Submitted by Ted Austad
(Senoia, GA – July 29, 2018) Dorough Bright has been unstoppable since April in the Bomber division at Senoia Raceway. The 60-year-old Newnan businessman won his career best eighth straight feature on Saturday night after turning down an offer by track promoter Mayes Massey to start in the back. Massey offered Bright twice the winner’s purse if he would start in the back and win the race. Bright turned down the opportunity and led flag to flag starting on the pole.
“The fans wanted to see him start in the back,” said Massey. “But, the money did not entice him more than the winning streak. He has been tough to beat this season.”
A few other repeat winners carried the checkers on Saturday night including Alabama teenager Cruz Skinner. The 17-year-old hot shoe won the Crate Late Model feature notching his fourth win of the year at the tough Bull Ring. Macon’s Cory Compton returned to the winner’s circle for the second straight week in the Late Model Sportsman as did Hampton’s Mark Newton in the Mini Stock. Powder Springs Keith West continued his winning ways nabbing his seventh win this season in the Hobby. Two new faces in victory lane included Tyrone’s Jody Knowles in the Limited Late Models and Trey Chapman in the Hot Shots. McDonough’s Ted Minnix won the Charger feature.
Jody Knowles battled with Senoia’s Joey Armistead in early stages of the Limited Late Model race. Armistead was running his familiar path around the very top of the race track while Knowles was running the lowest line. Knowles moved up to the middle groove where he found the speed he needed to track down the current points leader Armistead.
On lap six, Knowles slid in front of Armistead and bolted to a second and a half lead securing his first win of the year at Senoia Raceway. LaGrange’s Dennis Hale ran third after a great race with Brooks’ Matt Dooley. Alabama’s Russ Ogletree rounded out the first five.
Cruz Skinner used the high side of the speedway to track down Douglasville’s ‘Racin’ Mason Massey in the Crate Late Model feature. Massey tried to move up the track to return the favor, but found his car was working it’s best on the bottom of the race track. Skinner would lead the rest of the way with Massey finishing in second just in front of a hard charging Chaz Haskins of Gray.
“It’s fun to see where a guy can his car to work at Senoia,” said track prep master Doug Stevens. “And sometimes it changes from week to week. The top was really fast last weekend and tonight the fastest groove looked to actually be in the middle of the track. Crazy.”
Great racing and many times three wide racing has become the norm at Senoia Raceway. That was evident most in the Late Model Sportsman main event. Former track champion, Jason Williams of Locust Grove had his hands full during the first few laps. Current points leader Cory Compton and defending points champion Keith Fields of Griffin were in an intense race for the lead with Williams. Only when Williams slipped up exiting turn two on lap six were the Compton, Fields duo able to slip by. Compton then kept Fields at a safe distance to snare the win. Williams maintained his spot in third while the ‘Whitesburg Warrior’ Blant Duke charged up through the field to grab fourth ahead of Franklin’s Tanner Collins in fifth.
The track welcomes the biggest vehicles of the season this Saturday, August 4th as Senoia Raceway presents Monster Mania 2018. Monster Trucks Gunslinger, War Wizard, Storm Damage, Hurricane Force and Full Boar 2.0 will compete in racing, a wheelie contest and freestyle. The event will also include a ‘Tournament of Destruction’ with a demoltion derby, outhouse race and Dukes of Hazzard jump contest. The kids can get involved with the fun by participating in the Kids Power Wheels Demo Derby as well and the weekly racecar drivers will put on a show with racing in the Crate Late Models and Late Model Sportsman planned.
The pits will open at 4pm this weekend with the grandstands opening at 5pm. Hot laps and qualifying will begin at 6:30pm with racing at 7:30pm.
For additional information, event schedule, ticket prices and more, visit the track website at www.senoiaraceway.com or call the speedway at 770.599.6161.
