By Robert Walden

LAWNDALE, N.C. (Oct. 21) – Friday night at Thunder Valley Speedway, Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., extended his O’Reilly Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series point advantage over Rodney Martin by leading the 50-lap, "Seventh Annual Grassy Smith Memorial" flag-to-flag to capture his fifth win on the season. With Freddy Smith visiting victory lane in the first four events which honor his late father, Clarence "Grassy" Smith, and Rick Eckert and Dennis "Rambo" Franklin each winning over the last two years, Madden joins elite company by adding his name to the record book as a winner of this prestigious race.

Ed Basey paced the 27-car field in Sunoco Race Fuels pole qualifying with a fast-lap of 17.706-seconds in a brand new Pontiac Grand Prix that he had picked up earlier Friday afternoon at Barry Wright Race Cars, but following his qualifying laps he came up light at the scales and his fast-time was disqualified. Basey was forced to fall back on a series provisional to get in the field and start from the 20th spot. Jeff Cooke, who had stopped the clock at 17.859, was awarded the pole position, with Madden’s time of 17.907 good enough to nail down the outside front row starting berth.

The first attempt to start the feature saw Franklin loop his Ford Taurus in the fourth turn, with Jeff Smith and Brett Miller also spinning to avoid Franklin. Smith would be the first car to pull into the pits and call it a night. On the second try, Cooke and Madden raced door-to-door into the first turn, and with Cooke getting his car completely sideways between turns one and two, Madden powered around the outside into a lead he would never relinquish.

Completing the opening lap Madden was out front followed by Cooke, Freddy Smith, Randle Chupp and Franklin. Franklin was relegated to the back of the field after spinning once again in the fourth turn on lap 10 to bring out the caution, thus erasing Madden’s half-straightaway lead over Cooke.

Back under green for only one circuit, the yellow flag waved when Brent Dixon spun between turns one and two. With Madden riding on the point going back green, he was followed by Cooke, Smith, Chupp and Jack Pennington. Chupp dropped to the inside of Smith as they raced off the second turn on lap 12 to move into third, but his brief stint in the position was short-lived as he slowed down the backstretch with engine problems and headed into the pits on lap 13.

While Madden, driving the Century Plastics/Crowder Logging/Town & Country Packing/Xtreme Cycles/Banks Brokerage/VP Racing Fuel/Simpson/Hoosier Racing Tires/Clements Racing Engines/Barry Wright Race Cars/No. 44 Pontiac Grand Prix, began stretching his advantage over Cook and Smith, Jimmy Owens was making his move up from his 11th starting position into the top five on lap 14, working around Ricky Weeks into the fifth spot. One lap later he dropped to the inside of Pennington racing off the fourth turn to move into fourth in the running order.

The slide backward continued for Pennington, as Weeks rode around the outside of him racing off turn two on lap 15 to take over fifth place. With Madden setting a blistering pace, pulling out to a full-straightaway lead approaching the mid-point of the event, Benji Cole was having a strong run and overtaking Weeks to move into fifth on lap 24.

Halfway into the Seventh Annual Grassy Smith Memorial, Madden held a commanding lead over Cooke, Smith, Owens and Cole. Madden’s huge advantage was erased on lap 26 when Brett Miller broke a driveshaft exiting the fourth turn and slowed to a stop just past the flag stand.

Back under green as he had done since the drop of the green, Madden quickly pulled back away from Cooke and Smith, who were battling for the runner-up spot. The seventh-running Pennington slowed and pulled into the pits on lap 30 with engine problems.

With Madden lapping up through the field and extending his lead over Cooke and Smith as the laps were winding down, Cooke, who had been trailing smoke out the back of his car for a couple of laps, slowed in turn two and coasted down the backstretch into the pits on lap 40 with rear end problems.

