Wythe Raceway
Madden's title defense begins with Wythe win
From series reports
Chris Madden talks about his victory. (thesportswire.net)
RURAL RETREAT, Va. (July 14) — Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C, began this year's O'Reilly Southern Nationals just like he did last year's — with a victory at Wythe Raceway. Madden led all 35 laps to earn $3,500 at the half-mile oval in beginning his defense of his crown on the Ray Cook-promoted series, which enters its fourth season. | Slideshow
Dennis "Rambo" Franklin of Gaffney, S.C, the 2006 Southern Nationals winner at Wythe, put on a show in rallying from his seventh starting spot to second. Fifth-starting Brandon Kinzer of Allen, Ky., finished third followed by fourth-starting Shon Flanary of Mount Carmel, Tenn., and Tommy Kerr of Maryville, Tenn., who started outside the front row. The race was slowed by four cautions and Tim Dohm of Cross Lanes, W.Va., won the PPM Racing Product Hard Charger award with his 17th-to-eighth run.
Notes: Madden's Bloomquist Race Car is sponsored by Xtreme Customs & Cycles, Henderson Amusements and Hamrick's of Gaffney. ... Madden won the first three races on last year's tour and six out of nine races overall. ... The top 10 qualifiers each night are locked into the feature with the rest of the drivers running consolation races. ... Vic Hill was seventh fastest at Wythe, but he was light at the scales and lost his qualifying time. ... The feature had drivers representing at least eight states. ... The next series event is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15, at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, S.C.
Southern Nationals @ Wythe: (1) Chris Madden, (2) Dennis Franklin, (3) Brandon Kinzer, (4) Shon Flanary, (5) Tommy Kerr, (6) Eric Jacobsen, (7) Shannon Buckingham, (8) Tim Dohm, (9) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, (10) Tony Knowles, (11) Damon Eller, (12) Chris Combs, (13) Dan Breuer, (14) Brian Booze, (15) Vic Hill, (16) Michael Smith, (17) Kerry Jones, (18) D.J. Myers, (19) Chris Meadows, (20) Bobby Mays, (21) Barry Arnold, (22) Ethan Hunter, (23) Shawn Beasley, (24) Brian Moody. Fast qualifier (among 29 cars): Madden, 16.643 seconds. Consolation winners: Smith, Meadows. Provisional starter: Hunter.
