411 Motor Speedway
Arp cruises at 411 for $2,500 victory
By Richard Allen
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Skip Arp earned $2,500 for his victory at 411 Motor Speedway. (mrmracing.net)
SEYMOUR, Tenn. (June 16) — Skip Arp of Georgetown, Tenn., earned $2,500 at 411 Motor Speedway's first Super Late Model special in many years, taking the Thursday Night Thunder feature over Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, Tenn.
“I hadn’t been here in a long time,” Arp said after his victory. “I like this place, so maybe I’ll come back again.” | Slideshow
At the very start of the feature event most of the field found themselves entangled in a turn-two crash. Fifth-starting David Crabtree got sideways after apparent contact from another car and spun in front of everyone behind him. In all, at least seven cars were significantly damaged in the fracas. Crabtree, Ryan King and Adam Beeler were eliminated from the event. Rusty Ballenger and Josh Collins continued in their damaged cars but eventually retired.
After that early melee, Arp took the lead on the ensuing restart and drove away from the pack. Competition was intense in his wake as Jason Cardwell, Brad Hall, Brad Lowe, Johnson and Jason Welshan battled for top-five positions.
Johnson meticulously worked his way past one car then another until he found himself in the runner-up spot. But by that time, Arp had checked out. With the race running caution-free after that first incident, Arp was never challenged in taking the checkers ahead of Johnson, Lowe, Cardwell and Hall.
In the night's NeSmith Chevrolet-sanctioned Crate Late Model feature, fast qualifier Pierce McCarter won after two frontrunners tangled on the final lap.
David Crabtree and Greg Martin distanced themselves from the pack in the second half of the race and it appeared they'd settle things among themselves. On the last lap, Martin made a desperate attempt to get around Crabtree as the two cars sped through turn two.
With Martin on the inside and Crabtree on the outside the two made contact and spun into the infield. Martin came to a stop but Crabtree was able to keep his car moving, which would allow him to restart in front when the race went back to green. Martin retired from the event after the spin. Unfortunately for Crabtree, his left rear tire went flat as a result of the incident with Martin.
Valiantly, Crabtree tried to maintain the lead but was passed on the inside by McCarter and the outside by Hickman as the field roared into turn one. McCarter took the checkers ahead of Hickman.
Thursday Night Thunder: (1) Skip Arp, (2) Ronnie Johnson, (3) Brad Lowe, (4) Jason Cardwell, (5) Brad Hall, (6) Jason Welshan, (7) Sammie Russell, (8) Heath Alvey.
