BLOOMINGDALE, TN :: The calendar shows it’s the first of August and around Northeast Tennessee that means schools are scheduled to start back next week. Friday night at Kingsport Speedway felt like a fall night for high school football as temperatures dropped into the 60s in the Model City.

But the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing action at the “Concrete Jungle” proved to be heated, with Chad Finchum of Knoxville and Adam Long of Pounding Mill, Va., each capturing Wallace Kia Late Model Stock victories.

With a strong, 22-car field present for time trials, Finchum was quickest at 15.132 seconds to barely edge out Kres VanDyke’s 15.150 to earn the pole starting position for the first twin 35-lap feature.

Finchum jumped out to the lead at the start over VanDyke, but the event’s first caution waved just five laps in when Lee Tissot spun in turn two.

Just two laps back under green, Ronnie McCarty and Zeke Shell were racing side-by-side for third and as they raced off into the third turn contact was made, which resulted in McCarty spinning between turns three and four to bring the caution out for a second time.

Off the double-file restart, Finchum once again moved back out in front over VanDyke and Shell, while behind them Adam Long was running a strong fourth in his first appearance at the track this season, followed by leading rookie contender Zack Walton.

By lap 15, the front-four of Finchum, VanDyke, Shell and Long had pulled out ahead of their closest challengers by about a half-straightaway. But caution waved on lap 18 to erase their comfortable advantage, when Bruce Blessing spun between turns one and two.

VanDyke looked to try and grab the lead over Finchum on the double-file restart. But the defending track and state NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion Finchum would have none of it, as he moved back out front over VanDyke, Shell, Long and Walton.

With five laps remaining, the top five were all together around the .375-mile banked concrete oval. Between turns three and four coming to take the white flag, VanDyke attempted to stick the nose of his car underneath Finchum racing off the corner. But there would be no denying Finchum his fourth win of the season as he held off VanDyke, Shell, Long and Walton.

Completing the top 10 finishers were Tissot, McCarty, Austin Peters, Ryan Stiltner and Tyler Goodwin.

The top four finishers from the first race were inverted for the second twin 35-lap feature, putting Long on the pole position and Shell outside of the front row. At drop of the green, Long jumped out ahead of Shell, VanDyke, Finchum and McCarty.

On lap 4 racing off turn two, VanDyke passed Shell to take over second and with the door open, Finchum walked right in to move into third in the running order. The slide backward for Shell continued over the next few laps as McCarty, Tissot, Peters and Stiltner all got around him to drop Shell back to the eighth spot.

With the race running clean-and-green, Long began to separate himself from his closest challengers quickly. As the event reached the halfway point, Long held a 10 car-length advantage over VanDyke and Finchum.

Long went on to capture his first victory of the season over VanDyke, Finchum, McCarty and Tissot.

Completing the top 10 finishers were Peters, Shell, Stiltner, Goodwin and rookie Justin Fontaine.

KINGSPORT SPEEDWAY – FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014

NASCAR WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN SERIES “WALLACE KIA” LATE MODEL STOCK (Twin Feature No. 1 – 35 laps)

1. Chad Finchum #19-Knoxville, TN
2. Kres VanDyke #15-Claypool Hill, VA
3. Zeke Shell #97-Johnson City, TN
4. Adam Long #3-Pounding Mill, VA
5. Zack Walton #38-Blountville, TN
6. Lee Tissot #7-Asheville, NC
7. Ronnie McCarty #5-Kingsport, TN
8. Austin Peters #66-Kingsport, TN
9. Ryan Stiltner #22-Grundy, VA
10. Tyler Goodwin #64-Kingsport, TN
11. Justin Fontaine #60-Fletcher, NC
12. Wayne Hale #19-Bluff City, TN
13. Justin Wright #76-Kingsport, TN
14. Joey Trent #26-Gray, TN
15. Allen Hawkins #77-Kingsport, TN
16. Bruce Blessing #55-Gate City, VA
17. Ed Surrett #17-Asheville, NC
18. Luke Fox #94-Weaverville, NC
19. Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN
20. Phil Harris #55-Johnson City, TN
21. Royce Peters #38-Kingsport, TN
22. Sam Steffey #35-Abingdon, VA

NASCAR WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN SERIES “WALLACE KIA” LATE MODEL STOCK (Twin Feature No. 2 – 35 laps)

1. Adam Long #3-Pounding Mill, VA
2. Kres VanDyke #15-Claypool Hill, VA
3. Chad Finchum #19-Knoxville, TN
4. Ronnie McCarty #5-Kingsport, TN
5. Lee Tissot #7-Asheville, NC
6. Austin Peters #66-Kingsport, TN
7. Zeke Shell #97-Johnson City, TN
8. Ryan Stiltner #22-Grundy, VA
9. Tyler Goodwin #64-Kingsport, TN
10. Justin Fontaine #60-Fletcher, NC
11. Wayne Hale #19-Bluff City, TN
12. Joey Trent #26-Gray, TN
13. Justin Wright #76-Kingsport, TN
14. Allen Hawkins #77-Kingsport, TN
15. Phil Harris #55-Johnson City, TN
16. Luke Fox #94-Weaverville, NC
17. Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN
18. Ed Surrett #17-Asheville, NC
19. Bruce Blessing #55-Gate City, VA
20. Royce Peters #38-Kingsport, TN

 

Did Not Start: Zack Walton #38-Blountville, TN … Sam Steffey #35-Abingdon, VA