Green Valley Speedway
Morrow grabs pole start for $10,000 Bama Bash
By Joshua Joiner
DirtonDirt.com staff writer
Todd Morrow earned the pole for Sunday's SRRS-sanctioned Bama Bash. (photobyconnie.com)
GLENCOE, Ala. (Feb. 26) — Todd Morrow of East Ridge, Tenn., has never earned more than $5,000 for a victory during his racing career. He’ll have a chance to double that amount when he starts from the pole of Sunday’s $10,000-to-win feature at Green Valley Speedway’s 14th annual Bama Bash. | Sidebar | Video | Slideshow
Morrow started alongside fast qualifier Chris Wall in the first of four heat races during Saturday night’s preliminary action at Green Valley and pulled to the lead before the two drivers made it to turn one. Morrow then turned back repeated challenges from Wall throughout the 15-lap prelim and held on to win the race and earn the pole for Sunday’s 75-lap Southern Regional Racing Series-sanctioned race.
“I really didn’t think I was gonna be able to get him there on the start,” Morrow said of his battle with Wall. “I got a good run up there on the top and I was able to clear him. I thought he’d beat me with the bigger motor, but the track kind of came into my favor. It was a little surprising to me, but we’ll take it and do the best we can tomorrow.”
Joining Morrow on the front row will be Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., who won Saturday’s second heat race. Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C., and Tony Knowles of Tyrone, Ga., won the third and fourth heat races and will share the second row Sunday.
Wall of Springfield, La., topped 40 qualifiers during group time trials with a lap of 14.618 seconds around the 3/8-mile oval. But he was forced to settle for second in the first heat race. Tim Busha of Boaz, Ala., finished third with Terry Smith of Oxford, Ala., taking the fourth and final transfer position.
Like Morrow, both Stovall and Cook also took advantage of outside-front-row starting positions to win their heat races. Stovall took the lead over William Thomas of Phenix City, Ala., on the start of the second heat race and survived a race-long battle with Thomas to claim the victory. Thomas finished second with Joe Armistead Jr. of Senoia, Ga., third and Chuck Proctor of Charlotte, Tenn., fourth.
Cook got the jump on Clint Smith in the third heat race and led every lap for the victory. He’ll start third in Sunday’s feature as he attempts to join Smith as the only drivers to win the event three times. Stacy Holmes of Munford, Ala., passed Smith midway through the heat to claim the runner-up finish. Smith finished third while Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, Tenn., finished fourth to also transfer to the feature.
Knowles was the only polesitter to win a heat race. He overpowered Dillon Crim on the start of the fourth heat and pulled away to the victory. Crim of Eastaboga, Ala., finished second with Riley Hickman of Ooltewah, Tenn., third and Tony Morris of Murfreesboro, Tenn., fourth.
Notes: None of the four heat races featured a lead change, and three of the four ran caution-free. ... The third heat was slowed by three cautions. The first appeared when Cale Finley of Ardmore, Ala., spun on lap three. The other two cautions were caused by Duane Treadwell of LaGrange, Ga., who twice slowed with mechanical problems before heading to the pits midway through the race. ... Treadwell and Erik Hickerson of Lindon, Tenn., tangled in hot laps, sending Treadwell into the turn-four wall. Both drivers made repairs in time for qualifying. ... Jacob Grizzle, the 2010 SRRS Rookie of the Yeah, drove Cook’s backup car Saturday night. The Blairsville, Ga., driver started fifth in his heat race, but left the track after just one lap. ... Besides SRRS Late Models, the event also includes $2,000-to-win features for both the Crate Late Model and Limited Late Model divisions. The event attracted 33 Crates and 38 Limiteds. A total of 192 drivers are entered among the eight divisions in action.
Heat race results
Fourth heat: Tony Knowles, Dillon Crim, Riley Hickman, Tony Morris, Robert Gant, T.J. Alford, Arnie Fields, Joe Denby, Darrell Hayes, Ryan Law.
