Ross Bailes opens up the 2023 Southen All Stars season in victory lane at Screven Motor Speedway holding off Kenny Collins. Steven Roberts Trent Ivey and Benji Hicks would round out the top 5 on the fast 3/8th mile track in Sylvania,GA.
Photo Credit - Southern All Stars Facebook
SCREVEN WINTER FREEZE
1) Bailes
2) Collins
3) Roberts
4) Ivey
5) Hicks
6) Gay
7) Cook
8) Nipper
9) Nuttall
10) Franklin
11) Henderson
12) Sharpe
13) Oliver
14) Putnam
15) McCoy
16) Brennan
17) Martin
18) Hanger
19) Roland
20) Williams
21) Boyd
Kenny Collins in the Coltman Farms Longhorn Chassis would take the fast time honors over the 22 car field. Heat races went to Ray Cook,Bailes,Steven Roberts,and Jordy Nipper. No B Mains were needed as all cars made it to the $10,000 50 lap event.
Bailes would take the lead from Cook at the initial start that was short lived as Caleb Gay would spin into the berm giving Cook another shot for a better start. Cook could not take advantage of a second chance as once again Ross would shoot out to the race lead with Cook and Nipper in tow behind the blue 79.
Lap 3 would see the yellow wave again in turn 4 for Ben Boyd as Ray Cook narrowly missing him as Boyd was sitting still sideways. Running order is Bailes Cook Nipper Roberts and Putnam.
Lap 9 would see the yellow bring the speed down once again as the top 5 remained the same running order. Christian Hanger would quickly bring out another caution as he was sitting still in turn 2.
The ensuing restart would see Bailes make a rare mistake and missed his marks into turn 2 almost knocking down the wall down ceding the lead to the veteran Ray Cook, Lap 11 would see fast qualifier, Kenny Collins , make his way into the top 5 digging that Longhorn on the bottom of the track as most of the cars were choosing to run the popular high line around the track.
Around the 20th lap Collins would make his way up to 3rd and then would reach his finishing spot of second just past the cross flags on lap 27. "The Little Head Knocker" Trent Ivey would make his way into the top 5 by lap 30 from his 12th starting spot when the yellow would make another appearance for the 6m of Parker Martin.
On the restart Ivey would leap into 3rd as Kenny Collins would apply heavy pressure for the lead but Bailes made a couple of nice moves in slower traffic to separate himself from any challenge that Collins had for him. Bailes would go onto victory lane in front of Collins,Roberts,Ivey,and Hicks. The series next race will be March 5th at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney,SC another track that Bailes runs well at as he will go for back to back wins.
Comments