A New
Era for Smoky Mountain Speedway Begins in 2023!
(November
1, 2022) Smoky Mountain Speedway will start a new chapter
for its 59th season of racing in 2023. The track will be converted
to a 3/8-mile speedway when the season tips off in March. Smoky
Mountain Speedway owner Roger Sellers decided to shorten the track,
in an effort to provide better racing and bring in more divisions
for the upcoming seasons. The current configuration of just over
4/10-mile will be changed to a 3/8-mile configuration with progressive
banking. Aside from the progressive banking, the size and layout
will be similar to Magnolia Motor Speedway in Mississippi.
“It’s something I’ve been thinking about since
I took over as sole owner a few years ago,” Sellers said.
“Being a car owner, I’ve traveled all across the country
and have seen racing on tracks of all shapes and sizes. What I
have noticed is tracks around 3/8-mile in size usually have the
best racing.”
“I know a lot of people have said the track surface should
be better before we shorten the track. I understand that. We are
going to address that as well. We ask people to be patient as
we progress.”
“The cars today are so aero dependent, it’s hard
to get good racing on a bigger track these days. Plus, we’d
like to get the open wheels and street stocks to come back and
race with us. The track size is one thing those guys have complained
about the most when they would come here.”
The
existing banking for turns 3 and 4 will be taken down and most
of that will be used to build the new turns. By reconfiguring
the track, this will be the track’s fourth configuration.
The original layout was a ½-mile dirt track when the speedway
opened in 1964. The track became a ½-mile asphalt track
in 1967, then returned to a ½-mile dirt track in 1978.
The track was shortened to its most recent configuration in the
late 80’s when turns 1 and 2 were brought in to their current
location.
Work on the new layout should be completed over the next couple
of weeks. Additional work is to take place on the track. “We’re
going to put down some fresh clay over the whole track,”
Sellers added. “The track itself is in need of it and we
may have an open practice to let drivers try it out and give us
some feedback. We know we’ll have to do some tweaking before
we start racing next year.” Though the 2023 race schedule
has not been announced, the new layout for Smoky Mountain Speedway
will debut the first weekend of March with the annual Tennessee
Tip-Off event.
Michael
Brown Outdeuls Jeremy Steele for Brick Mill Bash Win
(October
8, 2022) Smoky Mountain Speedway capped off the 2022
season with the Brick Mill Bash featuring the American Pro Late
Models, Red Clay 602 Series, and the Enduro cars. The night produced
three first time winners. (MRM
Racing Photo)
Michael Brown took home the $10,000 prize by winning the American
Pro Late Models feature. Sixty cars signed in for the race. Jeremy
Steele and Brown started the race from the front row. Steele grabbed
the early lead over Brown. Once the two leaders caught the back
of the field, Brown seized the opportunity to take the lead from
Steele. Both drivers swapped the lead several times before Brown
retook the lead with a few laps to go. Ricky Weiss had ran down
the lead duo and got by Steele for second. Weiss pulled alongside
Brown on the final lap, but could not pull off the pass as Brown
held on for the win. Mack McCarter took home fourth and new series
champion Hayden Cardwell came from last to finish in 5th.
The Red Clay 602 Series saw 30 cars sign in for the $5,000 to
win race. Booger Brooks not only clinched the championship, but
also lead all 30 laps to get the win. While Brooks was unchallenged
for most of the race, the action was fierce from second through
fifth. Jake Geene, Brad Seagle, David Smith, and Blake Craft spent
most of the 30 laps trading those positions. Craft got by Green
and Seagle in the closing laps to finish second. Green, Seagle,
and Smith rounded out the top 5.
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Owens
Holds Off Challengers for Smoky Mountain Showdown Win!
(September
2, 2022) Jimmy Owens has been tough to be in World of
Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series competition at Smoky
Mountain Speedway. He held off some late challenges in a return
trip to victory lane. (MRM
Racing Photo)
Owens started the 40-lap race from the pole position by virtue
of the redraw for the first 3 rows. Chris Ferguson would start
alongside on the outside pole. As the race went green, Owens wasted
no time in taking the lead. Shane Clanton battled Ferguson for
second and would take the spot going down the backstretch.
Following a caution on lap 2, the battle for second through fifth
continued as Clanton held off Ferguson to maintain second while
Hudson O’Neal and Cory Hedgecock battled for fourth. O’Neal
would take third, then track down Ferguson in a battle for third.
O’Neal would take third a few laps later and Hedgecock tried
to take fourth from Ferguson. |
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Chris
Madden Masterful in Mountain Moonshine Classic!
