NLMS Valdosta Hangover 100 Results

PANNELL PROVIDES HANGOVER CURE!

Valdosta, Ga. - Driving the Hollywood GRT/Beaver/Southway Industrial Services/Budweiser/Piping Services Inc./Speed Graphix Chevrolet, Skip Pannell of Albany, Ga. completed a clean sweep of the Hangover 100 proceedings as he led every lap of the weather delayed feature event to nab his first victory in more than two years on the National Late Model Sportsman Southern Dirt Tour. Pannell, the 1995 Series Champion and a veteran of the NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro Series, set the fast time in qualifying, won his heat race and then went on to dominate the 100 lap race. 1996 Series Champion Ivedent Lloyd of Ocala, Fla. finished in second with Wesley Hood of Cowpens, SC. taking third. 1997 Series Champion Gene Maine of Quitman, Ga. was fourth and Henry Carter of Swainsboro, Ga, rounded out the top five.

"We have been trying to get to this position for a while," Pannell commented during engine teardown. " I wanted to run my own team and make the changes I felt were needed and this time the car was just perfect all night. As an added bonus, we took over the points lead for the season, although it is early yet. None of this would be possible without the dedication and support of James Simons of Southway Industrial Services, Jerry Reynolds of Piping Services Inc. and the help of Budweiser. Dan Broome, my crew chief, has been of invaluable assistance in getting us into Victory Lane."

Taking the lead at the drop of the green, Pannell quickly established the fact that his was the car to beat as he opened up a five car-length lead over Tracy Mimbs, Hood, Maine and Mike Carter. The first caution of the race came out on lap 10 when Michael Lloyd and Terry Lumley got together in and spun in turn one. Local favorite Gene Ross began to make his expected move towards the front of the field after starting in 26th place after taking a track provisional as he moved by Lark Haskins, who was suffering with a loose race car.

Lee Jackson moved to the inside of Carter coming off turn four and won the race to turn one to take over fifth on lap 14 while Pannell continued with a comfortable lead. Hood, pressuring Mimbs appeared to have on of the fastest car on the track, but until he could find a way around the Dublin, Ga, veteran, he had no chance to show it. Finally on lap 16 Hood went low coming out of turn 4 and was able to win the drag race down the front straight. Mimbs attempted to make a comeback on the high side in turn one, but when he was unable to get the needed traction, he fell into third place. Hood now began the slow process of attempting to reel in Pannell, nipping a tenth of a second off the lead on each lap.

Johnny Collins moved past Jackson to take over fifth place while Carter slipped back into the clutches of Carter as the two fought over seventh and eighth. Chuck Chitty, Robbie Metts and Ivedent Lloyd were fighting a tremendous battle for the ninth spot in the order with no quarter being given as feints were made high and low in an attempt to gain an advantage.

By lap 25 Hood was closing in on Pannell while Carter and Jackson were slicing and dicing in their own battle behind the leaders. Just when Hood had finally closed to within striking distance of Pannell, the caution came out as David Browning and Lee Newsome got together in four. Following the restart, the cars were three wide coming off turn two with Cecil Eunice, the 1998 Series Champion, the meat in a Michael Lloyd - Randy Ellenberg sandwich. Eunice was able to pull past Lloyd and Ellenberg got into the high marbles handing the spot to the others.

As the race approached the halfway mark, Pannell still led Hood with Mimbs holding third. Maine, Collins, Jackson and Carter completed the top five with Metts having moved around Chitty for sixth and Ivedent Lloyd holding eighth. Steve Jones and Browning rounded out the top ten. Ross was by now into 11th place as his forward charge continued. Pannell continued to lead Hood by two car-lengths but the battle for 3rd through 12th was intense as every driver was both looking for a way around the car in front and trying to protect his position from the competitor behind.

Ross's charge to the front came to an abrupt end on lap 52 when Lumley tried to dip inside him down the front straight, their wheels touched and Lumley' car went up and over the left rear wheel of Ross, ending his night and leading to the eventual retirement of Lumley. Eunice, who had been pretty much riding the first half of the race, now seemed to come alive as slid inside Everett Phillips along the front straight just before the motor on Jackson's car expired in turn one negating the pass. Eunice was forced to repeat the maneuver following the restart and then he passed Newsome. Phillips also attempted to pass Newsom coming down the back straight, but got into turn three a little hot and spun to the high side.

As the speeding cars passed the three-quarters distance, Phillips moved past Jason Hyland and just a few laps later Eunice went by points leader Browning on the front straight to move into 11th place after starting in 25th. Collins made his move on Maine on lap 79 as he usurped the fourth position. The battle between Ivedent Lloyd and Metts had heated up again as the two off track friends battled hard for sixth. Lloyd would get his nose almost to the driver's compartment of Metts' car on the straights, only to be forced to back off as Metts had the line into the corner. On lap 81 Lloyd was finally able to get completely alongside as the cars blasted down the back straight and the two went into turn three side by side. Metts was carrying a little too much speed in his attempt to thwart the Lloyd move and as the came into turn four he spun to the high side.

