With school systems around the region now back in session, Kingsport Speedway hosted Precision Electrical Back to School Night at the Races which saw one of the biggest crowds of the season Friday in the Model City as youth enjoyed special activities including free backpacks, race car rides, over 50 new bicycles given away, face painting and other prizes.
Zeke Shell of Johnson City and Nik Williams of Chuckey split NASCAR Whelen All-American Series twin Late Model Stock Car features by each visiting victory lane.
The top four in Late Model Stock Car qualifying dropped down in the 14-second range, with Shell fastest at 14.940, followed by Hayden Woods (14.966), Williams (14.973), and Kres VanDyke (14.979).
In the first 35-lap feature Shell took the lead at the start over Woods, VanDyke, Williams and Robbie Ferguson. With Shell and Woods running in single file out front, VanDyke was feeling pressure from Williams each lap trying to get around him for the third spot.
Williams finally completed the pass on lap 17, as he got to the inside of VanDyke between turns one and two and forced him high up the track, which also opened the door for Ferguson to slip by VanDyke into fourth place.
With Shell in command on the point leading Woods, Williams worked his way past Woods on lap 26 racing off the fourth turn to move into second place. But there would be no catching Shell as he captured his third win of the season over Williams, Woods, Ferguson, and VanDyke.
Completing the top 10 finishers were Trey Bayne, Joey Trent, Derek Lane, Dillon Hodge and Kyle Barnes.
With NASCAR Whelen All-American Series rules mandating the top eight finishers being inverted when track’s host twin features, the front row for the second 35-lap race had Lane and Trent leading the field to green. Lane jumped out to the lead over Trent, VanDyke, Bayne, and Woods.
VanDyke passed Trent for second on lap 7 racing up off (turn) two. Behind leader Lane and VanDyke, the racing was intense involving Trent, Woods, Ferguson, Williams, and Bayne.
Woods worked his way past Trent for third on lap 11 racing off the second corner, and behind him, Williams got up-on-the-wheel and passed both Ferguson and Trent to settle into fourth in the running order behind Woods. Williams pressured Woods for third until making the pass for position on lap 15 racing off the fourth turn.
The battle for the lead between Lane and VanDyke ratcheted up a notch on lap 18 when VanDyke moved out front. Williams also wasted no time as he quickly got around Lane to move in behind leader VanDyke.
With Williams riding right on VanDyke’s rear bumper lap-after-lap, VanDyke kept hitting his marks to maintain his advantage. Lane got loose between turns one and two on lap 28, allowing Shell, Woods, and Ferguson to drive past him.
As VanDyke and Williams raced down the front straightaway to receive the white flag, Williams used the short-track classic bump-and-run move to take leader VanDyke up the banking.
The duo raced off turn two down the backstretch side-by-side into the third turn, and with Williams, on the bottom, he used a strong run off the fourth turn to narrowly edge VanDyke for his sixth Late Model Stock Car victory of the season. Finishing third through fifth, respectively, were Shell, Woods, and Ferguson.
Completing the top 10 finishers were Bayne, Trent, Barnes, Hodge and Wayne Hale.
LATE MODEL STOCK CAR #1 (35 laps)
1. Zeke Shell #1-Johnson City, TN
2. Nik Williams #32-Chuckey, TN
3. Hayden Woods #87-Piney Flats, TN
4. Robbie Ferguson #7-Jonesborough, TN
5. Kres VanDyke #15-Abingdon, VA
6. Trey Bayne #21-Knoxville, TN
7. Joey Trent #26-Gray, TN
8. Derek Lane #28-Kingsport, TN
9. Dillon Hodge #5-Kingsport, TN
10. Kyle Barnes #15-Draper, VA
11. Trey Lane #4-Kingsport, TN
12. Darin Silver #12-Spruce Pine, NC
13. Bryson Dennis #15-Greeneville, TN
14. Wayne Hale #19-Bluff City, TN
15. Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN
16. Greg Bohanon Jr. #17-Leicester, NC
17. Dale Cline #99-Wytheville, VA
18. Kyle Lockrow #7-La Plata, MD
19. Mardy Roberts #55-Kingsport, TN
LATE MODEL STOCK CAR #2 (35 laps)
1. Nik Williams #32-Chuckey, TN
2. Kres VanDyke #15-Abingdon, VA
3. Zeke Shell #15-Johnson City, TN
4. Hayden Woods #87-Piney Flats, TN
5. Robbie Ferguson #7-Jonesborough, TN
6. Trey Bayne #21-Knoxville, TN
7. Joey Trent #26-Gray, TN
8. Kyle Barnes #15-Draper, VA
9. Dillon Hodge #5-Kingsport, TN
10. Wayne Hale #19-Bluff City, TN
11. Bryson Dennis #15-Greeneville, TN
12. Trey Lane #4-Kingsport, TN
13. Darin Silver #12-Spruce Pine, NC
14. Derek Lane #28-Kingsport, TN
15. Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN
16. Dale Cline #99-Wytheville, VA
17. Greg Bohanon Jr. #17-Leicester, NC
18. Mardy Roberts #55-Kingsport, TN
