Price,
Clark, Lockhart, & Duncan Collect Local Joker Wins
(April
1, 2023) Smoky Mountain Speedway finally kicked off the
2023 season with the Local Joker on Saturday night. It was the
first time for competitive laps on the new 3/8-mile layout. (MRM
Racing Photos)
Thirty-five sportsman late models were on hand vying for the $1,000
first place prize. Tyler Price set fast time in qualifying with
a lap of 14.769 seconds. But it was Adam Mitchell that won the
first heat race to earn the pole for the feature. Wes Tilley won
the second heat race to earn the other front row starting spot.
Mitchell took the lead over Tilley going into the first turn of
the main event. Mitchell would maintain that lead through numerous
cautions that plagued the race. With only a handful of laps to
go, Mitchell’s car slow on a restart. Several cars collected
Mitchell in turn 2. Price would inherit the lead and hold off
a charging Darren Goins to take the win.
Robbie Comer and David Clark won their respective street stock
heat races to start the feature from the front row. Clark pulled
out to a slight lead over Comer on the opening lap. Comer stayed
close by as the two leaders raced side-by-side for several laps.
Clark fought off Comer and eventually pulled away for the win.
Comer was second while Austin Byrd fought off Greg Huskey for
third.
The classic car feature was a classic as heat race winners John
Stevens and Mac Lockhart battled for the race lead for most of
the 20-lap feature. Lockhart used the outside line to pull out
to a slight lead on the start. Stevens remained along side Lockhart,
even through a couple of cautions. Lockhart finally cleared Stevens
in the closing laps to win.
Dustin Duncan dominated the front wheel drive feature. Duncan
wasted no time in taking the lead over Travis Taylor. Despite
Duncan’s dominance, the battle of the race was for third
on back as several drivers took turn holding down the third spot.
As Duncan took the checkers for the win with Taylor in second,
Gregory Wyatt claimed third, Allen Vaughn finished fourth, and
Ray Wyatt came from the rear of the field to finish fifth.
The next race at Smoky Mountain Speedway will be the Rockin’
with the Stars event on Saturday, April 22. The Steel Block Bandits
will return for $5,000 to win along with sportsman late models
and front wheel drive.
Sportsman Feature 1: 1. 7-Tyler Price[3]; 2. 2D-Darren Goins[4];
3. 102-Reed Hatchett[8]; 4. 31-Wes Tilley[2]; 5. 73-Ray Jarnigan[23];
6. 5-Gary Blanken[19]; 7. C7-Kirby Chitwood[17]; 8. 117-Ronnie
Hedden[15]; 9. 55J-Josh Hawkins[24]; 10. 116-Jake Whitehead[5];
11. 50-Adam Mitchell[1]; 12. P10-James Parrott[13]; 13. 6C-Chandler
Hickman[11]; 14. 14-Sylvan Schuette[14]; 15. C11-Roy Norwood Jr[22];
16. 18-Nicholas Phillips[10]; 17. C4-Cameron Hawkins[7]; 18. 00-Isaac
Boring[21]; 19. 33-Warren McMahan[12]; 20. 24-Mason Bare[9]; 21.
44-Kip Sawyer[6]; 22. 45-David Stooksbury[16]; 23. 52-Troy Eads[18];
24. 07D-Davin Cardwell[20]
Street Stock Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 13-David Clark[2]; 2. 42-Robbie
Comer[1]; 3. A13-Austin Byrd[3]; 4. 23-Greg Huskey[4]; 5. 21XP-Bobbie
Petty[5]; 6. 751-John Stevens[6]; 7. 90-Lee Hall[7]; 8. 10-Colby
Long[9]; 9. 31-Brandon Muncey[13]; 10. 51-Allen Burchfield[8];
11. 14-Lee Merritt[11]; 12. 20-Scottie Atkins[12]; 13. 8-Brandon
Francis[10]
Classic Car Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 00-Mac Lockhart[2]; 2. 7-John
Stevens[1]; 3. 35-Mark Sise[4]; 4. 71-Trevor Sise[6]; 5. 52-Kevin
Crane[9]; 6. M4-Michael Millsap[5]; 7. 27-Charlie Bates[3]; 8.
4-Travis Ward[8]; 9. 8-Eli Keck[7]; 10. M6-Jeff Mays; 11. 56-Bryson
Phillips[11]; 12. 3-Ivis Earley[10]; 13. J16-Shaun Sise[13]; 14.
99B-Robert Buchanan[12]; 15. 21-Danny Hutchens[15]; 16. 08W-Hayley
White; 17. 88-Ritchie Overholser[14]
Front Wheel Drive Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 21-Dustin Duncan[1];
2. 21T-Travis Taylor[2]; 3. 17W-Gregory Wyatt[4]; 4. 206-Allen
Vaughn[6]; 5. 7W-Ray Wyatt[16]; 6. 79-Kasey Webb[9]; 7. 45-Anthony
Singleton[8]; 8. L43-Lee Sneed[14]; 9. 12L-Jimmy Linville[11];
10. 316-Bradley Ostermann[13]; 11. K3-James Klaucke[3]; 12. 01-Josh
Davis[10]; 13. 43-Fisher Swanson[12]; 14. 5-Dakota Morgan; 15.
85-Travis Weeks[5]
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