6C Kingsport Times-News / Thursday, April 23, 2009

Presnell holds off

Hale, wins at LPR
From staff reports

COEBURN, Va. — In just his

second career Late Model race,
13-year-old Dylan Presnell took
advantage of lapped traffic Satur-
day night to earn his first win at
Lonesome Pine Raceway.
Bluff City’s Wayne Hale start-
ed on the pole for the 50-lap Late
Model feature and led most of the
race before Presnell, a protege of
past track champion Wade Day,
reeled in Hale.
Newport Speedway
NEWPORT — Kevin Leicht
outlasted runner-up Jamie Sutton
to capture his first Late Model
feature win of the season at New-
port Speedway on Saturday.
Burt Cable, Jason Grant and
Tim Tipton rounded out the top
five.
In Limited Late Model action, Jeff Bobo

With five laps to go, Hale was
forced to check up for lapped
traffic coming out of Turn 2, open-
ing the door for Presnell to take
the lead for good.
Hale finished second ahead of
Nate Monteith, Brian Blevins and
Caleb Holman.
In Street Stock action, Sur-
goinsville’s Chuck Crigger started
on the pole for the 35-lap feature,
but Roger Neece grabbed the
lead on the initial start and never
looked back.
Defending track champion
Erica Yoon — eyoon@timesnews.net
Rob Austin finished second fol-
Jessie Odum recently became the first woman to bowl a 300 lowed by Jim Caudill Jr., Caleb
game in Kingsport during league play at Warpath Lanes on Holman and Jeff Counts.
March 23. Odum rolled 21 strikes in a row at one point. Abingdon racer Kirby Gobble
won his first 25-lap Mod 4 feature
Sonny Leatherwood broke
through for his first win in 2009.
Leatherwood beat sec-
ond-place Brandon Rogers to the
checkers while Wayne Webb fin-
ished third after winning the first
two Limited Late Model features
of the season. Grant and Gary Al-
lison completed the top five.
The Street Stock division ran a
double feature and Steve Akers
doubled his pleasure with a pair
of wins.
Akers outran Ricky Brown Jr.,
Dakota Slagle, Emily Tracy and
Ronnie Buckner in the first race
and Slagle, Tracy, Buckner and
Michael Harris in the second.
Meanwhile, Chad Pressley
picked up his first Front Wheel
13-year-old Dylan Presnell of Sevierville, center, celebrates with his
crew in victory lane at Lonesome Pine Raceway after winning his
first career Late Model race on Saturday. Presnell’s crew chief is lo-
cal racing icon Wade Day, far right.
while Junior Houston and For more information about
Kingsport’s Van Greer found Bristol Dragway events, please
themselves in the winner’s circle call (423) 764-DRAG or visit
in the Index classes. Houston www.bristoldragway.com.
claimed the 6.50 class while
Greer took the 7.50 class.
Bluff City’s Jerry Turner
Local Racing Results
avenged his week one loss by de-
feating David Elder from Roan Lonesome Pine Raceway
Mountain in two-wheel action, Saturday, April 18
riding his Kawasaki to victory. Late Model: 1. Dylan Presnell; 2. Wayne Hale; 3.
Nate Monteith; 4. Brian Blevins; 5. Caleb Holman; 6. Jeff
Meanwhile, Denver Maltba Woodward; 7. David Hopkins; 8. Royce Peters; 9. Craig
Stallard; 10. Mardy Roberts; 11. Steve Wright; 12. Caleb
won the Junior Dragster Division Roark; 13. Nicholas Cole; 14. Andy Applegate. Street
Stock: 1. Roger Neece; 2. Rob Austin; 3. Jim Caudill Jr.;
II and Gray’s Katie Cundiff 4. Caleb Holman; 5. Jeff Counts; 6. Chuck Crigger; 7.
Doug Austin; 8. Scott Anderson; 9. Russell Duty; 10.
earned the Junior Dragster Divi- Jamie Mills; 11. Jerry Justice. Charger: 1. Kevin Wolfe;

