Cat Daddy Clint Smith Continues Senoia Domination

Clint Smith

Submitted by Ted Austad
Photo credit: Francis Hauke

(June 12, 2016 - Senoia, GA)  Many of the fans are asking, who is going to stop Clint ‘Cat Daddy’ Smith at Senoia Raceway?  The veteran stock car racing ace is currently on  seven race win streak dominating both the Super Late Model and Limited Late Model division since mid-May at the ‘Bull Ring’.  It looked as though Smith’s streak would end on Saturday night when Winston’s Michael Page finished a car length out front in the Limited Late Model main, but Page was too light at the scales and was stripped of the victory handing it to Smith and keeping his streak intact for another week.

Smith chased down fast qualifier Mason Massey in the Super Late Model show.  Massey had built a several car length lead over the field before Smith broke loose from the pack and began reeling in the youngster from Douglasville.  Smith has been tutoring Massey for several months as the former national Legends Car champion transitions to dirt racing.  Massey has learned quite well from his teacher, but one little bobble in turn two of lap 19 was all that it took for Smith to pounce.  The four-time Southern All-Stars champion never looked back posting the victory over Massey.  Forty year veteran Ricky Williams of Fayetteville had his strongest showing of the season finishing in third ahead of Douglasville’s Lamar Haygood and LaGrange’s Chad Marchman.

Clint Smith

Smith chased Michael Page for the entire length of the Limited Late Model race, but could not get enough momentum to overtake the top position.  Newnan’s Rucker Orr ran third with a very entertaining race for fourth taking place between former two-time champion Glenn Morris of Fayetteville and Carrollton’s Tony ‘The Tiger’ Kemp.

Page was disqualified in post race inspection giving Smith another victory.  Orr came home second with Morris holding off Kemp at the end for third place.  Marietta’s Matt Larson rounded out the official final rundown.

Michael Page

Michael Page did not have any issues on the track or in the technical inspection area after the special for the Crate Late Models.  Page snared the lead away from pole sitter Jimmy Thomas at the drop of the green flag with a power house move past the Alabama champion.  Page then bolted to large leads over Thomas, Matt Black of Douglasville and Dallas’ Mike Bruner, Jr. surviving several restarts.

The final run to the checkers saw Page cruise to the $1000 pay day ahead of Black and his brother Mark Page.  Fast qualifier Jimmy Thomas finished in fourth ahead of Newnan teenager Marty Lunsford.

Jody Knowles

Tyrone’s Jody Knowles led flag to flag in the B Cadet feature race.  Knowles kept all the racing behind him as Gray’s Chas Haskins, Winder’s Chris McKeehan and Villa Rica’s Matthew Knight chased his dust trail.  Matthew Knight’s father, Mark Knight, fought through a few cautions as he charged to the front looking for an opportunity to race his son.

As the field came to it’s final restart, Knowles shot out to the lead again leaving Matthew Knight to race against his dad as Mark Knight made a great move at the drop of the green.  Knowles crossed the finish line first with Mark Knight battling his son Matthew for second through the final two turns.  Matthew would win the drag race to the line with Mark settling for third.  Newnan’s Bobby Arnold and Parrish Duncan finished fourth and fifth with Locust Grove’s Billy ‘The Kid’ Stevenson running sixth.

Arnold, Duncan and Stevenson came into the night’s racing action separated by only eighteen points in the season standings for the B Cadet.  The three drivers are locked in one of the most hotly contested points race’s at the track this summer.

Randy Cornwell

Warner-Robins Randy Cornwell won his eighth feature of the season in the Hobby Stock.  Cornwell needed some assistance from the technical inspector as apparent winner Joe Hillman of Villa Rica was disqualified for unapproved shocks.  Hogansville’s Gary Brand moved up to second followed by Mansfield’s Blake Harmon.

Dorough Bright

Newnan’s Dorough Bright worked past Alabama’s Chris Arnett on the final lap of the Bomber feature to steal a victory.  The veteran racer had been absent from victory lane at Senoia Raceway for nearly two seasons before Saturday night’s win.

Keith West

Mableton’s Keith West bested the field of Mini Stock racers to win his first career feature at Senoia Raceway.  West made his way to the front early and never looked back.  Lithia Springs Ronnie Teal finished as the runner-up with former Mini Stock champions Harold Leath of Hampton and Gary Parker of Barnesville racing hard for third.  Leath made the final pass of the night to finish ahead of Parker while Locust Grove’s Jamie Nicholson, Jr. completed the first five.

The hilarious and crash-filled ‘Waterless Boat Race’ returns to Senoia Raceway this upcoming Saturday, June 18th.  The race featuring old boats being dragged around the tracks without trailers has been a rousing success at track’s nationwide and will dazzle and delight fans of all ages.

“Thanks to Marcus Caswell and Caswell Heavy Hauling, we have some really cool boats, jet skis and more that will be destroyed in the Waterless Boat Race,” explained promoter Mayes Massey.  “This is one of the more fun special events we have on the schedule this season and should be wilder than ever before!”

