East Alabama Motor Speedway
Alabama state champ Nowell earns $7,000
From track reports
Terrance Nowell had a long trip to victory lane. (National Dirt Digest)
PHENIX CITY, Ala. (Sept. 30) — Hometown driver Terrance Nowell took the lead from Randle Chupp on the 56th lap and led the rest of the 100-lap Alabama State Championship.
Nowell started outside the front row and hung around the top five the first half of the race before blasting past Chupp just past the midway point of a caution-filled feature that required officials to allow cars to refuel during caution with six laps remaining.
Chupp, of Troutman, N.C., ended up second followed by Frank Ingram of Woodstock, Ga., Dana Eiland of Phenix City and last year's winner, Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, Tenn.
Polesitter Casey Roberts was among many drivers who weren't around at the finish. Roberts was eliminated when he tangled with Chupp in a battle for second and ended up in the turn-one wall.
Notebook
The annual four-day event drew hundreds of race teams in several divisions. ... Casey Roberts led early before Frank Ingram took over, and Randle Chupp went into the lead on lap 15. ... Devin Jones spun to collect Ricky Williams and draw a lap-53 caution. ... Fast qualifier William Thomas, who pitted earlier for a flat tire, was eliminated in a crash with Lee Sutton just past the race's midpoint. ... Clint Smith was eliminated when he and Riley Hickman went off turn one. ... Hickman returned and was running third when his left rear hub broke, sending his wheel down the frontstretch. ... Royce Bray lost a motor in the race's latter stages. ... Officials allowed drivers to refuel with six laps remaining because competitors had been on the track more than two hours. ... Thomas outran Dewayne Johnson to win the sportsman division feature. ... Frank Ingram won the crate Late Model feature over Thomas. ... Thomas was the fast qualifier in all three divisions for Late Model-style cars.� (Information provided by Jay Vaquer)
Alabama State Championship: (1) Terrance Nowell, (2) Randle Chupp, (3) Frank Ingram, (4) Dana Eiland, (5) Ronnie Johnson, (6) Mike Head, (7) Riley Hickman, (8) Dennis Hale, (9) Ricky Williams, (10) Ricky Culpepper, (11) Casey Roberts, (12) Royce Bray, (13) Devin Jones, (14) Clint Smith, (15) James Roulette, (16) Jeff Weber, (17) William Thomas, (18) Stacy Holmes, (19) Lee Sutton, (20) Ethan Hunter, (21) Sam Ruff, (22) Wesley Dubois, (23) Jeff Smith, (24) Glenn Brewer.
