Maupin sweeps Late Model action at Volunteer Speedway

Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
16 years ago
1,783 posts
By Robert WaldenBULLS GAP, Tenn. (July 12) Before a packed grandstand Saturday at Volunteer Speedway on K&R Construction and Electric Night at the Races and with over 100 total cars in the pits, Jeff Maupin of Greeneville captured both the Gateway Ford Super Late Model and Courtesy Chevrolet Crate Late Model feature victories. Maupin won both events in convincing fashion, setting fast-time and earning the pole position for each race, while also leading from green-to-checkered in both features.Man, with the tough fields of cars here at The Gap in both the Super Late Models and Crate Late Models, to be able to win both features on the same night and lead flag-to-flag in doing so, this is something Ill never forget, said the smiling Maupin in the outside pits following the night of racing. To be able to beat Vic (Hill) in the Supers and (Shanon) Buckingham in the Crates, thats two tough competitors youve outrun. Both cars ran really well tonight, but Im just happy to finally get a fuel pick-up problem weve struggled with over the past couple of races straightened out in the Super. The car was just bad-fast tonight, it was something else to drive.Qualifying at 12.533-seconds (114.904 mph) for the Super Late Model feature, Maupin and Vic Hill led the 23-car field to green. The duo raced door-to-door into the firs turn, but Maupin carried momentum off the high-side as they raced off turn two down the backstretch to power into a lead he would never relinquish. Completing the opening lap, Maupin was followed by Hill, Mike Smith and Shanon Buckingham side-by-side battling for third, and Bryan Hendrix.A multi-car accident in turn three on the third circuit involved Hendrix, Anthony White, John King II, Dwight Sams, Brandon James, John Tweed, Dennis Stiles and others, forcing the red flag to appear due to the blocked track.Maupin was all alone out front on the Delaware double-file restart, with Hill and Smith lined up beside one another behind him. Racing off turn two on lap 6, Buckingham got alongside Smith as they raced down the backstretch into the third turn battling for third-place, where Buckingham took the position between turns three and four.Maupin, driving the Landair Transport Inc./TEG Enterprises/ G&W Hauling & Rigging/Jerry's Auto Salvage/Tolliver Heating & Cooling/Greenlee Farm/Allstar Performance/O'Reilly Auto Parts/Performance Rod & Custom/GRT Race Cars/Vic Hill Racing Engines/American Race Tires/No. 0 Monte Carlo, had pulled out to an eight car-length advantage over Hill just 10 laps into the 35-lap feature. But with Maupin working slower traffic at the tail of the field, Hill closed back in on Maupins rear bumper.Running hard into the first turn down on the bottom on lap 14, White powered past Kerry Jones racing off turn two for sixth in the running order. Caution waved on lap 15 when Stiles looped his mount in the fourth turn.Maupin was still alone out front riding on the point, with Hill and Buckingham shadowing him going back green. Buckingham moved past Hill racing off the second turn, but the yellow waved to negate the p+!@#$ for position.Back under green Maupin flexed his muscle in pulling back out ahead of Hill and Buckingham. While the hard-charging White got around Smith for the fourth spot racing off turn two on lap 20. Dale Ball, after starting deep in the field in 17th, passed Smith to take over fifth on lap 25.With five laps remaining Maupin was cruising out front leading Hill and Buckingham. Not to be denied his first Super Late Model win of the season, Maupin thrilled the large crowd with his decisive run to the victory. Maupin was followed across the stripe by Hill, Buckingham, White and Ball.Completing the top-10 finishers were Smith, Mike Jackson, King, Shane Roberts and Chad Ogle.We were on American Racers (tires) tonight for the first time, and from start to finish I dont believe Ive ever been on such good rubber. The tires were really just as good at the end of the race as what they were at the beginning, not really any drop-off. I want to thank my racing mentor and good friend Vic Hill for the strong motor he built thats under the hood of my car. I also need to thank all the guys who help work on the car during the week and on race-night at the track Rodney Justice, Josh Bible, Tony Price and Casey Greenlee. Well all work hard back at the shop this coming week and maybe we can come back next Saturday and get us another win.Starting from the pole position once again for the 25-lap Courtesy Chevrolet Crate Late Model feature, Jeff Maupin jumped into the lead over Dale Ball, Chris Chandler, Shanon Buckingham and Vic Chandler.Buckingham dropped low racing off turn two on lap 3 to overtake Chris Chandler for third in the running order, closing right in on Balls rear bumper. Ball and Buckingham battled side-by-side all the way around the track for three circuits before Buckingham wrestled the runner-up spot away on lap 6.A multi-car pileup between turns one and two on lap 9 collected John Harrell, Todd Brooks, Allen Carrier, Weston Gantte, Ryan King, Ken Wilkerson and others to bring out the caution.Going back green Maupin had a rearview mirror full of Buckingham, with Ball, Chris Chandler and Kelly Gl+!