MILTON — The Southern 100 lived up to the hype that a $10,000-to-win feature draws, with drivers from all along the Southeast battling for the top prize.
Holt’s Cody Smith, the 2016 NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series champion, took the checkered flag after leading 76 of the 100 laps, but met his demise in the “room of doom” during technical inspection. Due to Smith’s disqualification, the win was handed to Tennessee driver Andy Picklesimer, who returned home to the Volunteer state with $10,000.
Picklesimer had a rough start to the weekend and had to call home for parts he did not pack in the team’s hauler after Friday’s qualifying and heat races. His father loaded up the parts and made the trek south from just outside Chattanooga to Milton in time for racing action to begin.
Rounding out the official top five were Dennis “Rambo” Franklin in second, followed by Justin McRee, Travis Pennington and Marcus Minga.
Mark Whitner and Walter Authur led the field of 25 NeSmith Crate Late Models to the green flag to start the race as Whitner jumped out to the early lead.
Early on, some drivers were trying to find a sweet spot on the three-eights-mile dirt oval to move their way through the field until Holt’s Cody Smith, the 2016 NeSmith Panhandle Challenge Series champion, found a groove on the high side to work his way through the field.
On lap 24, Smith had worked his way past national series drivers like Picklesimer, Franklin, Arthur and finally Whitner to take the lead by using the high side of the track.
From that point on, despite the numerous cautions for debris, spins and a mandatory fuel stop, Smith held onto the lead.
On lap 67, the caution flew for debris and, after the track was cleared, it almost immediately was shut down as the leaders tangled while battling for position.
Whitner was forced to retire after receiving heavy damage from the skirmish while Josh Huss and Joseph Joiner had to pit for repairs.
The other big payday went up in a small mistake made by McRee in the NeSmith Street Stock. After dominating the weekend and winning Friday’s feature, McRee was poised to take home an extra $1,500 if he could sweep the weekend by doubling up on Saturday.
McRee started on the pole both nights and found a huge challenge Saturday from the outside pole car of Harold’s Stuart Wilson.
Wilson took the early lead from McRee, who was on his bumper with the possibility of a $1,500 payday dancing around in his head.
Misfortune struck on lap five of the feature Saturday night as McRee tapped the back end of Wilson’s car, causing him to spin in turn two.
McRee was put to the back of the field for hitting Wilson when the race resumed, but lap six saw a catastrophe that led to a stoppage of the race with Howie Reeves leading.
In turn two, eight cars were involved in an incident that brought out a red flag and stopped the race for an extended period.
Involved in the incident were the cars of front-runners Bo Bailey, Johnny Stokes and Aaron Huffstutler as well as Joe Richburg, Tim Fowler, Taras Hodvisky and Michael Williams.
After Reeves took the white flag due to time, the cars of Jacob Boughton, Justin Able and Bailey were involved in another mishap as Reeves took the checkered flag.
Rounding out the top five were Sean Goodwin, Matt Chavers, Brandon Harris and McRee, who worked his way back up to fifth in five laps.
Friday night it was McRee who finished ahead of Wilson, Stokes, Goodwin and Curtis Faircloth.
Visiting Milton for the weekend was a former NASCAR driver from Fenton, Mo., Ken Schrader, who competed in the IMCA and UMP Modified races.
Friday night Schrader got caught jumping the restart in the IMCA Modified class.
Schrader jumped the restart on lap two after Richard Clew brought out the caution flag.
Kyle Rutowski was the beneficiary and moved up to the pole for the restart and held the lead from there despite six more cautions.
Schrader tried everything he could, but could not find his way around Rutowski.
Rounding out the top five were Jason Barnhill, Branden Harris and Richard Clew.
On Saturday night, the match-up many had waited anxiously for two weeks saw someone from Panama City Beach added to the mix and walking away with the UMP Modified title.
Ryan Fowler, the 2016 Southern Raceway champion, said Schrader had better eat his Wheaties before they met on the track.
Well, the person who is looking for their Wheaties endorsement was Todd Neiheiser, who ran away from the field on Saturday night.
Schrader, who ended up finishing third, battled with Fowler for a time before the Southern Raceway titleholder finished fifth.
Joseph Phillips finished second and Lucas Morris managed a fourth-place finish.
In the Mini Sprints feature, Southern Outlaw Sprints driver Kyle Amerson had his 600 cc motorcycle engine wound tight and buzzing around the three-eighths-mile track.
Rounding out the top five were Bobby Zaiontz in second, Gregg Jones, Tanner Hanna and Micha McCall.
In the Pure Stock Division, Tally Warrick and Carl Dodson stole the show.
The fastest two drivers in qualifying were the only drivers to qualify under 17 seconds and they proved to be the top dogs in the class on Saturday as they ran away from the field.
Warrick dominated while Dodson finished second.
The big battle in this virtually caution-free race was between third-place Steven Allday, fourth-place Josh Benton and fifth-place Bubba Fletcher.
The three drivers finished in that order but in technical inspection the cars of Allday and Benton were disqualified, moving Fletcher to third.
Troy Williams was awarded fourth while Jason Dollar officially finished fifth.
In the Vintage division, James Ward and Levi Donaldson had the fastest cars, but the driver to watch was Blake Martin, who jumped out to an early lead with the car of Ward right behind him.
On lap four, Martin spun after contact with Ward and both cars were sent to the back of the field. While Martin’s car was stopped coming off turn four, the cars of Randy Chavers, Billy Shaw and Kenneth Tarter made contact to bring out a red flag.
Chris Bayhi would take the lead on the following restart and not look back as he stayed ahead of Kraig Crossley, Justin Scott, Logan Nathey and Randy Pack, who rounded out the top five when the checkered flag flew due to time.
Gary Watson started at the back of the pack in the Stinger feature and marched his way to the front by working his way through the field in the 20-lap event.
Timothy Witherington finished second, followed by Charlie Simmons, Cameron Connell and Robert Barber, who rounded out the top five in the caution-free feature.
Banquet tickets are available for the 2016 Southern Raceway Banquet to be held Dec. 8 at the Imogene Theater. Contact Southern Raceway, 623-2333, for tickets or more information.
COMING UP
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Southern Raceway drivers battle for $10,000