Coulter Gets Controversial Victory
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The One To Beat
Jamey Caudill will go down in the record books as one of the greatest short-track racers ever in this region, there is no question about that. But when he took the position of overseeing the Late-Models for JR Motorsports in the middle of last season, his dominating ways started to diminish. Then came 2008, and Caudill slowly began his way back into form as the UARA season progressed, picking up wins at Motor Mile and Hickory, and finishing 3rd in the point chase. Then on to the end of year races, and Jamey took home a breathtaking victory at Myrtle Beach. On to Southern National, a track Jamey has had great success on, and he was fast in practice, and took home the pole in qualifying on Saturday. He just wasn't a favorite to say, most everyone in the pits said it would be hard to beat the #50 car, and they were right.
The Big One
As the field took the green flag, things got extremely racy very quick. Doug Godsey had a awesome qualifying time putting him on the outside pole, and at the start of the race he wanted to lead bad, beating on Caudill as they raced off turn 2, but Caudill was able to hold him off to take the top spot. After a few early cautions, with one of them being Joey Coulter getting spun by Steven Wallace, it really broke loose, all of a sudden. It was right after a restart on lap 33, when Clay Rogers got tagged coming down the front stretch, corrected back to the left, and the field wadded up into him. When it was all over with, Rogers, Matt DiBenedetto, Micheal Rouse, Ryan Rhodes, Jamie Yelton, Corey Strickland, Brad Brinkley, Cliff Daniels, Chad Kendrick, Jonathon Cash and Scott wise were all involved. Major carnage was done, but the Billy Hess chassis "house" car driven by clay Rogers got the worst of the deal, completely demolished all the way around. Rogers wasn't happy to say the least..."I don't know what happened, I was beside the #27 (Lemons) and he drove me into the wall off 4, then somebody just tagged me from behind at the line. The problem with this stuff is, I don't know who the hell I'm racing against here, I don't know these guys too great, just don't know who you can race with". Another driver put out was Brad Brinkley...."Man oh man, boy was that car good. I mean I started in 17th and was up to 9th in the first 30 laps, that was the best car I've ever had here. It looked like Rogers got knocked out of the groove and then just turned dead left, I just held on for the ride. The radiator is the only thing busted, but we're done.
Doug Godsey vs. The World
If anybody was at the Bailey's 300 this year at Martinsville, you know who Doug Godsey is. The black #05 of Godsey was a battering ram in his heat race, first knocking Justin Johnson out of the way, then anyone else in his path to the front. Karma came back to bite him though, as on the last lap he and Johnson got together off turn 2, with Johnson going over the front of his car....Johnson to the main event, Godsey on the trailer. At Southern National it looked a little like the same, as Godsey was out to make friends once more. After the lap 33 melee, the cars had just received the caution when Godsey got into the back of Darrell Wallace Jr. spinning him down the backstretch under caution. Davin Scites was the next victim, and it finally ended with Jake Crum, as the damage Crum received was terminal. There were others he rubbed against, and listening to the scanners became the most fun. Other competitors spotters were heard saying many times, "Just go by him, don't do anything stupid, I know your mad".
The "Phenom" And "Rockin" Rodney
Darrell Wallace Jr turned in one of his best qualifying efforts of the season for a non-UARA race in 4th, and Rodney Cook, well, Rodney was usual so to say, timing in at 24th. Not to take anything away from Rodney, We have all came to believe he starts back there to pass more cars, which he usually does, it makes it more fun for him. While Wallace was having fun being up front, Cook was coming to the front in a hurry, benefiting from the huge crash on lap 33. By lap 50 he was in the 5th spot and coming for the leaders hard, he was one of the fastest cars on the track. Meanwhile, Wallace showed that starting up front was no fluke, as he proved during the day that he had one of the cars to beat. He took 2nd spot on lap 10, and after every double-file restart after a caution, Wallace Jr. gave Caudill all he could handle. "Bubba" as Wallace is know as, stayed on Caudill's rear until a lap 123 caution for the Godsey/Scites incident. As the filed was set to go back to green, Wallace had just lost communication with his spotter, and then...bam. Rusty Skewes was coming around for his "lucky dog" pass by, and as he did Wallace began scuffing his tires hitting Skewes in the die and cutting down the left-side tire on the Wallace machine. It looked bleak, but they went to work, from the back of the pack back up to 5th at the end, "Tiger" really did some wheeling. Cook was to suffer a similar fate, but he was part of the "controversy" below.
