Brian Wooten
By Rob Lee
WAYNESVILLE, Ga. (Aug. 27) – The stars may not have littered the sky on a cloud-covered evening.
But the stars of the NeSmith Performance Street Stocks shined brightly Saturday evening at Golden Isles Speedway. None was more vivid then Brian Wooten.
The B-dub Express topped a stellar field from three states to win the Super Challenge 5 Series 25-lap feature. He led every circuit on the 4/10-mile, red gumbo clay oval.
“Car did pretty good,” Wooten said of his $2,000 win. “Track was a little off this week. I’m not used to the track being this wet. I don’t like it this wet so I have a little homework to do, but it worked out tonight.”
Rain fell during the day three different times leaving a tacky surface throughout the program. That did not stop Wooten shooting from the pole and then opening the advantage again after a handful of restarts.
The regular GIS high flyers were in the house as well as the aces from elsewhere.
Richie Stephens, Kyle Livingood, Robert Hicks and Ronnie Newsome rounded out the top five.
Justin McRee, Woodstock, Ala., jumped into the Dunn Motorsports High Roller Race Cars house car. The Late Model veteran won his heat, but went backwards some in the main and took seventh.
“They are the best of the best,” Wooten added. “Richie has helped me a tremendous amount and to have Justin start beside me and beat him tonight is just unreal.”
Stephens, the defending NPSS national champion and Wooten’s car builder visited again from Salem, Ala. The Rocketman wheeled Carl Moore’s other car to team with Livingood.
Former All Star series champ Michael Davis, Newsome, Florida ace Bubba Christian and others used the event to start tuning for the NPSS World Championship at GIS in October and the $10,000 winner’s share.
“We had a lot of heavy hitters out there,” Wooten said. “We put a lot of hours in this car after the last race. It worked out in our favor
Cecil Eunice took the lead on Lap 4 and won the Limited Late Model SC5 25-lap feature and the $2,000 that went with the checkered flag.
Polesitter and fast qualifier Garrett Lloyd tried to shake off the gremlins of a new ride. After missing hot laps he set fast time and roared to a half straightaway lead the first three laps. Then the Tom Kelly Construction/P&G Land Clearing special pulled up lame and went pitside.
That was one of only two cautions in the race.
Eunice broke away after both restarts and cruised to his second SC5 victory.
“The old car is running pretty good overall,” Eunice said. “Car’s handling pretty good, but that motor isn’t turning up like it’s supposed too. I don’t know if the race track was that tight or what it was.”
Point leader and defending champion Woodrow Mullis had to park his familiar No. 24 Pennzoil machine with mechanical issues. He jumped into Donnie Durrance’s car and rode to sixth.
Timmy Roach topped a 25-car Enduro field with the 15-lap win.
After restarts on Lap 10 and Lap 12 he had to hold off door to door challenges from Jonathan Croson and John Carlino. Wally Wallace and Johnny Barker came next.
Will Gardener slid by Calvin Cox on Lap 5 and pulled away to the Super Street 15-lap victory.
Cox, Paul Jones, Donnie Durrance and Luke Hayes followed.
Randy Gainey tuned up for the SC5 event in two weeks by flying to the checkers in the EMod finale. He moved by Brandon Wells just three circuits from the end of the 15 lapper.
Wells, Nick Kirkus, Kenny Wells and Garrett Lloyd were next in line among a race that spread three grooves all around the racing surface and was slowed by several cautions.
The 440 10-lap feature went to Joe Quarterman.
Josh Ryan, Courtney Parsons and Levi Cox rounded out the top finishers.
The Super Challenge 5 Series Continues Saturday Sept. 10 for EMods ($1,500 to win) and Enduros ($1,000).
Also in action will be GIS Late Models, Super Streets, NeSmith Performance Street Stocks and 440s
Hot laps are set for 7 p.m. with racing to follow.
For more information log on to gisdirt.com, goldenislesspeedway.com, the track’s Facebook page or call 912-778-3767.
Following are results from stock car racing Saturday evening August 27 at Golden Isles Speedway, Waynesville, Ga.
