McCall Wins TCMS Finale

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Ransone Dominates, McCall Wins TCMS

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Story By: Corey Latham

Hudson, NC ~ The 2008 season has come to a close at Tri-County Motor Speedway, Andy Loden won the war and the championship last week, but this week Matt McCall won the battle. McCall looked to be outmatched most of the race, but it was all a cat and mouse game, and with a driver as talented as Matt, we should have seen it coming.

A hefty field of 23 Late-Models took the green Friday night, with a few UARA regulars sprinkled in. The UARA series runs at the speedway next Friday the 29th, and point leader Jake Crum, Clay Greenfield and Garrett Campbell all came to tune their cars for the following week. They learned

photo by: Langley Austin/Star City Racing News
Matt McCall(left) shares a photo opportunity with Tom Pistone of Performancenter Racing Warehouse, builders of the all new 2009 Pistone LTO Chassis that McCall piloted to the big win.

that it was going to take some work, as they struggled badly, with Greenfield being the only bright spot coming home a respectable 11th. Crum and Campbell threw everything but the kitchen sink at their cars, but with 2 long practices next week they should have the time they need to get their rides "race ready".

McCall blistered the field to take the pole, but after a inversion, journeyman Late-Model and Hooters Pro Cup driver Lucas Ransone sat on the outside of the front row with Tri-County regular RA Brown getting the pole starting position. McCall would roll off 3rd, followed by track champion Andy Loden, Greenfield, Jesse LeFevers, Lee Tissot, Jake Crum, Grant Wimbish and Motor Mile Speedway regular, Ryan Truex completing the top 10.

The field gets the green and Ransone goes to the point, a place where he would be comfortably in

RA Brown(60) and 2008 Tri-County Motor Speedway champion, Andy Loden(29) battled during the early laps of the Cars Plus 100 and continued to battle all race long.

for most of the night. Instantly Andy Loden makes good on his nickname and goes to the "highside" and around R.A. Brown for 2nd, Brown would take the spot back 2 laps later, and behind them Crum and LeFevers are arguing over 5th place. And this is before lap 5, an indication of what was in store the rest of the evening.

McCall fell back at the start, but after he got his #23 ride going, he was headed to the front. He makes his way up to second on lap 12 and the rest of the night the battle would be for 3rd on

Ryan Truex(56), JR Allen(01) and Todd Goble(42) were a part of a huge pack of cars that also included David Latour, Jr. and Toby Parese that did a lot of racing during the full 100 lap event.

back. Loden and Brown get side-by-side once again, to make it easier to understand they were like that the entire evening, with no more than 3 laps going by at any time, before they were side-by-side again. Back in the pack, David Latour Jr., Ryan Truex, Todd Goble and Toby Parese were in a battle of their own. It all came to a head on lap 39 as Latour spins off turn 4 to bring out the nights 3rd caution, something race leader Ransone didn't want to see, his lead was nearly 3 seconds.

Halfway (lap 50)
1.Ransone 2.McCall 3.Loden 4.Brown 5.Tissot 6.LeFevers 7.Wimbish 8.Greenfield 9.Todd Goble

For much of the 100 lap race this was the picture up front, luckily for Matt McCall(23) cautions kept him tight on Lucas Ransone's(00) bumper very late in the race. Unfortunately for Ransone, the young driver slipped a little wide and gave up the lead and the win in the 100-lap season finale.

10.Truex

The second half of the race rolls on just like most of the first half was run, Ransone gone and Brown and Loden side-by-side. Greenfield has his hands full with Todd Goble for 8th, and Goble

makes the pass on lap 53 but not before Greenfield gives him a shot as he goes by. 10 laps later the great run for Grant Wimbish goes sour, as the lapped car of Stan Robinson gets hard into his left rear and both cars spin in turn 1. Wimbish would regroup and come back up to finish 7th, but a potential top 5 was ruined by the spin.

Before the Wimbish/Robinson caution, Lucas Ransone had them covered, nobody could touch him.......or so we thought. As the field takes the green with 34 to go, McCall is now all over the #00's back bumper, no running off to leave this time. Behind them the cars of Loden has a new

UARA-STARS regular, Clay Greenfield(84) was out to get a little more experience and a get a "paid" test session in for the UARA tour race next Friday. Above he gets passed by Hickory Motor Speedway regular, Todd Goble(42), who was testing his car for the Labor Day, Bobby Isaac Memorial at HMS.

playmate to go along with Brown, Lee Tissot. Tissot pressures the #29 but can't make it stick down low, Loden carries his momentum up high better than anybody in the business. They do both manage to get by Brown for 3rd and 4th at lap 70, but the big story was up front. McCall is in Ransone's back pocket every lap, and with 20 to go, the pressure from McCall takes it's toll. He was just looking for one mistake, and it came in turn 1&2 as Ransone slid up the track the slightest allowing McCall to scoot by for the top spot.

Matt McCall(23) slipped by Lucas Ransone(00), who dominated the first 3/4 of the 100 lap race shortly before a couple late cautions gave Ransone a chance to get the lead back from McCall.

After a debris caution, the field was once again bunched up. It really picked up now, as Brown and Loden go side-by-side, and Tissot sticks it right in between both of them, we go 3-wide off turn 4....and make it. These 3 would do this same display no less than 4 other times in the closing laps, beating and banging each time. With 10 to go they try it again, and Tissot gets into the #29 from the middle but Loden hangs on. With 8 to go Brown makes the pass on Loden, and two laps later Tissot slams into the side of Loden in turn 2 and goes to 3rd. Back up front McCall is sailing along, with Ransone trying everything he can to get back to him.

Fans may have thought their eyes were playing tricks on them as the Pistone LTO Chassis that Matt McCall was driving sported Toyota Camry headlight decals, but the car was a Chevrolet and sported a built engine, not a crate engine.

Even a caution with 5 to go couldn't derail McCall, this night was his. There were a few other things that made this win even sweeter. Tri-county had a "Triple Crown' this year, 3 races that had their own point fund and a higher purse. McCall won the other 2 in the "Pig Rig" car, and this one made 3 for 3. This event was the first time out in this particular car, first time on the track ever in a 2009 Pistone LTO. In victory lane Tom Pistone from Performancenter Racing Warehouse, builders of the Pistone LTO Chassis, said the car was for sale.......it was outdated. If not sold by next weekend, the UARA boys had better watch out, that's for sure.

Tyler Brown(15) from Crossville, TN spun and brought out the final caution of the night which led to a five lap dash to the finish for McCall and Ransone to settle the season finale at TCMS.

OFFICIAL RESULTS:

1. Matt McCall #23
2. Lucas Ransone #00
3. R.A. Brown #60
4. Lee Tissot #55
5. Jesse LeFevers #43
6. Todd Goble #42
7. Grant Wimbish #57
8. Andy Loden #29
9. Toby Parese #22
10. Josh Goble #7
11. Clay Greenfield #84
12. Monty Cox #21
13. Ryan Truex #56
14. Tyler Brown #15
15. Patrick Molesworth #47
16. Stan Robinson #53
17. Garrett Campbell #12
18. Jake Crum #1
19. Candace McGrath #92
20. Mike Freeman #29
21. David Latour, Jr. #89
22. Dexter Canipe, Jr. #37
23. JR Allen #01

OFFICIAL RESULTS: