With Kingsport Speedway celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015, several drivers that raced at the tradition-steeped facility in the Model City through the years gathered Friday for Racers Reunion Night at the Races.
Kres VanDyke of Abingdon, Va., captured a hard-earned seventh NASCAR Whelen All-American Series “First Kingsport Credit Union” Late Model Stock Car victory.
Ronnie McCarty of Kingsport, current Late Model Stock Car point leader, paced the 14-car field in qualifying with a fast-lap at 15.085 seconds, with Wayne Hale second quickest at 15.158. But the roll of the dice produced an invert of the top four cars from time trials, which put Lee Tissot on the pole and VanDyke on the outside of the front row for the 60-lap main event.
VanDyke jumped out to the lead at the start over Tissot and McCarty, but the event’s first caution waved just five laps in when Derek Lane spun in turn two.
Back under green off the double-file restart, VanDyke and Tissot raced side-by-side for six laps before Tissot moved into the lead. And behind them McCarty and Hale were battling for real estate, with Hale finally taking the third spot on lap 12 racing off the fourth turn.
McCarty and teenager Justin Fontaine were involved in an incident on lap 13. Fontaine made contact with McCarty between turns one and two while making a pass for the fourth position, and racing down the backstretch into the third turn McCarty decided to show Fontaine he didn’t approve of how he had been “roughed up” on the pass. McCarty spun Fontaine to bring out the caution. Both drivers were placed to the rear of the field for the restart, Fontaine for bringing out the caution and McCarty for spinning Fontaine.
Once again off a double-file restart, Tissot and VanDyke entertained the large crowd in attendance with a full moon brightly illuminating “The Concrete Jungle” as they battled door-to-door for seven laps before Tissot moved ahead on lap 20. Behind them Zeke Shell was making a move in getting past Hale for third place on lap 23.
With Tissot showing the way out front, VanDyke was on his rear bumper followed closely by Shell and Hale. VanDyke kept looking under Tissot racing off the corners, and finally on lap 34 was able to pull alongside Tissot to challenge for the lead. After battling for five circuits, VanDyke passed Tissot on lap 39 racing off the fourth turn to move ahead. It also opened the door for Shell to get under Tissot and take away second place.
A caution for debris on the backstretch on lap 45 set up yet another double-file restart and sprint to the finish.
VanDyke powered ahead of Shell back under green and went on to capture his division-leading seventh Late Model Stock Car victory over Shell, Tissot, Fontaine and Hale.
Completing the top 10 finishers were McCarty, Austin Peters, Taylor Coffman, Rick Pannell and Jamie Harrison.
