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Lancaster visits Kingsport Speedway victory lane in exciting season finale

By Robert Walden
Kingsport Speedway Media/Public Relations

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (Oct. 19) — The 2013 racing season at Kingsport Speedway concluded Saturday with runni...ng of the Robert Pressley Invitational, Friends of Coal - We Support Coal Miners 125 for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sanctioned Late Model Stocks.

It was a chilly night in East Tennessee with a full-moon shining brightly over “The Concrete Jungle,” and everybody knows crazy things happen when the moon is full. The racing action proved to be heated and the exciting finish will leave everybody talking over the long off-season.

Derrick Lancaster of Christiansburg, Va., celebrated in victory lane after capturing the biggest win of his career, pocketing $2,000 and also taking back home to the Commonwealth of Virginia a grandfather clock valued at $3,000.

Lancaster led Ronnie McCarty at the start-finish line to receive the white-flag. Between turns one and two, McCarty used the front bumper to move Lancaster up the track and the duo raced door-to-door down the backstretch.

Entering the third turn, the car started by veteran driver Paul Shull but being chauffeured in relief by Royce Peters, was sitting low against the inside wall after the engine erupted in smoke. With both McCarty and Lancaster charging hard off into the corner, suddenly coming upon the stalled car driven by Peters, McCarty and Lancaster had to move a groove higher to avoid running into the back of Peters.

With McCarty moving ahead of Lancaster to race off the fourth turn, it appeared he was headed to victory. But the yellow lights came on and the caution flag waved to warn the field about the danger of Peters sitting stopped between turns three and four.

Kingsport Speedway rules state that if a caution flag waves once the white flag has already been shown to the leader and the field is working the last lap, the race is over and the finish will revert back to the previously completed lap. With that being the situation that unfolded, even though McCarty crossed the start-finish line ahead of Lancaster, the yellow (flag) was out and the victory was awarded to Lancaster based on him leading when the white flag waved.

Chaos ensued between McCarty and Lancaster after they reached the first turn on the cool-down lap. McCarty was thinking he had won the race. Lancaster, meanwhile, was unhappy over being moved up the track on the white flag lap by McCarty and showed his displeasure by turning into the left-rear quarter panel on McCarty and spinning him around in turn two.

Once McCarty arrived back around on the front straightaway in victory lane, tempers were heated among the McCarty and Lancaster crew members and law enforcement was called in attempt to calm the situation. But Lancaster was not going to be denied a celebration, as he did burnouts spinning his car around and around just past victory lane.

Track promoter Robert Pressley made it down onto the front straightaway from up in the tower to try and restore order. With tension elevated among all parties involved, fans were standing on their feet waiting for an announcement on who had won the race.

The evening began with McCarty touring the .375-mile banked concrete oval at 15.085 seconds to set fast-time in qualifying. With an invert of four for the main event, McCarty started from the outside of row two.

Adam Boatman and Ryan Stiltner led the stellar 23-car field to green from the front row, with Stiltner jumping out into the lead over McCarty, Kyle Barnes, Boatman and Lancaster. Lancaster got around Boatman for fourth on lap 3 at the end of the backstretch entering the third turn, and with the door open Hayden Woods also made his way past Boatman to take over fifth in the running order.

With several caution periods during the first 75 laps of the event setting up double-file restarts, both Stiltner and McCarty alternated in running out front.

A competition caution waved on lap 100 for teams to make adjustments for a final 25-lap sprint to the finish, with the top five in the running order Stiltner, McCarty, Woods, Lancaster and Barnes.

Back under green, Stiltner moved back ahead while behind him the action was fast and furious, with McCarty getting moved up the track and Lancaster getting by into second place, with McCarty settling into the third spot and Woods and Barnes in tow.

Lance Gatlin, who had received the Lucky Dog to get back on the lead lap when the race resumed on lap 101, was getting into the mix as he was riding on Barnes’ rear bumper wanting to get into the top five. Lancaster began working on Stiltner mounting a challenge for the lead.

What had been a very strong run throughout the race for 20-year-old Stiltner ended when he pulled into the pits on lap 112 due to a dispute over scoring, thus ending any hopes of victory.

Lancaster would record the victory over McCarty, Woods, Gatlin and Barnes. Completing the top 10 finishers were Boatman, 2002 Kingsport Speedway champion Robbie Ferguson, Daryn Cockram, Shull and Rick Pannell.

Kenny Absher of Kingsport moved into the lead on lap 4 of the Pure 4 feature and once out front he never looked back en route to capturing his third win of the season over John Ketron, Billy Ketron, Chris Neeley and Jason Ketron.

Derek Lane of Kingsport won the Legend feature over Trey Lane, Brian Tinker, Jerry Lane and Greg Turner.

*** Late Model Stock results unofficial until being certified on Monday. ***

ROBERT PRESSLEY INVITATIONAL – FRIENDS OF COAL WE SUPPORT COAL MINERS 125 – LATE MODEL STOCK (125 laps)

Showing Finish Position, Starting Position In Parentheses, Driver Name, Car Number, Hometown, Laps Completed In Parentheses

1. (3) Derrick Lancaster #25-Christiansburg, VA (125)
2. (4) Ronnie McCarty #5-Kingsport, TN (125)
3. (5) Hayden Woods #87-Piney Flats, TN (125)
4. (15) Lance Gatlin #47-Jefferson City, TN (125)
5. (6) Kyle Barnes #15-Draper, VA (125)
6. (1) Adam Boatman #75-Knoxville, TN (125)
7. (19) Robbie Ferguson #32-Jonesborough, TN (125)
8. (18) Daryn Cockram #1-Blacksburg, VA (125)
9. (23) Paul Shull #40-Church Hill, TN (123)
10. (22) Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN (123)
11. (2) Ryan Stiltner #22-Grundy, VA (112)
12. (21) Mike Potter #8-Johnson City, TN (104)
13. (8) David Flynn #29-Maryville, TN (89)
14. (12) Erika Schmidt #14-Greenback, TN (85)
15. (13) Brandon Rogers #7-Canton, NC (81)
16. (14) Royce Peters #38-Kingsport, TN (73)
17. (20) Allen Hawkins #14-Kingsport, TN (69)
18. (7) Zack Walton #38-Blountville, TN (48)
19. (10) Wayne Hale #19-Bluff City, TN (42)
20. (9) Jake Keaton #10-Culloden, WV (40)
21. (16) R.J. Stanley #19-Bristol, TN (34)
22. (11) Joey Trent #26-Gray, TN (33)
23. (17) Chad Ball #30-Abingdon, VA (26)

Did Not Start:

Tyler Goodwin #64-Kingsport, TN
Mardy Roberts #55-Blountville, TN

PURE 4 (25 laps)

1) Kenny Absher #11; 2) John Ketron #26; 3) Billy Ketron #27; 4) Chris Neeley #94; 5) Jason Ketron #28; 6) Dylan Bates #6; 7) Billy Byington #1; 8) Bruce Crumbley #14; 9) Jon Pittman #96; 10) Mook Jeter #53; 11) David Trent #57; 12) James Deese #25; 13) Derek Penley #38; 14) B.C. Penley #44; 15) Marty Shouse #27; 16) Jackson Austin #11

LEGEND (15 laps)

1) Derek Lane #19; 2) Trey Lane #28; 3) Brian Tinker #14; 4) Jerry Lane #9; 5) Greg Turner #64

Kingsport Speedway
2961 North John B. Dennis Highway
Office: (423) 288-5992
Promoter Robert Pressley: (828) 215-2077
www.NewKingsportSpeedway.com
Twitter @KPSpeedway