Smoky Mountain Speedway
Ogle sputters to $3,000 SRRS victory
By Richard Allen
TennesseeRacer.com
Billy Ogle Jr. pocketed $3,000. (mrmracing.net)
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 2) — Despite a sputtering engine, pole-starting Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., led all the way Saturday at Smoky Mountain Speedway for a $3,000 victory on the Southern Regional Racing Series. Ogle notched his fourth career circuit victory at the 4/10-mile home track of his Blount Motorsports team, turning back a brief challenge from teammate Tommy Kerr. | Slideshow
“I don’t know what happened,” said Ogle, who also captured the Sept. 13 SRRS event at Smoky Mountain. “My car broke something like it dropped a cylinder. The last 20 laps or so there was something wrong with it. I can’t believe we made it to the finish. I think we broke a valve spring. I was really struggling and if I had seen Tommy pull up beside me, I was just going to let him go.”
Unrelated Chad Ogle of Sevierville, Tenn., finished between the teammates with Kerr third and SRRS points leader Josh Putnam of Florence, Ala., in fourth. Hometown driver David Crabtree rounded out the top five in the 17-car field.
At the drop of the green flag for the 35-lapper, Billy Ogle Jr. jumped immediately to the lead and set about the work of building a sizable advantage. However, Kerr and Chad Ogle began to close the distance on the leader about the halfway mark when the No. 201 machine began sounding sluggish. Despite gaining ground, neither of Ogle’s closest pursuers mounted a serious challenge.
While Ogle led the race, the tail-starting Putnam was charging through the field. He was up by seventh just past halfway and moved into fourth with five laps remaining.
Notes: Ogle’s Blount Motorsports Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Arnold Trucking, Bearden Oil Company, Blount Excavating, Cherokee Millwright, GEOServices, Insurance Partners, Massey Electric, Stowers (CAT) Machinery Corp. and Wine and Spirits Cellar. … Late Models ran roofless. … Fourth-finishing Josh Putnam kept a tight hold on his points lead despite a heat-race incident that forced him to start on the tail of the feature. Jason Welshan, his closest pursuer in the points, retired on the sixth lap. … With a small field on hand at the Triple Crown event, the top two qualifiers in Smoky Mountains Limited Late Model division were invited to join the SRRS field, so Cory Hedgecock and Josh Collins ran in both classes. … Collins won the Limited Late Model feature while Adam Beeler won the Crate Late Model feature. … SRRS competitors wrap up the season Nov. 9 at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Ga.
Triple Crown: (1) Billy Ogle, Jr., (2) Chad Ogle, (3) Tommy Kerr, (4) Josh Putnam, (5) David Crabtree, (6) Cory Hedgecock, (7) Josh Collins, (8) Ryan King, (9) Tommy Bailey, (10) Wesley English, (11) Greg Robertson, (12) Travis Armes, (13) Jeff Franklin, (14) Dennis Barton, (15) Jason Welshan, (16) Sammie Russell, (17) Jeff Wolfenbarger. Fast qualifier (among 17 cars): Ogle, 15.837 seconds. Heat race winners: Ogle, Kerr.