Going back green for a 10-lap sprint to the checkers, Madden had a rear view mirror full of Smith. The crowd rose to their feet to cheer "The Southern Gentleman" on, hoping he could somehow rise to the occasion and win the race honoring his father for a fifth time. But Madden would not be denied his first Grassy Smith Memorial victory, as he easily outdistanced Smith, Cole, Owens and Weeks for the victory.

Completing the top-10 at the finish were Mark Vineyard, Jeremy Clements, Rodney Martin, Doug Sanders and David McCoy.

"You kind of hate to say you had an easy win, but tonight we had such a good car this was definitely our race to lose," said Madden in the pits following the race. "If I hadn’t won this race tonight it would have been a shame, because we really had the car dialed in and I feel we were the dominant car in the field. Really it’s my fault we didn’t set quick time in qualifying, because on each lap I got the car a little out of shape down in the fourth turn. Jeff (Cooke) and I raced hard off into the first turn on the start, and he tried to move me up the track by slinging his car into the corner and getting it out of shape. But I had a good run going, and when I got back hard in the gas I was able to drive around the outside of him and grab the lead.

"I didn’t know Grassy Smith but I’ve heard a lot of people talk about him and all he did in racing. I’ve raced against his son (Freddy) and grandson (Jeff) and they’re both good drivers. Freddy’s a legend, and if I could win even a quarter of the races he’s won over the years I’d have a great career. Winning this race is very special, because anytime you can write your name in the record book as the winner of an event honoring someone who contributed a lot to racing, it’s a good feeling. Maybe we can come back next year and get another win."

Drivers winning support class features were Chris Steele in Performance (Crate) Late Model, Scott Tessner in Limited Sportsman, Jason Rice in Open Wheel Modified, and Shannon Barnhill in Street Stock 4.

O’REILLY SOUTHERN ALL STAR DIRT RACING SERIES – "SEVENTH ANNUAL GRASSY SMITH MEMORIAL" – THUNDER VALLEY SPEEDWAY – LAWNDALE, NC – 10/21/05 (Showing Finish Position, Starting Position, Driver Name, Car #, Hometown)

1. (2) Chris Madden #44-Gray Court, SC
2. (4) Freddy Smith #00-Seymour, TN
3. (6) Benji Cole #121-Canon, GA
4. (11) Jimmy Owens #20-Newport, TN
5. (13) Ricky Weeks #1-Rutherfordton, NC
6. (10) Mark Vineyard #4-Powell, TN
7. (15) Jeremy Clements #51-Spartanburg, SC
8. (14) Rodney Martin #92-Cartersville, GA
9. (22) Doug Sanders #42-Belmont, NC
10. (8) David McCoy #48-Franklin, NC
11. (19) Petey Ivey #88-Union, SC
12. (7) Dennis "Rambo" Franklin #2-Gaffney, SC
13. (12) Brandon Kinzer #18-Allen, KY
14. (24) Jay Arnett #j1-Waynesboro, GA
15. (18) Lee Cooper #57-Greer, SC
16. (1) Jeff Cooke #99-Spartanburg, SC
17. (5) Jack Pennington #01-Winston, GA
18. (17) Brent Dixon #1d-Elberton, GA
19. (23) Brett Miller #25-Asheville, NC
20. (17) Mike Duvall #F1-Cowpens, SC
21. (3) Randle Chupp #6-Troutman, NC
22. (16) Dick Schiltz #97-Conover, NC
23. (20) Ed Basey #4-Evans, GA
24. (9) Jeff Smith #70-Dallas,NC

Did Not Make The Field: Steve Phillips #111, John Pursley #9, John Yeary #95

O’REILLY SAS DIRT RACING SERIES SUPER LATE MODEL UPCOMING EVENTS FRI-SAT OCT 28-29 VOLUSIA COUNTY SPEEDWAY—BARBERVILLE, FL $30,000
SAT SUN NOV 12-13-CHEROKEE SPEEDWAY—GAFFNEY, SC--$10,000
SAT NOV 20—CLEVELAND SPEEDWAY—CLEVELAND, TN--$5,000


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