Ms. Perfect
of the year ahead of defending
track champion Freddie Taylor
Jr. and Brad Ball.
Kevin Wolfe won his second
consecutive 30-lap Charger divi-
sion feature after Jody Bostic’s
Drive win of the year while Steve
Frazier won the Modified Four
event.
Racing action returns to New-
port this Saturday with gates
opening at 1 p.m. and racing slat-
sion I victory.
Thunder Valley remains busy
with two Fas Mart Street Fights
Series events this week. Tonight,
a Spam eating contest and a
Spam carving contest are on the
2. Paul Shull; 3. Josh Hale; 4. Jeff Roark; 5. Dalton Hop-
kins; 6. Jenna Wagner; 7. Derek Woodward; 8. Austin Pe-
ters. Open-Wheel Modified: 1. Sam Hurd; 2. Kim Golle-
hon; 3. Willie Gibson; 4. Freddie Taylor Sr. Mod 4: 1. Kir-
by Gobble; 2. Freddie Taylor, Jr.; 3. Brad Ball; 4. Rocky
Yates; 5. Jackie Mullins; 6. Colin Eades; 7. Hershel Robi-
nette. Pure 4: 1. Tom Hodges; 2. Tony Casteel; 3. Kenny
Nix; 4. Jeff Bobo; 5. Tracy Head; 6. Moonshine Mills; 7.
Forrest Gilley; 8. Kelly King; 9. Bill Livesay; 10. B.C.
Penley; 11. Ricky Yates; 12. Cortney Roark; 13. Bernard

Jessie Odum makes history, becomes winning car was disqualified in
post race inspection.
ed to start at 7:30.
Bristol Dragway
schedule as part of a Fas Mart
promotion.
Cardwell; 14. Eddie Blair; 15. Steve Skeen. Legends: 1.
Sammy Jasper; 2. Greg Turner; 3. Ron Humble; 4. Cody
Johnson; 5. Janice Humble; 6. Carl Stanley; 7. Mike
Charnigo; 8. Josh Click.

