SRRS winner Vic Hill at Smoky Mountain Speedway. (Connie Putnam)

SRRS: Hill Prevails at Smoky Mountain Speedway

Thanks to Connie Putnam

MARYVILLE, Tenn. - Oct. 15. East Tennessee veteran Vic Hill kept the big trophy close to home as the Southern Regional Racing Series ended its season Saturday at Smoky Mountain Speedway.

Hill ran the table as he set fast time at 15.822 among the 26 cars registered in.  Following Hill in qualifying were area drivers Tommy Kerr, Mark Douglas, and Kerr teammate Billy Ogle, Jr. With Jacob Grizzle and Chad Winkles claiming the B-Mains, the field was set and Hill led the proceedings from the drop of the green.  

Skip Arp gets a visit from retired veteran racer and long-time friend Freddy Smith as he preps for Saturday's SRRS event at Smoky Mountain Speedway. Arp wound up second in the final rundown. (Connie Putnam)

Lined up and ready to roar at Smoky Mountain Speedway.(Connie Putnam)

 Trouble started immediately when Ross White appeared to blow a tire and collected Terry Wolfenbarger's #14. Hunter Best and Bobby Giffin were also invloved, but only White was unable to continue.

With Hill dominating as the leader, most of the racing action was from second place back. Teammates Ogle (coming from his ninth starting position) and Kerr battled side by side for third for quite a few laps before Ogle managed to win that duel. Ogle then advanced to take second from Douglas. 

Hill continued to lead and had Mark Douglas, Ogle, Kerr, and Skip Arp in tow when caution returned on lap 17 as Ryan King slowed with engine problems.

Smoky Mountain Speedway gets a little smokier after engine trouble on the Ryan King #30 on lap 17. (Connie Putnam)

Teammates Billy Ogle, Jr. and #4 Tommy Kerr race for position before finishing third and fourth at Smoky Mountain. (Michael Moats) 

The yellow returned a lap later when Dusty Carver, Chad Winkles, Best, Wolfenbarger, and Robby Moses were involved, and again on lap 23 when Douglas saw his night end after experiencing mechanical trouble while battling Arp for third.  

The race would run green for the remainder, and with six to go, in the 35 lap feature, Arp passes Ogle for the runnerup position. Arp would maintain the runnerup spot as Hill crossed the finish line, having led every lap en route to his first career SRRS victory and the $3K prize. Hill also accumulated the most points of the weekend, earning an additional $500 bonus after the previous night's second place showing at Boyd's Speedway. 

Steve Smith and #1 Riley Hickman mix it up just inside the top ten at Smoky Mountain Speedway. (Connie Putnam)

SRRS champion Josh Putnam and Tennessee veteran Skip Arp (31) at Smoky Mountain Speedway. Arp went on to finish second behind Hill. (Connie Putnam)

This was the season finale for the SRRS. Third time was the charm as Florence, Alabama driver Josh Putnam's ninth place finish secured the 2011 Southern Regional Racing Series Points Championship.

Putnam has faithfully followed the SRRS since 2009, when he was the runner up to champion Jay Brinkley. A series of mechanical issues put him in the fourth position at the end of 2010, when the title went to Anthony Burroughs. Even with multiple issues throughout the 2011 season, Putnam attended and started every event on the series' schedule, consistently staying in the top 10 of each race that he was able to finish.

Burroughs finished the points in the runner up position for 2011, followed by Jacob Grizzle, Chad Winkles, and Ronnie Johnson. 

Josh Putnam is recognized as the new SRRS series champion after the Tennessee-based tour's final show at Smoky Mountain Speedway. (Michael Moats)

Sammie Russell and #14 Terry Wolfenbarger in action at Smoky Mountain Speedway.. (Connie Putnam)

A happy Vic Hill after he outraced veteran Skip Arp to claim the win in the SRRS tour's season finale at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. Saturday. (Connie Putnam)

Oct. 15 - SRRS at Smoky Mt. Speedway 1) Vic Hill, 2) Skip Arp, 3) Billy Ogle, Jr., 4) Tommy Kerr, 5) Chad Ogle, 6) Jacob Grizzle, 7) Steve Smith, 8) Jeff Watson, 9) Josh Putnam, 10) Riley Hickman, 11) Ellery Leake, 12) Terry Wolfenbarger, 13) Dale Huskey, 14) Bobby Giffin, 15) Mark Douglas, 16) Hunter Best, 17) Chad Winkles, 18) Robby Moses, 19) Dusty Carver, 20) Ryan King, 21) Mike Weeks, 22) Mark Vineyard, 23) Sammie Russell, 24) Ross White Fast Time (26 entries): Hill (15.822); B-Main winners: Winkles, Grizzle
Allen Earl photo