fight.
Clanton resumed the march on the restart following a Boom Briggs mechanical failure. A lap later Jared Hawkins went pit side and out of the race. Chamberlain tried Clanton this time but Clanton won the shootout. Bart Hartman joined Showtime Steve Shaver in working on Robbie Blair. The next stoppage was a heartbreak for 12th place car Josh McGuire the overall fast-timer for the 1st annual Classic.
By lap 43 Steve Casebolt, Jr. had rocketed from his 22nd place start to tenth place. The game of leap-frog was a masterful work for the Indiana driver who had overcome the likes of Donnie Moran, Rod Conley, Jason Montgomery, Audie Swartz, and Rick Aukland among others.
On lap 45 with Clanton separating himself from Chamberlain, Showtime Shaver blasted by Blair. Two laps later as Hartman tried the maneuver, his right rear burst to bring out a lap 47 caution.
Clanton began a mid-race blitz that went from ten car lengths to five in one lap as he closed in on traffic circa lap 60. As Clanton battled Aukland for position Chamberlain, and Carrier climbed back onto the hunt. An excuse-me bump-and-run resulted in an Aukland caution. Casebolt moved into seventh ahead of Blair, R.J.Conley, and Jonathan Davenport up from 19th to 10th.
Shaver moved into fifth on lap 65 and a lap later Casebolt made the pass of Dohm for sixth. Meanwhile, Clanton was on a rail when he had clear track ahead of him. By lap 73 Clanton again was in traffic and averted disaster as Audie Swartz tagged the wall but continued. Carrier bagged Chamberlain on lap 79 as announcer Bruce Hines said it is "go time" for the Salt Rock Express.
Carrier seemed to set off the afterburners as he dove under Clanton on lap 82. Lap-after-lap Carrier rode the inside of Clanton. Like a game of cat-and-mouse, Carrier appeared playful in taunting Smith for the top spot.
Nose-to-tail, Carrier tried Clanton at the flag stand, only to have Clanton slam the door shut. Kinzer also teased Chamberlain for a pass of third as multi-car battles unfolded on the track.
On lap 93 Kinzer took third as Carrier moved high to try Clanton after the failure of his low riding attempts. Carrier had the crowd on its feet by lap 95. Carrier scrubbed off some speed behind a lapped car the next circuit, setting up a two-lap shootout. Carrier put his Grover Motorsports Ford mount high against the rail, but Clanton's recovery in his Custom Race Engines/Rocket Chassis rewarded him with a huge $20,000 pay off.
"I saw Eddie up their in turn four and I thought I need to get a little lower. He made me get up on the wheel and push it a little harder. But he raced me clean and I hope it made a great race for the fans.
"We've struggled just a little bit all year, but the last couple weeks have made up for it. My crew, these two guys here, have stuck with me and we've worked hard to get here. It's great to win this first Dirt Cup Classic here at K-C. It was a little cool for the fans, but we appreciate Jeff (Schrader) and the fans giving us a chance to race for this type of money deal."
2009 O'Reilly All-Star Late Model Champion, the Titusville terror, Robbie Blair claimed the overall season crown. Jonathan Davenport in the Barry Wright House car blitzed the field in the first B-Main. Jared Hawkins came from 14th to fifth and pressured Clint Smith, but ran out of time and had to take a provisional. In the second B-main Steve Casebolt blitzed to a big lead, but Donnie Moran started to hunt him down by lap seven, while Boom Briggs blitzed from 12th to third. Briggs and Conley battled for the final transfer, however, Briggs made the cut and Conley went to the non-qualifying race. A lot of passing in all races made the night a night to remember.
Bob Lemaster the honorary starter of the non-qualifying race and the man recognized for all of his contributions to K-C Raceway history said, "Back in the early 1960's a guy helped me when I needed it and I won the state motorcycle championship. From that time on I made it a point to help other people and other racers."
The Bob Lemaster Classic non-qualifiers race was a huge success in honor of one of the area's longtime contributors to local racing. Lemaster owned cars that won eight Atomic/K-C Championships. It worked out for all the drivers since everyone went home with B-main money and the $200 start money that made the KC weekend a great choice for them.
The main beneficiary was Delmas Conley who rubbed doors with Wayne Chinn early then ran off and hid in the first-ever Lemaster Classic. The thirty lap event was run in just over 13 minutes in high-flying style. The non-qualifier was much like an all-star feature. Clint Smith and Chris Carpenter followed as Corey Conley and Chris Wilson competed for the fifth position. Clint Smith pressed hard under Chinn through laps 4-6 as the leaders put Matt Pistole a lap down. Lapped traffic began to get deep through lap nine as Conley and Chinn worked through traffic car by car. Finally, Conley broke away for what proved to be an emotional win with old friend Lemaster in victory lane.
Both K-C Raceway and the O'Reilly All-Stars are done for the season.
