Veteran Louisiana racer Jeff Chanler with flagman David Corbello after Chanler posted his first win of the season on the SUPR tour at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock. (Best photography)
SUPR: Chanler Turns Back Tippen Attack For Little Rock Win
By Bryan
Wimberley
BRYANT, Ark. - July 23. Polesitter Jeff Chanler of Minden, La., marched out to a comfortable lead early
and then held on late, for a $2,500 victory on the O'Reilly Southern United Professional Racing (SUPR) Series
tour Saturday. Chanler led all the way in the 40-lapper at I-30 Speedway, but only after some tense, late-race
moments from Allen Tippen to secure the three-quarters length victory.
'I was having a little trouble coming off of turn four, it was
getting a little slick there. I believe I was running in too hard and letting my car drift out there and
getting in the slick," Chanler said after the race. "I thought I was pretty fast in (turns) one & two, but
all those restarts was hurting us. I like to keep my rhythm going and with all the cautions and restarts, I
would lose it. The racetrack was best for me around
the bottom, I didn't know if anyone was going to slip on the outside and go. On that last lap, I thought I seen
somebody on the outside, so I swept up and cut the run off a little bit. I thought that would be the best thing
I could do, to keep my lead from getting away from me. I just wanted to do my part and not mess it up, I knew my trouble spots on the
track and just wanted to focus on making any mistakes."
Tippen of Minden, would settle for a close second, while current SUPR points leader, Morgan Bagley of Longview,
Tex., climbed ten positions to finish in third place over veteran Ronny Adams of Diana, Tex. and young
hotshoe, Timothy Culp of West Monroe, La.
Jeff Chanler takes a low line past the slower car of Houston area driver Chis Holley
for his first SUPR win in just over a year as the tour returned to I-30 Speedway. (Best photography)
Tippen recounted his final moments on the race.
"I knew in turns one and two that I could beat Jeff (Chanler)
or I could at least get up beside him in those corners. Turns three and four I was worried about and I had
reason to be, because that line I was trying to run in those turns were a lot slicker. I tried to give it my
best shot and tried not to hit the black and we just fell a little short on momentum coming out of the last
corner."
The race would take two attempts before getting underway, but a three-car accident just a lap into the feature
would immediately slow things back down. Jim Bryant, Ray Moore and Wesley Crutchfield would have the caution
waving in turn four, ending Bryant and Moore's night early.
The race would pick up life for a ten-lap, green flag run as Chanler took control, followed by Chris Holley,
Jody Prince, Tippen, and B.J. Robinson trailing. Ninth-starting Culp moved into sixth just three laps in,
while Chanler broke out to a two-second advantage on the field.
Chanler's pace established him negotiating lap traffic on the sixth circuit. Brett Frazier spun to bring out
the race's second yellow. Two more episodes warranted yellows at lap 13, before the race seen the longest green
flag stretch of 20 laps.
At the midway point of the race, Chanler enjoyed nearly a three-second cushion over runner-up Chris Holley of
Dayton, Tex., and Allen Tippen in tow. Ronny Adams and Jody Prince lagged back a distant fourth and fifth.
The battle for second between Holley and Tippen ignited, as they reeled in the leader. Holley and Tippen raced
door-to-door with ten to go, drawing to within a few lengths of Chanler. Tippen took over second on the 32nd
lap, while Holley's charge was over on the next lap as he lost a rear end. Holley was running third when his
car broke, ending the solid run and retiring him to a 13th place result.
On the restart, Ronny Adams took advantage and slipped by Tippen for second. Tippen would regain it with three
to go before waging a serious challenge to Chanler race-long dominance.
Tippen drew his no. 71a car to a within length of Chanler on lap 38 and pulled up beside Chanler, only to trail
by a nose with the white flag waving. The race would by decided on which driver had a cleaner turn three
entrance and accelerated off of turn four the best. Tippen took a little different line in the final two
corners, as Chanler hit his marks, edging Tippen by three-quarters length at the flagstand for the triumph.