Official Results – Saturday, July 29, 2018
Limited Late Models (Feature): 1-Jody Knowles, Tyrone 2-Joey Armistead, Senoia 3-Dennis Hale, LaGrange 4-Matt Dooley, Brooks 5-Russ Ogletree, Phenix City, AL 6-Shane Fulcher, Thomaston 7-Thomas Mewborn, Greenville 8-Brand Lewis, Hamilton 9-Rucker Orr, Newnan 10-Corey Payton, Newnan 11-Bailey Williams, Fayetteville 12-Glenn Morris, Fayetteville 13-Jamie Carr, LaGrange Fast Qualifier: Armistead (16.381 seconds – 82.4 mph)
Crate Late Models (Feature): 1-Cruz Skinner, Oxford, AL 2-Mason Massey, Douglasville 3-Chaz Haskins, Gray 4-Marty Lunsford, Newnan 5-Marty Massey, Winston 6-Tina Johnson, Senoia 7-Dow Kirkland, Lake Spivey 8-Josh Copeland, McDonough 9-Jamie Maurice, McDonough 10-Wayne Harbin, Sharpsburg 11-Matthew Wyatt, Eastonolee 12-Chase Baker, LaGrange 13-Mike Abercrombie, Jackson 14-Parker Herring, Toccoa 15-Adam Smith, Carnesville Fast Qualifier: Mason Massey (16.511 seconds – 81.7 mph)
Late Model Sportsman (Feature): 1-Cory Compton, Macon 2-Keith Fields, Griffin 3-Jason Williams, Locust Grove 4-Blant Duke, Whitesburg 5-Tanner Collins, Franklin 6-Billy Stevenson, Locust Grove 7-Chris Steele, Franklin 8-Justin Sims, Jefferson 9-Johnny Stinchcomb, Newnan 10-Jamie Nicholson, Jr., Locust Grove 11-Morgan Alexander, Locust Grove Fast Qualifier: Compton (16.339 seconds – 82.6 mph)
Hobby (Feature): 1-Keith West, Powder Springs 2-Tim Harmon, Conyers 3-Landon DeGraff, Barnesville 4-Ted Willingham, McDonough 5-Ben Wells, Milner 6-Shane Tidwell, Whitesburg 7-Josh Pitt, Stockbridge 8-Larry Bednar, Locust Grove 9-Griffin Alexander, Locust Grove 10-Michael Couch, Senoia 11-Brandon Jones, Newnan DNS: Rocky Johnson, Newnan Fast Qualifier: West (17.361 seconds – 77.8 mph)
Bomber (Feature): 1-Dorough Bright, Newnan 2-Curtis Turner, Brooks 3-Mike Nelms, Newnan 4-Michael Thomas, Whitesburg 5-John Holder, Milner 6-George Purgason, Hogasnville 7-Ben Carswell 8-Larry Pierce, Griffin 9-Scott Amoson, Newnan Fast Qualifier: Bright (17.925 seconds – 75.3 mph)
Mini (Feature): 1-Mark Newton, Hampton 2-Russell Teal, Ranburne, AL 3-Grant Roberts, Good Hope 4-Jamie Nicholson, Sr., Locust Grove 5-Gary Parker, Barnesville 6-Tommy Faulkner, Newnan 7-Rocky Johnson, Carrollton 8-Bo Chambers, Griffin DNS: Joshua Till, McDonough Fast Qualifier: Newton (18.098 seconds – 74.6 mph)
Hot Shot (Feature): 1-Trey Chapman 2-Brian Wallace, Carrollton 3-Mark Meyer, Elijay 4-Cale Burford, Milner 5-Stacey Henderson, Senoia 6-Eddie Segars 7-Cory Green 8-Mike Roberson
Chargers (Feature): 1-Ted Minnix, McDonough 2-Jason Turner, McDonough 3-Cole Compton, Macon 4-Jeff Robinson, Hampton 5-Shane Payton, Newnan 6-Dave McWilliams, Brooks 7-Randy Cornwell, Fayetteville 8-Richard Dale, Winston 9-Chad Atha, Loganville 10-Shannon Stephens, Franklin 11-Kayla Boswell, Winston 12-Colby Graves, Covington 13-Kelly Donnell
