Modified South Series

Davis Survives Battle to Win NCRA Mod Feature at Elk City

By David Smith, Jr.

Photo by Tanyas Photography

Elk City, Oklahoma (June 11, 2010) - Chad Davis of Tulsa, Oklahoma became the fourth different feature winners in as many events as he retook the lead just past the halfway point to win his first ever O'Reilly/NCRA modified south feature finale Friday night at Elk City's I-40 Speedway in Elk City, Oklahoma.

Davis, who came into the night fourth in the series point standings, started on the pole for the thirty lap feature and quickly took the lead as the green flag fell. Dusty Robbins, who had won the last series feature held at the track back in March, quickly moved into the runner up position followed by Amarillo, Texas driver Alan Sharpensteen, Dee Gossett and John Webb.

Sharpensteen wasted little time getting to the front as he passed Robbins on lap two and quickly reeled in Davis. It was Davis down low and Sharpensteen up high as both drivers battled for the top spot before Sharpensteen began making his move aboard the SRP Racing Products sponsored SRP chassis, driving underneath Davis coming out of turn four to take the lead on lap five.

Sharpensteen quickly opened a ten car length advantage before the first caution of the race fell on lap seven when a Neal Debord and Nick Henson got together in turns three and four. The attempted restart wasn't much better as Jeremy Gossett and Colt Goodman tangled in turns one and two.

Things went much better on the restart with Sharpensteen jumping out from the rest of the field but behind him the battle for the runner up position waged with Davis continuing to work the low side of the track while Robbins used the cushion around the three-eighths mile oval.

Sharpensteen would continue out front but his once ten car length lead would evaporate near the races midway point as Davis began to make his move. On lap seventeen, Davis started working the bottom to perfection as his J&J Racing/Maxwell Oil/M&M Graphics sponsored BMS Racing Engines powered Race Craft Chassis retook the lead coming out of turn four.

Davis had begun to open a comfortable ten car length lead before the caution would fall once again on lap eighteen when Thomas Tillison, Jr. and Mark Brill got together in turn two. The attempted restart saw problems as well as Casey McClaskey came to a stop at the top of turn four.

On the final restart Sharpensteen pressured Davis but couldn't make the move stick and after another attempt with ten laps to go to take the lead failed, Davis would power away to become the eighth different feature winner in the nine events held in the series young history by a half straightaway over Sharpensteen.

"I had the car setup to get faster towards the end of the race," explained Davis. "I knew those guys were going to try me on the outside so I just made the race track wide and it all worked out."

Current series points leader Mickey Lassiter of Piedmont, Oklahoma earning hard charger of the race, coming from his twelfth starting position to finish third. Robbins held on for fourth while defending series champion Gene Weaver of Amarillo rounded out the top five.

Gossett, Davis, Robbins, Sharpensteen and Webb won the five, eight lap heat races while McClaskey and Lassiter won the two, twelve lap "B" features.

I-40 Speedway - Elk City, Oklahoma - June 11, 2010