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FREDDY SMITH TAKES FIRST HAT WIN OF THE SEASON AT THE GAP

BULLS GAP, TN – Many people were asking the question: “Would Freddy Smith win a Hav-A-Tampa race this season?” The 1996 Hav-A-Tampa National Champion answered the question Saturday night in convincing fashion. Yes he would.

Smith drove his Christenberry Trucking and Farms GRT/Monte Carlo to the lead on lap 46, and he never looked back to win the United Dirt Track Racing Association sanctioned Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series Loven Ready Mix 100 at Volunteer Speedway.

The $15,000 victory also put Smith in a position to challenge for the 1999 HAT Championship. With four races remaining, Smith is fifth in the HAT point standings, 262 points behind HAT point leader Wendell Wallace of Batesville, AR.

Rick Eckert of York, PA took the second spot in his Raye Vest Rocket/Grand Prix, and Bob Pierce of Oakwood, IL continued his run of Hav-A-Tampa top three finishes with a third-place effort in his Murphy Trucking Rayburn/Monte Carlo. In his last three HAT appearances, Piece has a second-place, a win, and a third-place finish.

The defending and three-time HAT Champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN finished fourth in the Miller Brothers Coal Warrior/Mustang. Bloomquist remains in third spot in the HAT point standings and closed to within 125 points of Wallace.

Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA finished fifth after charging from the 20th starting position in his Dover Cylinder Heads GRT/Monte Carlo. McDowell,who is second in the HAT points chase, closed the gap between himself and Wallace to 93 points.

Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN was the Hard Charger of the night after starting 24th and finishing sixth in his AFCO Race Products GRT/Grand Prix. Wallace finished seventh in the Monday Trucking GRT/Grand Prix. Marshall Green of Dalton, GA took the eighth spot in the Hatfield Racing Engines Warrior/Monte Carlo. Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL finished ninth in the M&M Transport Warrior/Monte Carlo, and tenth went to Rick Aukland of Fargo, ND in the 10-10-220 Mastersbilt/Grand Prix. Early in the race, Smith sat back in the third spot while polesitter Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, TN and Scott Sexton of Pigeon Forge, TN battled side-by-side for the lead. Sexton charged from his 11th starting spot using the inside groove of the 4/10-mile high-banked clay oval and moved up to second spot by lap seven.

Sexton drove his English Mountain Spring Water Stinger/Grand Prix under Ogle ’s P&J Builders Warrior/Monte Carlo on lap 10, and the two local favorites raced side-by-side for the next 18 laps. Sexton took the lead on lap 28, but he didn’t make it back to lead lap 29. Going down the backstretch on lap 29, Ogle got into the back of Sexton, and Sexton hit the steel guard rail in turn three, destroying his race car. Sexton was O.K., but done for the night. Ogle took the point for the  restart followed by Smith, Eckert, Pierce, and Bill Frye of Greenbrier, AR in the UniFirst Uniforms Warrior/Grand Prix.

On the 30th lap, Smith jumped the cushion in turn two, and Eckert got by for the second spot. Smith recovered and repassed Eckert for second two lapslater. On lap 42, Smith caught Ogle, and the two battled side-by-side for the lead. Smith made the pass for the lead on lap 46, and he never looked back for the remainder of the race. “We won the Spring Thaw race here earlier in the year, so we knew what tires we wanted to run, and they worked again here tonight,” Smith said in the winner’s circle. “It’s good to finally win a Hav-A-Tampa race this season, but I hated to see what happen to Scott Sexton. He had a strong car here tonight.”

Eckert passed Ogle, who was fading quickly, for second spot on lap 49, but could never get close enough to Smith to challenge for the lead. “Fred has us covered tonight,” Eckert said. “We had a couple of cautions late in the race, but he just drove away from us on the restarts. We brought out a new car tonight and it worked well for us.”

Ogle out-timed the 58 entries in qualifications with a time of 13.222 seconds to qualify for the $5,000-to-win Isky Dash, a part of the 10th Annual Hav-A-Tampa Shootout at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA on October 8-9.

The 12-lap Borla Muffler heat races were won by Ogle, Aukland, Smith, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY in the Action Auto Mart Rocket/Monte Carlo, Frye, and Rex Richey of Ringgold, GA in the Cleveland Speedway Driving School Rayburn Monte Carlo.

