Special to The Daily News

TAZEWELL, Tenn. — After two weeks of rainouts it was finally time to hear the roar of engines and the smell of race fumes as Tazewell Speedway came back to life for what would turn out to be a very exciting evening of dirt track racing Saturday.

In the Late Models, #3 Steve Smith would set the pace during time trials with a fast time of 11:715. After the drawing for the invert Smith would start on the outside pole as a two was drawn. As the green flag fell Smith and Travis Fultz would battle side by side for a lap and a half before Smith settled into the lead.

Jody Horton and Jason Trammell would follow the leaders with Trammell taking over third as they battled over the next 13 laps in heavy lapped traffic. The cars of Daryl Gordon and Matthew Holt got together in turn 1 in front of the leaders on lap 15 with Smith and Fultz getting damage while spinning to avoid the accident.

After a little sheet metal work and track cleanup it was back to action as Smith, Fultz, and Trammell would battle nose to tail with Fultz and Trammell diving to the bottom and trying to make the pass on Smith. On Lap 29 Trammell made a bold attempt for the lead in turns 3 and 4 only to be denied coming to the white flag. Smith would then go on to claim the checkers with Fultz and Trammell right in his tracks as he crossed the line. Horton and Keith Chapman would round out the top 5.

Late Models

1. Steve Smith #3

2. Travis Fultz #T0

3. Jason Trammell #90J

4. Jody Horton #56

5. Keith Chapman #97

6. J. Allen #111

7. Matt Tharp #35

8. Daryl Gordon #G7

9. Matthew Holt #22

10. Jeremiah Woody #117

11. Wade Howerton #A21

12. Phillip Nichols #33

13. Andy Wilder #24

14. Brian Howerton #21

15. Donnie Cameron #2

— — —

In Modified Street action Jordan Horton would top qualifying with a 13:564. A four was drawn for the invert and Horton would start on the outside of row two. After three unsuccessful tries (including one in which the #K21 of Dakotah Knuckles wound up on its lid after contact with the #6M of R.J. Mayes coming off of turn 4) the feature was lined up in single file. The #P21 of Robbie Buchanan would blast off into the lead followed closely by #14 Cylde Overholt.

Meanwhile, Gary Blanken was working his way through traffic from his 5th place starting position by using the bottom line to his advantage. On lap 13 the caution would fall setting up some great racing. Blanken went to the lead twice only to have a caution fall before a lap could be completed. On the third try after trailing Buchanan for two more laps Blanken finally took the lead for good as he continued his catfishing around the bottom and drove on to take the win. Followed by Buchanan, David Clark, Jordan Horton, and Brad Davis.

Modified Street

1. Gary Blanken #5

2. Robbie Buchanan #P21

3. David Clark #1

4. Jordan Horton #56H

5. Brad Davis #88

6. Larry Burke #54

7. Clyde Overholt #14

8. Howie Sturgill #55

9. Jerry Rainey #36

10. Tony Horton #56

11. Michael Boyd #52

12. Dakotah Knuckles #K21

13. R.J Mayes #6M

— — —

In Classic racing Logan Dukes set the pace in qualifying with a 14:358. With the inversion being a two Dukes would blast of into turn one with the lead followed by Charlie Tharp, Scott Russell, Joe Keck and Robbie Sands (who started 6th after a unusual bad qualifying time).

After several cautions and some furious three wide racing going back and forth between Tharp, Keck, Phillip Shockley, and Sands, Dukes had pulled away to a half straight away lead. But his rear end went out and he and turn the lead over to Sands, who had battled his way to second. Sands would go on to the win followed by Tharp, Shockley, Keck, and Shane Lockhart rounding out the top 5.

Classics

1. Robbie Sands #17

2. Charlie Tharp #59

3. Phillip Shockley #34

4. Joe Keck #44

5. Shane Lockhart #1

6. Logan Dukes #5

7. Scott Russell #77

8. Jason Beeler #3

9. John Stephens #7

10.Eli Keck (DQ) #18

— — —

In 4 Cylinder action the #111 of Randy Dyke qualified for the pole with a 14:685 only to see a four drawn in the inverision. #44J of Jeromy Collins would blast out to comfortable lead only to see it all go away as he spun coming to the white flag. After the restart James Collett led the final two circuits to claim the win over Bubby Braden, Collins, Daris Braden, and Rufus Collett.

4 Cylinders

1. James Collett #38

2. Bubby Braden #B7

3. Jeromy Collins #44J

4. Daris Braden #D17

5. Rufus Collett #72

6. Chris Reichert #21

7. Allen Holloway #27A

8. Randy Dyke #111

9. Chuck McMahan #99

— — —

In the final race of the night Jason Long also started fourth when the luck of the draw didn’t go his way after turning in the fastest qualifying time at 14:618. The #97 of Aaron Guinn would take the early lead only to see several of the top running cars fall victim to breakdowns or wrecks. J.J. Green chased Guinn the entire 20 laps to no avail as he had to settle for second followed by Dustin Eldridge, Jason Saylor, and Buster Cupp.

Pure Street

1. Aaron Guinn #97

2. J.J. Green #12

3. Dustin Eldridge #94

4. Jason Saylor #5

5. Buster Cupp #28

6. Jonathan Miracle #41

7. Justin James #28

8. Jason Long #15

9. Steve Harmon #25

10. Bo Hall (DNS) #97

11. Tim Stevens (DNS) #11

— — —

Tazewell Speedway will be hosting it’s last points race of the season Saturday. All children 12 and under will receive a free hot dog and a drink.