Tracy Mimbs good run at the front came to a sudden end on lap 85 when a broken rocker arm caused his retirement to the pits. Collins would soon follow as mechanical gremlins continued to plague the front runners. With the retirements the order at the front now had Pannell with an eight car-length lead over Hood with Maine now in third with Lloyd fourth and Carter up to fifth as he played the patience game. Following a lap 88 caution when Steve Jones broke an axle and spun out with the wheel coming off the car, hub and axle stub included, Lloyd began to make his move as he dipped to the inside of Maine in turn one to take that position away and now began pressuring Hood for second. Hood, in just his second year on the highly competitive series, was able to withstand the pressure from the veteran for a number of laps until eventually Lloyd was able to make his move to the inside off turn four and both cars entered turn one side by side, Hood maintained the outside line until he began to slip, at which point he obviously decided that discretion was called for and dropped back into the groove before Maine could move under him.

Pannell still maintained a healthy lead and there were just not enough laps left for Lloyd to try and close the gap. Pannell took the win followed by Lloyd, Hood, Maine and Carter. Using patience, saving his tires and the high attrition rate aided Eunice in his move to a sixth place finish after starting 25th and enabled him to be named the winner of the 'Hard Charger Award". Anthony Meadows, the leader in the Bert's Transmission (WA-DON Racing) Rookie of the year award was the 'Rookie of the Race'. Pannell, Maine, Hood and Mimbs had win heat races in earlier action before weather forced the two-week postponement, while Michael Lloyd and Jason Hyland captured the wins in the two consolation races. Steve Lashley was the winner of the 'B' Main.

Thunderbowl Speedway - NLMS - Official Results for the National Late Model Sportsman Southern Dirt Tour, Hangover 100:

Ps.Ql.No.  Driver , Car                                          Laps  
-- -- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- ----- 

1  1  P1  Skip Pannell, Albany, GA Southway Industrial ServChev 100          
2 12  21  Ivedent Lloyd, Ocala FL Snow Bros/Koury          Chev 100          
3  3  57  Wesley Hood, Cowpens SC Clary Hood Inc.          Chev 100          
4  2 201  Gene Maine, Quitman GA JS&D Trucking/Russel BrownChev 100          
5  7  28  Henry Carter, Swainsboro GA Mimbs Farm           Chev 100          
6 34  22  Cecil Eunice, Blackshear GA Norman Pont/Ace Pole Chev 100          
7 10  11  Randy Ellenberg, Valdosta GA NIJEM/Wildwood SubdvChev 100          
8 28   7  David Browning, Jacksonville FL Greens Auto      Chev 100          
9 14  66  Chuck Chitty, Jacksonville FL C & C Powerline    Chev 100          
10 15  18  Michael Lloyd, Jacksonville FL Lumber Unlimited  Chev  94          
11 13  77  Lee Newsome, Valdosta, GA Azalea City Pressure WaChev  91          
12 16   0  Steve Jones, Milan GA Quality Saw/Bearden Oil    Chev  88          
13  9 2X4  Johnny Collins, Jacksonville FL Fickling Const.  Chev  85          
14  8  51  Tracy Mimbs, Dublin GA Marshall Septic Tank CompyChev  84          
15 11  46  Everett Phillips, Lake City FL Everetts Cust ServChev  81          
16 17  69  Robbie Metts, Albany GA Aggressive Signs         Chev  80          
17 29  20J Jason Hylton, Quitman GA JS&D Trucking           Chev  80          
18  5  47  Lark Haskins, Macon GA Israel Farm Supply        Ford  65          
19  4  10  Lee Jackson, Brooklet GA Eagle Supply/Jerry's    Chev  53          
20  6  33  Gene Ross, Lake Park GA Valdosta Power/Scruggs   Chev  51          
21 21  74  Terry Lumley, Swainsboro GA Rhino Linings        Chev  51          
22 27  37  Carl Black, Valdosta, GA Cribbs Racing           Chev  47          
23 18   5  Mike Carter, Blackshear GA Pierce Auto/Carter    Chev  35          
24     20  Billy Godowns, Louisville GA Godowns Farms       Chev   3          
25 19  31  Anthony Meadows, Lanett AL H&H Auto and Racing   Chev   0          
26 33 135  Charles Sealy, Moultrie GA Scruggs/BTS Construc  Chev  DQ          

Track Length : 0.5000 Miles

John Kaiser <71623.762@compuserve.com>