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Lucas dominates for Southern 100 victory; Schrader backs up modified win and
gains bonus
by Bob Smith/PanhandleRacing.com
(Milton, FL - Nov 17, 2007) -- Shep Lucas posted the fastest qualifying time Friday
night (15.900) and took the green from the pole of the Southern 100 Saturday, Nov
17th at Southern Raceway in Milton, Florida. Smooth and on his marks Lucas led
flag to flag to claim the victory, along with the $10,000 winners share. Ken
Schrader backed up his Friday night win in the Open-Wheel Modifieds to and
gained the $1000 bonus for winning both nights.
Shep Lucas knew his car was fast, it always is, but with a field of heavy hitters from
across the southeast behind him it was not going to be an easy time. 100 laps on
dirt is a long way to go and anything could happen; that anything was a dominant
performance by Lucas!
Lucas led the field of twenty-six of the best Crate Late Model drivers in the South to
the initial green. Lucas quickly pulled out in the lead with Ken Schader in second
and Larry Boutwell to third. Boutwell's tenure in the front three lasted until lap three
when Jordy Nipper challenged and overtook the position as Lucas led Schrader.
Defending Southern 100 champion Mike Boland advanced to the front five on lap
three also, taking up residence behind Boutwell.
Caution flew on lap seven when Brian Ligon took a spin in turn two. Lucas led
Schrader at the yellow with Nipper third, Boutwell fourth and Boland at fifth.
On the restart Nipper challenged Schrader for the second spot, successfully
shuffling the NASCAR star back into third and setting his sights on Lucas. At lap
eight Boland climbed to fourth. Lap eleven saw the battle heat up over third with
Boland mounting a challenge to Schrader while behind them Ronnie Johnson had
advanced to challenge Boutwell for fifth. At lap thirteen Boutwell bid farewell to the
top five as Johnson overtook the position.
Caution waved on lap fifteen when Bo Slay, Beard and Chip Brindle tangled in turn
four. Lucas remained out front at the caution with Nipper second, Schrader third,
Boland fourth and Johnson in fifth.
Back under green the front five maintained position and the race ran green to lap
twenty-two, when Ligon turned it around in four. At lap twenty-six Larry Harrod
came to a stop on pit road and yellow waved again. The lap twenty-six restart went
yellow when Beard spun in turn three and the field lined up once more with Lucas
leading Nipper.
By lap thirty-three the duel for third was three-way as Schrader was challenged by
Boland and Johnson for position while Nipper had closed on Lucas and searched
for a way around. Boland emerged from his battle in third with Schrader fourth and
Johnson fifth on lap thirty-five. Caution flew on lap thirty-five when John Melton took
a spin in turn two with Lucas leading Nipper followed by Boland, Schrader and
Johnson.
At lap thirty-seven the battle brewed over fourth with Johnson challenging
Schrader. At lap thirty-nine Johnson's challenge was rewarded as he advanced
one position closer to Lucas. Out front Lucas led Nipper with a small gap back to
Boland in third. By lap forty-two Johnson had closed to Boland and was hunting
third while Nipper likewise had closed on Lucas and locked in battle for the lead.
As the race progressed through halfway Lucas continued leading Nipper with
Boland and Johnson third and fourth in a four-car breakaway pack. Schrader held
fifth some distance back with a gap back to Devin Jones, having a good run in sixth.
At lap fifty-two caution came over the speedway when Slay, Stephen Brantley and
Frank Ingram got together in turn four. Lucas continued to hold the lead over
Nipper while Boland ran third, Johnson fourth and Schrader fifth.
By lap seventy-one the battle raged three way again as Nipper, Boland and
Johnson all vied for the second spot while Lucas open a fair margin over them.
Caution for debris once again closed all the gaps at lap seventy-nine.
The lap seventy-nine restart went yellow when Melton turned it around in two.
By lap eighty Boland and Nipper were engaged in battle for second as Lucas ran
solid out in the lead until caution slowed the pace on lap eighty-one when Stacy
Roberts got sideways on the back straight. With Roberts sideways, Rick Rogers
had no place to go and slide into Roberts. Frank Wilson, also out of maneuvering
room ran up onto Rogers hood as the race went red. Roberts and Rogers rejoined
the field while Wilson's night was over.
Caution reared its head again on lap eighty-two when Beard spun in turn two.
Lap eight-two saw Boland with a stiff challenge by Johnson for third, but Boland
held the position. Jonathan Joiner, stopped high in four at lap ninety-one, brought
out the yellow again. Lucas remained the dominant force out front with Nipper
holding onto a terrific run in second. Boland ran in third, Johnson fourth and
Schrader continued to maintain fifth.
At lap ninety-eight Schrader went around in turn two and caution once again
waved, setting up a green-white-checker sprint for $10,000! Schrader, after a solid
fifth run all race long, took up the tail end of the field for the restart.