The Summary:
O'Reilly All-Star Late Model "The Classic" Qualifying at K-C Raceway
# Driver Hometown Qualifying time
41 JOSH McGUIRE GRAYSON, KY 14.396
17T TIM DOHM CROSS LANES, WV 14.667
1* CHUB FRANK BEAR LAKE, OH 14.726
W11 ROB BLAIR TITUSVILLE, PA 14.771
12 RICK AUKLAND ZANESVILLE, OH 14.774
25 SHANE CLANTON CONLEY, GA 14.789
71C R J CONLEY WHEELERSBURG,OH 14.836
28 EDDIE CARRIER, JR. SALT ROCK, WV 14.85
1 VIC HILL MOSHEIN, TN 14.884
25 ZACK DOHM CROSS LANES, WV 14.887
18K BRANDON KINZER ALLEN, KY 14.918
1 DUANE CHAMBERLAIN RICHMOND, IN 14.92
49 JONATHAN DAVENPORT BLAIRSVILL, GA 14.924
75 BART HARTMAN ZANESVILLE, OH 14.936
96F KEITH BERNER MILLERSBURG, OH 14.962
30 STEVE SHAVER VIENNA, WV 14.979
C9 STEVE CASEBOLT RICHMOND, IN 14.995
71 DELMAS CONLEY WHEELERSBURG,OH 15.017
H1 JARED MILEY SOUTH PARK, PA 15.019
44 CLINT SMITH SENOIA, GA 15.038
37 JARED HAWKINS FAIRMONT, WV 15.057
99 DONNIE MORAN DRESDEN, OH 15.082
18 CHRIS CARPENTER PARKERSBURG, WV 15.123
79 DOUG DROWN WOOSTER, OH 15.124
1 AUDIE SWARTZ MINFORD, OH 15.198
1W WAYNE CHINN TIPP CITY, OH 15.207
99H JEFF HOUSER CHARLESTON, WV 15.216
F1 COLBY FRYE DOVER, PA 15.223
11H RICK COMBS BETHEL, OH 15.243
14 COREY CONLEY WELLSBURG, WV 15.275
21H JASON MONTGOMERY JACKSON, OH 15.305
5 CHRIS WILSON LOUISA, KY 15.313
81F BRANDON FOUTS KILE, KY 15.333
99B BOOM BRIGGS BEAR LAKE, PA 15.352
"01 ANDY BOND COOLVILLE, OH 15.353
11 BILLY GUILLON WAVERLY, OH 15.354
17 SHANON THORNSBERRY MARTIN, KY 15.383
71R ROD CONLEY WHEELERSBURG,OH 15.487
45 RUSS FROHNAPFEL GROVEPORT, OH 15.52
67 ERENIE HOSCHAR BELPRE, OH 15.729
19S CHAD SMITH CONNERVILLE, OH 15.767
Y4 ANTHONY HUBER VIENNA, WV 15.773
1DJ DJ MILLER WOOSTER, OH 15.865
64 MARSHALL WIBLIN CHARLESTON, WV 15.901
3S KENNY SPENCER HILLSBORO, OH 16.378
11B DEAN BOYD WILLAMSBURG, OH 16.572
12M WAYNE MILLER MONTPELIER, OH 16.785
"00 MATT PISTOL PORTSMOUTH, OH 17.437
72M JOHN MASON MILLERSBURG, OH 99.9
Qualifying Heats:
(Three Transfer)
Heat One- Brandon Kinzer, Josh McGuire, Vic Hill, Jonathan Davenport, Rick Aukland, Chris Carpenter, Shannon Thornsberry, Bill Gullion, Anthony Huber
Heat Two-Eddie Carrier, Jr., Tim Dohm, Jason Montgomery, Jared Miley, Corey Conley, Russ Fronaphel, Ernie Hoschar, Jared Hawkins
Heat Three-Duane Chamberlain, Zach Dohm, Rod Conley, Clint Smith, Jeff Houser, Kenny Spencer, Wayne Miller, John Mason
Heat Four-Shane Clanton,Keith Berner, Chub Frank, Marshall Wiblin, Wayne Chinn, Coleby Frye, D.J. Miller, Rick Combs
Heat Five-Robbie Blair, Steve Shaver, Doug Drown, Donnie Moran, Chris Wilson, Andy Bond, Matt Pistole, Chad Smith
Heat Six-R.J. Conley, Bart Hartman, Audie Swartz, Steve Casebolt, Delmas Conley, Brandon Fouts, Boom Briggs, Dean Boyd
B-Main 1: Jonathan Davenport, Jared Miley, Rick Aukland, Clint Smith, Jared Hawkins, Chris Carpenter, Corey Conley, Russ Fronaphel, Shannon Thornsberry, Anthony Huber, Kenny Spencer, Wayne Miller, Jeff Houser, Ernie Hoschar, Billy Gullion, John Mason
B-Main 2: Donnie Moran, Steve Casebolt, Boom Briggs, Delmas Conley, Coleby Frye, Andy Bond, Brandon Fouts , Chris Wilson, Dee Jay Miller, Dean Boyd, Matt Pistole, Wayne Chinn, Rick Combs Chad Smith, Marshall Wiblin
Bob Lemaster Classic Non-qualifier
Delmas Conley, Clint Smith, Chris Carpenter, Wayne Chinn, Corey Conley, Brandon Fouts, Shannon Thornberry, Andy Bond, Chris Wilson, Anthony Huber, Jeff Houser, DJ Miller, Dean Boyd, Billy Gullion, Kenny Spencer, Wayne Miller, Ernie Hoschar, Russ Frohnapfel, and Matt Pistole, John Mason, Marshall Wiblin
Dirt Track World Cup Late Model Classic: (100 laps)
Shane Clanton, Eddie Carrier JR, Brandon Kinzer, Steve Shaver, Steve Casebolt, Duane Chamberlain, Tim Dohm, Jonathan Davenport, Chub Frank, Robbie Blair, Doug Brown, RJ Conley, Jared Miley, Vic Hill, Rod Conley, Donnie Moran, Keith Berner, Jason Montgomery, Rick Briggs, Zack Dohm, Audie Swartz, Josh McGuire, Rick Aukland, Bart Hartman, Jared Hawkins, Coleby Frye
Lap Leaders Brandon Kinzer 1-22
Shane Clanton 23-100
Caution: Coleby Frye Lap 22
Boom Briggs 35
Jared Hawkins 36
Josh McGuire 43
Bart Hartman 47
Rick Aukland 63