(June
18, 2022) Chris Madden survived a late-race scare en
route a $50,000 victory on Saturday night in the Lucas Oil Late
Model Dirt Series-sanctioned, Mountain Moonshine Classic Presented
by Lazydays RV.
Madden made heavy contact with the fourth turn wall which allowed
Jonathan Davenport to close the gap heading into the final lap.
However, Madden held on for the win despite severe damage to the
right rear of his No. 44 entry - crossing the finish line .355
seconds ahead of the three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
National Champion. Brandon Overton took third at the stripe with
Ricky Thornton Jr. and Mike Marlar rounding out the top-five finishers.
(MRM
Racing Photo)
Madden bolted from the pole position to grab the lead at the start
of the 60-lap event. Davenport moved around Carson Ferguson on
the second lap to take over the second position. Madden then began
to put some distance between himself and the other contenders
in lapped traffic. With 22 laps complete Davenport started to
gain on Madden as he fought heavier lapped traffic before the
second caution of the race flew just one lap later.
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Madden,
Owens Pick Up Wins on Preliminary Night
(June
17, 2022) The annual Mountain Moonshine Classic kicked
off Friday with a pair of feature winners.
Chris Madden won the first 30-lap feature. Madden used the outside
line to his advantage to grab the early lead from pole sitter
Mike Marlar. Madden never looked back and Marlar stayed firmly
in control of second place. There was intense action from third
on back through most of the race. Dale McDowell came from sixth
starting spot to take third. Brandon Overton overcame a poor qualifying
effort to finish fourth and Earl Pearson came from 10th to finish
fifth. (MRM
Racing Photo)
The second 30-lap feature saw Jimmy Owens hold
off charges from Jonathan Davenport and Carson Ferguson to win
the second A-main. Both Davenport and Ferguson took turns challenging
Owens for the lead. As Owens held off those challenges, Davenport
and Ferguson kept swapping second place. Davenport finally fought
back Ferguson to finish in second. Ferguson was third with Vic
Hill coming from 9th to finish fourth and Zack Mitchell finishing
fifth. |
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Ogle,
Duggan, Rogers, Chapman, & Reed are '22 HOF Inductees
(June 7, 2022)
The five newest inductees to the Smoky Mountain Speedway have
been named for 2022. Billy Ogle Jr., Patrick Duggan, Rick Rogers,
Barney Chapman, and Bill Reed are the newest inductees that will
be inducted later this season at a date to be announced. Billy
Ogle Jr. has many accomplishments that make him an obvious choice
for the Hall of Fame. Ogle won 14 track championships at Atomic
Speedway, Tazewell Speedway, and Wartburg Speedway. Ogle also
won the Tennessee Thunder DirtCar championship in 2009 and the
Southern All-Stars title in 2011. He was also the 2002 UDTRA Rookie
of the Year and won feature races in the Hav-a-Tampa Dirt Racing
Series, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, and World of Outlaws
Series.
Patrick Duggan also has won track championships at Atomic Speedway.
The Lenoir City, Tennessee driver won nearly 200 features across
several divisions and has 3 Southern All-Stars wins to his credit,
including a $10,000 to win race at Atomic Speedway. Duggan was
well on his way to being one of the area’s top drivers of
his generation until a rare illness all but sidelined him following
the 2005 season.
Rick Rogers, son of hall of famer Buddy Rogers, had his own storied
racing career. Rogers won numerous feature races at Atomic Speedway,
Tazewell Speedway, Volunteer Speedway, and other area tracks.
The pinnacle of his racing career was winning the 2008 Tennessee
Thunder DirtCar championship.
Barney Chapman has been a fixture in racing in East Tennessee
for over five decades. Chapman was a driver winning a number of
races across the area. He also competed in the 1977 ARCA race
at Daytona. Chapman has been a successful car owner and has helped
many drivers through the years.
Bill Reed has worn many hats in east Tennessee dirt racing. Reed
raced for many years on both a local and regional level. During
that time, Reed scored many wins and track championships. After
his driving days, Reed became a car owner and fielded the car
for Billy Ogle Jr. that won the 2002 UDTRA Rookie of the Year.
Reed also served as a track official and other duties at Atomic
Speedway and Smoky Mountain Speedway. Reed started Dirt Racing
Outreach, a ministry dedicated to reaching dirt racers and fans
across the country.
The date of the induction ceremony will be announced soon. Once
the date has been announced, all new inductees will receive a
letter with all the information about their selection and the
ceremony.
