Tweed, Byrd, Sise, Rickett, Adams, Keck capture Volunteer Speedway ‘Fan Appreciation Night’ victories

Tweed, Byrd, Sise, Rickett, Adams, Keck capture Volunteer Speedway ‘Fan Appreciation Night’ victories By Robert Walden Volunteer Speedway Media/Public Relations BULLS GAP, Tenn. (Aug. 26, 2017) — With Volunteer Speedway offering $5 grandstand admission Saturday for the always popular Fan Appreciation Night, the largest weekly crowd of the season enjoyed an action-packed six division racing program with a total car count of 115 gathered in the pits. John Tweed of Greeneville captured the Steel Head Late Model victory, while Tim Byrd of Jonesborough recorded the Crate Late Model win. Zach Sise of Knoxville took the Sportsman Late Model victory, with Chris Rickett of Morristown getting the Modified Street win. Don Adams of London, Kentucky, captured the Open Wheel Modified win, with Eli Keck of Corryton recording the Classic victory. Chase King was fastest in Steel Head Late Model qualifying at 13.477 seconds, with Greg Estes second quickest on the clock to nail down the outside front row starting berth for the 30-lap feature. Following two flawed attempts to begin the race by King and Estes, the second row of Bobby Mays and John Tweed were moved up a row to let them try getting the field up to speed. During the week Tweed serves as President and CEO of Landair Transportation headquartered in Greeneville, but when the weekend rolls around he enjoys getting behind the wheel of a dirt late model at “The Gap.” On the start Tweed powered into the lead over Estes, Eddie King Jr., Mays and Mike Weeks. Outside the top five Chase King, Layne Clifton, John Llewellyn, Jody Horton, Michael Smith, Josh Henry and Jason Cardwell were jockeying for position. With Tweed in command out front leading, running positions were being exchanged between King Jr. and Weeks, with Weeks moving into second and setting his sights ahead on Tweed. Mays got around King Jr. for the third spot on lap 17 racing off the second turn down the backstretch and he quickly closed in behind Weeks. Tweed was feeling pressure from Weeks, but he remained calm and hit his marks lap-after-lap to maintain his advantage at leading the race. A late caution on lap 28 set the stage for a classic shootout for the win, when Llewellyn slowed exiting the fourth turn onto the front straightaway. Tweed smashed the loud pedal to rocket out ahead over Weeks and Mays on his way to capturing his first-ever Steel Head Late Model victory, and on the white flag lap racing off the fourth turn to the flag stand Mays shot to the inside of Weeks to barely nose him out for an apparent second-place finish. But it proved to be disappointment for Mays when crossing the scales post-race and his car weighed 10 pounds light and was disqualified. Tweed got the win over Weeks, King Jr., Estes and Chase King. Tim Byrd jumped out into the lead at start of the 30-lap Crate Late Model feature over Josh Henry, Tim Maupin, Ross White and Danny Yoder. The event’s...