Greenville Speedway
Moore continues SUPR hot streak at Greenville
By Bryan Wimberley
Southern United Professional Racing
Ray Moore heads to victory at Greenville. (Best Photography)
GREENVILLE, Miss. (Aug. 11) — Former series champion Ray Moore of Haughton, La., raced to his third consecutive Southern United Professional Racing victory Saturday night at Greenville Speedway, earning $2,500 in dominating the 50-lap event. | Slideshow
The polesitting Moore led every lap in topping Robbie Starnes of Dayton, Texas, and Rob Litton of Alexandria, La. Hometown driver Greg Fore finished fourth with Brett Frazier, also of Haughton, rounding out the top five.
Moore survived a deflating tire late in the race to continue his recent hot streak that’s turned around his slow start to the season.
"Our luck has turned around from earlier in the season. This team has been strong all year, but we have started putting out the finishes to show for it lately,” said Moore, who's earned all five of his 2012 series victories in the past two months. “I do not believe we could have made more than another lap or two out here tonight because when I got the car back to the trailer, (the tire) was on its rim. I am not sure how that happened.”
The victory came in Moore’s first trip of the season to Greenville and his first time competing on the quarter-mile gumbo oval since a concrete wall was installed around the out side of the track.
Moore struggled to adjust to the new wall at first, making substantial contact with the barrier on his way to a heat race victory.
"I only hit the wall once tonight, but it was hard and happened in my heat race. It tore up a lot of stuff that we had to fix before the feature,” said Moore, the 2007 SUPR champion. “The track was top-side dominate all night; you couldn't really run the bottom.”
Starnes earned his best SUPR finish of the season in only his third night in brand new MasterSbilt by Stuckey Race Car. He had one shot at the lead late in the race when Moore pushed up the track in turns three and four. Moore’s misstep allowed Starnes to close the gap, but he never made a serious challenge for the lead.
Litton’s third-place finish broke his tie atop the series standings with Allen Tippen of Minden, La. With Tippen’s 16th-place finish, Litton now enjoys a 64-point lead as he chases his third series title.
Fore, the 2010 Greenville Speedway track champion, started 7th and capitalized on a late surge to score a solid top-five finish while Frazier earned the race’s hard charger award with his run from 18th to fifth.
Notes: Moore's MB2 Customs Chassis is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine and sponsored by Diamond Completion Equipment, Moore Wireline Inc, tic Tools International, X-Treme Graphics, Mars Race Cars, J&J Motorsports and Smith's Towing. … Three of Moore’s five 2012 SUPR victories have come at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas, while another came at Boothill Speedway, his hometown track. … Reigning track champion Mike Palasini of Leland, Miss., crossed the finish line third, but was disqualified after coming up light at the scales. … The 35-minute feature ended at 11:30 p.m. and was slowed by four cautions. … Drivers not making the feature lineup: Heath Culp, Timothy Culp, William Sykes, Jeff Young. … SUPR’s next event is scheduled for Aug. 18 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas.
SUPR @ Greenville: (1) Ray Moore, (2) Robbie Starnes, (3) Rob Litton, (4) Greg Fore, (5) Brett Frazier, (6) Bo Gordon, (7) Jim Bryant, (8) Tyler Erb, (9) Zach McMillan, (10) Rick Duke Jr., (11) Lee Patton, (12) Derek Perkins, (13) Tanner Kellick, (14) Doug Showah, (15) Christopher Showah, (16) Allen Tippen, (17) Cale Ainsworth, (18) Kevin Sitton, (19) Chad Washington, (20) Mike Palasini Jr. Heat race winners (among 24 cars): Moore, Palasini, Bryant. Consolation winner: Sitton.
Correction: Fixes hometowns for Moore, Starnes.
