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| Southern All Star/AC Delco 200 at Five Flags | by Regina Sanders
The 200 lap Late Model race was an exciting one to watch. The race began with 20 cars. When the checkered flag came out, 11 cautions later, only 10 cars were still running. The pole sitter was Darrell Brown from Dora, AL. J.R. Norris had the fastest lap in qualifying with a time of 16.795 but started fifth because the field was inverted by five. A six sided die is rolled to determine how many cars to invert. Before the race began, there was an announcement that there would be two competition cautions thrown. The cautions would be thrown on lap 75 and again on lap 140. Under these two cautions, everybody would be able to pit without losing or gaining position.
John Boy Wilkinson, the winner last time the Southern All Stars ran here, came from 6th position to take the lead on lap 3. Wilkinson remained in the lead until lap 105 when Jeremy Rice overtook him. Just after Wilkinson was passed, he slowed and came to rest on the backstretch. The crew believed the problem was a broken transmission. On lap 120 came the big pile up in turn 4. Keith Thorpe, Wes Lloyd, and Larry Raines retired for the night. On lap 140 the second competition caution was thrown. On the restart J. R. Dudley got together with the lap car of Mike Langston and took a wild ride. Dudley rode up the inside wall on the frontstretch and looked like he might go over the wall into the pits. He spun around and came to a stop in the middle of turns 1 & 2 instead.
Ricky Turner, current points leader in the Southern All Star Series, took the lead on lap 185. Pole sitter Darrell Brown was all over Turner trying to make the pass for the lead. On lap 194, Brown ran into the back of Turner and spun him on the frontstretch taking him out of the race. Darrell Brown won the race and was booed very loudly by race fans. In victory lane, Brown said he didn't want to win like that and he hated that it happened like that. Most of the fans were still booing him and likely didn't hear any of his interview. Jason Hogan came in 2nd, David Hole 3rd, Jeremy Rice 4th, and Ronnie Sanders 5th.
The modifieds ran 25 laps with 1 caution and 3 lead changes. The caution came out on lap 22 when three cars got together. Regis Kuch and Steve Williams got to call it an early night. David Hutton was the winner, Mike Randall finished 2nd, David Smith 3rd, Sammy McMullen 4th, and Ricky Neal 5th.
The Superstocks barely took the green flag before the caution flew. Everybody was trying to get to the front and as a result, pole sitter Mike Murphy, Robert Favors, and Joe Mahuron were put out of the race. On the restart, Paul Dickerson who started from the outside pole, took the lead. On lap 23, Okie Mason, who was running 3rd, blew a motor. Paul Dickerson went on to win, Kevin Rehurmkel came in 2nd, Steve Britt 3rd, Larry Perkins 4th, and Jesse Reid 5th.
For the second week in a row the Spectator division ran 25 laps caution free. Sonny Holland came from 3rd to take the lead on the first lap and stayed there until the end winning by half a straitaway. It was a close battle for second, but Billy Hoover took the position. Derrick Johnson finished 3rd, Brandon Vaughn 4th, and Wayne Burkett 5th.
I would like to ask everybody to please remember to keep Tracy Goodson and his family in your prayers. Tracy is a Late Model driver at Five Flags Speedway. He was put in the hospital after having chest pains and remains in a coma at Baptist Hospital.
The next event at Five Flags Speedway will be Friday Night Racing on August 10th. Admission is only $10 for this event.
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