Story by: Langley Austin ~ [email protected]
Kingsport, TN(March 10, 2012) — Nate Monteith didn’t dominate at Kingsport Speedway in the season opening race, but he picked up right where he left off last season in victory lane at the end of the day.
Monteith put his car on the pole in qualifying with a strong lap as one of the last cars to hit the track, but with the field being inverted on a draw, Monteith would start fifth. Motor Mile regular, Mike Looney would put his car in second after qualifying with Daniel Pope II in third, Lee Tissot fourth and Zeke Shell fifth out of a strong 22-car field. Shell would be inverted to the pole with Tissot getting the outside line.
Tissot would take the lead soon after the drop of the green flag for the 60-lap race as a caution would erase a battle between he and Shell for the lead. Soon after the restart for the early caution, Tissot would come under fire with Shell breathing down his neck, which caused the field to bottle up and found Pope getting shuffled out. He would get passed by a couple of cars as Monteith and Looney would slip past for position.
Monteith looked to have the best car in the field, but he was biding his time to get back to the front, which left Shell to battle with Tissot for the lead and soon Shell was taking the top spot. Shell would dominate most of the race and after a series of short cautions the field would begin to spread out, with Shell getting out to a strong lead. Monteith was steadily working his way through the field and as the laps clicked off he was making his way to Shell’s bumper.
Monteith looked to have made it to Shell too little, too late as he couldn’t get to the inside of Shell’s car, but Wayne Hale, who was having a bad day, was getting lapped with Shell taking the normal line to the high side. That opened the door for Monteith to close in on Shell as they split Hale three wide on the next to last lap. Monteith and Shell would come out of that side by side for the lead with just one lap remaining and Monteith would get the position heading for the checkered.
They would finish with Monteith taking home the win and Shell ending up second and Pope rallying to finish third as a lapped car spun in front of he and Looney as they were battling for third and Looney ended up spun in turn four negating him of a good finish. Tissot would finish fourth with Ryan Stilter in fifth as Blake Jones, Royce Peters, Hayden Woods, Lance Gatlin and Greenville Pickens Speedway regular, Anthony Anders rounded out the top ten in the 22-car field.
Results:
1. Nate Monteith #44-Blountville, TN
2. Zeke Shell #97-Johnson City, TN
3. Daniel Pope II #16-Smyrna, TN
4. Lee Tissot #27-Asheville, NC
5. Ryan Stiltner #22-Grundy, VA
6. Blake Jones #80-Sevierville, TN
7. Royce Peters #38-Kingsport, TN
8. Hayden Woods #87-Piney Flats, TN
9. Lance Gatlin #97-Knoxville, TN
10. Anthony Anders #36-Anderson, SC
11. Paul Nogradi Jr. #02-Clinton, TN
12. Nick Cole #63-Bristol, TN
13. Ronnie McCarty #5-Kingsport, TN
14. Mike Looney #47-New Castle, VA
15. Wayne Hale #19-Bluff City, TN
16. Austin Peters #66-Kingsport, TN
17. Tam Topham #21-Wytheville, VA
18. Brad Fluke #55-Bristol, TN
19. Mark Christian #43-Blountville, TN
20. Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN
21. Joey Trent #26-Elizabethton, TN
22. Dean Barrett #82-Abingdon, VA
