FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Josh Putnam Collects Fantastic Deep Fried 75 Event Win at Duck River Raceway Park

By @MichaelDespain, CT Promotions

(Wheel, TN-November 15-16, 2013)- The 2nd Annual Deep Fried 75 by CT Promotions concluded on Saturday evening in front of a capacity crowd and what an evening it was as Josh Putnam of Florence, AL scored the biggest win of his racing career by collecting a $10,000 payday in the 2nd Annual Deep Fried 75 aboard his Valley Metal/441 Race Wraps/Owl Creek Sod Farms/Neat Parts sponsored #212 Bob Pierce Race Car powered by a Jeff Burns Race Engine.  The event was an absolute slugfest as Putnam and Skylar Marlar raced wheel-to-wheel for a majority of the second-half of the event, trading the lead officially on five different occasions, but unofficially many more times than that around the ultra-racy ¼ mile arena.

Skylar Marlar and Allen Murray would bring the 25 car starting field to the green flag, with Marlar immediately jumping to the race, with Ray Cook grabbing second from Murray, followed by Josh Putnam and Eric Hickerson.  Marlar would work to a comfortable lead until the first of four cautions in the event waved on lap 6 when Richard Smith slowed in the front of the leaders in turn two.  The restart would see Putnam drive by Cook for second, as the front trio of Marlar, Putnam, and Cook would pull away from the field until the next caution for 4th place running Hickerson, who spun his mount in turn two on lap 19.  The restart would see Putnam and Cook trade spots, before Putnam secured second, with Putnam making a move on Marlar for the lead and taking the lead on lap 21.  The third caution of the race waved on lap 24 when 8th position running David Seibers would stop in turn two.  When action resumed, Putnam still held the point, with Marlar and Cook trading second a couple of times before Marlar reclaimed the runner-up spot, while Tony Morris and Tanner English battled for fourth.  Marlar would begin the process of chasing Putnam down as the duo entered traffic on lap 36, with both drivers making daring moves in lapped traffic.  Marlar continued to reel in Putnam for the lead and would make a pass on Putnam for the lead on lap 48.  It was around this point when these two would begin a slobber-knocker of a battle for the top spot, with Cook still in third, with 11th starting Dennis Erb, Jr. now riding in fourth.  Marlar and Putnam would trade slidejobs for the race lead on lap 55, and continued to battle hard for the top spot, all the time working in and out of lapped traffic, before Marlar reclaimed the top spot again on lap 57.  Meanwhile, Erb, Jr. would run down Cook from a full straightaway behind and close in on Cook on lap 65.  But the battle at the point was far from finished as Putnam made another move for the lead and would fire the slidejob pass for the top spot again on lap 67, with Erb, Jr. racing by Cook for third as well.  Marlar would attempt to reclaim the top spot and would make a turn two slidejob pass on Putnam for the lead, but the caution would wave as fifth-place running Morris stopped on the traffic, negating the pass.  The final five laps would see Putnam scoot away a few car lengths from Marlar, who now had his hands full with Erb, Jr.  Putnam would take the checkered flag to the roar of the crowd, while Marlar would make contact with the wall exiting turn four on the final circuit, giving second to Erb, Jr. and third to Cook, with English and 13th starting Michael Chilton completing the top five.  The remainder of the top ten would be 15th starting Eric Cooley, Marlar, 18th starting Brad Skinner, Daniel Miller, and 22nd starting Dillan White.

A pair of 12 lap Last Chance Showdown events would also be contested on Saturday evening, with Clint Nichols taking the win in Last Chance Showdown number one, while Brad Skinner would score the win in the second Last Chance Showdown.  A 15 non-qualifiers race was also contested, with Chris Shelton scoring the win in the caution-filled event over Braden Mitchell, Terry English, Jason Riggs, and Donald Johns.

In preliminary action on Friday evening, the Super Late Model division would have 44 entries and Skylar Marlar of Winfield, TN was the overall top qualifier and top qualifier in Group A at 12.540 seconds, while Eric Hickerson of Linden, TN was the top qualifier in Group B at 12.660 seconds.  Four ten lap qualifying heats would be contested, with Marlar, Cook, Murray, and Putnam claiming wins in those events.

David McWilliams of Bethel, OH would lead the entire distance in picking up the $1,200 payday in a caution-plagued UMP DIRTcar Modified main event behind the wheel of his Valvoline/Slicker Graphics sponsored #18 Diamond Race Car.  McWilliams would stave off the advances of a hard-charging Clayton Miller to claim the win, while Justin Jenkins, Trent Young, and veteran Billy Palmer.  The remainder of the top ten would be Gary Tatum, Randle Sweeney, Bill Haager, Tony Garber, and Tyler Wood.  In preliminary action on Friday evening, McWilliams would be the top UMP DIRTcar Modified qualifier among 18 entries at 14.023 seconds and would win heat one, while Palmer would take the win in heat two.

