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Willard A Repeat Performer at Lanier

When the Southern All Star Series last visited Lanier National Speedway on May 26, Wayne Willard turned in the most dominating performance of the year, leading all 150 laps of the event. Saturday night in the Universal Chevrolet 150, Willard turned in another near flawless run, leading all but 43 of the 154 laps actually run.

Rain in the area forced series officials to forego Garrison Racing Equipment Pole Qualifying and line up by points. Ricky Turner, the current points leader, lined up on the pole with Ronnie Sanders on the outside. Turner, in his back up perimeter frame car after wrecking last week at Pensacola, got the jump on Sanders to take the initial lead. The front five of Turner, Sanders, David Hole, Willard, and Jason Hogan broke away from the pack within the first ten laps of the event. Willard moved quickly from his sixth starting spot into third by lap 15. He moved past Sanders for second on lap 21 and set out to run down Turner. In a power display, Willard took the outside groove to move around Turner on lap 44. Once past Turner, Willard moved out to a comfortable lead, however, several cautions kept closing the field to his bumper.

Sanders, Hogan, and Brian Smith were having a spirited battle for third with Smith and Sanders having contact on the front stretch allowing Hogan to take the position. A few laps later, the former Lanier National regular was looking inside of Turner for second. Lapped traffic and cautions foiled his attempts on a couple of occasions as the field headed to the competition caution. Meanwhile, Willard was cruising with a straight away advantage when the planned yellow flew on lap 100, leading Turner, Hogan, Sanders, and Hole.

After pitting for tires, fuel, and chassis adjustments, the drivers resumed their battle. Hogan finally got inside of Turner for second on lap 103. Also moving through the field was Jimmy Garmon who was eighth at the break, but had moved into fifth by lap 111.

With 25 laps to go, Willard led Hogan, Turner, Sanders, and Garmon, but that would change 10 laps later. Garmon had been looking for a way past Sanders for several laps. Coming out of turn four completing lap 135, Garmon got a good run and got his nose under Sanders. Going into turn one, the two got together, spinning both, and sending both to the pits with flat tires. Mike Langston and Jimmy Henderson, both enjoying their best All Star runs, moved into fifth and sixth.

Late cautions caused the race to be extended past the scheduled 150-lap distance. Even with the extra laps, though, Hogan could do nothing with Willard, who was able to pull away on each restart. After receiving the white flag, Langston and Henderson got together going into turn one battling for fifth place. Both spun, taking away All Star career best finishes.

Willard took a five car length victory over Hogan, Turner, Hole, and local driver Todd Vanderford. Sixth through tenth went to Robbie Brown, Russell Fleeman, Sanders, Garmon, and Dennis Schoenfeld.

Next Saturday, the series makes its first visit of 2001 to

Results

1. Wayne Willard
2. Jason Hogan
3. Ricky Turner
4. David Hole
5. Todd Vanderford
6. Robbie Brown
7. Russell Fleeman
8. Ronnie Sanders
9. Jimmy Garmon
10. Dennis Schoenfeld
11. Gary McCoy
12. Jimmy Henderson
13. Michael Britt
14. Mike Langston
15. Justin Smith
16. Bobby Fain
17. Ronny Kittle
18. Joe Click
19. Barry Larrimore Jr.
20. Terry McMahan
21. Lee Hansard
22. Brian Smith
23. Jeremy Rice
24. Linny Foster
25. Devon Voyles
DNS Shane Chastain