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The ‘Tarheel Tiger’ conquers Bulls Gap
By admin | March 7, 2010
By Richard Allen
On Saturday night at the Volunteer Speedway, Ray Cook picked up where he left off in east Tennessee from last year.
Cook, who hails from Brasstown, North Carolina, finished his 2009 season with a win in Cleveland, Tennessee last November and he picked back up in the region by scoring a win in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 60 lap feature on the high banked clay oval in Bulls Gap, Tennessee.
The driver of the MasterSbilt #53 chassis started from the 5th spot but was able to work his way to the front on a track not always known for passing. On lap 36 Cook finally made his way to the lead by passing Chris Madden in heavy traffic. From that point he remained in control although Madden did close back to within a car length as the leaders again worked heavy traffic during the race’s closing laps.
Madden started on the outside of the front row alongside Skip Arp. ‘Smokey’ immediately went to the lead at the drop of the green flag and held it until he was passed by Cook.
At the time of the race’s first caution on lap 21 Cook had just moved into 2nd on the dry, slick track with a pass of Arp. That initial yellow flag was the result of Mike Marlar coming to a stop on the track with a flat right front tire. The first caution was immediately followed by a second when John Blankenship slowed on the backstretch. From that point, the race ran green to the end.
Cook, known as the ‘Tarheel Tiger’, collected $10,000 for his victory. He was followed to the line by Madden, Arp, Dan Schlieper, Steve Casebolt, Scott Bloomquist and Jimmy Owens.
Newport’s Owens had been the fast qualifier but found himself starting 14th as a result of an invert prior to the lineup setting heat races. He and Mooresburg’s Bloomquist thrilled the east Tennessee partisan crowd with a spirited battle for 6th in the closing laps.
Arp, Casebolt, Madden and Stacy Boles were the winners of the four heat races.
Morristown’s Shannon Buckingham won the 30 lap crate/limited preliminary race.
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Richard Allen is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association. His weekly columns appear in The Mountain Press and The Knoxville Journal.
*Click here for photos http://tennesseeracer.com/?p=458
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