first Kingsport woman to roll a 300
By AMANDA MARSH
amarsh@timesnews.net
KINGSPORT — Bowling on a
Monday night isn’t the norm for
Jessi Odum. Asked to substitute
in league play at Warpath Bowl-
ing Center on March 23, Odum
rolled her way to the history
books by becoming the first
woman in Kingsport to bowl a
300 game.
“People have noticed my ring
and asked me about it,” Odum
said of the award given to her by
the United States Bowling
Congress. “It’s an honor.”
On her way to 300, Odum
cranked out 21 strikes in a row.
Beginning with the last four
rolls of her first game, she con-
tinued to score a perfect second
game, and finished with five
strikes at the beginning of the fi-
nal set.
During her second game,
Odum began feeling the pres-
sure.
“I was really nervous, but ev-
eryone said I looked calm,” said
Odum, who’s been bowling
since she was 12 years old.
“I just wanted to get to 11 be-
cause you get a plaque,” she
said.
Once Odum surpassed her
goal and made it to the big 2-1,
friends said she turned white as
a sheet. “I hopped from lane one
Bruins
to 10,” she
joked.
Odum also
had to make a quick phone call
to her parents, David and Wilma
Odum, who have always sup-
ported her bowling addiction.
They were unaware that she
was bowling that night and were
surprised by the news.
Claiming to have some ab-
normally good luck lately, Odum
scored her personal best, a 744
series, even before she hit 300.
Her plans don’t stop there.
“I would like to claim the first
800,” she said.
A few rituals and a laid-back
attitude may also be a part of
Odum’s success. Each time she
faces the lane, she finds her spot
on the floor and slides her left
foot to it. She also keeps a penny
in her back pocket for good
luck.
“I try not to get too worked up
about it,” she said. “You get out
there and sometimes the condi-
tions are good and sometimes
not.”
An employee of Warpath
Center for the past seven years,
Odum credits much of her talent
to bowling lane owners Dennis,
Beverly and Frances Lane.
“I enjoy the people that I am
around,” she said. “It’s great to
work and play at the same place
as long as you love it, and I do.”
Tom Hodges held off a steady
attack from Tony Casteel to win
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Michelle
Furr, Jason Buckles and Jason
On Saturday, the popular mon-
ey drop will see plenty of green-
Newport Speedway
Saturday, April 18
the 20-lap Pure 4 feature, with Nelson were all big winners dur- backs floating from the top of the Late Model: 1. Kevin Leicht; 2. Jamie Sutton; 3. Burt
Kenny Nix, Jeff Bobo and Tracy ing the DER Racing Series’ sec- Bristol Dragway control tower. Cable; 4. Jason Grant; 5. Tim Tipton; 6. Matt Leicht; 7.
Junior Franks; 8. Paul Nogradi; 9. Michael Buckner; 10.
Head rounding out the top five. ond event of the season at Bristol Also, anyone with a Fas Mart Jerry Williams. Limited Late Model: 1. Sonny Leather-
Meanwhile, 14-year-old Sam- Dragway last weekend. Fastback Rewards card can show
wood; 2. Brandon Rogers; 3. Wayne Webb; 4. Jason
Grant; 5. Gary Allison; 6. Joey Mull; 7. Mike Lee; 8. Gary
my Jasper survived a late race Furr drove her dragster to the it at the gate to receive $5 off a Goddard. Street Stock (Race 1): 1. Steve Akers; 2. Ricky
Brown Jr.; 3. Dakota Slagle; 4. Emily Tracy; 5. Ronnie
charge from Greg Turner to win win over a red-lighting Trevor racer admission. Buckner; 6. Ray Jarnigan; 7. Michael Harris; 8. Melody
Chandler; 9. Craig Messer; 10. Brian Dodd; 11. Ricky
the 15-lap Legends race while Denton in Super Pro action. A Gates open at 5 p.m. tonight Ford; 12. Zack Franks; 13. Charlie Lloyd. Street Stock
veteran Sam Hurd won the 15-lap red light also decided the Pro di- with racing at 6. Gates open at
(Race 2): 1. Steve Akers; 2. Dakota Slagle; 3. Emily Tra-
cy; 4. Donnie Buckner; 5. Michael Harris; 6. Melody
