Dixon speeds to GIS I-95 Toyota LM win Barker, Gardener, Lloyd, Grantham, Parsons also take checkers

Devin Dixon

By Rob Lee
WAYNESVILLE, Ga. (Aug. 6) – The red gumbo clay rooster tail flying off Devin Dixon’s spoiler disappeared in the distance.
  That is the gap the Apollo Beach, Fla. driver had through most of the I-95 Toyota Late Model Challenge Series 30-lap feature Saturday evening at Golden Isles Speedway.
Dixon set sail in the Dave’s Towing/Big Frog Motorsports/Integra Shocks Rocket and won the event with the $3,000 top prize. Early in the race was quite a clash with Mark Whitener.
“Beginning of the race we were too tight on entry - first five or six laps,” Dixon said. “Whitener got around me and then about halfway through the race the car really started coming around and freed up a little bit and got back by him. The car was really good tonight.”

I-95 LATE MODELS

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 Dixon shot from the outside front row to lead fast qualifier and series point leader Rhett Carter at Barry Boatright’s green flag. Whitener sped into second on the opening lap. The Middleburg, Fla. ace drew even and then passed on Lap 5 following three early cautions. The Magicman used the middle and low lines the next seven circuits before Dixon mounted that charge and blew by on the outside.
The green flag runs increased so backmarkers came into play as the race progressed. A handful of yellows were scattered in the later stages to open up the 4/10-mile oval racing surface for Dixon. He zipped to a half straightaway advantage at the end.
  “It got dicey there for a while,” Dixon said. “Just trying to pick your way through some of that lapped traffic at times can be difficult especially when you got somebody on your tail that’s a good wheelman. A couple cautions late in the race helped us there.”
Whitener held off final charges from Carter. Donnie Chappell and Hunter Peacock rounded out the top five in a stacked field of 23 starters.
  Carter extended his series points lead over Travis Carter, who finished seventh behind Brandon DeWitt.
Dixon also became the first series repeat winner in seven events with his second 2016 win at GIS. The race doubled on the GIS Super Challenge 5 schedule as well.
“I can’t thank everybody enough – (crew chief) Mike Rey, Big Frog Motorsports, Little D (Steven Delgado), Double D (David Delgado), Dave’s Towing; XR-1 Rockets, I mean, they’re a great car and thanks to everyone and the fans for coming out to watch this race.”
The rest of the classes had a wild evening to say the least.

ENDURO

Brad Kitchen absolutely dominated the Enduro 19-lap SC5 feature and looked to take home the $1,000. However, he was disqualified following post-race tech. That gave the win to point leader Johnny Barker, who climbed from the 11th starting spot.
Scott Washam, Billy Ammons, Tami Clark and Chase Ammons came next. Billy Ammons started at the tail after a heat race incident and motored toward the point.
The race was shortened a lap due to time limit.

STREET STOCKS

Brian Grantham finally found the power and handle on his No. 8G. He took his heat, sat on the pole and held off challenges from five drivers to take the NeSmith Performance Street Stock scheduled 20 lapper.
Point leader Brian Wooten climbed to second, but spun. He then hiked from the rear again after making contact with Robert Hicks to bring out another caution. He finished fourth behind Hicks and other heat winner Luke Johns. Piearce Thrift also raced from the rear after a restart to complete the top five in a caution-filled event that was cut short due to time.
Before even the second lap was on the scoreboard in the 440s feature, three top running cars were disqualified for on track tactics.
That left Courtney Parsons to hold off Joe Quarterman and Mack Williams for the victory with the race shortened to five laps. Parsons was still impressive and the DQs may not have mattered.
There was not as much drama in the EMods and Super Streets.

EMODS

Frankie Lloyd jumped back behind the wheel of a Tom Kelly Construction/P&G Land Clearing EMod and swept the night. He paced all 15 feature laps and won his heat.
Allen Tatum held off Garrett Lloyd for second followed by Brandon Wells and Trey Pearson.

SUPER STREETS

Will Gardener took the Super Street feature, leading all 15 circuits after also winning his heat. Next in line were Donnie Durrance, Chris Keller, Paul Jones and Luke Hayes.
The Super Challenge 5 Series Continues Saturday Aug. 27 for Limited Late Models and NeSmith Performance Street Stocks. Both features pay $2,000 to win.
Also in action will be EMods, Super Streets, Enduros and 440s.
Hot laps are set for 6:30 p.m. with racing to follow.
The I-95 TLMCS heads next to Needmore Speedway Aug. 27 before closing out its inaugural campaign with events Oct. 1 and Oct. 15 at GIS.
For more information log on to gisdirt.com, the track’s Facebook page or call 912-778-3767.

Following are results from stock car racing Saturday evening August 6 at Golden Isles Speedway, Waynesville, Ga.