"After five cautions, everybody was picking inside and the cars
picking the outside on the restarts, really wasn't making it work," Tippen explained later. "The groove
that everybody was running at the top was going to be a little different than the one I wanting to try. So that
is what I did, I see a line and was going to go all out for it. I ran that line and it almost paid off for
us. It put us in contention with a chance to win it at the end. I got up beside Chanler on the backstretch and
his car got pretty wide - I don't blame him. Just so close for us, that is three times in-a-row we have been
second and close to getting a win. I got got beat by just a
little bit again and I wished I made a different tire choice again, I was on all 1350's this time. Of course
it's hindsight, but I am kicking myself again and wondering if I made a wrong tire choice. It was
working good for us at the end of the race, but none of it matters, except for the last
lap."
Even though Tippen
didn't come away with the victory, he gains a little in the points chase on the only two drivers that are in
front of him - Bagley and Culp.
"These finishes we are having lately are uplifting for our team. I also
want to thank my dad, Troy Tippen, for everything he has done for me too. We struggled early on in the season,
but have fired off good here lately," Tippen said. "I hope this pattern continues, everybody has been telling
me if we keep on with these seconds and thirds, then a win will follow soon. We are going to keep
hammering on it, keep our spirits up and hopefully drive one home soon."
Notes: Chanler's Barry Wright Race Car is
powered by a PTS Racing Engine and sponsored by David Peterson Contracting, CV Products, OWC Welding, All Star
Performance, David's Transmission, Weld Racing, AD Signs and Hoosier Racing Tires.
The victory marked Chanler's 8th career SUPR Series win and his first since June 12, 2010 at Devil's Bowl
Speedway in Mesquite, Texas -a span of 33 races. He ran seventh last month in the only other series race
at I-30 Speedway this season.
"When I got to those lapped cars, this car here is a little more
rough than my new Barry Wright Race Car," Chanler later added. "That is probably because I have been taking
more care of the new one, but I know no matter what, that I had to go. That happened to me at Devil's Bowl last
weekend, I checked up a little bit and didn't push the issue and I got passed. The Barry Wright Race Cars
really fit me well and I think it is one of the better cars out there, that's the reason we went back with
another BWRC. The new one has only been raced twice, since it has the open motor and the 8"
spoiler."
* The 42-minute feature ended at 10:27 pm, and was slowed by six cautions, with 12 cars running at the end of
the feature.
* Bubba Mullins of West Monroe, La., was the top 10 hard charger of the race, going from 20th to ninth. Mullins
debuted the Ricky Jowers-owned, PTS Racing Engine powered, No. 11JR car just a few weeks ago and set it on the
pole last weekend at Devil's Bowl Speedway.
* Ray Moore of Haughton, La., winner of SUPR's June visit to I-30 Speedway, was hampered all night, getting
caught up in two separate incidents. The first occurred halfway through Moore's heat race, involving two other
cars, and Moore bowing out with A-Frame damage. The early exit subjected him to start last in the feature.
Moore would then be involved in a lap one caution, giving him a busted radiator and a 20th place finish in the
feature.
* B.J. Robinson of Shreveport, La., was in the Childress Racing No. F5 car, instead of his familiar No. R5, due
to damage suffered from a last lap accident a week ago at Devil's Bowl Speedway. An engine swap in that car
also stalled the efforts on having it ready for I-30, but Robinson didn't miss a beat early on, winning his
heat and putting it on the grid in fourth starting position. Robinson would fade in the feature, taking home a
10th place finish.
* Shane Diamant of Maumelle, Ark., had a scary moment in heat #1, when his No. 76 car went off the track's
embankment, but landed upright -Diamant was unhurt in the accident, but the car was too damaged to continue. It
was Diamant's second time behind the wheel of a Dirt Late Model in the last 18 months.
* The next appearance for the O'Reilly Auto Parts SUPR Series Dirt Late Models will be at its hometrack of
Baton Rouge Raceway in Baker, La., on July 30th. The series also recently added two more dates to the tour
schedule this season, one at 171 Speedway in Leesville, La., on August 6th and the other at USA Speedway in
Sterlington, La., on September 2nd.
