As the temperature dropped Sunday night, the heat was on the track as 18 Pro-Late Models did battle in the Ice Cold Shriners Bowl at Lanier National Speedway.
With two laps left, Braselton’s Shane Sawyer made the pass on leader Greg Simpson, and held him off after a late caution to take the win.
After starting on the outside of the front row for the 100 lap feature, Sawyer moved out to an early lead, while NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Ragan made an early charge inside the top ten after starting seventh.
Shane Sawyer had the strongest car, and made a late pass on Greg Simpson to win Sunday’s Pro Late Model feature at Lanier National Speedway.
Sawyer takes Shriners Bowl at Lanier
Jefferson’s Russell Shore brought out the first caution of the day on lap 13, as he spun his number 52 on the front stretch.
The yellow would fly again just ten laps later as Dalton Grindle spun in front of the leaders. As the field went back to green, it was Sawyer again leading over Greg Simpson, Kyle Fowler, Shawn Simpson and Ragan.
Sawyer and Greg Simpson moved away to fight for the lead amongst themselves while Fowler, Ragan and Shawn Simpson jockeyed for third place, until lap 47 when another spin by Shore brought out the third caution of the day. On the restart, Sawyer was able to move away again, but several cars, including Zac Kittle, T.W. Fisher and Billy Fulson were caught up in a multi-car shunt in the third turn one lap later.
Once the track was cleared, the green flag flew again. But this time, a bad restart for Sawyer cost him ground as Greg Simpson took the lead, with Kyle Fowler moving by for second place. Fowler would encounter trouble a few laps later, as he spun off the nose of a lap car.
Meanwhile, both Ragan and Watkinsville driver John Wes Townley moved their way into the top five, doing battle with Cale Langford as Greg Simpson and Shane Sawyer resumed their battle for the top spot.
Over the course of the final 25 laps, Simpson would work hard to hold off the charge of Sawyer, but with just four laps left, Sawyer made his way to the inside of Simpson’s machine, and with the help of a slower car, made the final pass for the lead with two laps to go.
Just after the pass was made, a spin on the backstretch brought out the final caution of the day. When the race resumed with two laps left, Sawyer was able to hold Simpson off for the victory.
Cale Langford finished third, while Ragan and Townley rounded out the top five.
Ragan, who made his firstPro Late Model start of 2009 in the event, had told the other competitors in the drivers meeting that he would donate all his winnings from the event to the Shriners Hospitals.
In other action, Jefferson’s David Murphy took top honors in the Outlaw Sportsman event, holding off Randy Gilbert for the win.
Shawn Campbell was the winner in the Street Stock event, while Chris Holbrook won the Open Wheel Modified race. Paul Antley won the truck event over Jeremy Parris and Pendergrass driver Paul Kelley, who usually pilots a Pro Late Model, took third.
Other winners on the day included All Pro winner Kyle Benjamin, Bandolero division winners Jake Armstrong in the Outlaws, Kayson Plott in the Young Guns, Will Martin in the Bandits, Jeff Haynie in the Master Legends and
Austin Will in the Pro Legends and Scott Hensley in the semi-pro Legends event.
The next event for Lanier National Speedway will be the SpeedFest, Jan. 23 – 25, featuring a 100-lap Pro Late Model race as well as a 200-lap Super Late Model event.
The yellow would fly again just ten laps later as Dalton Grindle spun in front of the leaders. As the field went back to green, it was Sawyer again leading over Greg Simpson, Kyle Fowler, Shawn Simpson and Ragan.
Sawyer and Greg Simpson moved away to fight for the lead amongst themselves while Fowler, Ragan and Shawn Simpson jockeyed for third place, until lap 47 when another spin by Shore brought out the third caution of the day. On the restart, Sawyer was able to move away again, but several cars, including Zac Kittle, T.W. Fisher and Billy Fulson were caught up in a multi-car shunt in the third turn one lap later.
Once the track was cleared, the green flag flew again. But this time, a bad restart for Sawyer cost him ground as Greg Simpson took the lead, with Kyle Fowler moving by for second place. Fowler would encounter trouble a few laps later, as he spun off the nose of a lap car.
NASCAR Sprint Cup regular David Ragan (6) works past 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series rookie contender John Wes Townley (09) during Sunday’s event at Lanier. Ragan recorded a fourth place finish, while Townley came home fifth.
Over the course of the final 25 laps, Simpson would work hard to hold off the charge of Sawyer, but with just four laps left, Sawyer made his way to the inside of Simpson’s machine, and with the help of a slower car, made the final pass for the lead with two laps to go.
Just after the pass was made, a spin on the backstretch brought out the final caution of the day. When the race resumed with two laps left, Sawyer was able to hold Simpson off for the victory.
Cale Langford finished third, while Ragan and Townley rounded out the top five.
Ragan, who made his firstPro Late Model start of 2009 in the event, had told the other competitors in the drivers meeting that he would donate all his winnings from the event to the Shriners Hospitals.
In other action, Jefferson’s David Murphy took top honors in the Outlaw Sportsman event, holding off Randy Gilbert for the win.
Shawn Campbell was the winner in the Street Stock event, while Chris Holbrook won the Open Wheel Modified race. Paul Antley won the truck event over Jeremy Parris and Pendergrass driver Paul Kelley, who usually pilots a Pro Late Model, took third.
Other winners on the day included All Pro winner Kyle Benjamin, Bandolero division winners Jake Armstrong in the Outlaws, Kayson Plott in the Young Guns, Will Martin in the Bandits, Jeff Haynie in the Master Legends and
Austin Will in the Pro Legends and Scott Hensley in the semi-pro Legends event.
The next event for Lanier National Speedway will be the SpeedFest, Jan. 23 – 25, featuring a 100-lap Pro Late Model race as well as a 200-lap Super Late Model event.
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