With the 2017 racing season winding down at Kingsport Speedway and schools around the region back in session, “The Concrete Jungle” hosted Back to School Night at the Races presented by Precision Electrical Company, Select Seven Credit Union, along with K&N Performance Parts.
Veteran Robbie Ferguson of Jonesborough and two-time defending track champion Ronnie McCarty of Kingsport each captured crowd-pleasing NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car victories. Both Ferguson and McCarty each had one win on the season, and they also each had several top-five finishes. But neither had visited victory lane since back at beginning of the season over the first two races.
Current point leader and nine-time winner this season Kres VanDyke set fast-time at 15.125 seconds in qualifying to earn pole position, with McCarty second quickest at 15.132.
McCarty jumped out to the lead at start of the first 35-lap LMSC race over VanDyke and Nik Williams. While the lead trio began to put some distance between themselves and their closest challengers as the race reached the halfway distance, it was a good four-car battle for position among Wayne Hale, Austin Peters, Joey Trent and Ferguson back behind them.
With the race running clean-and-green and the laps winding down, McCarty was feeling pressure from VanDyke for the lead. Lap-after-lap VanDyke was glued to McCarty’s back bumper racing off the corners down the straightaway, and tried sticking his nose underneath racing up off the turns.
Racing down the backstretch into the third turn on lap 28, VanDyke made contact with McCarty between turns three and four which resulted in the leader spinning and also getting into McCarty was Williams to bring the caution out. Both McCarty and VanDyke restarted from the rear of the field, while Williams remained in the pits.
Going back green proved disastrous for Trent as his engine went up in smoke dumping oil down the front straightaway and around turns one and two, which produced a lengthy red-flag situation to allow track crew to clean the liquid up.
Hale and Peters were on the front row for the double-file restart, with Hale winning the drag race into the first turn to move ahead over Peters and Ferguson. Ferguson quickly disposed of Peters to move into second behind Hale, and on lap 32 racing off the fourth turn Ferguson drove the Dalton Direct Carpets/Quality Heat & Aire/Hedgecock (Race Cars) Racing Enterprises/RW Race Engines/No. 40 Ford Fusion, past Hale for the lead and recorded his second win of the season over VanDyke, who barely nosed out Hale for the runner-up spot. Finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, were McCarty and Peters.
“Just an awesome run for our team and it’s a great deal to finally get back here in victory lane,” said the 56-year-old Ferguson after climbing from his car and sitting on the roof waving the checkered flag to cheers from the crowd. “I want to thank my car owner Ken Daffron who owns Dalton Direct Carpets for allowing me the opportunity to drive such a good hot rod, along with sponsor Sonny Brown who owns Quality Heat and Aire for his support.
“My old crew chief from back many years ago, Larry Collins, has recently started helping us and we’ve really got our car working exceptionally well. I’m fortunate to have Larry along with Mark Williams, Jeff Herron and Jason Herron in the pits because they all are very knowledgeable about preparing a race car.”
The top eight finishers from the first race were inverted for the second 35-lapper, placing Billy Light and Darin Silver on the front row. Before one lap was complete, Silver spun in the fourth turn following contact from behind to bring the caution out. But that would prove to be the only yellow period during the finale.
Finally under green, Peters grabbed the lead over Light, McCarty, Ferguson and Williams. Light quickly began dropping backward as he was quickly overtaken by McCarty, Ferguson, Williams and VanDyke.
McCarty got to the inside of Peters on lap 6 between turns three and four to take the lead, which also opened the door for Ferguson, Williams and VanDyke to also get past him as he was trapped on the high-side.
With the race reaching the halfway distance the top four cars were running nose-to-tail around the .375-mile banked concrete oval. McCarty, driving a car with significant front-end damage (minus nosepiece, hood and both front fenders) following his incident in the first race was the hunted with Ferguson, Williams and VanDyke chasing.
But the 30-year-old McCarty, driving the Ron’s Mobile Home Parts & Service – Kingsport/Chilli’s – Kingsport/UNDR Industries/A-Hood Bonding – Kingsport/Corner’s Nest Antique Mall – Elizabethton/Price & Ramey Insurance – Kingsport/Moon Tuxedo/Wheel Chill/Signs by Roach – Kingsport/Charlie Long Race Engines/Marlowe Racing Chassis/Performancenter Racing Warehouse/No. 5 Ford Fusion, never allowed Ferguson to get (stick) his nose underneath him racing up off the corners, hitting his marks and clicking off flawless laps en route to capturing his second win of the season over Ferguson, Williams, VanDyke and Hale.
“Even with our car minus the body pieces, we still had a really good race car tonight,” said a smiling McCarty as his car was going through post-race technical inspection. “Not having the hood, front fenders or nosepiece, it was almost like I was driving a NASCAR Modified. I really thought we were going to win the first race, but the deal with (Kres) VanDyke put an end to that. After my crew worked on the car in the pits while under caution removing the damaged pieces, we were able to get back on-track and salvage a fourth-place finish.
“Back in the pits before the finale, we had a lot to do getting the car ready for battle. We were on a mission, because we really felt like we had one (win) taken away from us in the first race. Never say quit, that’s our race team because we’re not going down without giving it our best effort. We got around Austin (Peters) there early to take the lead and I just managed to stay out front and hold (Robbie) Ferguson, (Nic) Williams and (Kres) VanDyke off to park it in victory lane. I want to thank my Dad and Mom (Ron and Gina McCarty) for all they do for me, along with my crew chief Mark Ketron, team members Kellie Hooper, Mike Loyd and Doug Finley, and great support from my fiancée Patricia Dygert.”
NASCAR WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN SERIES – LATE MODEL STOCK CAR (Race #1 – 35 laps)
1. Robbie Ferguson #40-Jonesborough, TN
2. Kres VanDyke #15-Abingdon, VA
3. Wayne Hale #19-Bluff City, TN
4. Ronnie McCarty #5-Kingsport, TN
5. Austin Peters #66-Kingsport, TN
6. Allen Hawkins #14-Kingsport, TN
7. Derek Lane #28-Kingsport, TN
8. Darin Silver #12-Spruce Pine, NC
9. Billy Light #8-Bluff City, TN
10. Jamie Harrison #76-Church Hill, TN
11. Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN
12. Nik Williams #32-Greeneville, TN
13. Joey Trent #26-Gray, TN
14. Joshua Gobble #7-Abingdon, VA
15. Sam Hurd #11-Kingsport, TN
Did Not Start: Lee Tissott #27-Asheville, NC
NASCAR WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN SERIES – LATE MODEL STOCK CAR (Race #2 – 35 laps)
1. Ronnie McCarty #5-Kingsport, TN
2. Robbie Ferguson #40-Jonesborough, TN
3. Nik Williams #32-Greeneville, TN
4. Kres VanDyke #15-Abingdon, VA
5. Wayne Hale #19-Bluff City, TN
6. Austin Peters #66-Kingsport, TN
7. Derek Lane #28-Kingsport, TN
8. Joey Trent #26-Gray, TN
9. Darin Silver #12-Spruce Pine, NC
10. Jamie Harrison #76-Church Hill, TN
11. Billy Light #8-Bluff City, TN
12. Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN
13. Allen Hawkins #14-Kingsport, TN
14. Joshua Gobble #7-Abingdon, VA
15. Sam Hurd #11-Kingsport, TN
Did Not Start: Lee Tissott #27-Asheville, NC
