 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||
 |
 |
WALL DOMINATES JAMBALAYA 100, EARNS $5,000
By Bryan Wimberley
MAGNOLIA, Miss. (Nov. 13-14) — Polesitter Chris Wall of Holden, La., led all every lap of Pike County Speedway's Jambalaya 100 for a victory worth $5,000. The season finale on the O'Reilly Southern United Professional Racing tour saw fourth-place finisher Kenny Merchant of West Monroe, La., crowned as the SUPR champion for the third time and second year in a row.
Wall's No. 71 was dominant all night long and he took the checkered flags five seconds ahead of runner-up Robbie Stuart of DeRidder, La. Stuart had a time of his own holding onto the second spot, as Wall drove away from the field after almost every restart. David Ashley of Zachary, La., Merchant and Anthony Burroughs of Muscle Shoals, Ala., rounded out the top five finishers in a race slowed by nine cautions.
At the opening green, Wall led the field out of turn two with the fourth-starting Merchant passing Stuart and Kyle Cummings of Sibley, La., to take the second spot by the completion of the initial lap. Merchant quickly gained two positions and started to bear down on Wall.
Two laps later, Merchant looked inside of Wall exiting turn four, only to be nipped at the line by less than a nose for the lead. The blistering pace set by the Wall-Merchant battle brought the frontrunners into lapped traffic by the seventh circuit. Still feeling heat from Merchant, Wall brushed the lapped car of William Fletcher, but managed to hold onto first.
The night's first caution flew on lap 14 for Marlon Wild's slowed car in turn three, but also saw Kenny Merchant come into the pits with a flat right rear. After changing tires, Merchant restarted 17th.
Stuart inherited second after Merchant's troubles but had his hands full with Ashley. Following a lap-24 caution, Stuart and Ashley exchanged paint for the runner-up spot exiting turn two while Merchant was working his way back into the top 10.
Coming up on the halfway point, the attrition rate was starting to mount as 16 total cars were on the track. Just as the group was slowed for the mandatory fuel stop, Wall had built a three-second lead on the second-running Stuart with Ray Moore, Ashley and Jon Mitchell also in the mix. Merchant was back up to sixth at halfway.
Restarting the second half the race, the longest green-flag run of the night -- 14 laps -- help Wall stretch his lead back to 2.5 seconds.
By lap 75 Wall was more than five seconds ahead, but that was erased for a three-car tangle among Mitchell, Moore and Kevin Sitton. Mitchell and Moore both suffered right-rear sheetmetal damage, but both continued after the eighth caution with Mitchell maintaining his spot and Moore and Sitton on the rear. Wall cruised the rest of the way while Merchant and Burroughs dropped Mitchell out of the top five in the late stages.
Jambalaya 100: (1) Chris Wall, (2) Robbie Stuart, (3) David Ashley, (4) Kenny Merchant, (5) Anthony Burroughs, (6) Jon Mitchell, (7) Kyle Cummings, (8) Allen Tippen, (9) Kevin Sitton, (10) Ray Moore, (11) Kyle Beard, (12) Rodney Wing, (13) Mickey Trosclair, (14) Patrik Michel, (15) Corie Herberger, (16) Gary Christian, (17) Douglas Begnaud, (18) Donald Watson, (19) James Ward, (20) Rob Litton, (21) Marlon Wild, (22) William Fletcher, (23) Kevin Watts, (24) Bill Hasselle. Fast qualifier (among 30 cars): Wall, 16.190 seconds. Heat race winners: Wall, Stuart, Cummings, Merchant. Consolation winner: Mitchell.
*****
Final 2009 O’Reilly SUPR Standings
1. Kenny Merchant, West Monroe, La. (2,801)
2. Rob Litton, Alexandria, La. (2,415)
3. Kevin Sitton, Baytown, Texas (2,329)
4. Allen Tippen, Minden, La. (2,263)
5. Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla. (1,951)
6. Kyle Cummings, Sibley, La. (1,843)
7. David Ashley, Zachary, La. (1,693)
8. Jon Mitchell, Nash, Texas (1,636)
9. Jeff Chanler, Minden, La. (1,452)
10. Robbie Stuart, DeRidder, La. (1,403)
*****
Corporate sponsors of O’Reilly SUPR include: AFCO, Barber Specialties Inc., Bert Transmission, Brodix, BSB Manufacturing, Dura-Lite Racing Wheels, GRT Race Cars, Hinchman Uniforms, Hoosier Tire Southwest, J&J Motorsports, Keith Craft Inc., Larry Shaw Race Cars, Lile's Custom Home's, Master Vac, O'Reilly Auto Parts, PBM Performance Products, Peterson Aluminum, Trick Wild, Triple A Diesel Service and Wall 2 Wall Performance. (Story courtesy DirtonDirt.com)
 |
 |
 |