Open-Wheel Modified feature. vision final when Tim Griffith noon on Saturday with racing
Chandler; 7. Ray Jarrigan; 8. Craig Messer; 9. Brian
Dodd; 10. Marvin Green; 11. Charlie Lloyd; 12. Ricky
Lonesome Pine Raceway re- went red to give Elizabethton’s kicking off at 1 p.m. Admission is Brown Jr. Front Wheel Drive: 1. Chad Pressley; 2.
Cameron Gunter; 3. Paul Pressley; 4. Everette Crain; 5.
turns to action Saturday night Buckles the victory. $5 for spectators. For only $10, David Nesbitt; 6. Jesse Slagle; 7. Scott Mantooth; 8.
with qualifying at 5 p.m. and the Nelson, a Bluff City native, anyone can challenge the famous
Mitchell Fox; 9. Ricky Webb; 10. Donny Holland; 11. Ter-
ry King. Modified Four: 1. Steve Frazier; 2. Mitchell Fox;
green flag at 7 p.m. took top honors in the Street class quarter-mile.
3. Oscar Allman; 4. Randall Frye; 5. Aaron Frazier; 6.
Paul Pressley.
RCR switches crews for Harvick, Mears
Chase the past two seasons.
Associated Press
Martin previously worked with Harvick on
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Richard Childress the No. 29 car in 2002, leading Harvick to a win
Racing will swap the crews for slumping that season at Chicago.
drivers Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears fol- his first season with RCR. He’s 22nd in the “Todd and Gil are proven winners who
lowing this weekend’s race at Talladega Su- standings and has yet to notch a top-10 finish have strong and successful teams behind
perspeedway. this season. them,” Childress said. “Chemistry is an im-
portant part of any successful organization
Both teams have underperformed this sea- The drivers will swap their entire crews af-
son, the first in which Richard Childress Rac- and I felt it was time to change the makeup of
ter Sunday’s race, but both will keep their
ing is fielding four full-time cars. Team owner these two teams. We’ve done this before with
spotters.
positive results.”
Childress said he’ll swap the crews to get both “Our main objective has always been to
teams performing up to their standards. have all four of RCR’s teams qualify for the RCR is considered one of the top four orga-
“The decision to interchange the (teams) Chase for the Sprint Cup,” Childress said. nizations in NASCAR, but its teams have yet
was made to make both programs stronger “Neither team has had the success this season to collect victories at the same pace as Hen-
and more successful,” Childress said. that we know they’re capable of, so we decid- drick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and
The move comes following RCR’s dismal ed it was time to make a change to improve Roush-Fenway Racing. All three teams have
showing last Saturday night at Phoenix Inter- the two teams and the overall strength of multiple victories this season, but RCR is so
national Raceway, where the team has tradi- RCR.” far winless.
tionally run very well. Todd Berrier and his crew will move from Still, Bowyer has been strong driving the
Harvick, a two-time Phoenix winner, was Harvick’s No. 29 team to Mears’ No. 07 next expansion No. 33 team, which is comprised of
30th in his worst finish at that track in six sea- week. Berrier has been with Harvick since the many of the crew members who helped him to
sons. He’s slipped six spots in the standings to Nationwide Series, and took over the Cup pro- last year’s Nationwide title. Bowyer was as
16th over the past two weeks, and has four fin- gram in 2003. The duo won eight Cup races to- high as second in the standings early this sea-
ishes of 27th or worse this season.
He also takes a 79-race winless streak, dat-
ing back to the 2007 Daytona 500, into Sun-
gether, including the 2007 Daytona 500 and the
2003 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Berrier also led Harvick to the Nationwide
son, but has slipped to sixth over the past two
weeks.
Jeff Burton, the fourth RCR driver, is 11th