@#$ in tow. Back up to speed, the trio of Maupin, Buckingham and Ball began to put some distance between themselves and their closest challengers. Buckingham stuck his nose under Maupin racing off turn two on lap 14, but the race leader Maupin slammed the door.With only five laps remaining, Maupin had a battle with Buckingham while Glass, Vic Chandler and Brad Hall were dueling for positions five-through-seven.But up front it was all Maupin, as he recorded his third Crate Late Model win on the season over Buckingham, Ball, Chris Chandler and Glass.Completing the top-10 finishers were Vic Chandler, Hall, Jerry Broyles, Josh Henry and Jackie Hughes.It had been several years since Eddie Morris of Gray last visited victory lane at Volunteer Speedway. The reason being, he had taken time off from racing. Morris grabbed the lead over Jon Cook on the opening lap of the Rusty Wallace Toyota Hobby Stock feature, and held off Dustin Shaver for a flag-to-flag run in his first feature win of 2008, coming in just his third start of the season. Cook, Everett Cobb and Mike Hodges rounded out the top-five at the checkers.Stanley Donahoo of White Pine jumped into the lead over Wayne James at the start of the IMCA Open Wheel Modified feature, but once Jerry Broyles worked his way around James just after halfway in the 20-lap main he quickly began to reel the race leader in. But a frightening wreck on lap 14 brought out the red flag when Aaron Ogle slammed hard into the outside turn two concrete wall and flipped on the backstretch, following contact by Chris Brady. The red-flag period allowed Donahoo the opportunity to cool his tires for the run back green over the final six circuits to hold off the hard-charging Broyles for his second win of the season. Finishing third through fifth, respectively, were James, Jimmy Dalton and Josh Henry.Kevin Atwell of Rural Retreat, Va. , grabbed the lead at the drop of the green in the 20-lap Century 21 Masengill-McCrary Realtors Mini Stock feature and never looked back en route to his second victory of the season. Atwell was chased to the checkers by Chuck McMahan, Kurt Owens, Jamie James and Toby Jones.GATEWAY FORD SUPER LATE MODEL (35 laps)1) Jeff Maupin #0; 2) Vic Hill #1; 3) Shanon Buckingham #50; 4) Anthony White #2x; 5) Dale Ball #7; 6) Mike Smith #4; 7) Mike Jackson #Q; 8) John King II #11k; 9) Shane Roberts #32w; 10) Chad Ogle #10; 11) Kip Pearson #00; 12) Kerry Jones #6; 13) Dwight Sams #54; 14) Brandon James #j1; 15) Dennis Stiles #00; 16) Marty Calloway #7c; 17) John Tweed #5; 18) Jamie Brogan #28; 19) Bryan Hendrix #5; 20) Brad Coffey #88; 21) Travis Greer #11g; 22) Steve Smith #22; 23) Dempsey Harold Jr. #09 Did Not Start: Bobby Mays #25; Shane Bales #12COURTESY CHEVROLET CRATE LATE MODEL (25 laps)1) Jeff Maupin #0; 2) Shanon Buckingham #50; 3) Dale Ball #2; 4) Chris Chandler #8; 5) Kelly Gl+!@#$ #01; 6) Vic Chandler #88; 7) Brad Hall #47; 8) Jerry Broyles #72; 9) Josh Henry #B00; 10) Jackie Hughes #27; 11) Joe Dirt Good #911; 12) James Cole #5c; 13) Hugh Wishbone Scalf #56; 14) Ken Wilkerson #21; 15) Ricky Moore #75; 16) Larry Rowe #R0; 17) Ryan King #30; 18) R.J. Mayes #99; 19) Travis Trent #5; 20) Weston Gantte #14; 21) John Harrell #H19; 22) Todd Brooks #T1; 23) Allen Carrier #57; 24) Tony Trent #18 Did Not Start: Jensen Ford #83RUSTY WALLACE TOYOTA HOBBY STOCK (20 laps)1) Eddie Morris #14m; 2) Dustin Shaver #7; 3) Jon Cook #0z; 4) Everett Cobb #13; 5) Mike Hodges #m2; 6) Bobby Reed #54; 7) Ray Jarnigan #31; 8) Tyler Smith #32; 9) Jim Canning Jr. #32c; 10) Jesse Wilder #79; 11) John Feddock #07; 12) Charlie Bates #27; 13) Shannon Davidson #88; 14) Craig Schmalzried #6; 15) Patrick Flannery #38; 16) Chuck Johnson #17; 17) James Davidson #4; 18) Roger Hunter #7-11; 19) Rick Fillers #21; 20) Terry Dean #47; 21) Dennis Metcalf #55; 22) Mike Kelley #8; 23) Dale Reed #52; 24) Robbie Woods #16; 25) Tony Mullinex #71 Did Not Start: Chris Long #75IMCA OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED (20 laps)1) Stanley Donahoo #00; 2) Jerry Broyles #72; 3) Wayne James #4; 4) Jimmy Dalton #2; 5) Josh Henry #B00; 6) Chris Brady #77; 7) Jerry Fobare #4f; 8) Matt Letterman #3T 9) Aaron Ogle #181; 10) Jesse Bales #g66CENTURY 21 MASENGILL-MCCRARY REALTORS MINI STOCK (20 laps)1) Kevin Atwell #95; 2) Chuck McMahan #99; 3) Kurt Owens #7up; 4) Jamie James #23; 5) Toby Jones #66; 6) Ernie Stubblefield #21; 7) Scottie Thornton #T15; 8) Travis Waters #1x; 9) Curtis Jones #4; 10) Terry Dean #20r; 11) Chad Whitman #21w; 12) Keith Helton #51; 13) Brandon Johnson #B01; 14) Shawn Henry #B00 Did Not Start: Josh Fields #11ReplyReply All Move...bobby allisonBrunswick billiardsGeicoGuitar Controlhealthisagenixkeepersmbchevninjitsuold school racingRacersReunionRecipessoftware lisencesponsor feedbackSports MarketingThunderloungetime share