Limited Late Models
Super Challenge 5 Feature (25 laps) – 1. 22 Cecil Eunice 2. 5 Scott Waters 3. 52 Ryan Carter 4. 34 Adam Collins 5. 26 Bill Adkins 6. 81D Woodrow Mullis 7. 14 Daniel Thompson 8. 81R Lonnie Roberts 9. 1 Jordan Lockhart 10. 3 Bruce Collins 11. 38 Chris Lovett 12. 71F Mickey Finn 13. 18 J.O. Nobles 19. 27 Garrett Lloyd
Qualifying – 1. Lloyd 16.896 seconds, 85.227 miles per hour 2. Eunice 17.249 3. Carter 17.322 4. Adkins 17.437
NeSmith Performance Street Stocks
Super Challenge 5 Feature (25 laps) – 1. 81 Brian Wooten 2. 133 Richie Stephens 3. 122 Kyle Livingood 4. 18H Robert Hicks 5. 38 Ronnie Newsome 6. HOT ROD Chris Keller 7. 25 Justin McRee 8. 101 Michael Davis 9. 04 Bubba Christian 10. 2 John Corbitt 11. 28 Piearce Thrift 12. 52 Dale Mimbs 13. 96 Luke Johns 14. 66 Donnie Ashford 15. 88H Creg Hall 16. 424 Shaun Washam 17. 3D Makayla Tyrell 18. 92 Zach Stotz 19. 14 Taylor Sowell (Did Not Start – 8G Brian Grantham, 1 Daron Bailey)
1st Heat (8 laps) -1. Wooten 2. Livingood 3. Stephens 4. Newsome
2nd Heat (8 laps) – 1. McRee 2. Hicks 3. Keller 4. Johns
Qualifying – 1. Livingood 19.423 seconds, 74.139 miles per hour 2. Ashford 19.629 3. Wooten 19.706 4. McRee 19.795
EMods
Feature (15 laps) – 1. 18G Randy Gainey 2. 39 Brandon Wells 3. 20K Nick Kirkus 4. 4 Kenny Wells 5. 27 Garrett Lloyd 6. 52H Ben Hoden 7. 27G Jason Garver 8. 181 Bud Chancey 9. 12T Allen Tatum 10. 17 Allen Scurry 11. 99 Steven Purnell 12. 04 Philip Albritton 13. 46 Trey Pearson 14. 67 John Lester 15. 2X4 Chase Collins 16. 58 John Lester, Jr. 17. 1C Bubba Clark 18. 33 Jerry Campbell 19. 10 Dillon Turner 20. 19 Frankie Lloyd
1st Heat (8 laps) – 1. B. Wells 2. Kirkus 3. F. Lloyd 4. Purnell
2nd Heat (8 laps) – 1. K. Wells 2. Hoden 3. Turner 4. Gainey
Super Streets
Feature (15 laps) – 1. 21 Will Gardener 2. 34 Calvin Cox 3. 28P Paul Jones 4. 28D Donnie Durrance 5. 7 Luke Hayes 6. HOT ROD Chris Keller 7. 11S Chris Smith 8. 2 Ronald Altman 9. K5 Keith Smith 10. 88 Lee Keller 11. 74 Carl Singletary 12. 51 Wesley Walley 13. 70 Jordan Fowler 14. 15 Caleb Payne 15. 33 Leve Boatright (Did Not Start – 00 Billy Benefield).
1st Heat (8 laps) -1. Hayes 2. Jones 3. Payne 4. Altman
2nd Heat (8 laps) – 1. Cox 2. Gardener 3. Smith 4. C. Keller
Enduros
Feature (15 laps) – 1. 44 Timmy Roach 2. 94 Jonathan Croson 3. 16 John Carlino 4. 26 Wally Wallace 5. 6 Johnny Barker 6. 21 Billy Ammons 7. 5 Chase Ammons 8. 73 Megan Grant 9. 87 Jack Hill 10. 21W Scott Washam 11. 3 Dylan Taylor 12. 19 Jonathan Rowe 13. 08 Danny Farmer 14. 17C Tami Clark 15. 41 Charles Smith 16. 11 Tristen Kinchen 17. Johnaton New 18. 26D Kyle Davis 19. OU812 Alvin Carlson 20. 44Y Jay Young 21. 88 Ronald Altman 22. 5B Bryan Beasley 23. 35 John Kelly 24. 1C Bubba Clark (Did Not Start – 22 Russell Waters)
1st Heat (8 laps) – 1. Carlino 2. Roach 3. Croson 4. B. Ammons
2nd Heat (8 laps) – 1. Clark 2. C. Ammons 3. Taylor 4. Grant
440s
Feature (10 laps) – 1. 2Q Joe Quarterman 2. 6 Josh Ryan 3. 86 Courtney Parsons 4. 57 Levi Cox (Did Not Start – 31 Chris Mincey, B4 Brandon Brantley, 13 Olvan Williams).
1st Heat (8 laps) – 1. Quarterman 2. Parsons 3. Cox 4. Williams