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Big Gains for Hubbard, Pearson, Ogle - The A-Team Has Been Updated 05-15-12
Scott James battles #13 Barry Doss in heat race action at Florence (Ky.) Speedway, but in the $2,000-to-win feature, the only thing anyone saw was the tail end of James' #81 car. (Roy Walker)
After plenty of trash-talking via the electronic media between Jeff Matthews and Ivedent Lloyd last week, it was #21 Lloyd who got the final word as he reeled in #33 Matthews to win Friday's LM feature at Oclala, Fla.'s Bubba Raceway Park. (R.E. Wing)
Fans at Markleysburg, Pa.'s Roaring Knob Motorsports Comlex were treated to dual LM features Saturday - one a makeup from a May 5th rainout. (Above) Tim Senic challenges eventual regular feature winner Chuck Harper, while Jared Hawkins (below) claimed the makeup race. (Tommy Micheals)
Henley, Missouri's Jason Russell leads the way to Victory Lane in the ULMS Late Model feature at Lucas Oil Speedway Saturday. (Chris Bork)
Some fierce racing action at Lucas Oil speedway. (Chris Bork)
Dalton, Ga.'s Craig Reece returned to Dixie Speedway Saturday and led all the way to win the Crate LM victory. (Steve Hixson)
Ray Guss Jr. races last week's Quad City Speedway winner, Mike Murphy, Jr. This time, it was advantage Guss. (Chris Damitz)
With a strong motor back into his mount, Veteran Lamar Scoggins claimed last Friday's Crate LM victory at Boyd's Speedway. (Steve Hixson)
Veteran racer Lance Matthees navigates Spring Lake, Minnesota's Deer Creek Speedway before taking Saturday's WISSOTA Late Model checkers. (Jason Durst)
Racing hard at mid-pack, it's the dueling 55s of Cory Mahder (inside) and Greg Nippoldt at Deer Creek. (Jason Durst)
Ryan King (above and below) swept both the Ltd. Late Model and Crate Late Model features Saturday at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn. (Chad Wells)
Still riding his wave in Iowa, Mike Murphy, Jr. in early action before taking the main event win at Davenport last Friday. (Chris Damitz)
Jason Jameson ran a gauntlet to finally capture another win Friday night at Moler
Raceway Park (see main page). (Roy
Walker)
After holding back a charge from Alex Ferree, Chub Frank drove home with a Friday night win at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (John Stivason)
Bobby Pierce, Brett Sievert, and Mike Glynn race in a tight pack in Kankakee (Ill.) Speedway's "Crosstown Cup", but (below) it was ultimately Shawn Toczek (42) here racing the high side of Mike Provenzano, who sailed to the win. (Dan Simpson)
NALMS Suspends Remaining Season
In a statement released to the racing media Monday, Northern All All Stars Late Model Series (NALMS) owners Shawn Hall and Bob Mooney relased the following statement:
To all NALMS drivers and fans,
Northern Allstars Late Model Series regrets to inform all of our drivers and fans that as of today (May 14, 2012) we will suspend all series races for the remaining 2012 season. The primary reason for the decision to discontinue the series was mainly economics. Tracks, teams and fans are having a hard time these days with the cost of living in general. With the cost of fuel, parts, tires, tickets and lodging, many people just cannot afford to travel to our shows, so we feel it's best to stop for now and try to regroup for the 2013 season.
Our series needs to be able to have at least 18 to 20 shows to cover our cost of putting on these shows and our drivers point funds. With many tracks cutting back on their special events and other tracks just choosing not to have specials at all, it's has really cut our options for race tracks down to a very few unless you are willing to travel several hours away from the Central Illinois area, and that is not cost effective for the racing teams or fans.
In closing we would like to thank all of the drivers and fans whom have supported the series over the years and we hope to be able to come back with a bigger and better season for everyone in 2013.
A-Team Leaders from 1997-2011 (Click on link for complete rundown)
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