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®

updated by @jeff-gilder: 12/03/16 05:47:49PM
Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
16 years ago
1,783 posts
Way to go Mop!!!!


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®
debra geiger
@debra-geiger
16 years ago
7 posts
way to go congrats Maupin
Dale Dodge Jr
@dale-dodge-jr
16 years ago
16 posts
Great coverage Jeff. Sounded to be a great race night. Hope to someday race there as well.
Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
16 years ago
1,783 posts




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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®
Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
16 years ago
1,783 posts




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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®
Lee Roy Mercer
@lee-roy-mercer
16 years ago
5 posts
Awesome coverage.I was at Volunteer Speedway the weekend before when Earl Pearson, Jr. Driver of the #44 Lucas Oil Late Model WON. Volunteer Speedway is one of the most exciting Dirt Tracks around. Great people, Great times, and Great racin'.If you ain't eating dirt, you ain't at a race.
jeff maupin
@jeff-maupin
16 years ago
1 posts
thank u all, thought i might of had at least one tonight, but came up a bit short in the super. but the crate broke sum rf suspension and wasnt up too par. but i thank you all for the uplifting comments, thanks. and lee roy man you gonna have to keep on coming, get ole gilder back over here
Lee Roy Mercer
@lee-roy-mercer
16 years ago
5 posts
I'll do my best, God willing and the creek don't rise. Volunteer Speedway has the best racin' action over many of today's NASCAR races. And that's truly how I feel about it. I'm proud and honored that Mr. Joe Loven has seen fit to bring me and Jon in and make us a part of "The Gap". Ty Dillon & Lee Roy Mercer - In Victory Lane at "The Gap" - Photo By Jon Holtz Richard Childress, Lee Roy Mercer, & Poet - Victory Lane at "The Gap" - Photo By Jon Holtz Lee Roy Mercer at "The Gap" in Victory Lane with Earl Pearson, Jr., Driver of the number 44 Lucas Oil Late Model - Photo By Jon Holtz
Jeff Gilder
@jeff-gilder
16 years ago
1,783 posts
You're so right Lee Roy. Joe has done a great job at the gap. In a time when many local tracks are suffering....The Gap still has a great show and the fans still come out. I love that place!Nice shirt...by the way.Jeff


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®
Lee Roy Mercer
@lee-roy-mercer
16 years ago
5 posts
It's a damn nice shirt...by the way, lol... And thank you once again for having it made for me. However, you spelled my name on it backwards... Scratch that, my bad... I forgot, I was looking at it in the mirror again.Now back to talkin' about Volunteer Speedway...What a deal, the racin' tickets ain't sky high like most tracks and on the right night anyone that buys a pit pass can meet some true racin' legends for little of nothin'. I mean you have racin' icons like Richard Childress, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, and many many others now showing up at "The Gap". Try doing that at a NASCAR race for under 40 bucks. Unless you know somebody big in NASCAR or have some strong pull with someone at the Cup tracks, it ain't gonna happen.If you want the real racin' deal, get yourself a ticket to "The Gap" and watch the boys whoop some ass at The World's Fastest Dirt Track. Thunder at "The Gap" - Photo By Jon Holtz