sweep day’s race at Talladega.

Mears, who received a six-race probation
by NASCAR on Wednesday for a skirmish
with Dale Earnhardt Jr., is off to a slow start in
Series championship in 2001.
Gil Martin will take his crew to Harvick’s
car. He has been with the No. 07 team since
in the standings.
RCR placed Bowyer, Harvick and Burton
in the Chase the past two years, but only Bur-
the 2006 season, and led Clint Bowyer into the ton has made a run at the championship.

Montreal Smith believes he won last year at Talladega

Associated Press

MONTREAL — Former Mon-
treal forward Michael Ryder
scored twice and assisted on
David Krejci’s goal to help the
Boston Bruins complete a
four-game sweep of the Canadi-
ens with a 4-1 victory Wednes-
day night.
Tim Thomas made 26 saves,
and Phil Kessel also scored for
Boston, which won the Eastern
Conference quarterfinal for its
first playoff series win in 10
years.
The top-seeded Bruins had
lost five straight series — in-
cluding losses to Montreal in
2002, 2004 and 2008 — since
beating Carolina in the first
round in 1999.
Andrei Kostitsyn gave Mon-
treal a 1-0 lead 39 seconds in and
the Canadiens dominated the
scoring chances in the opening
period, outshooting Boston 16-7.
Rangers 2, Capitals 1
NEW YORK — Henrik
Lundqvist made 38 saves and
the seventh-seeded Rangers put
Washington on the brink of
elimination.
Lundqvist was on top of his
game all night as the Capitals
controlled play from the second
Associated Press
Boston Bruins Phil Kessel,
right, and Mark Recchi cele-
brate a goal in Game 4 of their
NHL playoff series against the
Montreal Canadiens on
Wednesday in Montreal.
period to the end
— outshooting New
York 39-21. But it’s
the Rangers who
hold a 3-1 lead in
the best-of-seven series.
Paul Mara staked the
Rangers to the lead with 6:05 left
in the first period, scoring just
the second goal against Simeon
Varlamov, the rookie who has
stopped 75 of 78 shots since tak-
ing over for Jose Theodore after
New York’s 4-3 win in Game 1.
Chris Drury added his first
goal of the series for the
Rangers.
Now the Capitals — the No. 2
seed in the Eastern Conference
— could be out of the playoffs
Friday night when they host
Game 5.
Alex Ovechkin scored for
Washington in the third period.
From staff and wire reports
Regan Smith still believes he
won the last NASCAR Sprint Cup
race at Talladega Superspeed-
way.
Smith, who drove last year for
Dale Earnhardt Inc., will return
to the Alabama track for this
weekend’s Cup race, driving the
No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture
Row Racing.
“It’s hard not to think about
that last lap,” said Smith, who led
the field to the checkered flag in
last October’s Talladega race only
to see the victory taken away
when NASCAR ruled that he ille-
gally passed Tony Stewart on the
final lap. The penalty relegated
last year’s top Cup rookie to an
18th-place finish.
“I was being blocked and it
was either passing Stewart or
crashing the field,” explained
Smith. “I felt I made the proper
move and won the race.”
Though it would have been his
first career Cup win, Smith har-
bors no ill will toward Talladega.
In fact, the 25-year-old driver said
he enjoys Talladega’s 2.66-mile
oval and looks forward to the
three- and four-wide racing.
emotions,”
Smith said. “I’ve
always liked
racing there. It’s
500 miles of ex-
citement and mind games, an in-
credible rush.”
GOING LONG: NASCAR star
Carl Edwards will be part of a
team of drivers that will put a
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid to the
ultimate fuel-efficiency test this
weekend, trying to drive more
than 1,000 miles on a single tank
of gas.
The drive, which will also
raise money for the Juvenile Dia-
betes Research Foundation, will
start Saturday in Mount Vernon,
Va., and, hopefully, finish Monday
in Washington, D.C.
The team will drive for more
than 43 hours continuously to
reach the 1,000-mile goal with
drivers taking shifts of between
two and three hours. Edwards
will still drive for Roush Fenway
Racing over the weekend.
The Fusion Hybrid will need
to average at least 57 miles per
gallon to achieve its goal. During
preliminary testing, Ford engi-
neers have reached as much as 70
mpg in the Fusion Hybrid by us-
MEET THE NEW BOSS: Bobby
Labonte will have a new crew
chief starting this weekend at Tal-
ladega Superspeedway.
Ben Leslie is taking over the
No. 96 team from Todd Parrott.
Yates Racing made the change to
strengthen the organization,
which is adjusting to Labonte’s
addition this season.
Labonte came to the team in
mid-January when Yates aligned
with Hall of Fame Racing. The
team had to move quickly to pre-
pare for the start of the season,
and Labonte’s first time in the car
did not come until the first Day-
tona 500 practice.
Labonte is 28th in points. He
has a season-best finish of fifth at
Las Vegas in March, but has been
hampered by an engine problem
at Atlanta and an accident at
Texas.
STRAIGHT SHOOTERS: The
sixth-annual Bristol Dragway
Celebrity Golf Benefit will be
held at the Country Club of Bris-
tol on May 14 and many top
NHRA drivers scheduled to par-
ticipate.
The tournament benefits the
Bristol Chapter of Speedway
Children’s Charities and takes
round of qualifying for the Thun-
der Valley Nationals.
Last year’s tournament fea-
tured 20 drivers and raised more
than $25,000 for various charities
throughout Northeast Tennessee
and Southwest Virginia.
Among the drivers expected to
participate in this year’s tourna-
ment are six-time and defending
Top Fuel champ Tony Schumach-
er, Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden,
Brandon Bernstein, Larry Dixon,
Doug Herbert, Bob Tasca, Allen
Johnson and Dave Connolly.
The tournament begins with
registration and a putting contest
at 11 a.m. Lunch is scheduled for
noon. The shotgun start is slated
for 1 p.m.
A limited number of slots re-
main available. Hole sponsorship
is $1,500, which includes a
four-person team and signage on
the sponsored hole. Teams also
may be purchased for $1,200 with-
out a hole sponsorship. All team
members will receive a goody bag
as well as lunch.
To enter a team or for more in-
formation, please contact Bar-
bara Kaiser-Pigg at (423) 989-6975
or via e-mail at barbara@bristol-