Senoia Raceway: Points champions crowned

• Wednesday, October 03, 2012
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“This is an affordable division of racing,” said Holloway afterwards in victory lane. “I think this is where I will be racing next year.”

Mewborn was crowned champion with Kirkland settling for a runner-up spot in the points. Kirkland returned to racing at Senoia Raceway after a 22-year hiatus from the sport. Newnan’s Johnny Stinchcomb ended up third in the overall point standings.

Brooks’ Jaycee Southwell used his sixth place effort to finish atop the “Rookie of the Year” rankings and will be honored along with other top performers this season at the track’s postseason awards ceremony on Oct. 6.

JODECO AUTO SALES LATE MODELS

While Williams already had a points title sewn up heading into Saturday, the final event of the season featured a heated three-way race for second place among Stockbridge’s Trey White Fayetteville’s Glenn Morris and Thomaston’s Shane Fulcher, separated by just six points.

Morris grabbed the pole using a borrowed engine, but an oil-pressure problem forced him to start at the back of the pack.

Alabama’s ‘Top Dog’ Dana Eiland was the benefactor as he moved up to the pole position and then used that to his advantage as he held the inside groove at the drop of the green flag and eventually held on for victory after finally securing the lead on Lap 3.

After wrestling with Eiland early, Fulcher settled in to second place, challenging the leader over the final five laps, but never able to pass him. White, meanwhile, needed to finish within two positions of Fulcher to maintain his spot of second place in the points, but finished fifth, giving Fulcher the No. 2 spot in the standings.

White settled for third among points and Morris fourth following a sixth-place effort on Saturday.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT HOBBY STOCKS

“Hog Head” Moran held off challenges for the second straight week by the ‘Grantville Grenade’ Austin Horton to cap his season with record 20th victory. Newnan’s Rusty ‘Rocketman’ Johnson came home third in the race and also claimed third in the overall point standings.

MINI STOCKS

Douglasville’s Rocky Johnson claimed the season laurels on the strength of his top-10 finish in the final feature race of the year. Johnson is the only champion in the three years under Tim and Tony Moses leadership to win a season points title without winning a feature race.

Newnan’s Brandon Bright, meanwhile, claimed the final checkered flag of 2012 after giving up a chance at the points title earlier in the year due to a family vacation. He held off his father, Dorough, to earn his ninth win of the season.

Defending Mini Stock champion, Gary Parker of Barnesville, ended up third across the line and runner-up in the points. Parker passed LaGrange’s Stephen Hill on the final lap after the two had swapped the spot several times during the 15-lap race. Thirteen-year-old Bailey Temples rounded out the top-5 finishers in the Mini Stock feature.

Another 13 year-old, Newnan’s Trey Wood, claimed the rookie of the year honors for the Mini Stocks after another top-10 finish. The teens were the two youngest drivers to compete at the 3/8-mile clay track this season

BOMBERS

Newnan’s Jay Conner nabbed his eighth win of the season in Bomber feature. Steve Davis, also of Newnan, ended up second ahead of Hoganville’s Tim Collier, Griffin’s David Johnson and 89-year-old Pappy Powell from Hoganville. Johnson claimed the season title.

CHAMPIONS CEREMONY, OCT. 6

Senoia Raceway’s annual Champions Ceremony will be held Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place in the speedway grandstand and is free to the public. The top drivers in each of the weekly divisional standings will be honored along with each division’s rookie of the year winner, most improved driver, sportsman of the year, car owner of the year and the top drivers in the Jewel Series rankings. Awards, trophies and point fund bonuses will be presented to the drivers.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Jodeco Auto Sales Late Models

1. Dana Eiland, Phenix City, Ala.; 2. Shane Fulcher, Thomaston; 3. Laddie Fulcher, Thomaston; 4. Craig Scott, Newnan; 5. Trey White, Stockbridge; 6. Glenn Morris, Fayetteville; 7. Kelly Leonard, Opelika, Ala.; 8. Marcus Caswell, Newnan; 9. Chuck Hambrick, Conyers; 10. Richard Goode, Hampton; DNS — Carey Smith, Carrollton; Chris Carr, Newnan; Russ Ogletree, Phenix City, AL. Fast Qualifier: Morris (15.752 seconds)

Newnan Bonding B Cadets

1. Paul Holloway, Hampton; 2. Dow Kirkland, Lake Spivey; 3. Thomas Mewborn, Greenville; 4. Corey Payton, Newnan 5. Hunter Worley, Alvaton; 6. Jayce Southwell, Brooks; 7. Johnny Stinchcomb, Newnan; 8. Tim Bailey, Talking Rock 9. Jimmy Baxter, Newnan; 10. Ricky Payton, Newnan; 11. Blake Griffin, Grantville; DNS — Donnie Whatley, Ellenwood; Charlie Garrett, West Point; Chuck Poole, Stockbridge. Heat Winners: Griffin and Holloway.

Summit Racing Equipment Hobby Stocks

1. Clifton Moran, Carrollton; 2. Austin Horton, Grantville; 3. Rusty Johnson, Newnan; 4. Kerry Carden, Brooks; 5. Brandon Jones, Newnan; 6. Chad Foster, Griffin; 7. Stephen Parker, Temple; 8. Lee Owenby, Newnan

Mini Stocks

1. Brandon Bright, Newnan; 2. Dorough Bright, Newnan; 3. Gary Parker, Barnesville; 4. Stephen Hill, LaGrange; 5. Bailey Temples, McDonough; 6. Tim Pettigrew, Newnan; 7. Bubba Hicks, Griffin; 8. Bo Chambers, Griffin; 9. Rocky Johnson, Douglasville; 10. Trey Wood, Newnan; 11. Jimmy Johnson, Haralson; 12. Joshua Blume, Sharpsburg; 13. Lonnie Patterson, Sharpsburg; 14. Josh Copeland, McDonough; DNS — Rob Temples, McDonough Heat Winners: Dorough Bright and Parker.

Bombers

1. Jat Conner, Newnan; 2. Steve Davis, Newnan; 3. Tim Collier, Hoganville; 4. David Johnson, Griffin; 5. Pappy Powell, Hoganville; 6. Taylor Cizad, Newnan; 7. Mike Ray, Riverdale