The Pace American Trailers 1st 12-lap Consolation Race was won by Randle Chupp of Knoxville, TN in the Capache Transportation GRT/Monte Carlo, and McDowell won the Polaris ATVs 12-lap 2nd Consolation Race.

The next event for the HAT Series will be the $15,000-to-win 5th Annual Hav-A-Tampa Supernationals 100 at West Plains Motor Speedway in West Plains, MO on September 24-25. This event will open the HAT Wild West Tour, with other events in Joplin, MO on September 28, and Muskogee, OK on October 1-2.

The latest Hav-A-Tampa news, information, points standings, statistics, season schedules, and television schedules can be found on the Internet at the Official UDTRA Web Site at www.havatamparacing.com.

OFFICIAL FINISH OF THE LOVEN READY MIX 100:

POS STRT CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN CAR LAPS $ WON

1. 3 00 Freddy Smith Knoxville, TN Chev. 100 $15,300

2. 7 24 Rick Eckert York, PA Pont. 100 $8,800

3. 8 32 Bob Pierce Oakwood, IL Chev. 100 $5,000

4. 12 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN Ford 100 $4,050

5. 20 17m Dale McDowell Rossville, GA Chev. 100 $3,300

6. 24 5 Ronnie Johnson Chattanooga, TN Pont. 100 $2,750

7. 17 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR Pont. 100 $2,800

8. 10 89 Marshall Green Dalton, GA Chev. 100 $2,250

9. 9 46 Earl Pearson Jr. Jacksonville, FL Chev. 100 $2,000

10. 2 99c Rick Aukland Fargo, ND Pont. 100 $1,750

11. 1 201 Billy Ogle Jr. Knoxville, TN Chev. 100 $1,500

12. 5 66 Bill Frye Greenbrier, AR Pont. 100 $1,600

13. 6 87 Rex Richey Ringgold, GA Chev. 99 $1,200

14. 14 1 Vic Hill Knoxville, TN Chev. 99 $1,100

15. 23 11 Clint Smith Griffin, GA Chev. 99 $1,000

16. 21 1c Eddie Carrier Jr. Hazzard, KY Chev. 99 $975

17. 19 114 Randle Chupp Knoxville, TN Chev. 99 $950

18. 18 17h Dwayne Hommel Newport, TN Pont. 99 $925

19. 13 12 Brett Miller Greenville, TN Pont. 96 $900

20. 22 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC Ford 88 $1,200

21. 4 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY Chev. 84 $1,200

22. 16 31 Skip Arp Georgetown, TN Chev. 80 $1,200

23. 15 28 Dennis Erb Jr. (R) Carpentersville, IL Chev. 80 $900

24. 11 52 Scott Sexton Pigeon Forge, TN Pont. 28 $900

ENTRIES: 58

FAST QUALIFIER: Ogle – 13.222

BORLA MUFFLER HEAT RACE WINNERS: Ogle, Aukland, F. Smith, Francis, Frye,

Richey

LEAD CHANGES: 3 Among 3 Drivers

LAP LEADERS: Ogle, 1-27; Sexton, 28; Ogle, 29-45; F. Smith, 46-100

LAPS LED: Smith, 55; Ogle, 44; Sexton, 1

CAUTIONS: 8

PROVISIONALS: C. Smith and Johnson

HAV-A-TAMPA SHOOTOUT QUALIFIERS: Hommel, Miller, David Crabtree, Dave

Burks, Gary Blanken, and Tommy Kerr (Promoter’s Choice)

CONSOLATION RACES (12-Laps – Top Two Finishers Transfer To Main Event):

PACE AMERICAN TRAILERS 1ST CONSY: 1. Chupp; 2. Carrier; 3. Clayton

Christenberry; 4. Dave Burks; 5. Mike Gault; 6. Gary Blanken; 7. Sandy

Goddard; 8. Greg Burchett; 9. Gabe Wilson; 10. C. Smith; 11. David Payne;

12. Jason Welsham; 13. Dale Ball; 14. Jeff Wolfenbarger.

POLARIS ATVs 2ND CONSY: 1. McDowell; 2. Cook; 3. David Crabtree; 4.

Johnson; 5. Roger Best; 6. Brandon Ball (R); 7. Jeff Silvers; 8. Marty

Black; 9. Kerry Jones; 10. Rusty Goddard; 11. Brad Carty; 12. Craig Reece;