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NASHVILLE TN (4-9-04) By Don Radebaugh - ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie
Blake Feese, in only his second series attempt, looked more like a veteran
on his way to victory lane Friday night at Nashville Superspeedway.
The Saybrook, Illinois driver, in the Bobby Gerhart Racing Research
Chevrolet, passed Germanyıs Klaus Graf for the lead four laps from the
finish and then held off a hard-charging Casey Atwood to win the eventful
PFG Lester 150.
 ³This
is just incredible,² said Feese from victory lane as he held his new
electric Gibson guitar trophy. ³A couple of months ago, my stock car
program had all but fizzled out. Then the opportunity to run for Bobby
and Billy Gerhart came along and I jumped at the chance. I knew the
Gerhartıs were going to give me the right program to work with, to learn
with. And I knew we would be respectable, but winning in our first attempt
together is beyond my biggest dreams. Iım just so grateful. I had a
lot of great people working behind me.²
Feese, a veteran of World of Outlaw and All Star sprint car competition,
completed the 150-mile event with just one pit stop for fuel and four
tires while several other front-runners, pitted twice. Atwood, in the
FitzBradshaw-Perfect Walls Chevrolet, finished second one length away.
³I think we could have won this race if we had maybe one or two more
laps,² said Atwood. ³We had the best car all night, so weıre disappointed
in the finish. We had some fuel pick-up problems, but once we cured
that, we were able to stay up front.²
Graf, a road racer by trade, was competing in his first-ever oval track
race in the BAM Racing Dodge and finished a solid third after leading
five laps. Three-time Nashville winner Frank Kimmel steered the Advance
Auto Parts-Pork Ford to the finish in fourth over Ken Schrader, who
completed the top-five in his own Federated Auto Parts-sponsored Chevrolet.
Through it all, there were seven lead changes among five drivers including
Pork polesitter Ryan Hemphill whose victory lane hopes ended just ten
laps from the finish when his Trim Spa Dodge tangled with the lapped
car of Chris Comalander while leading. Hemphill, who led twice for 73
laps, made heavy contact with the wall trying to clear Comalander and
limped to the finish a disappointing 15th.
Hemphill, after establishing a new one-lap track record earlier in the
day, led the first 43 laps before giving it up to Atwood in favor of,
what was supposed to be, his one and only stop for fuel and tires. With
just enough gas to get to the finish, Hemphill feathered his way back
through the pack while Atwood, Feese and Kimmel traded the lead back
and forth. Hemphill regained control of the top-spot on lap 75 when
the leaders came down pit road for their second and final stop of the
night.
From there, Hemphill pulled away little by little appearing to be well
on his way to victory lane before his bout with Comalander eliminated
the opportunity. With Hemphill gone from the mix, Graf stepped up to
lead before Feese made his move to the front.
In all, and aided by eight cautions for 42 laps, 11 machines finished
on the lead lap including Wayne Anderson who finished sixth in the Flagship
RV Chevrolet ahead of local favorite Tandy Marlinıs Boat Shop Dodge
in seventh. Jeremy Clements, in the Broadway Motor Company Chevrolet,
finished eighth over Josh Clemons, in the USM Productions Ford, in ninth
with AJ Fike trailing in tenth in Andy Hillenburgıs Ray Farms Pontiac.
The last car on the lead lap was rookie Brandon Knupp who steered his
way to an 11th place finish from the 17th starting position in his first
series start.
Feese also picked up the Benniganıs Halfway Leader award while 12th
place finisher Billy Venturini, who started 32nd, won the Hoosier Tire
Hard Charger honors for advancing the most positions. Todd Bowsher's
Jack Bowsher & Associate crew received the Gladiator GarageWorks Gladiator
of the Race award. Clements won the Thermo-Tec/Cool It Header Wrap award
for finishing on the lead lap from the furthest back.
The next event for the RE/MAX Series will be the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers
200 Sunday afternoon, April 25 at Salem Speedway.
Photo courtesy of Arca
Racing
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