I-95 Toyota Late Model Series
Feature (30 laps) – 1. 58 Devin Dixon 2. 5 Mark Whitener 3. 44 Rhett Carter 4. 44C Donnie Chappell 5. 12 Hunter Peacock 6. 2 Brandon Dewitt 7. 99 Travis Carter 8. 18 J.O. Nobles 9. 51T Chad Tuten 10. 52 Ryan Carter 11. 6B Kyle Bridges 12. C2 Jason Fitzgerald 13. 6 Blake Spencer 14. RODS Charlie Williamson 15. 81 Lonnie Roberts 16. 22G Jason Green 17. N18 Joel Nobles 18. 40 Ronald Thomas 19. 21W Hampton White 20. 11 Richard Jeffers 21. 5J Joshua Bishop 22. 12J Scott Johnson 23. M41 Darrell Carter (Did Not Start – 26 Jimmy Sharpe, Sr., 4S Howard Stalls).
Qualifying – 1. R.Carter15.375 2. Dixon 15.813 3. Whitener 15.922 4. Dixon 16.030 5. Bridges 16.110
Enduros
Super Challenge 5 Series Feature (20 laps) – 1. 6 Johnny Barker 2. 21W Scott Washam 3. 21 Billy Ammons 4. 17C Tami Clark 5. 5 Chase Ammons 6. 5B Bryan Beasley 7. 3 Dylan Taylor 8. J4 Johnathon New 9. 16 John Carlino 10. 26 Willard Wallace 11. 87 Jack Hill 12. 44 Shawn Necaise 13. 26D Kyle Davis 16. 7Y Ty Youmans 15. 9J Luke Johns 16. 12 John Noe 17. 19 Jonathan Rowe 18. 44Y Jay Young 19. OU812 Alvin Carlson 20. 41 Charles Smith 21. 1C Bubba Clark (Disqualified – 11K Brad Kitchen).
1st Heat (8 laps) – 1. Smith 2. Davis 3. Wallace 4. T. Clark
2nd Heat (8 laps) – 1. Kitchen 2. Washam 3. Hill 4. C. Ammons
EMods
Feature (15 laps) – 1. 19 Frankie Lloyd 2. 12T Allen Tatum 3. 27 Garrett Lloyd 4. 39 Brandon Wells 5. 46 Trey Pearson 6. 18G Randy Gainey 7. 20K Nick Kirkus 8. 52 Ben Hoden 9. 5 Keith Tuten 10. 181 Bud Chancey 11. 99 Steven Purnell 12. 26D Dylan Hurston 13. 18C Corey Crews 14. 4 Kenny Wells 15. 47 Manny Valderrama (Did Not Start – 17 Allen Scurry, 58 John Lester, Jr., 61K Chase Collins)
1st Heat (8 laps) – 1. F. Lloyd 2. Kirkus 3. Gainey 4. G. Lloyd
2nd Heat (8 lap) – 1. Tatum 2. Hoden 3. Hurston 4. Tuten
Super Streets
Feature (15 laps) – 1. 21 Will Gardener 2. 28D Donnie Durrance 3. HOT ROD Chris Keller 4. 11 Paul Jones 5. 7 Luke Hayes 6. 2 Ronald Altman 7. 88 Lee Keller 8. 74 Carl Singletary 9. 51W Chris Walley 10. 15 Caleb Payne 11. K5 Keith Smith 12. 70 Jordan Fowler 13. 00 Billy Benefield (Did not start – 34 Calvin Cox).
1st Heat (8 laps) – 1. Gardener 2. Cox 3. Durrance 4. Payne
2nd Heat (8 lap) – 1. Jones 2. Keller 3. Smith 4. Altman
NeSmith Performance Street Stocks
Feature (20 laps) – 1. 8G Brian Grantham 2. 18H Robert Hicks 3. 96 Luke Johns 4. 81 Brian Wooten 5. 28 Piearce Thrift 6. 3D Makayla Tyrell 7. HOT ROD Chris Keller 8. 12M Dale Mimbs 9. 14 Taylor Sowell 10. 18W Wesley Jones 11. 424 Shaun Washam 12. 17S John Sweat 13. 1X Chris Williams
1st Heat (8 laps) – 1. Grantham 2. Keller 3. Wooten 4. Jones
2nd Heat (8 lap) – 1. Johns 2. Tyrrell 3. Mimbs 4. Thrift
440s
Feature (10 laps) – 1. 86 Courtney Parsons 2. 2Q Joe Quarterman 3. 95 Mack Williams (Disqualified – 6 Josh Ryan, 13 Olvan Williams, 32 Michael Bruner; Did Not Start – 11C Buckly Conwell, 27 Jesse Horton).
1st Heat (8 laps) – 1. Ryan 2. Bruner 3. Pike 4. Conwell
2nd Heat (8 laps) – 1. Quarterman 2. O. Williams