Saturday night’s racing action will also be filled with excitement as the Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Crate Late Models, B Cadets, Hobby Stock, Bomber and Mini Stock will run a full schedule of racing.

Grandstand tickets will remain the same for this special event:  $12; ages 5-12 are $5 with four & under admitted for free.  Pit passes and trackside parking tickets are $25; ages 5-12 are $20 and four & under are admitted for free.  The pit gate will open 4pm while the grandstands open at 5pm.  Hot laps will begin at 6:30pm with racing at 7pm.

For additional information, schedules, rules and more, visit the Senoia Raceway website at www.senoiaraceway.com.  The track also offers an e-mail newsletter (sign-up on the website), Facebook page, twitter feed, instagram and snapchat for social media access to news and information. You can also contact the track directly at 770.599.6161.

Official results from Saturday, June 11, 2016
Super Late Models (Feature):  1-Clint Smith, Senoia  2-Mason Massey, Douglasville  3-Ricky Williams, Fayetteville  4-Lamar Haygood, Douglasville  5-Chad Marchman, LaGrange  6-Russell Ogletree, Phenix City, AL  7-Laddie Fulcher, Thomaston  8-Matt Dooley, Brooks  9-Zach Leonhardi, Cartersville  10-Shane Fulcher, Thomaston  DNS: Chad Wallace, LaGrange  Fast Qualifier: Massey (13.600/99.3 mph)
Limited Late Models (Feature):  1-Clint Smith, Senoia  2-Rucker Orr, Newnan  3-Glenn Morris, Fayetteville  4-Tony Kemp, Carrollton  5-Matt Larson, Marietta  6-Jayce Southwell, Brooks  7-Bailey Williams, Fayetteville  8-Brandon Bright, Newnan  9-Trey White, Stockbridge  DQ: Michael Page, Winston (light at scales)  Fast Qualifier:  Page (14.124/95.6 mph)
Crate Late Models (Feature):  1-Michael Page, Winston  2-Matt Black, Douglasville  3-Mark Page, Winston  4-Jimmy Thomas, Phenix City, AL  5-Marty Lunsford, Newnan  6-Cord Dodgen, Lafayette, AL  7-Lance Finn, Oakwood  8-Jamie Maurice, McDonough  9-Mike Bruner, Jr., Dallas  10-Corey Payton, Newnan  11-Pearson Williams, Dublin  12-Dylan Knowles, Lannett, AL  13-Brian Reese, Sharpsburg  DNS: Donald Doyle, McDonough  Fast Qualifier: Thomas (14.200/95.1 mph)
B Cadet (Feature):  1-Jody Knowles, Tyrone  2-Matthew Knight, Villa Rica  3-Mark Knight, Villa Rica  4-Bobby Arnold, Newnan  5-Parrish Duncan, Newnan  6-Billy Stevenson, Locust Grove  7-Justin Thornton, Phenix City, AL  8-Drew Larson, Marietta  9-Randy Cornwell, Warner-Robins  10-Dakota Weeks, Douglasville  11-Clyde Alexander, Locust Grove  12-Johnny Stinchcomb, Newnan  13-Luke Pilson, Kennesaw  14-Chaz Haskins, Gray  15-TJ Joiner, Lithia Springs  16-Chris McKeehan, Winder  DNS: Chuck Page, Douglasville  Heat Winners: Knowles & Haskins
Hobby Stock (Feature):  1-Randy Cornwell, Warner-Robins  2-Gary Brand, Hogasnville  3-Blake Harmon, Mansfield  4-Josh Pitt, Stockbridge  5-Pappy Powell, Hogansville  DQ: Joe Hillman, Villa Rica (shocks)
Mini Stock (Feature):  1-Keith West, Mableton  2-Ronnie Teal,  Lithia Springs  3-Harold Leath, Hampton  4-Gary Parker, Barnesville  5-Jamie Nicholson, Jr., Locust Grove  6-Denver Stepp, Powder Springs  7-Rocky Johnson, Douglasville  8-Jamie Nicholson, Sr., Locust Grove  9-Mike Younginer, Locust Grove  10-Cassie Dingler-Still, Newnan  11-Tommy Faulkner, Newnan  12-John Caldwell, Senoia  13-Marc Leath, Griffin  14-Chris Middleton, Stockbridge
Bomber (Feature):  1-Dorough Bright, Newnan  2-Chris Arnett, Lannett, AL  3-Tim Harmon, Conyers  4-Jim Jackson, Zebulon  5-Shane Tidwell, Whitesburg  6-Ted Willingham, McDonough  7-George Purgason, Hogasnville  8-Bruce Tidwell, Douglasville  9-Darren Parrott, Sharpsburg  10-Randy Cornwell, Warner-Robin  11-Brett Harmon, Mansfield