KINGSPORT, TN :: Dillon Bassett claimed his second victory of the season during Saturday Night’s Model City 150 presented by Bloomingdale Car Care. With Bassett’s win Charlie Long collected his sixth Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race Award for 2013 with the UARA. The fans at Kingsport Speedway were highly entertained with the 2013 rookie class earning more than just stripes. In a night of fender bending paint swapping, engine blowing excitement, survival was the key. The top five who survived all the action in a wild night of racing were assett, Daniel Pope II, Garrett Campbell, Travis Swaim and Circle Wheel/Xtreme Trophies and More Rookie of the Race Chandler LeVan.

“The race was uneventful for me, but everyone else was beating and banging” laughed second place finisher Pope. “The plan was to go hard, fast, and drive away. It worked until all the cautions came out. I burned up my equipment too quick. It was my best UARA career finish though, I can’t complain about that!” Pope is no stranger to the UARA. He finished second in Rookie Points to Matt DiBenedetto in 2007 and came home 10th in the overall season points for 2007. Saturday was his 27th UARA event.

Local driver Kres VanDyke lead the first six laps, followed by Swaim for three laps then Pope jumped out front after VanDyke lost position due to a gear issue during the first restart. While Pope was out front, Campbell stuck to his right rear and Bassett to his left rear. It was a flying ‘V’ around Kingsport Speedway. Third place finisher Campbell had the Driven Racing Oil Fastest lap of the race and Basset gained the most positions winning him the Holley Performer of the Race Award for the fifth time this year. Bassett also won the Tilton Most Laps Lead Award after leading 75 of the 150 laps.

VanDyke, who broke the UARA-STARS track record of 15.069 set by Coleman Pressley in March of 2010 with his 14.978 lap claimed the Sunoco Pole. VanDyke suffered car damage when he and Basset had some contact. One of VanDyke’s tires went down and he did an awesome job of controlling his car until he could make it to the pit area.

2003 UARA-STARS champion Lee Tissot was on his way to the front when his brakes became an issue early in the race. He was up to second place before when they broke and sent him spinning through the first two turns, which brought out the first of six cautions. The team decided to take the two-lap penalty of working on your car during a red flag when the second caution came out. Tissot was Awarded the ARbodies Hard Luck Award.

After qualifying third, Paul Nogradi’s motor blew on lap 10, causing local driver Bruce Blessing, Chandler LeVan, Garrett Jones and Kaz Grala to spin. After LeVan, Jones, and Grala recovered from their spin, they began to charge each other for the next 20 laps. LeVan and Jones beat each other to the point where both drivers were getting heated and ended in a caution on the front stretch. LeVan got the Pigwire Electrifying Move of the Race when he managed to drive away from the caution. He got some serious air, as his machine flew over Jones’ machine. When Jones drove his damaged car into the pits he jumped out to make sure he let LeVan know he didn’t appreciate the contact.

“It was purely a racing incident,” says LeVan. “He got into me, I got into him, I saw a hole and I went for it. We’re good though, we talked about it and decided to move forward from this with no hard feelings.” All the rookies, including new comer and Banjo Mathews Memorial 150 winner Grala, turned up the heat Saturday Night. While the lead cars had their battle, the rookies were showing no mercy with each other on the track. UARA Officials warned Grala, Jones, and LeVan to calm it down. When they came upon Rookie Thomas Beane, he backed away and let them at it. With this move, Beane was awarded the FLUIDYNE Cool Under Pressure Award.

The UARA-STARS are extremely grateful for their veteran and ‘regular’ drivers, but also encourage ALL local drivers to compete in the events. The locals of Kingport Speedway turned many heads Saturday with their competitive talent.

The UARA-STARS head to Caraway Speedway next Saturday Night, September 21st. To find out about all of our STARS, fans can follow them on Twitter, @uarastars, and “like” them on Facebook under the United Auto Racing Association.

Model City 150 presented by Bloomingdale Car Care
1. #44 Dillon Bassett
2. #16 Daniel Pope II
3. #12 Garrett Campbell
4. #28 Travis Swaim
5. #81 Chandler LeVan
6. #3 Kaz Grala
7. #31Thomas Bean
8. #88 Garrett Jones
9. #55 Bruce Blessing
10. #15 Kres VanDyke
11. #47 Lee Tissot
12. #02 Paul Nogradi