Saturday, June 20, 2009

Boyd's 6/19: RJ Wins again

story by: Steve Hixson pics by: Laura Olmstrom (www.actionshotsetc.com) Chattanooga, TN / Ringgold, GA (6/19/09) – Proverbial Round #2 of the battle between Ronnie Johnson and Mike Price took place Friday night at BOYD’s SPEEDWAY on the Tennessee/Georgia state-line. The CHATTANOOGA FLASH did what was expected and raced from his 4th place starting position in the 25-lap Steel-Head Late Model feature to victory passing not only Rick Hixson but battling it out with Mike Price, with whom he recently lost a race (by mere inches), for the $1,000 payday. Johnson’s new team-mate William Thomas with a “Austin Trucking, Miller Bros. Coal, American Billett, AFCO Racing Products, VP Racing Fuel, Kinser Air Filters” MastersBilt / Race Engine Design Crate motored (Johnson’s Steel-Head motor is Vinson Race Engines) powered racecar took the 20-lap Crate feature and seems to be enjoying his Chattanooga home-away from home and the Boyd’s track. Heat races topped the order of action early Friday as 15-Steel-Heads and 17-Crate’s signed in on the sweltering afternoon. Price held off Mark Rosner in heat # 1 for the Steel-Head LM’s with Hixson keeping RJ at bay for the outside FRONT ROW JOE honors of the feature. With Johnson battling off Hixson at the start of the feature, Price had his hands full of the track favorite by lap 5. Swapping the lead for the next three circuits RJ took command with the winning pass on lap 8. Price wasn’t so lucky to hold on, rearing a late caution. Hixson had no problem holding off Greg Husky, while the ROZ handled 4th place. Andy Miller got his second Top 5 appearance of the season at BOYD’s with his 5th place finish. Starting from the outside pole Thomas, in one of RJ’s chassis’ held off former ICE BOWL champ Bobby Mayse early and held-off Jeff Smith and a hard chargin Jerry Coffman at the end of the Crate LM feature. Finishing just behind Mayse was current Crate points leader James Gamble in 5th. In other Racing Action: Arva BOOGER Brooks kept the petal to the metal in the A-Hobby division holding off Larry Higgins and Tod Hernandez single-handedly. Scott Boyd and Dustin Cansler rounded out the Top 5 in the 15-lapper. SWEET Lee Hogan dominated the B-Hobby by half-a-track… Where’s VEGA and the BIG SHOW when we need them? Alvin Sewell, Brandon Francis, fan favorite Tim Totherow and Adam Earwood finished 2nd thru 5th. BADD Brad Pressley (not related to MY NAME IS EARL star Jaime Pressley) of Knoxville debuted BOYD’s SPEEDWAY and took the Pony feature. Jordan Rodabaugh, Ralph Langston, Corey Green and fellow K-TOWN CLAN member Allen Holloway all chased Pressley to the checkers. And in the FWD division the K88-fraction took dominance over a HUGE field. Michael Arp was again victorious and continues to pad his points lead. Billy Bailey, Joe Cross, Matt Patton and Steve Boyd rounded out the Top 5 on the final race of the evening. Next Friday as the TN THUNDER series invades for the SHRINERS RACE, the Crate LM’s, A-Hobby and FWD will be on the undercard. For more info. and pics visit www.boydsspeedway.c

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