Fayetteville Motor Speedway
Autry ends skid with special victory at Fayetteville
Scott Autry celebrates in victory lane. (Gary Laster)
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 6) — Winning on a night when Fayetteville Motor Speedway honored his late stepmother, hometown driver Scott Autry captured his first Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series victory in eight seasons.
The 45-year-old Autry, who took the lead from Dustin Mitchell on the 10th lap, fought off challenges from five-time series champion Ricky Weeks of Rutherfordton, N.C., for the victory. A turn-four accident after the white flag appeared forced a final restart, but Autry won the one-lap dash to wrap up a $4,000 victory at the Shirley Autry Memorial. | Autry ends skid | Slideshow
The winner's father, Donald Autry, and Shirley Autry promoted the racetrack for eight years in the 1980s. She died in January 2010.
The caution-plagued event tested Autry's patience, but he maintained his focus for his first series victory since 2003.
"I said calm down and drive this thing like you know how to do it. And I reckon for a moment, for a reason we're here tonight, everything just worked out," Autry said. "My daddy asked me a couple of weeks ago, 'Son, if you don't do nothing else for me, try to win that race coming up.' I said, 'You aren't putting the pressure on me, are you?' I thought it about it two or three times. Boy, it's been so long since I won, that would be such a present."
Weeks tried to make his car work in the high groove, but he couldn't get off the corners well enough to overtake Autry.
"I'm happy for Scott. If he's ever gonna win a race, this is a good one for him," Weeks said. "Don't get me wrong, I'd loved to have won — I'd have passed him if I could — but I'm happy for him, too."
Mitchell, of Pine Level, N.C., settled for third while Ray Tucker of Greensboro, N.C., and series points leader Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, S.C., rounded out the top five.
Notes: Autry's Wolf-Pack Racing-produced Rocket Chassis is powered by a Randy Clary Racing Engine and sponsored by L&M Convenient Mart& Grill and Snowhill Turf Farm. ... Autry was the 2002 Carolina Clash champion. ... He has five career series victories. ... Daulton Wilson, a former pure stock champion at Fayetteville, made his Super Late Model debut and at 14 became the younger driver to enter a Carolina Clash race. The rising ninth-grader at Pine Forest High School in Fayetteville finished 19th. ... Drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Ricky Sullivan, Travis Hair, Scott Shirey, Michael Mason. ... Up next for the Carolina Clash is Tuesday's Shrine 100 at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C.
Shirley Autry Memorial: (1) Scott Autry, (2) Ricky Weeks, (3) Dustin Mitchell, (4) Ray Tucker, (5) Dennis Franklin, (6) Travis Yow, (7) Luke Roffers, (8) Tim Allen, (9) Mike Parker, (10) Chad Paxton, ( 11) Craig Shuffield, (12) David Taylor, (13) Kennie Compton Jr), (14) Mike Gault, (15) Justin Labonte, (16) Dale Hammond, (17) Jonathan Gunther, (18) Jay Sessoms, (19) Daulton Wilson, (20) Timmy Carroll, (21) Bret Dysart, (22) Jeff Smith, (23) Dean Bowen, (24) Ronnie Hoover. Fast qualifier (among 28 cars): Weeks, 18.028 seconds. Heat race winners: Allen, Roffers. Consolation winner: Paxton.
