World of Outlaws: Clanton On a Roll With Tazewell Win

Kevin Kovac

TAZEWELL, Tenn. - July 3. Shane Clanton didn’t let a pole position start slip through his fingers for the second time in 24 hours.

The 34-year-old who now calls Fayetteville, Ga., home, took full advantage of the opportunity presented to him on Saturday, continuing his early-summer hot streak with a decisive victory in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Coca-Cola 50’ at Tazewell Speedway.

Clanton, who also started from the pole on Friday at Wartburg (Tenn.) Speedway but settled for a runner-up finish in the 50-lap A-Main, led the entire distance on Saturday evening before a near capacity crowd that turned out for the national tour’s first-ever visit to the high-banked, one-third-mile oval. He repelled several challenges from Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and barely escaped two incidents en route to his third WoO LMS triumph of 2010 and the 14th of his career.

WoO - Tazewell Speedway ‘Coca-Cola 50’ 1) Shane Clanton, 2) Steve Francis,3) Josh Richards, 4) Tommy Kerr, 5) Chub Frank, 6) Rick Eckert, 7) Austin Hubbard, 8) Darrell Lanigan, 9) Clint Smith, 10) Eric Jacobsen, 11) Russell King, 12) Tim McCreadie,13) Mike Collins, 14) Bryan Hendrix, 15) Tim Fuller, 16) Randy Weaver, 17) Mike Marlar, 18) Brian Smith, 19) Vic Hill, 20) Rick Rogers, 21) Brent Robinson, 22) Steve Smith, 23) Chad Ogle, 24) Jill George. Fast Time (27 entries): Richards (11.189).       Heat winners:      B-Main winner:     Provisionals
Mike Ruefer photo