By Jack Smith
A little rain only served to cool off the scorching south Georgia heat, but did not dampen the competitive spirit from some
of America’s top short track talent Friday night at Cecil, GA.
Sean Murphy set a new track record with a qualifying run of 18.505 (97.271 mph) at the 1/2 mile speedway located just 30 miles from the Georgia/ Florida state line. Murphy, under the guidance of late model legend Butch Miller, had been the fastest in practice, and is still trying to get his first ASA Late Model win. Murphy, fans will remember, came within a few hundred feet of winning at Bristol when a wheel came apart on the last race.
After local late model racer Jeff Gordon scratched, the field was reduced to 27 teams taking the green flag. Jeff Choquette qualified 8th, and had luck going his way as the inversion by pill draw came up 8, giving the Loxahatchee, Florida driver the pole. Starting on the outside front row would be Travis Cope, hot off a huge win at Lakeland, Florida in The Florida Triple Crown finale last week.
Choquette, sporting number 170 in the ASA Southern Division and leading the points race, jumped out front of Cope, set a conservative pace which he maintained all race long. Sixteen cautions later, including a controversial stop for gas, the former Roush Gong Show finalist was still out front.
There was no question Cope played a part in Choquette’s victory, as the youngster from Bronson, FL, shadowed Cope the entire race. Cope spent nearly the entire race defending his second spot from several different competitors, making his number 26 just wide enough at the right times. Cope never really was able to challenge Choquette due the intense pressure from fourteen year star Max Gresham, Cody Smith in the #15, and Beau “Showtime” Slocumb.
Slocumb, a local favorite, came into the race fourth in points despite missing the first Southern Division race at Bronson Motor Speedway. Starting 7th, Slocumb worked his way into 3rd by lap 25 and was challenging Cope for the second position when, by his own admission drove a little too hard into turn two and spun out. Slocumb had fought hard to get to the front, yet Travis Cope did a masterful job of holding him off for 30 laps until Slocumb finally made a mistake.
Many cautions, and 55 laps later, Slocumb was once again giving Cope fits as the laps wound down. Slocumb had made a few pit stops to change tire pressure and other adjustments and to the cheer of the South Georgia fans he was giving Cope all he could handle, but when the dust settled, it was Choquette, Cope and then Slocumb crossing the finish line at lap 125.
PHOTO GALLERY FROM FRIDAY NIGHT AT SOUTH GEORGIA
Murphy had trouble early and was never a factor. Chris Fontaine, also sent to rear early on after causing a caution worked his way back to get a hard fought fourth place. Travis Wilson finished fifth, he too having to come from the rear after an early altercation. Brandon Johnson ran his typical, quiet “stay out of trouble” race and finished sixth. Sean Bass, involved in a mishap with John Wes Townley, suffered car damage and was never able to recover.
Dustin Dunn really took a pounding as he checked up when Chris Fontaine spun in turn two during lap 23. Dillon Oliver and Zach Taylor plowed into him and it required a red flag to untangle the mess.
As cautions mounted, and fuel became a serious issue, the ASA officials decided to bring ll the cars in for a gas stop at around lap 110. Not everyone was happy about that, Townley stayed out, to no advantage, and eventually ran out of gas, joining Cody Smith who had run out just before the ASA decision.
As the teams head to New Senoia Raceway for a Saturday night 125 lap affair.
Many teams were still working on their cars as the night ended as South Georgia.
South Georgia 125 Presented by McDonald’s Restaurants UNOFFICIAL Results
Pos,,Start,,Car #/Driver,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Laps,,Status
1,,,,,,1,,,,,,,,170 Jeff Choquette-R,,,,,,,125,,,Running
2,,,,,,2,,,,,,,,26 Travis Cope-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,125,,,Running
3,,,,,,7,,,,,,,,08 Beau Slocumb,,,,,,,,,,,,,125,,,Running
4,,,,,,4,,,,,,,,47 Chris Fontaine-R,,,,,,,,,125,,,Running
5,,,,,,11,,,,,,62 Travis Wilson,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,125,,,Running
6,,,,,,14,,,,,,41 Brandon Johnson-R,,,,,125,,,Running
7,,,,,,23,,,,,,70 Jeremy Gerstner-R,,,,,,125,,,Running
8,,,,,,12,,,,,,3 Brian Blum-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,125,,,Running
9,,,,,,13,,,,,,93 Rob Partelo-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,125,,,Running
10,,,,15,,,,,,09 John Wes Townley,,,,,,125,,,Running
11,,,,16,,,,,,37 Alison Quick,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,125,,,Running
12,,,,20,,,,,,8 Michael Seeright-R,,,,,,,,,122,,,Running
13,,,,27,,,,,,20 Kyle Eastham-R,,,,,,,,,,,,118,,,Accident
14,,,,3,,,,,,,,86 Jimmy Lang-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,104,,,Accident
15,,,,6,,,,,,,,15 Cody Smith-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,103,,,Mechanical
16,,,,8,,,,,,,,32 Sean Murphy-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,103,,,Accident
17,,,,22,,,,,,5 Wes Burton-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,103,,,Accident
18,,,,10,,,,,,11 Bobby East-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,90,,,,Accident
19,,,,26,,,,,,14 Brent Seeley-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,87,,,,Accident
20,,,,5,,,,,,,,711 Max Gresham-R,,,,,,,,,,,87,,,,Accident
21,,,,17,,,,,,25 Casey Neal-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,84,,,,Accident
22,,,,9,,,,,,,,28 Sean Bass-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,61,,,,Accident
23,,,,24,,,,,,140 Taylor Satterfield-R,,,,,,61,,,,Mechanical
24,,,,21,,,,,,33 Dillon Oliver,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,26,,,,Accident
25,,,,18,,,,,,59 Dustin Dunn-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,23,,,,Accident
26,,,,19,,,,,,98 Zach Taylor-R,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,23,,,,Accident
27,,,,25,,,,,,9 Eric Wallace,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,14,,,,Mechanical
DID NOT START: 114 Jeff Gordon-R
Lap Leaders: 170 Jeff Choquette-R Pole-125.
Cautions: 16 Cautions for 0 Laps.
Time of Race: 2 Hours, 23 Minutes, 01.084 Seconds.