Skip Arp
and Justin Smith Take $3,000 Mayhem Wins
(May
28, 2022) Smoky Mountain Speedway held the 4th annual
Memorial Day weekend event featuring the American All-Stars Series
and the Topless Outlaw Late Model Series. Justin Smith was the
surprise winner of the American All-Stars 40-lap race. Surprising
because Smith had failed to make the field for his previous AASS
attempts. The Kentucky driver served notice early he was the man
to beat. After pacing the field in hot laps, Smith backed it up
by setting fast time among the 22 entrants. Smith won the fast
car dash to win the pole for the race. (MRM
Racing Photo)
Smith wasted no time in jumping to the lead as the green flag
waved over the field. Rusty Ballenger and Matt Henderson battled
for second. Following a quick caution at the end of lap 1, the
battle for second resumed between Ballenger and Henderson. As
Trevor Sise held the fourth spot, Zach Sise and Brandon Miller
spent a number of laps racing for fifth. Henderson grabbed second
from Ballenger just before another caution waved on lap 6. Henderson
had no luck in challenging Smith once the race resumed.
Another caution came out on lap 17. On the restart, Henderson
was able to pull beside Smith for the lead. Henderson was unable
to take the lead, but stalked Smith for several laps before Smith
pulled away once again. As the laps wound down, Trevor Sise took
second from Henderson. A few laps later, brother Zach Sise also
passed Henderson to love up to third place. Smith easily wins
the race as the Sise brothers finished second and third.
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story
Camaron
Marlar Collects First Southern All-Stars Victory
(April
23, 2022) Camaron Marlar led all 40 laps to win his first
Southern All-Stars race Saturday night. Marlar got a tremendous
start when the green flag waved to start the race. Marlar quickly
got out to a sizeable lead over pole sitter Vic Hill. Hill and
Eli Beets battled for second which allowed Marlar to extend his
lead to well over one second. Most of the action was between Hill,
Beets, Garrett Smith, and Jensen Ford. That foursome raced hard
in an effort to take second place. Beets finally took second as
Hill had to fight off Ford and Smith. Smith grabbed third and
ran down Beets. Smith would take the spot and brought Ford with
him who took third from Beets. Meanwhile, Hill continued to fade
as Dakotah Knuckles took over fifth. (MRM
Racing Photo)
Marlar masterfully negotiated traffic to comfortably win in a
caution-free affair.
Southern All-Stars Feature: 1. 99-Camaron Marlar[2]; 2. 10-Garrett
Smith[7]; 3. 83-Jensen Ford[4]; 4. 109-Eli Beets[3]; 5. 21K-Dakotah
Knuckles[5]; 6. 1-Vic Hill[1]; 7. 3N-Austin Neely[11]; 8. 18-Matt
Dooley[12]; 9. 116-Cameron Weaver[9]; 10. 21M-Robby Moses[14];
11. 23-John Blankenship[8]; 12. 17-Billy Franklin[18]; 13. 9-Jason
Croft[13]; 14. 9C-Dusty Carver[19]; 15. 6-Josh Sneed[21]; 16.
14-Terry Wolfenbarger[16]; 17. 7G-Craig Greer[25]; 18. 3D-Dakota
Smith[22]; 19. (DNF) 97-Michael Chilton[6]; 20. (DNF) 90J-Jason
Trammell[17]; 21. (DNF) 21-Shay Miller[15]; 22. (DNF) 47-Tim Rucker[20];
23. (DNF) C5-David Crabtree[10]; 24. (DNS) 49-James Kelso; 25.
(DNS) 3-Steve Smith | full
story
Brandon
Overton Dominant in $12,000 Tennessee Tipoff Victory
(March
5, 2022) Brandon Overton had the field covered in winning
the 9th annual Tennessee Tipoff. The co-sanctioned race between
the Valvoline Iron Man Late Model Series and the Ultimate Super
Late Model Series saw 37 cars sign in trying to the win the $12,000
first place money. But it was Overton’s night for the big
money. (MRM
Racing Photo)
Cameron Marlar was the pole sitter for the race and led the first
11 laps of the race. Overton got underneath Marlar to take the
lead. Several laps later, Tim McCreadie and Mike Marlar both passed
the younger Marlar to take over second and third respectively.
The first 51 laps of the 60-lap race went caution free as Overton
lapped up to 10th place. A lap 51 caution bunched of the field
and gave McCreadie and Marlar a crack at the lead. When the green
flag waved over the field, Marlar used his low line to dive underneath
Overton. But Overton was too strong on the outside and cruised
to the win. Marlar held on for second and McCreadie finished third.
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