Nashville, TN (Saturday, June 12, 2021) – On a steamy Saturday night in Music City, the Modifieds of Mayhem Tour came to Nashville for their one and only time this season to contest a 50 lap race around the historic Speedway. Nearly 20 cars rolled to the track to take the green, but only one had mastered the track enough to take home the dominating win.
After setting fast time earlier in the night with a 19.635, Bill Burba drew the number two to start on the outside of the front row with Johnny Brazier on the inside. By the backstretch to entire story of the race for the win had been told, unknowingly to the rest of the field. Once Burba got to the lead, he hardly faced a challenge for the top spot throughout the entire event. The first shot for someone to make a run at Burba came on lap 20 when the first caution of the race was displayed.
The air cleaner assembly on third place running Augie Grill’s number 112 flew apart entering turn one, drawing the caution. Grill elected to stay on the track, restarting on the inside of the second row, but couldn’t find a way to challenge Burba, who restarted on the outside of row one. The other driver with a shot at the lead was Ricky Moxley in the 38, but not even he could pull alongside Burba for the lead.
The field got one final chance to take a shot at Burba when the caution flew for the second time as Burba was coming to the white flag. Jordan Key had kissed the outside wall in turn two coming to a stop, forcing officials to throw the yellow. Burba again rocketed away from the field on the restart, but the top five was all shook up at the finish. Burba collected the win ahead of William Skaggs, Moxley, Grill, and Cody Stickler.
The other event held on the big track featured the Big Machine Vodka Spike Coolers Super Trucks. A small, yet exciting field of trucks uploaded at the speedway, and redemption was in the air. Tanner Arms, who just two weeks earlier had all but totaled his truck in a last lap crash on the backstretch, found a way to win Saturday night.
May 29th Feature winner, Frank Bauer started on the pole and lead the first 13 rotations, but on lap 14, 2019 Track Champion, John Burns captured the top spot. That was short lived, though, as Arms wasted no time in getting around Burns. At the halfway point, Arms was the leader and would stay that way through the end of the race. A big moment nearly changed everything though as the race drew to a close. Burns was attempting to retake the lead under Arms in turns three and four, when his 87 machine got loose and washed up the track. Burns gathered it up, but not before getting into Arms. Both drivers gathered their trucks up and went on to finish as they ran. Arms picked up the win over Burns, Bauer, Jeremy Burns, and Howard Tucker.
The closer for the quarter-mile, the Limited Late Models featured a complete turn around from the May 29th event. Clicking off 30 green flag laps, Jonathan Dishman and Allen Carter went to work on each other over the course of the race. Dishman jumped out and led the first 11 laps before Carter took his turn at the front. The pair swapped the lead multiple times over a five lap period, before Carter finally settled into the top spot on lap 18. He led the next 12 rotations en route to the win. Dishman, Dwayne Hudson, Jeff Templeton and Jim Jordan followed Carter across the line.
Prior to the Limited Late Models, the Pure Stocks also went caution free for their 25 lap contest. Justin Dickens started on the pole and lead the first lap, before Phillip McCord took the top spot. McCord’s reign at the helm was short lived, with Dylan Jones going to the point on lap five and leading the next 20 laps for the win. McCord was second, Robert Forsythe third, Dickens fourth, and John Bradley rounded out the top five.
The BH Holmes Construction Legends brought nearly 30 cars to the property Saturday night, all racing for a chance at 20 starting spots. James Gresham and Colby Hixson raced their way into the show through a B-Main to complete the field. Oliver Cordell and Travis Oliver brought the field to the green flag. Cordell took credit for the lead on lap one, but Hunter Wright took over on the next lap and held on the remainder of the event. Wright survived multiple restarts and was in the lead when the race was called on lap 19 as another caution flew as the time limit had expired.
Street Stocks returned to the schedule Saturday night and did not disappoint. Larry Cunningham brought the field to the green flag and led the first 16 laps. Then, 6th starting Carl Porter, Jr made his presence known, taking the lead on lap 17 and going the next eight laps at the point to pick up the win. Billy Shaffer, who started in the third row with Porter, finished second, Travis Arms third, Stephen Moody fourth, and Michael Neidert rounded out the top five.
It was an exciting night of racing for the Pest Doctor Front Runners. Ray Gann led the opening lap before Matt Hamlett worked his way to the lead. Hamlett could only pace the field for a few laps before Jesse Litchford took over the top spot and went on to collect the win over Tony Gann, Charlie Hamlett, M. Hamlett, and Steven Dalton.
The first feature win of the night went to defending Dye Hard Hair Salon Bandoleros Champion, Aiden Potter. Potter led all 15 laps of his feature to collect the win over Gavon Veach, Hunter Taylor, Landon Thrasher, and Courtney Curran.
The next event at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway is the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX Racing) and JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Masters of the Pros 150 on Saturday, July 17th. Tickets are going fast, but are still available online at www.NashvilleFairgroundsSpeedway.Racing. Follow Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on Facebook and Instagram, and on Twitter @RaceFairgrounds.
Story – Zach Hiser, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
Photo – Paradigm Racing