California traveller Eric Jacobsen finally put one over the top after coming ever closer in recent months and years as he STARS Volunteer Racing Series took to the ultra-fast oval at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway. (Michael Moats)

Volunteer Racing Series: Golden State Ace Jacobsen Gets First Career Win at Tazewell Stop

Allen Earl, track pr, and series report

TAZEWELL, Tenn. — May 7. Eric Jacobsen of Watsonville, California led all 37 laps in the rain-shortened STARS Volunteer Racing Series-sanctioned event at Tazewell Speedway to claim his first-career Late Model victory at the high-banked 1/3 mile oval on Saturday.

Eric Jacobsen celebrates his first Late Model win after a tumultuous Volunteer Racing Series event at Tazewell Speedway. (Allen Earl)

Jacobsen's win was delayed by a massive pileup wreck that marred the first lap. Jacobsen and local driver Jason Trammell made up the first row, but at the start, eight cars got piled up going into turn one, leaving tempers flaring and Jason Trammell and Vic Hill banged up physically.  Hill looked to have an injury to his hand and Trammell was working a sore shoulder. 

In an unprecedented move, the decision was made to race the Tazewell Speedway late model race and resume the STARS race immediately following its conclusion to allow repairs on the wrecked cars. 

Billy Ogle, Jr. spent much of the race trying to dislodge #28 Jeff Wolfenbarger from third place, but Wolfenbarger prevailed. (Allen Earl)

As the series cars returned, Trammell was replaced by Jeff Maupin alongside polesitter Jacobsen, but again there was trouble on the start as Maupin ended up two-wheeling it on the turn three wall as a moderate rain began to fall.  Jeff Wolfenbarger  took Maupin’s place on the grid as the field went racing again. Jacobsen moved out and got seven laps of dirt under his wheels before the caution flew again. 

With the restart, Jacobsen rolled away from Hill and Wolfenbarger as Billy Ogle, Jr. battled hard to get Wolfenbarger’s third place.  Lap cars helped Hill get to the rear of Jacobsen, but by lap 24, the black #5 was pulling away again.  Hill again started to challenge on lap 31, but Jacobsen took the win on lap 38 in a rain shortened event.  It was a fitting end to a strange night of racing.

In a pileup that delayed the start of the main event at Tazewell, #22 Mike Weeks got hard into the back of Jeff Maupin's car. (Michael Moats)

The Tazewell Late Model feature found Travis Fultz was on the front row with Jason Trammell supposedly alongside, but it wasn't clear if Trammell was going to able to run his TLM after the earlier incident.  Trammell was able to mount his ride and the speedway dropped another green flag. 

Vic Hill grimmaces in pain after injuring his right wrist on the opening lap crash. Hill battled the pain and managed a second place finish. (Michael Moats)

On lap 13, however, Anthony Arnwine, Greg Estes and Chris Long were piled up in turn two.  Trammell was still Second and Rick Rogers third as Fultz took the green, but on lap 15, Steve Smith was working on Rogers for third.  After a final caution flew when Estes looped his car while fighting for position with Steve Carr, Fultz was finally able to hold off Trammell for the last few laps for the win. Rogers, Smith, and Anthony Arnwine completed the top five.