Owens, Kinzer, Bloomquist, Madden record ‘Spring Thaw’ heat race wins Friday night at Volunteer Speedway

By Robert Walden

BULLS GAP, Tenn. (March 21) — Volunteer Speedway kicked its 2008 racing season off Friday with Branch Banking & Trust Co. and Rusty Wallace Toyota of Morristown presenting opening night preliminary events of the Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series … $10,000-to-win “10th Annual BB&T/Toyota Tundra Spring Thaw 100” racing weekend.

With 46 cars signing-in for qualifying, Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., toured the high-banked, 4/10-mile oval at 12.408-seconds (116.050 mph) to set fast time and earn the Powermaster Performance Pole Award.

The “Newport Nightmare” backed his fast qualifying run up by leading flag-to-flag in winning the first of four 10-lap heat races, which transferred the top-4 finishers from each heat into Saturday night’s $10,000-to-win BB&T/Toyota Tundra 10th Annual Spring Thaw 100. Owens was followed across the stripe by Vic “The Thrill” Hill, Jeff Maupin and Brad Neat.

Brandon Kinzer of Allen, Ky., sixth quickest in time trials, launched into the lead over second-fastest qualifier Shanon Buckingham at the drop of the green in the second heat. Kinzer held Buckingham off for the victory, with Ray Cook and Dale McDowell finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., the defending and four-time Spring Thaw 100 winner, cruised to victory in the third heat over Rick Rogers, Mike Weeks and John Blankenship.

Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., led wire-to-wire in winning the fourth heat over Mike Marlar, Dusty Carver and Mark Douglas.

Two Sunoco Race Fuels - Quick Six Dashes will determine the top-12 starting positions for Saturday night’s 100-lap main event. Though not eligible to run in the dashes … Neat, McDowell, Blankenship, and Douglas are locked into starting positions 13-16. To complete the 24-car starting field, two last chance consolations will be held.

Mike Hodges of Morristown, no stranger to victory lane after having won four features last year, opened the 2008 racing season up by winning the 20-lap Hobby Stock event over Dustin Shaver, Dennis Metcalf (career best finish), Jon Cook and Mike Kelley.

They say “rubbin’ is racin’ … and on the last lap of the Mini Stock feature Joey Allen got together with race-long leader John Broce Jr. Racing hard to the checkered flag, Allen narrowly edged Broce by a couple of feet to get the victory. Finishing third through fifth, respectively, were Kevin Atwell, Toby Jones and Allen Carrier.

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS THUNDER SERIES – BB&T/TOYOTA TUNDRA 10th ANNUAL SPRING THAW 100

Time Trial Results (Driver - Car # - Hometown - Best Lap - Speed):

1. Jimmy Owens #20 - Newport, TN - 12.408 - 116.050 mph
2. Shanon Buckingham #50 - Morristown, TN - 12.643 - 113.904 mph
3. Scott Bloomquist #0 - Mooresburg, TN - 12.643 - 113.904 mph
4. Chris Madden #44 - Gray Court, SC - 12.650 - 113.802 mph
5. Jeff Maupin #0m - Greeneville, TN - 12.674 - 113.624 mph
6. Brandon Kinzer #18 - Allen, KY - 12.679 - 113.570 mph
7. Rick Rogers #44r - Knoxville, TN - 12.711 - 113.296 mph
8. Dusty Carver #9 - Englewood, TN - 12.733 - 113.090 mph
9. Vic Hill #1 - Morristown, TN - 12.734 - 113.088 mph
10. Ray Cook #53 - Brasstown, NC - 12.736 - 113.070 mph
11. John Blankenship #23 - Williamson, WV - 12.738 - 113.052 mph
12. Mike Marlar #157 - Winfield, TN - 12.747 - 112.970 mph
13. Brad Neat #41 - Dunnville, KY - 12.772 - 112.757 mph
14. Dale McDowell #17m - Chickamauga, GA - 12.810 - 112.410 mph
15. Mike Weeks #22 - Friendsville, TN - 12.840 - 112.156 mph
16. Mark Douglas #52 - Knoxville, TN-12.851-112.052 mph
17. Kerry Jones #6 - Bristol, TN - 12.852 - 112.045 mph
18. Michael England #5e - Glasgow, KY - 12.860 - 111.980 mph
19. Mike Smith #4 - Rogersville, TN - 12.882 - 111.784 mph
20. Roger Best #007 - Maryville, TN - 12.889 - 111.728 mph
21. Billy Ogle Jr. #201 - Knoxville, TN - 12.893 - 111.699 mph
22. Tommy Kerr #4T - Maryville, TN - 12.895 - 111.670 mph
23. Anthony White #2x - Clinton, TN - 12.930 - 111.374 mph
24. Stacy Boles #11b - Claxton, TN - 12.964 - 111.084 mph
25. Chad Ogle #10 - Sevierville, TN - 13.017 - 110.620 mph
26. Brian Smith #7 - Barbourville, KY - 13.022 - 110.588 mph
27. John Gill #1g - Mitchell, IN - 13.045 - 110.396 mph
28. Michael Jackson #Q - Greeneville, TN - 13.077 - 110.124 mph
29. Randy Weaver #116 - Crossville, TN - 13.102 - 109.910 mph
30. John King Jr. #11k - Kingsport, TN - 13.116 - 109.794 mph
31. Damon Eller #I4 - Crumpler, NC - 13.162 - 109.414 mph
32. Jeff Wolfenbarger #28 - Clinton, TN - 13.167 - 109.360 mph
33. D.J. Wells #11w - Hazard, KY - 13.187 - 109.206 mph
34. David Payne #8 - Murphy, NC - 13.200 - 109.094 mph
35. Eric Wells #18w - Hazard, KY - 13.203 - 109.078 mph
36. Bobby Mays #25 - Jonesborough, TN - 13.257 - 108.626 mph
37. Steve Smith #3 - Powell, TN - 13.262 - 108.584 mph
38. April Farmer #14 - Livingston, TN - 13.278 - 108.450 mph
39. Mark Vineyard #4v - Powell, TN - 13.310 - 108.193 mph
40. Dan Tipton #12t - Kingston, TN - 13.405 - 107.424 mph
41. Shon Flanary #98 - Church Hill, TN - 13.483 - 106.800 mph
42. Marty Calloway #7c - Maynardville, TN - 13.495 - 106.716 mph
43. Jeff Neubert #86 - Knoxville, TN - 13.808 - 104.298 mph
44. Jeremy Carr #4c - Livingston, TN - 13.891 - 103.664 mph
45. DeWayne Pesterfield #22p - Lenoir City, TN - 14.122 - 101.972 mph
46. Richard Smith #00 - Science Hill, KY - 14.193 - 101.464 mph