The Deep Fried 75 will return in 2014 and in an announcement on Saturday evening prior to the start of the Super Late Model main event, the event will again be presented by CT Promotions, but the event will pay $11,000 to the winner.

SUMMARY-Duck River Raceway Park-Wheel, TN-November 15-16, 2013

SUPER LATE MODELS (44 entries)
Group A Top Qualifier (and Overall Tennessee RV Top Qualifier)- Skylar Marlar 12.540-$250
Group B Top Qualifier- Eric Hickerson 12.660
1st Heat (10 laps/top 4 transfer)- Skylar Marlar, Scott Cook, Vic Hill, Michael Chilton, Mark Haddon, Trent Letson, Chris Shelton, Caleb Ashby, Steven Ashby, Mark Fields, Joe Denby
2nd Heat (10 laps/top 4 transfer)- Ray Cook, Tanner English, Dennis Erb, Jr., Eric Cooley, Brad Skinner, Terry English, Kyle Beard, Richard Smith, Dillan White, Jason Skinner, Braden Mitchell
3rd Heat (10 laps/top 4 transfer)- Allen Murray, Eric Hickerson, David Seibers, Clayton Miller, Clint Nichols, Bub McCool, Matthew Summers, Freddie Carpenter, Jason Riggs, Mark Dowdy, Daniel Dial
4th Heat (10 laps/top 4 transfer)- Josh Putnam, Tony Morris, Daniel Miller, Brandon Kinzer, Hillard Miller, David Gentry, A.J. Ferguson, Wesley Shelton, Credence Mott, Donald Johns, Mike Hammerle
Last Chance Showdown #1 (12 laps/top four transfer)- Clint Nichols, Trent Letson, Mark Haddon, Bub McCool, Chris Shelton, Steven Ashby, Jason Riggs, Joe Denby, Daniel Dial, Freddie Carpenter, Mark Dowdy, Caleb Ashby (DNS- Matthew Summers, Mark Fields)
Last Chance Showdown #2 (12 laps/top four transfer)- Brad Skinner, A.J. Ferguson, Dillan White, Richard Smith, Credence Mott, Braden Mitchell, Terry English, Mike Hammerle, Jason Skinner, Donald Johns, Wesley Shelton, Hillard Miller, David Gentry, Kyle Beard

Non-Qualifiers Feature (15 laps/$300 to win)- Chris Shelton, Braden Mitchell, Terry English, Jason Riggs, Donald Johns, Freddie Carpenter, Mark Dowdy, Caleb Ashby, Wesley Shelton, Jason Skinner, Credence Mott, Steven Ashby, Joe Denby, Daniel Dial, Mike Hammerle (DNS- Hillard Miller, Kyle Beard)
Track Provisional- David Gentry
Delph Communications Hard Charger-Dillan White-$100

2nd Annual Deep Fried 75: 
1. Josh Putnam-Florence, AL
2. Dennis Erb, Jr.-Carpentersville, IL
3. Ray Cook-Brasstown, NC
4. Tanner English-Benton, KY
5. Michael Chilton-Salvisa, KY
6. Eric Cooley-Fulton, MS
7. Skylar Marlar-Winfield, TN
8. Brad Skinner-Springhill, TN
9. Daniel Miller-Fayetteville, TN
10. Dillan White-LaFayette, KY
11. Tony Morris-Murfreesboro, TN
12. Vic Hill-Mosheim, TN
13. Richard Smith-Hartselle, AL
14. Allen Murray-San Antonio, TX
15. Bub McCool-Vicksburg, MS
16. Clint Nichols-Shelbyville, TN
17. Clayton Miller-Elkton, KY
18. Eric Hickerson-Linden, TN
19. Mark Haddon-Tullahoma, TN
20. David Earl Gentry-Murfreesboro, TN
21. Trent Letson-Danville, AL
22. David Seibers-Petersburg, TN
23. Brandon Kinzer-Allen, KY
24. A.J. Ferguson-Leoma, TN
25. Scott Cook-Shelbyville, TN

UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (19 entries)
1st Heat- David McWilliams, Trent Young, Clayton Miller, Justin Jenkins, Chad Winkles, Justin Cross, Randle Sweeney, Bill Haager, Eric Hughes
2nd Heat- Billy Palmer, Tony Garber, Eddie Rhinehart, Casey Pearson, Luke Riddle, Joey Cotterman, Henry Hanger, Gary Tatum, Tyler Wood

A-Main Finish- David McWilliams, Clayton Miller, Justin Jenkins, Trent Young, Billy Palmer, Gary Tatum, Randle Sweeney, Bill Haager, Tony Garber, Tyler Wood, A.J. Garber, Eric Hughes, Justin Cross, Henry Hanger, Eddie Rhinehart, Casey Pearson, Luke Riddle, Chad Winkles (DNS- Joey Cotterman)