By Lynn Acklin,

 

CLEVELAND, TN (July 3rd, 1999) --About one month ago the 1998 Southern All Stars Super late Model Rookie of the Year came to Cleveland Speedway for a Topless Bandit event and then left $2,000 richer. Saturday night the Decatur, AL., driver left Cleveland Speedway $3,000 richer as he took over the lead from pole sitter Rex Richey on lap two and held Rex off through lapped traffic to be the first driver this year to win two races on the SAS Super Late Model Series. Rex jumped to the bottom and slowly pulled ahead of Mears as they entered turn one when Mears stayed high for the next two laps and he went high in turn three and Mears pulled on ahead and showed what kind of of car he had. Mears and Richey were battling out for the top spot, but Ricky Holland and Lamar Scoggins battled it out from the third spot several times as they shuffled it back and fourth and the battle for the fifth spot was all night as Paul Tims and Jamie Perry stayed at each other all over the track. Back up front with less than four laps remaining Richey had one last chance to take the win, but Mears was coming off the corners just right and Rex did not really get to make a good run for the top spot and settled for the second spot. Third went to Ricky Holland of Ooltewah, TN., in his best run with the series this year, fourth Lamar Scoggins of Cleveland, TN., and fifth to Paul Tims of Georgetown, TN., as he was running the race on six cylinders. Finishing in the sixth spot was current SAS points leader Jamie Perry of Ringgold, GA., seventh to Kent Hicks of Cleveland, TN., eighth to Kevin Gibson of Cleveland, TN., ninth to David Payne of Murphy, NC., and tenth to Mike Head of Ellenwood, GA. The next SAS Super Late Models events will be coming up the week of July 15th-18th with Thursday night July 15th the 1st Annual Grassy Smith Memorial race at the New Thunder Valley Speedway in Lawndale, NC., a 50 lap $5,000 to win event, then on Saturday night July 17th at the Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS., a 50 lap $3,000 to win and then on Sunday night July 18 the 2nd Annual Michael Head Jr., Memorial race 54 laps paying $3,000 to win.