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Chris Madden slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 1 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals. Madden won the heat.
Devin Moran slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 1 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Jimmy Owens slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 2 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals. Owens won the heat.
Ricky Weiss slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 3 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Jonathan Davenport watches a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Chris Madden watches a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Ricky Thornton Jr. sits on his car following a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Chris Ferguson sits in his car following a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Chris Ferguson gets out of his car following a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Jensen Ford (#83) and (#76) Brandon Overton battle for a spot during the Super Late Model Heat 4 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Chilhowie’s Morgan Widener finished 16th in the Sport Mod A Feature Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Brock Gronwold won the Sport Mod A Feature Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Chris Ferguson drives to the high side as Ricky Weiss gets airborn after going to low in turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 3 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
(L-R) Wil Herrington, Darrell Lanigan and Devin Moran slide through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 1 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Jonathan Davenport slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 1 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Ricky Thornton Jr. slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 2 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Chris “Smokey” Madden loves competing on big and fast tracks.
That passion was evident for the South Carolina driver in Friday’s 50-lap Super Late Model feature at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Madden started from the pole and led every lap en route to a $50,000 payday for the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals
“That thing was awesome,” Madden said. “We could run top, bottom or middle, it didn’t matter. My car was just really balanced.”
Dale McDowell, Brandon Overton, Jonathan Davenport and Mike Marlar rounded out the top five in the 24-car field.
Navigating his way through lapped traffic, McDowell was able to chop Madden’s lead from five to two seconds late in the race before running out of time
“I’m happy with a top five,” McDowell said. “We started fifth and traffic was a key part of carrying momentum and speed. Chris got through that early.”
McDowell and Overton opted for a different tire combination than Madden, but the leader never faltered.
“I don’t know if a caution would have helped us get closer or not,” McDowell said.
It was the first appearance for McDowell at BMS in 21 years.
“This competition level is unbelievable, so the least change here makes a huge difference,” McDowell said. “Hopefully, we got some good notes from tonight.”
Overton recovered from a No. 12 starting spot.
“Obviously, we finished way better than we started,” Overton said. “We just kind of dug ourselves in a hole with qualifying, and that’s kind of what the race came down to.
“Track position was a big deal and trying to get through traffic was tough. I just didn’t make enough right moves.”
For the opening ceremonies, the sky was overcast with a 48-degree temperature and 15 mph winds. By start of the main event over three hours later, the chilled fans were huddled against temps in the low 40s.
Madden said he was boosted by an extra dose of excitement Friday.
“It’s been that way all day,” Madden said. “My wife and kids got here just after the heat race, and my adrenaline was going harder than normal. I got a little nervous, and I usually don’t get that way. It turned out to be a good feeling.”
Entering the weekend, Madden was leading the World of Outlaws points standings but he said the conquest of Bristol had special meaning.
“There is a lot of prestige at this place,” Madden said. “To have your name on the board with all the guys that won here means a lot.
“The track was 2-3 lanes wide, and you could make passes. I don’t think you could have the race track any better. It was tremendously smooth.”
Local favorite Jensen Ford (Johnson City) finished in the No. 23 spot after his car was damaged in a first lap incident.
Devin Moran, Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, Tenn.) and Davenport advanced into the main event through the last-chance qualifier in the $2,500-to-start event.
Ricky Weiss set quick time in Super Late Model practice Thursday night at 15.179 mph.
“The track has changed a little bit since last year, but we were able to use our notes,” said Weiss, who finished sixth in the feature. “To be this early in the season and have such a big-paying event like this is huge.”
A total of 36 drivers participated in Thursday’s practice, with 26 of the cars separated by just one second. Dakotah Knuckles, from the far Southwest Virginia community of Ewing, started in the No. 8 spot and finished 18th.
To the dismay of local fans, famed engine builder and current Volunteer Speedway promoter Vic Hill from Morristown, Tennessee, was unable to advance into the feature after his car sustained a broken rear end in a heat race incident with young driver Ashton Winger.
Following a scuffle in the pits, Hill expressed his displeasure.
“You are at the start of a heat race for four big events, and you don’t even make it past the flag stand before crashing. Nobody is a winner in that, and I came out at the worst end of the deal,” Hill said. “I’m pretty hot at Ashton.
“He’s a talented guy, but I’ve seen him take out numerous people for really bad decisions behind the wheel. I don’t know when they will ever learn. [Winger] has got no respect for the talent around him, and that’s the biggest problem I’ve got with a lot of the younger generation drivers.”
Minnesota’s Brock Gronwold dominated en route to winning the 30-lap Sport Mod feature. The 27-car field included several drivers who have experience at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Virginia, including multi-time track champion Morgan Widener from Chilhowie who finished in the No. 16 spot.
The 30-lap Hobby Stock class featured a heavy dose of three-wide action. Iowa’s Eric Stanton emerged as the winner in the 27-car field, which featured a large contingent of drivers from the Midwest.
It was third win of the week for Stanton, who was making his initial visit to Tennessee.
“It was a long haul down here, but it was a pretty good week,” Stanton said. “We never thought we would get to race here, let alone run as good as we did.”
Action continues tonight with another $50,000-to-win Super Late Model feature.
agregory@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Greg_BHCSports | (276) 645-2544
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Chris Madden slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 1 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals. Madden won the heat.
Devin Moran slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 1 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Jimmy Owens slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 2 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals. Owens won the heat.
Ricky Weiss slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 3 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Jonathan Davenport watches a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Chris Madden watches a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Ricky Thornton Jr. sits on his car following a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Chris Ferguson sits in his car following a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Super Late Model driver Chris Ferguson gets out of his car following a heat race Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Jensen Ford (#83) and (#76) Brandon Overton battle for a spot during the Super Late Model Heat 4 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Chilhowie’s Morgan Widener finished 16th in the Sport Mod A Feature Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Brock Gronwold won the Sport Mod A Feature Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Chris Ferguson drives to the high side as Ricky Weiss gets airborn after going to low in turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 3 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
(L-R) Wil Herrington, Darrell Lanigan and Devin Moran slide through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 1 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Jonathan Davenport slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 1 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
Ricky Thornton Jr. slides through turn 2 during the Super Late Model Heat 2 Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals.
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