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Day returns home for Kingsport Late Model victory

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (Aug. 23) – Wade Day of Blountville, a 14-race winner last year and the defending track and 2000 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Blue Ridge Regional champion, made a triumphant return home to Galaxy Kingsport Speedway Thursday night. Day, who has been competing full-time this season at New River Valley Speedway, grabbed the lead on lap 29 of the 75-lap "Shoney’s" Late Model Stock Car feature from Michael Chaney, then cruised to almost a full-straightaway margin of victory over Kres VanDyke.

Wade Day

Earlier in the evening, Day blistered the 3/8-mile concrete oval in LMSC qualifying to set a new track record. Day, who was the current track record holder with a time of 15:315-seconds, which was set on Sept. 30 of last year in time trials for the Top Dawg 200, lowered the new mark to 15:260-seconds.

With a roll of "six" on the inversion dice, Mark Ketron and Reece Milton led the 17-car field to the green flag from the front row. Ketron launched into the lead racing into the first turn, while behind him Milton and current track points leader Wade Lopez were running side-by-side for second place. Chaney and VanDyke completed the top five in the running order back around to the stripe to complete the opening lap. The event’s first caution waved on lap 2, when the third-running Milton got into turn one too hard and spun.

The top five on the restart were Ketron, Lopez, Chaney, VanDyke and Day. Chaney immediately began applying pressure on Lopez for the runner-up spot and, on lap 4 racing off (turn) two he grabbed the position, while Day was also on the move taking fourth place from VanDyke.

Quickly closing on Ketron’s rear bumper, Chaney dropped to the bottom of the track in turn three on lap 6 to take the lead from Ketron. With the 19-year-old Chaney, who leaves next week for his sophomore year in college at Virginia Tech riding on the point, Day pulled alongside Ketron racing into the first turn on lap 11 to move into second place, setting his sights on the race leader.

With Chaney never missing a beat while holding a four- to five car-length advantage over Day, the distance never closed until misfortune struck Chaney on lap 29. Entering turn one he lost the brakes on his mount and drifted high up the track, allowing Day to drive by for a lead he would never relinquish. Chaney slowly coasted around the track and made his way into the pits ending his night.

With Day in command out front, followed by Ketron in the second spot, VanDyke made his move on Lopez on lap 45 entering the first turn to move into third place. On the same lap, Day’s teammate Matt Wolfe passed Adam Dean to crack the top five in the running order.

Wolfe, a three-time winner last year at GKS, knocked off Lopez in turn two to take over fourth place on lap 51. After sneaking a peek under Ketron’s left-rear quarter panel for a couple of laps trying to move into second place, action heated up on lap 58 in turn two when VanDyke made slight contact to send Ketron spinning on the backstretch. During the ensuing caution period, Ketron pulled alongside VanDyke to show his displeasure over the move then parked his ride in the pits for the night.

Over the remaining distance, Day, driving the Smith Wholesale/Aeronautical Accessories/Courtesy Chevrolet/Alexander Construction/Race-Scan Communications/Master America/Joey Robinson Race Engines/Townsend Race Cars/Wolfe Motorsports No. 96 Monte Carlo, stretched his race-winning margin to almost a full straightaway over VanDyke, Wolfe, Lopez and Tommy Spangler. Completing the top 10 finishers were Jeff Berry, Milton, Dean, Wayne Hale and R.J. Stanley.

"Yeah, it sure feels great to be back at Kingsport Speedway – and winning makes it even better," said Day after climbing from his car in Victory Lane after thrilling the crowd with doughnuts and burnouts on the front straightaway. "Maybe we got a little carried away doing our John Force burnout imitation, but with all of the success we had here the last couple of years – winning races and the track championship, this place is very special to me. It always will be, because it’s where I got my start in racing when the late Jim Wolfe had enough confidence in my ability to let me drive one of his racecar’s.

"Yeah, I must admit that I was really pumped coming in here tonight for the first time to race this season. This concrete is still kind of tricky to get around, but I don’t guess we’ve forgotten all we learned on setting our car up here. And man, I must admit we were kind of surprised in lowering our track qualifying record. With Matt (Wolfe) finishing a strong third, we almost pulled off a one-two Wolfe Motorsports sweep."

"SHONEY’S" NASCAR LATE MODEL STOCK CAR (75-laps)

  1. Wade Day #96-Blountville,TN
  2. Kres VanDyke #15-Abingdon, VA
  3. Matt Wolfe #99-Johnson City, TN
  4. Wade Lopez #83-Abingdon, VA
  5. Tommy Spangler #82-Bristol, TN
  6. Jeff Berry #61-Kingsport, TN
  7. Reece Milton #16-Blountville, TN
  8. Adam Dean #81-Bristol, VA
  9. Wayne Hale #19-Piney Flats, TN
 10. R.J. Stanley #18-Bristol, TN
 11. Bill Garrett #4-Johnson City, TN
 12. Clyde Jones #7-Kingsport, TN
 13. Bill Lane #14-Kingsport, TN
 14. Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN
 15. Mark Ketron #26-Kingsport, TN
 16. Michael Chaney #24-Abingdon, VA
 17. Kelly Glass #31-Jonesborough, TN