Story by: Corey Latham ~ [email protected]

Altamahaw, NC(May 4, 2011) — Ace Speedway was the scene Friday night, and while the Late Models took top billing the Limited Late Model division were in action also as they hit the 4/10’s mile oval for 40 laps.

With only eight cars starting the event it looked to be a runaway with Dillon Bassett blistering the field, but it turned out to be one of the most controversial races in some time…….and that all happened in the last three laps. Welcome to Ace Speedway ….

We did manage to get a little action going before the race even started as the field was set by a draw but Patrick Coleman would not make it out on to the track as he had a suspension failure coming down pit road to take the hot laps as the cars put heat in the tires before they take the green. Coleman would eventually make it on the track but not before the leaders would complete the first lap. Dillon Bassett would lead the field to the start and would never look back throughout the 40 lap event.

As Bassett is stomping the field we do get a caution on lap 21 as Boo Boo Dalton has a right front tire go down and comes to a stop in turn four. Dalton would barely make it back on the track before the green as Bassett takes up where he left off and drives away from the field on the restart with Jimmy Rice in tow.

It looked to be a runaway for Bassett, but as luck has it he had to survive a late race yellow setting up a green-white-checkered finish. On the start Bassett dives into turn one with heavy contact from Rice which nearly knocks him around. The 14 year-old Basset would hang on only to have Rice dive to the inside in a banzai move in turn three running him completely up into the turn four wall and continue down the outside frontstretch wall. The caution comes out before the leaders take the white flag bringing up another GWC.

Under the caution Bassett exits his car furious as Rice had drove him way deeper in the corner than he thought he ever should have. After some finger pointing and the crowd giving many boos to Rice, he is sent to the end of the lead lap cars for rough driving while the Bassett machine is towed from the track. This now puts Ziggy Zimmerman as the leader with Boo Boo Dalton taking the cone to the outside to challenge Zimmerman for the lead with Jason Turner in third and Brandon Meeks in fourth.

Zimmerman takes the lead cleanly with Dalton falling in behind three car-lengths back. They take the white flag and Dalton closes the gap into turn one, down the backstretch he is there and makes his move in turn three coming to the checkereds. As Zimmerman drives through the corner Dalton touches the back of the #23 sending him around in a cloud of smoke as the field passes by, those included were Rice who had just moved by Meeks to take the second spot. Dalton would cross the line first but it would not stand, then the drama ensued.

As Dalton pulls into victory lane he is given the news, he has been penalized for rough driving himself and sent to the rear now putting Rice as the winner. So now the guy that was just black flagged for rough driving on the initial GWC is the winner, it was simply a mess. Everybody seemed to be mad, Dalton because they black flagged him, Zimmerman because Dalton spun him, and the worst being Bassett who had now changed into street clothes and had to be restrained in victory lane as he told Rice he would take a ride into the wall the following week. And by Bassett’s emotions and composure it seemed he meant exactly what he was saying.

It was crazy to say the least, the actual main part of the race may have not been spectacular but the ending for sure made up for it as fans were gathered around the fence to voice their opinions…..LOUDLY. It looks to be a battle of the ages at Ace and I mean that literally as the veterans and the youngsters will go at it once again this week in twin 35 lappers, this may be one that you surely don’t want to miss.

Results:
1. Jimmy Rice
2. Brandon Meeks
3. Jason Turner
4. Ziggy Zimmerman
5. Boo Boo Dalton
6. Dillon Bassett
7. Bethany Stovall
8. Patrick Coleman