Heat #1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): 1) Jimmy Owens #20; 2) Vic Hill #1; 3) Jeff Maupin #0m; 4) Brad Neat #41; 5) Billy Ogle Jr. #201; 6) Kerry Jones #6; 7) Randy Weaver #116; 8) D.J. Wells #11w; 9) Steve Smith #3; 10) Shon Flanary #98; 11) Chad Ogle #10; 12) DeWayne Pesterfield #28p

Heat #2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): 1) Brandon Kinzer #18; 2) Shanon Buckingham #50; 3) Ray Cook #53; 4) Dale McDowell #17m; 5) Tommy Kerr #4T; 6) Michael England #5e; 7) John King Jr. #11k; 8) Brian Smith #7; 9) David Payne #8; 10) Marty Calloway #7c; 11) April Farmer #14; 12) Richard Smith #00

Heat #3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): 1) Scott Bloomquist #0; 2) Rick Rogers $44r; 3) Mike Weeks #22; 4) John Blankenship #23; 5) Anthony White #2x; 6) Mark Vineyard #4v; 7) John Gill #1g; 8) Damon Eller #I4; 9) Mike Smith #4s; 10) Eric Wells #18w; 11) Jeremy Carr #4c

Heat #4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): 1) Chris Madden #44; 2) Mike Marlar #157; 3) Dusty Carver #9; 4) Mark Douglas #52; 5) Stacy Boles #11b; 6) Dan Tipton #12T; 7) Michael Jackson #Q; 8) Jeff Wolfenbarger #28; 9) Bobby Mays #25; 10) Jeff Neubert #86; 11) Roger Best #007

Sunoco Race Fuels – Quick Six Dash #1 (Determines Starting Positions 1-6)

Row 1: Jimmy Owens #20 - Brandon Kinzer #18
Row 2: Scott Bloomquist #0 - Chris Madden #44
Row 3: Vic Hill #1 - Shanon Buckingham #50

Sunoco Race Fuels – Quick Six Dash #2 (Determines Starting Positions 7-12)

Row 1: Rick Rogers #44r - Mike Marlar #157
Row 2: Jeff Maupin #0m - Ray Cook #53
Row 3: Mike Weeks #22 - Dusty Carver #9

HOBBY STOCK (20-laps)

1) Mike Hodges #m2; 2) Dustin Shaver #7, 3) Dennis Metcalf #55; 4) Jon Cook #0z; 5) Mike Kelley #8; 6) Duke Bare #38; 7) Ray Jarnigan #31; 8) Rick Fillers #21; 9) Shannon Davidson #4; 10) Terry Dean #47; 11) Jesse Wilder #79; 12) Chris Long #75; 13) Roger Hunter #7-11; 14) Chuck Johnson #17; 15) Patrick Flannery #38

MINI STOCK (20-laps)

1) Joey Allen #A00; 2) John Broce Jr. #44; 3) Kevin Atwell #95; 4) Toby Jones #66; 5) Allen Carrier #B1; 6) Josh Fields #11; 7) Curtis Jones #4; 8) Andy Jollife #25; 9) Keith Helton #9; 10) Terry Dean #20

Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series www.advanceautopartsthunderseries.com
Series Director Brad Byrd: (865) 919-5550
Race Director Bill Reed: (865) 386-8637

Volunteer Speedway: (423) 235-5020 www.VolunteerSpeedway.com
Track Office - Weekdays Only 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.: (423) 378-5942
Phyllis Loven: (423) 676-9081
Robert Walden-Media/Public Relations Director: (423) 928-9644
Jimmy Meade-Marketing and Sales: (423) 817-0925