Story by: Darby Fleenor/Contributor to RACE22.com

Newport Speedway(May 6, 2010) -- Junior Franks holds off a hard charging Brandon Rogers to take the checkers in the Late Model season opener at Newport Speedway Saturday evening.

The high humidity was making Saturday evening feel more like an August Summer day, but fortunately, the rain that had been predicted was nowhere to be seen. Twelve really fast Late Model Stock Cars were lined up on pit road to try and capture the first pole of the new season. Dylan Presnell accomplished the feat with a really quick lap time of 13.200 seconds, but with the Newport draw in full effect he ended up starting third.

The Mini Cup cars headed out onto the track to get things started off. It was a three car battle up front for the entire race with Mark Evans coming out on top. Billy Hyden finished second and Dustin Lay finished third. The second race of the evening was an awesome show courtesy of the Front Wheel Drive class. There were ten cars going at it in sometimes three wide action all over the track. When the checkers fell it was Greg Stephens getting the win followed by Cameron Gunter in second and Everette Craine "The Dirty Bird" in third.

The Newport Late Models as the Late Model Stock Cars are being called this season, rolled out onto the track for a 75-lap feature race that promised to be a shoot-out. With a bunch of well known veterans and some hot shoe young racers looking to make a name for themselves on the high banks at Newport Speedway in Newport, TN. The top three qualifiers were inverted by the draw so the staring order put veteran, Junior Franks on the pole with Darrell Williams second and Dylan Presnell, the top qualifier would gear up from third position.

At the drop of the green flag, J. Franks quickly jumped into the lead followed by Williams who found his way into the bottom groove and Presnell. On lap 6, Presnell was able to work his way around Williams for second and Dennis Queen followed through for third. Queen was coming in a hurry and he quickly pulled up to challenge Presnell for second and after several laps of side-by-side racing he was able to get the job done. The first caution waved on lap twelve and everyone got ready for the infamous double file restarts. By this time, Brandon Rogers had snuck into the battle up front and he was not afraid to restart on the outside. As the green fell it was Franks, Queen, Presnell and Rogers battling at the front of the field.

Franks put his car solidly out front, but Presnell was pressing Queen hard for the second position and this resulted in Queen spinning in turn two and another caution at lap 24. Queen was forced to restart in the rear and track officials sent Presnell back there to join him. Rogers took his machine to the outside to challenge J. Franks for the lead with Kaleb Pressley ready to make some noise and followed Rogers to the outside to restart next to Williams. When the green flag dropped, Franks quickly put his machine back out front. Blake Jones restarted fifth but wasted no time pressuring Darrell Williams for fourth and meanwhile back in the pack Queen and Presnell tried desperately to make their way back to the front.

By lap 32, Brandon Rogers has caught J. Franks and begins to press him wanting to take the lead with Pressley running third and rookie hot shoe Jones battling Williams for fourth. Franks is able to fend off the charge of Rogers for now but Rogers has bigger problems as Pressley is challenging him for second. Back a few positions, Queen and Presnell have been passing on the inside and the outside and are coming back to the front in a hurry.

Caution flies again on lap 51 with five cars involved as it appeared that Queen and Presnell got tangled up and collected Williams, Jones, Zach Franks and Pressley in the process. There was a lengthy caution to clear the track and clean up debris as Presnell, Williams, and Queen would be done for the evening. Everyone else was able to refire their machines and continue racing on.

The restart on lap 51 would have Franks still out front followed by Rogers, Mart Nesbitt, Wayne Webb and Jones. This set things up for a 24 lap dash to the checkered flag as Rogers takes the outside for the double file restart and was followed by Nesbitt. This left Webb on the inside behind J. Franks and the crowd was going wild as they knew this was going to be another exciting finish.

The green flag falls and J. Franks would not be denied as he put his machine back into the lead with Rogers following him closely as they came off of turn two. By lap 63, Jones had jumped into fourth as Franks and Rogers kept battling for the lead and you could feel sprinkles beginning to fall as this epic battle was unfolding. On lap 64 the fourth caution of the evening and on the restart, Franks gets an awesome restart, as he had all night and leads them off turn two with everyone racing side-by side behind him. By lap 68, Franks leads with the Rogers, Webb, Jones and Pressley closely following him. On lap 69, Jones begins to pressure Webb for third and Rogers battles Franks for the top position.

The white flag falls and Rogers is driving his machine as hard as it will go and he sticks his nose to the inside of Franks going into turn one, trying to make a pass for the win. Franks gives him room but there is enough grip in the second groove that Franks is able to maintain the lead off of turn two. Going into turn three, Rogers again tries the inside line, Franks again gives him room but hammers the throttle off of turn four and the two drivers drag race toward the checkered flag.

Franks beat Rogers to the flag by half a car length, but right behind them, Jones and Pressley are able to get by Webb, dropping Webb back to fifth at the finish. The crowd is on their feet cheering as the cars cross the line for the checkers as they've seen one of the great battles that the Newport, TN track provides time after time. This would be the end of racing action for night as Mother Nature took it's toll on the track right after victory lane ceremonies were complete for the Late Model Stock Cars. This weekend Newport Speedway will be back in action with the Super Late Models and the Newport Late Models(aka Late Model Stock Cars) as well as the other local divisions.

Results:
1 - Junior Franks #31
2 - Brandon Rogers #7
3 - Blake Jones #80
4 - Kaleb Pressley #54
5 - Wayne Webb #97
6 - Mart Nesbitt #1
7 - Zack Franks #1
8 - Jerry Williams Jr. #28
9 - Darrell Williams #41
10 - Dylan Presnell #83
11 - Dennis Queen #92
12 - Scottie Hicks #17