Story By: RYAN DELPH / SOUTHERN NATIONALS SERIES – BRASSTOWN, NC – Jimmy Owens, of Newport, Tennessee, extended his current Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series point lead on Thursday night with a victory at Tri-County Race Track, but not by much, as the top four drivers in the tight series point battle occupied the first four spots in the final rundown of the 40-lap main event.
Jimmy started off his evening by laying down the third quickest time in Group A during the qualifying session, which locked him into the inside of the third row for the start of the A-Main. The popular driver known as the “Newport Nightmare” then quickly moved up to the second position and hounded early race leader Donald McIntosh for the point.
Jimmy was then able to finally make the pass for the lead on lap seventeen and held off a hard charging Ricky Weiss to capture his second triumph of the year on the miniseries, along with the $7,553 first place prize money. Weiss, who earned Fast Time honors in qualifying and led the field to green from the pole position, made a late race charge to finish a mere 0.553 seconds behind Owens’ #20 ride. Donald McIntosh rounded out the podium in third after leading the first sixteen circuits of the contest. Carson Ferguson passed two competitors to land in the fourth finishing position, while Hall of Famer Dale McDowell occupied the final spot inside of the top five after starting eighth.
“You know the high side was there and it was just timing (Donald) McIntosh just right to be able to get by him because he kept sliding out,” said Owens in Schaeffer’s Oil victory lane. “The corner entry was just so narrow getting in that it was just really hard to get by him. There was a lot of clean racing. We had a good time. I have to thank all of my great sponsors on this Koehler Motorsports machine!”
Jimmy Owens, who now has seven career Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series wins on his illustrious resume, piloted a Koehler Motorsports #20 XR1 Rocket Chassis powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine. Sponsorship on his ride comes in part from Reece Monument Company, Ultimate Towing & Recovery, Tim Short Auto Group, Capital Waste, Five Star Metal Buildings, Boomtest Well Service, Red Line Oil, Goodridge Hose & Fittings, Sybesma Graphics, Midwest Sheet Metal, and Capital Electric TN.
With 28 entrants piled into the Tri-County Race Track pit area for round six of the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing, it was Kenny Collins who “Smashed the Clock” in Boyd Bilt Spring-Pro hot laps with his quick time of 12.673 seconds. Later in the program, Ricky Weiss topped the field in FK Rod Ends qualifying with his fast lap of 12.216 seconds. With the top five qualifiers in Group A and B automatically locked into the 40-lap feature, David McCoy and Adam Yarbrough, who was piloting a second Billy Hicks Racing entry, won the pair of B-Mains. Ty Giles utilized a series provisional, while Chuck Southard received the final starting spot in the 22-car feature field by virtue of finishing sixth in the first B-Main.
Only three yellow flags slowed the action tonight at Tri-County Race Track – none of the serious variety. Chuck Southard stopped on the track on lap 9, while local hotshoe David Payne did the same on lap 14. Oregon invader Rob Mayea then drew the final caution flag on lap 15 when he was turned around backwards at the exit of turn two. A total of 13 competitors completed all forty circuits in the main event, while 14 cars were running at the finish.
The penultimate event of the 2023 Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series tour will take place on Friday night, July 28 at North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, Georgia. A $10,053 winner’s check will be on the line in an event dubbed as the ‘Young Memorial.’ Randy Weaver (’11), William Thomas (’12), and Aaron Ridley (’13) have captured the three previous series contests at the northern Georgia facility.
Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series presented by Coltman Farms Racing
Round 6 Race Summary
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Tri-County Race Track – Brasstown, North Carolina
Schaeffer’s Oil Feature Finish (40 Laps):
1. (5) Jimmy Owens $7,553
2. (1) Ricky Weiss $3,500
3. (2) Donald McIntosh $2,000
4. (6) Carson Ferguson $1,500
5. (8) Dale McDowell $1,200
6. (10) Payton Freeman $900
7. (7) Tyler Clem $700
8. (16) Joey Tanner $650
9. (4) Kenny Collins $600
10. (15) Will Roland $575
11. (13) Brenden Smith $550
12. (20) Mike Benedum $540
13. (14) Jordan Koehler $530
14. (11) David McCoy $520
15. (12) Adam Yarbrough $510
16. (21) Ty Giles $500
17. (3) Brent Dixon $500
18. (9) Jamie Oliver $500
19. (19) Rob Mayea $500
20. (17) Jensen Ford $500
21. (18) David Payne $500
22. (22) Chuck Southard $500
Entries: 28
Lap Leaders: Donald McIntosh (Laps 1-16), Jimmy Owens (Laps 17-40)
Cautions: 3 (Chuck Southard Stopped on Lap 9, David Payne Stopped on Lap 14, and Rob Mayea Turned Around Backwards on Lap 15)
Hot Laps:
Boyd Bilt Spring-Pro “Smashing the Clock” Award: Kenny Collins 12.673
FK Rod Ends Time Trials:
Fast Time Overall: Ricky Weiss 12.216
Qualifying – Group A (Top Five Locked In): 1. 7-Ricky Weiss, 00:12.216[7]; 2. 1D-Brent Dixon, 00:12.447[9]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens, 00:12.486[10]; 4. 58-Tyler Clem, 00:12.555[11]; 5. 38-Jamie Oliver, 00:12.603[14]; 6. 187-David McCoy, 00:12.669[5]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith, 00:12.737[12]; 8. 19-Gavin Cowan, 00:12.807[8]; 9. 83-Jensen Ford, 00:12.928[13]; 10. 22-Will Roland, 00:12.977[2]; 11. 108-Chuck Southard, 00:13.023[4]; 12. 37-Rob Mayea, 00:13.120[1]; 13. 88-Ricky Smith, 00:13.328[6]; 14. 156-Andy Standridge, 00:13.772[3]
Qualifying – Group B (Top Five Locked In): 1. 79-Donald McIntosh, 00:12.344[8]; 2. 1C-Kenny Collins, 00:12.433[4]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson, 00:12.441[5]; 4. 17M-Dale McDowell, 00:12.511[2]; 5. F1-Payton Freeman, 00:12.536[9]; 6. 79Y-Adam Yarbrough, 00:12.544[7]; 7. 8-David Payne, 00:12.568[3]; 8. 114-Jordan Koehler, 00:12.830[11]; 9. 25-Mike Benedum, 00:12.843[13]; 10. 46-Joey Tanner, 00:12.881[10]; 11. 10-Ty Giles, 00:12.967[1]; 12. 00-Shawn Chastain, 00:13.041[12]; 13. 68-Kip Cochran, 00:13.279[6]; 14. 3-Floyd Self, 00:13.777[14]
Sunoco Race Fuels B-Main #1 Finish (Top Five Transfer): 1. 187-David McCoy[1]; 2. 17SS-Brenden Smith[2]; 3. 22-Will Roland[5]; 4. 83-Jensen Ford[4]; 5. 37-Rob Mayea[7]; 6. 108-Chuck Southard[6]; 7. 88-Ricky Smith[8]; 8. 19-Gavin Cowan[3]; 9. 156-Andy Standridge[9]
American Racer South B-Main #2 Finish (Top Five Transfer): 1. 79Y-Adam Yarbrough[1]; 2. 114-Jordan Koehler[3]; 3. 46-Joey Tanner[5]; 4. 8-David Payne[2]; 5. 25-Mike Benedum[4]; 6. 00-Shawn Chastain[7]; 7. 10-Ty Giles[6]; 8. 68-Kip Cochran[8]; 9. 3-Floyd Self[9]
Series Provisionals: Ty Giles, Chuck Southard