The lap ninety-eight restart didn't fare so well as Brantley and Dewayne Aldridge
tangled in turn two and went around. Lucas continued to lead Nipper with Boland
third, Johnson fourth and Jones into the top five following Schrader's misfortune.
The short run to the checkered flag saw Lucas maintain his strong, smooth, line to
hold the lead to the checkered flag, leading all laps, for the victory. Nipper, having
gotten close but not quite there several times, claimed a very respectable second
ahead of defending race winner Boland in third. Johnson finished with a great
fourth place run and Jones rounded out the top five with a consistent run that kept
him out of trouble.
Laps - 100
Cautions - 14
Lead Changes - 0
Leaders - Shep Lucas laps 1-100
Southern 100
Southern Raceway, Milton FL
Nov 17, 2007
Finish:
1. Shep Lucas (57)
2. Jordy Nipper (119)
3. Mike Boland (222)
4. Ronnie Johnson (5)
5. Devin Jones (00)
6. James Ussery (71)
7. Rick Rogers (44)
8. Stephen Brantley (02)
9. Frankie Beard (21)
10. Ken Schrader (99)
11. Dewayne Aldridge (07)
12. Stacy Roberts (11)
13. Jonathan Joiner (56)
14. Randy Chupp (51)
15. Frank Wilson (72)
16. John Melton (39)
17. Larry Boutwell (58)
18. Bo Slay (2)
19. Frank Ingram (F9)
20. Chip Brindle (38c)
21. William Thomas (22)
22. Larry Harrod (27)
23. Scotty Knowles (66k)
24. Jeff Fortner (27)
25. Brian Ligon (444)
26. Josh Huss (25)
Ken Schrader claimed the Friday night Open-Wheel Modified win, and backed up
that win Saturday with another victory. In addition to the two $1000 paydays,
Schrader also claimed the $1000 bonus money for winning both nights.
Michael Porter led the field to the green with Schrader on the outside of the front
row. As green waved it was Schrader, thundering out of turn four, who pulled to the
lead down the front straight. Caution flew on lap one when John Melton, Chris
Smith and Aaron Perritt tangled in turn one. Without a lap completed the field lined
back up for a complete restart.
At the drop of the green it was Schrader pulling to the lead with Randy Booker
taking up second and Nick Poole third. Caution waved on lap three when Buster
Foley came to a stop on the front straight with Schrader leading Booker and Poole
still holding third. Wesley Griffin ran in fourth and Kevin Peel fifth.
By lap four Schrader had amassed a large lead over Booker in second as caution
again waved for Will Rhodes going around in turn two on lap six. Poole continued
to hold third with Griffin fourth and Greg Hopkins rounding out the lead five.
At Lap seven Poole and Booker are locked in a duel for the second spot while
Hopkins and Griffin are engaged in battle of fourth. Schrader, out front, has
checked out on the field. On lap eight, Poole pulls past Booker into second.
Schrader's lead continued to grow over Poole. Perritt, recovering from an early
tangle, climbed into the lead five at lap twelve.
Caution on lap fifteen removed Schrader's huge lead when Jason Barnhill came to
a stop high in turn two. Poole continues to run strong in second with Booker third,
Perritt fourth Griffin fifth.
The battles rage at lap sixteen as Booker and Perritt duel for third and Griffin
battles Rusty Cooper for the fifth position. Lap seventeen saw Cooper advance
over Griffin into fifth. Perritt's bid for a front finish vanished at lap eighteen as he
came to a stop on the back straight. Schrader led at yellow with Poole second,
Booker third, Rhodes fourth and Griffin fifth.
On the lap eighteen restart Griffin went around in turn four, collecting Joey Bartlett.
Caution again waved on lap nineteen when Griffin took another spin in four. The
front five spots remained the same for the restart.
With Schrader continuing to dominate the lead Poole, Booker and Rhodes battled
three-way for second on lap twenty. With Schrader holding a huge lead Poole pulls
away from the field at lap twenty-four. Caution on lap twenty-six removed all gaps
when Eddie Tribble spun it around in turn two and Bartlett came to a stop on the
front straight.
The run for the finish saw Schrader hold the lead over Poole to the end with
Booker third, Cooper fourth and Kevin Peel rounding out the top five.
Finish:
1. Ken Schrader (9)
2. Nick Poole (6)
3. Randy Booker (26)
4. Rusty Cooper (71)
5. Kevin Peel (18)
6. Leb Morris (1m)
7. Wesley Griffin (27)
8. Larry McCraney (71m)
9. John Melton (39)
10. Eddie Tribble (73)
11. Joey Bartlett (1)
12. Aaron Perritt (28)
13. Jim Derfoldi (32)
14. (17)
15. Jason Barnhill (1)
16. Will Rhodes (77)
17. Michael Porter (22)
18. Buster Foley (777)
19. jeff Mikkelson (46)
20. Chris Smith (88)
21. Steve Rushing (95)
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