Hard Racing???
Jamey Caudill had Wallace Jr. off his rear now, but before Wallace had his troubles Deac McCaskill had become a player moving into 2nd. A restart on lap 143 would be controversial in itself, as McCaskill would jump from the outside to take the lead before the start finish line. Caudill knew he had a faster car, and immediately began working the back of the #08 ride. Lap after lap, Caudill would try to get a nose under McCaskill, but Deac would either close the
Jamey Caudill(50) lead a full field down for the green flag in the Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, NC.
Jamey Caudill(50) tries to put Darrell Wallace, Jr.(76) behind him on one of the many double file restarts in the 200-lap special race.
Doug Godsey(05) leads Tommy Lemons, Jr.(27) and Corey Strickland(99) through the turns early in the 200-lap Thanksgiving Classic at SNRP.
Steven Wallace(66) and teammate, Jamie Yelton(8) try to avoid the spinning car of Joey Coulter(02). Coulter came back from this incident to win.
A host of cars including Clay Rogers(52), Michael Rouse(15), Ryan Rhodes(83), Corey Strickland(99), Jamie Yelton and Jonathan Cash get caught up.
Jamey Caudill(50) and Deac McCaskill(08) battle hard for the top spot on one of the double file restarts late in the 200-lap affair.
Tommy Lemons, Jr.(27) tries to hold off an impatient Rodney Cook(14) for a top five position. Lemons and Cook were having great runs in this race.
Joey Coulter was one of the few people with smiles on their faces following the wild night of events at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, NC.
The Call
The last 17 laps belonged to Caudill, and a surprising Joey Coulter had worked his way up to the second spot by Tommy Lemons Jr. who had been in the top 5 all night also. As Coulter and Lemons fought for the 2nd spot, Caudill drove off into the night, he had the dominate car the entire night and took the checkered flag, then pulled into victory lane. Then it got strange. As Caudill was being interviewed by the track announcer, Del Richards, the owner of Southern National stepped in to talk to both of them off mic. A puzzled look came across Caudill's face and the announcer made the announcement, "Jamey Caudill has been given a 1 lap penalty for rough driving, your winner is Joey Coulter". Could it be, the smooth driving man of the Late-Models ticketed for rough driving? It was true, but the fact that it came 17 laps after the fact didn't sit well with some. Well, it didn't set well with pretty much everybody there. Except Joey Coulter. The sad thing is people in attendance won't remember the great drive Joey had to the front, as much as they will the call that got them there.
The Aftermath
As expected, all heck broke loose after the race. Greg Marlowe was fit to be tied, as one of his drivers, Tommy Lemons Jr., would have lined up on the inside for the final restart, if the call had been made when it happened. Jamey was mad of course, other teams were upset, even the track officials were apologizing for what happened, even though they didn't make the call. The race director decide not to make the call when the incident occurred, and after the race the track owner made a race changing call. Right or wrong? Either way, it doesn't seem like the kind of decision that needs to be made on the biggest race of the year, especially after the tough season the track has had in 2008.
Getting Driver Responses After the Race ...
Jamey Caudill:
Did they ever say anything at all to you on the track? "Nothing until he came to victory lane and told me. The point is, make a decision when it happens, not after we run almost 20 laps and a guy is sitting in victory lane". I guess your a villain now aren't you? "Yeah look at my car, I'm rough, it's beat to pieces (not a scratch on his car). It's alright, I'll go on and race again, but it won't be here. You can put this in print, as long as that (expletive) is running this place my car will never roll through the gate, I don't need to be here, I can run at any track I want".
Deac McCaskill:
Did the punishment fit the crime? "You know, if they were gonna do anything at all, they should have done it when it happened, not after the race is over. Jamey is a good driver. He got into me, but hey man ... that's just racing".
Tommy Lemons Jr:
"This is an absolute crock of (expletive). Not taking anything away from Joey, he ran a great race, but I think we would had got him if the call had been made when they crap happened. Heck yeah I'm pissed, as far as I'm concerned, they screwed me out of the possibility of $10,000. They did say they were sorry, guess it's all better now (smiling shaking his head).