Race Recap

November 19 – Highland Rim Speedway closed out the 2011 season on Saturday evening with 430 laps of racing action.  Dedicated fans came out to cheer their favorites on and see who would be crowned champion! The Chevettes got things going with a 25 lap race.  Going into the race, John Allen Vibbert and Paul Ramsey, Jr. had 3 points between them.  Both drivers started in the back of the pack.  Both moved to the front quickly in the caution riddled race.   Vibbert slammed into the turn three and four wall ending his run at the midway point of the race.  Ramsey went on to take the victory and the Championship.  Chopper Rice was second.  Mark Vibbert was third just ahead of Phillip Lawrence.

Points Champion, Zena Jenkins took just four laps to move to the top spot in the Rim Runner race. Ben Brady led the way out of the chute but caution on lap four allowed Jenkins to pull up and make her move on the restart.  With three laps to go, David Lassiter’s car erupted in flames.  Lassiter bailed out as track officials extinguished the flames.  With three laps remaining, it was anybody’s game.  Jenkins held the lead for the win.  Steve Oney, the 06 car and Robert Biggers making a three way run to the checkers.  Biggers inched ahead to take the second spot.  06 was third with Oney a fender back for fourth.  Kandice Taylor came home fifth.

Justin Martin locked up the Challenger Championship a couple weeks ago.  Martin and Toby Tobitt battled for position early in the race before getting crossed up.  Martin suffered irreparable damages. On the restart, Terry Duke took the top spot with Sam Arnold in his tire tracks.  The pair opened up some asphalt between themselves and the rest of the field. Duke and Arnold kept the heat up on high.   Duke got a bit out of sorts allowing Arnold to pull up on Duke’s bumper but he could not complete a pass.  Duke won the race by less than a car length over Arnold. Jamie Vanetta was third followed by Toby Tobitt.  Fifth went to Larry Thomason.

The Front Wheel Drives tried to start with a three wide run for the lead on lap one going into turn one.  Hardy Krantz looped it across in front of the field but managed to miss everyone and keep going.   By the midway point, Wayne Baskett, Joe Wall and Jay Jay Williams had a three wide run for the lead.  Baskett and Williams spun sending all three to the rear. Five laps later, Wall moved up to challenger for the lead.  Krantz moved into striking distance with just a handful of laps to go.  With the checkers in the air, Krantz made a last lap run on Wall.  Wall was first to the checkers but was scored behind Krantz due to a rules violation.  Krantz ended up with the win with Wall taking second.  Third went to Matt Barnes.  Rob Hollis and Michael Rittenberry were fourth and fifth respectively. Points Champion, Chris Allen was the first one out of the race.

Points Champion, Wayne White and defending points champ, Matt Spurlock played a game of hot potato with the lead in the Pro Truck race. Spurlock took the lead on lap four just before caution came out for a spin.  On the restart, Spurlock and White battled for several laps before White took the position.  White and Spurlock pulled out over the rest of the field until caution with 12 laps to go brought the field back together.  Spurlock grabbed the top spot back on the restart and tried to put some space between himself and White.  White moved in on Spurlock with five laps to go.  White tried every corner to best Spurlock but could not make the pass.  Spurlock won the race with White on his bumper.  Johnny Cox and Bobby Wingo were third and fourth followed by Buddy Williams for fifth.

The Super Stocks wound up being a family reunion in victory lane.  Roger Birdsong, Jr. took the lead on lap ten setting sail into his own race.  With just four laps to go, caution came out for a stall tightening up the field.  Birdsong launched himself out front on the restart leaving Kyle Ivey and Johnathan Dishman to settle second between themselves.  Birdsong won the race.  Ivey held on to second with Dishman’s third place finish clinching the championship.  Birdsong and Dishman are cousin in-laws making victory lane a true family reunion. Early race leader, Matt Barnes was fourth with Walter Watkins coming home fifth.

The Sportsman class ran a 200 lap race to end their season.  Thomas Pannell dominated the first half of the race.  During the midway break in the race, Pannell drew a 5 inverting the top five finishers for the restart.  As the field rocketed into turns one and two on the start, everyone bunched up together with Tommy Climer riding up on the turn two wall.  Climer was able to continue on but it was Pannell quickly retaking the top spot.  Walt Garrison nearly didn’t make the restart for the second half of the race.  But once he got going, Garrison kept Pannell on his toes.  Garrison took the lead from Pannell but it was short lived as Garrison’s night went up in smoke 20 laps from the end.   On the restart, Points Champ, Lee Goddard took the lead with Pannell chasing him.  Five to go, Pannell put a bumper on Goddard to make his move.  The pair laid on each other hard with Pannell retaking the lead with two laps to go.  Pannell won the race by only a couple feet over Goddard. Kevin LaMastus came in third in a car that sounded like a popcorn popper.  Fourth went to Wayne White.  Billy Schaffer came in fifth.  Honorable mention goes to Kyle Ivey who finished 2^nd in the Super Stock race and immediately started the 200 lap Sportsman race.  Ivey finished sixth.

Tink Jackson only needed to start the Pure Stock race to clinch his points championship.  But Jackson didn’t want to just start, he wanted to win! Jackson lead early with Terry Jackson right with him.  Caution on lap eight looked like it would change things but Tink held the spot as Scotty Russell moved up into the picture. Russell chased Terry Jackson for several laps finally taking the second spot with only a couple laps to go.  Tink won the race with Russell just behind him for second.  Terry Jackson finished third.  Michael Oldham held off Mike Forsythe for fourth at the line.  Immediately after the race, the Jacksons, Forsythe, Dean Phelps and Nick Frederick all did burn outs at various spots on the track filling the area with white smoke.  When asked, the drivers said they wanted to end with their own version of fireworks!  And what an end to the season it was.