Tazewell Speedway
Armes leads all the way for $10,000 at Tazewell
By James Essex
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Gene Dover and Dale McDowell celebrate Joe Armes's win. (rickschwalliephotos.com)
TAZEWELL, Tenn. (July 6) — Leading all the way in the Toyota Knoxville 75 at Tazewell Speedway, Joe Armes of Petros, Tenn., collected a career-high $10,000 with his first career victory on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Armes outran fellow Tennesseans Rick Rogers and Scott Bloomquist in the No. 77 car prepared at Dale McDowell's Rossville, Ga., race shop. | Slideshow
"The car was just superb tonight and I have to thank Dale McDowell and all my crew," said Armes, who started outside the polesitting Rogers. "The car was really hooked up all night."
Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., came from his 12th starting spot to finish third and series points leader Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., fresh off a victory the previous night in Bulls Gap, Tenn., rounded out the top five in a race postponed by rain on Friday.
Roger and Armes led the 24-car field to green in front of a big crowd and Armes threatened to turn the race into a runaway while Bloomquist tried to find a way around Rogers, a four-time track champ. The top three weaved through heavy traffic as Armes held a three-length lead with 20 laps in the books. Brad Hall headed toward the front, taking fourth from Pearson on lap 22 and closing on the top three. Rogers and Bloomquist swapped spots back and forth a few laps later.
The first of two cautions appeared on lap 42 for Tommy Kerr's stalled car, and Armes began rolling again by lap 50, holding a four-length margin over Rogers with Bloomquist and now Owens in pursuit. Armes faced serious challenges for the point, but a caution with nine laps remaining gave him clear sailing the rest of the way.
Notes: Armes pilots a Clements-powered GRT Race Cars with sponsorship from Tennessee Valley Excavating, Southeastern Construction, Quality Trucking and East Tennessee Construction. ... He's the 16th series winner of 2008. ... Wayne Chinn rallied from 24th to 14th to earn the PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger honors. ...On July 11-12, the Lucas Oil tour returns to the South with events at North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, Ala., and Columbus (Miss.) Speedway.
Lucas Oil @ Tazewell: (1) Joe Armes, (2) Rick Rogers, (3) Scott Bloomquist, (4) Jimmy Owens, (5) Earl Pearson Jr., (6) Brad Neat, (7) Victor Lee, (8) Terry Casey, (9) Anthony White, (10) Billy Drake, (11) Billy Ogle Jr., (12) Dan Schlieper, (13) Bart Hartman, (14) Wayne Chinn, (15) Brian Smith, (16) Shon Flanary, (17) Steve Casebolt, (18) Brad Hall, (19) Tommy Kerr, (20) Scott James, (21) Vic Hill, (22) Chad Ogle, (23) Dale McDowell, (24) Freddy Smith. Fast qualifier (among 28 cars): Pearson, 11.452 seconds. Heat race winners: Armes, Rogers, Bloomquist. Consolation winner: McDowell. Provisional starters: Smith, Chinn.
