Dale McDowell Drives To Sixth Career Southern Nationals Series Win At I-75 Raceway

Story By: RYAN DELPH / SOUTHERN NATIONALS SERIES – SWEETWATER, TN – For the sixth time in his Hall of Fame career, Dale McDowell celebrated in Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series victory lane tonight, July 20 at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, Tennessee.

Dale, who clicked off the second fastest lap in Group B during the qualifying session, rolled off from the outside of the second row in the 40-lap main event. The Chickamauga, Georgia star then ran in the third spot early in the contest before moving up to second and hounding race long leader Cody Overton for the point.

Dale swept by Overton’s #2 machine on the eighteenth circuit and led the remainder of the distance to pocket the $4,053 top prize.

Tenth-starting Ryan King, of Seymour, Tennessee, was on the move throughout the race and eventually drove past eight competitors to land in the runner-up position – 1.881 seconds behind McDowell’s #17m mount. New Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series point leader Jensen Ford picked off six cars to round out the podium in third. Local favorite and defending race winner Cory Hedgecock rallied past eight racecars to finish fourth, while Cleveland, Tennessee driver John Ownbey slipped back two spots to finish fifth. Leading Dirt Draft Rookie of the Year candidate Cody Overton, who paced the field for the first seventeen laps from the pole, wound up credited with a sixth place effort.

“It feels awfully good,” quoted McDowell following his second overall win of the 2021 campaign. “It was a good night for the E-Z-GO hot rod. We were here (for the Spring Nationals race in April) and led for a little bit – then that guy by the name of Brandon Overton got by us and we fell back to third. I was able to move around the racetrack and it was awfully good. Hats off to everyone that prepped the racing surface… it was a good night for us!”

Dale’s sixth career Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series triumph broke a tie with Jimmy Owens and moved him up to eighth all-time on the miniseries win list. His victory came aboard a Shane McDowell Racing Team Zero Race Car powered by a Clements Racing Engine with sponsorship from E-Z-GO, Cometic Gaskets, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Connected Strategy Advisors, Fox Racing Shox, Waddell Transfer, and Northeastern Fabrication.

Round four of the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series drew a 27 car field to I-75 Raceway for the $4,053 to win special event. David Crabtree earned Fast Time honors overall during FK Rod Ends time trials with his quick lap of 14.377 seconds around the newly-reconfigured 3/8-mile oval. Stacy Boles and Cory Hedgecock were victorious in the pair of consolation races. Ahnna Parkhurst and Andy Standridge both relied on series provisionals to gain access into the 40-lap feature, while Jeff Neubert utilized an emergency provisional to start shotgun on the field.

Following a scheduled day off on Wednesday, the cars and stars racing with the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series will roll into West Georgia Speedway on Thursday, July 22. Not only will the Whitesburg, Georgia facility play host to a Southern Nationals show for the first time, but Thursday’s stop to WGS will mark the first-ever sanctioned Super Late Model race in track history. Round five of the miniseries will boast a $4,053 first place prize, while each feature starter is guaranteed at least $400 just to start the 40-lapper.

Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series presented by Sunoco Race Fuels
Event #4 of 12
Race Summary
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
I-75 Raceway – Sweetwater, Tennessee

Schaeffer’s Oil Feature Finish (40 Laps):
1. (4) Dale McDowell $4,053
2. (10) Ryan King $2,000
3. (9) Jensen Ford $1,400
4. (12) Cory Hedgecock $1,000
5. (3) John Ownbey $800
6. (1) Cody Overton $700
7. (6) Michael Brown $600
8. (7) Kenny Collins $550
9. (14) Daulton Wilson $525
10. (8) Donald McIntosh $500
11. (5) Colton Profitt $480
12. (13) Garrett Smith $470
13. (11) Stacy Boles $460
14. (16) Bobby Giffin $450
15. (23) Jeff Neubert $40
16. (20) Jordy Nipper $430
17. (18) Chase Oliver $420
18. (19) Craig Greer $410
19. (15) Dusty Carver $400
20. (17) Chuck Southard $400
21. (2) David Crabtree $400
22. (22) Andy Standridge $400
23. (21) Ahnna Parkhurst $400

Entries: 27
Lap Leaders: Cody Overton (Laps 1-17), Dale McDowell (Laps 18-40)
Cautions: 2 (Lap 10 for a smoking Andy Standridge, Lap 31 for Stacy Boles who spun in turn four)

FK Rod Ends Time Trials:
Fast Time Overall: David Crabtree 14.377
Group A (Top Five Locked In): Cody Overton, John Ownbey, Colton Profitt, Kenny Collins, Jensen Ford
Group B (Top Five Locked In): David Crabtree, Dale McDowell, Michael Brown, Donald McIntosh, Ryan King

Sunoco Race Fuels B-Main #1 Finish (Top Five Transfer): 1. Stacy Boles, 2. Garrett Smith, 3. Dusty Carver, 4. Chuck Southard, 5. Craig Greer, 6. Ahnna Parkhurst, 7. Sam Seawright, 8. Richie Edwards, 9. Justin Winters

American Racer South B-Main #2 Finish (Top Five Transfer): 1. Cory Hedgecock, 2. Daulton Wilson, 3. Bobby Giffin, 4. Chase Oliver, 5. Jordy Nipper, 6. Jeff Neubert, 7. Joe Denby, 8. Andy Standridge

Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Provisionals: Ahnna Parkhurst, Andy Standridge
Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals Series Emergency Provisional: Jeff Neubert