By: Rob Lee
WAYNESVILLE, Ga. (May 21) – A battle. Some magic. Another battle. More magic.
The Magicman endured all of that and Mark Whitener took home the $3,000
I-95 Toyota Late Model Challenge Series feature Saturday evening at Golden
Isles Speedway.
Whitener, Middleburg, Fla., won his heat and started the finale outside
of polesitter, fast qualifier and other heat winner Devon Dixon.
The latter wheeled the Big Frog Shock and Suspension Technology/Dave’s
Towing/Big Frog Signs and Graphix Koury-powered Rocket to the point at the drop
of the green with Whitener in hot pursuit.
Dixon would only open a couple car length advantage until the first
magic for Whitener’s United Land Clearing/Racecar Engineering Koury-powered
Longhorn.
Dixon was collected by a spinning lapped car on Lap 11 sending the
Apollo Beach, Fla. pilot and Big Frog Motorsports machine pitside.
Whitener inherited the lead and stayed there, but not after a plethora
of cautions and a battle with Tyler Crowder. Both survived a Lap 13 caution
that saw a good amount of vehicles with damage and stopping to have sheet metal
pulled.
Magicman fans held their collective breaths as he pulled to a stop on
the backstretch to the attention of track workers. Later it was found the fifth
arm came off the car, maybe as early as Lap 2. Whitener told his crew after the
race some “beating and banging” were audible so he knew something was amiss.
But Whitener lengthened the lead and thus the win.
Crowder, Kyle VanSickle, Rhett Carter and Jason Fitzgerald rounded out
the top five.
Jimmy Sharpe, Jr. , the first series winner, managed an 11th place and
is still the point leader after two events ahead of Brandon Dewitt and Carter.
Defending GIS champion Johnny Barker took home $1,000 and became the
first Enduro repeat winner of 2016. Barker won race 2 of the GIS Super 5
Challenge Series, defeating Kyle Davis and Billy Ammons.
Brian Wooten stayed red hot with his third NeSmith Performance Street
Stock win of the season. Shaun Washam and Brian Grantham came next.
Donnie Durrance topped a 17-car Super Street field and beat Keith Smith
and Chris Keller to Barry Boatright’s checkered flag.
Joe Quarterman beat last race winner Courtney Parsons for his
second 440 win of the year.
GIS heats up next June 4 featuring the EMods and NeSmith Performance
Street Stocks in the GIS Super 5 Challenge. EMods will battle for $1,500 to win
and NPSS have $2,000 up for grabs.
Also in action are the GIS Late
Models, Super Streets and Enduros. Hot laps are set for 6 p.m. with racing to
follow.
For more information log on to goldenislesspeedway.com, the track’s
Facebook page or call 912-778-3767.
Following are results from stock car racing Saturday evening May 21 at
Golden Isles Speedway, Waynesville, Ga.
I-95 Toyota Late Model Challenge Series
Feature -1. Mark Whitener 2. Tyler Crowder 3. Kyle Vansickle 4. Rhett
Carter 5. Jason Fitzgerald 6. Cecil Eunice 7. Travis Carter 8. Joshua Bishop 9.
Chad Tuten 10. Brandon Dewitt 11. Jimmy Sharpe, Jr. 12. Blake Spencer 13.
Howard Stalls Jr. 14. Kelly Walker 15. Robert Diekemper 16. Mark Davis 17.
Jimmy Sharpe, Sr. 18. Larry Anderson 19. Ryan Vansickle 20. Kyle Bridges 21.
Charlie Williamson 22. Devin Dixon 23. Scott Johnson 24. Tom Jones 25. Ronald
Thomas
Enduros
Super 5 Challenge Series Feature
– 1. Johnny Barker 2. Kyle Davis 3. Billy Ammons 4. Charles Smith 5. Jonathan
Rowe 6. Luke Johns 7. Bryan
Beasley 8. Shawn Necaise 9. Dylan Taylor 10. Ty Youmans 11. Jordan Lockhart
NeSmith Performance Street Stocks
Feature – 1. Brian Wooten 2. Shaun Washam 3. Brain Grantham 4. Chris
Keller 5. Luke Johns 6. Kenny Hicks 7. Chad
Fry 8. Makayla Tyrell 9. Daron Bailey 10. Matt Dixon 11. Morrie West 12. Dale
Mimbs 13. Taylor Sowell
Super Streets
Feature – 1. Donnie Durrance 2. Keith
Smith 3. Chris Keller 4. Wade McBride 5. Ronald Altman 6. Jamie Whitaker 7. Lee Keller 8. Luke
Hayes 9. Paul Jones 10. Steve Flippo 11. Billy Benefield 12. Roger Thomas 13. Buddy Rohn 14. James
Scott 15. Arthur Singletary 16. Jordan Fowler 17. Randy Garrison
440s
Feature – 1. Joe Quarterman 2. Courtney Parsons 3. Mack Williams 4.
Buckly Conwell 5. Austin Bailey 6. Dusty Williams 7. Kenny Turner
