Craig Dominates Southern National for 2nd Career PASS South Victory

By admin March 4, 2017 PASS South, Southern National

LUCAMA, NC (March 4) – Defending Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model champion, Matt Craig captured the lead from Spencer Davis on lap 16 and never looked back en route to his second career series win in the Dogwood 150 Saturday afternoon at Southern National Motorsports Park. Following his win, Craig laid down a challenge amidst a furious chassis builder battle going on in the South’s oldest Super Late Model tour.

“This was just an awesome car and I can’t thank my crew enough for all the hard work they put in to it,” said Craig, driver of the C&C Boilers Sales & Service Chevrolet. “Everybody thinks the Furys are the best, but they just got waxed by a brand new Hamke. We struggled a bit at Dillon, but we’ve got it figured out. He [Noles] got us on a restart, but I laid the hammer down off two and cruised from there.”

In qualifying, Craig just missed out on the track record to claim his first career PASS quick qualifying time with a speed of 97.853miles per hour. Following the top 10 qualifiers redraw, Craig would start third, while Davis and Tanner Thorson moved to the front row.

At the drop of the green flag, Davis jumped to the lead over Craig, while Thorson and Noles struggled in the outside groove. The car on the move in the early going was PASS South points leader, Bradley McCaskill. After starting 10th, McCaskill moved by Jeff Batten for fifth just five laps into the race. On lap 16, Craig was able to make the move on a faltering Davis for the lead. By lap 34, Davis would pull into the pits with distributor problems, losing many laps in the process.

The first caution of the race would not wave until lap 97 when Dave Farrington, Jr. appeared to drop fluid on the track causing Batten and Preston Peltier to spin in turn one. Just five laps later, Batten’s day would come to an end after serious contact with JP Josiasse sent both cars hard into the outside wall in turn one.

On the restart, Noles would take the lead from Craig entering turn one, but before the lap was complete, Craig had retaken the lead down the back straightaway. At this time a furious battle was taking place between McCaskill, Thorson, and Sarah Cornett-Ching for fifth. Cornett-Ching made an aggressive move around both drivers with 17 laps to go to take fifth, before McCaskill would spin from contention seven laps later.

Craig led the rest of the way to take the win over Peltier, Noles, Tate Fogleman, and Thorson. Rounding out the top ten were Cornett-Ching, Kodie Conner, Tyler Church, Eddie Fatscher, and McCaskill. With her sixth place finish, Cornett-Ching equals Tayla Orleans and Kenzie Ruston as the highest finishing female driver in PASS history.

Lee Pulliam survived a furious race, taking the lead when Tommy Lemons, Jr was sidelined with a mechanical problem late in the going, to take the win in the 150 lapper for the NASCAR Late Model Stocks. Mason Diaz finished second, over Justin Johnson, Tyler Hughes, and Rusty Daniels.

The PASS National Championship Super Late Models will be in action again, along with the Southern Modified Racing Series Tour Modifieds, as part of the 10th Running of the Orange Blossom Special on Saturday night, March 25 at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC. The PASS race winner will also receive a guaranteed starting spot for the $25,000 to win, 44th Annual Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway in August. Entry forms are currently available at ProAllStarsSeries.com. Be sure to “Like” the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @PASSSLM14.

PASS Super Late Model – Dogwood 150 – Unofficial Results

54 Matt Crag – 150
33 Preston Peltier 150
2 – Trevor Noles 150
8 – Tate Fogleman 150
55 – Tanner Thorson 150
99 – Sarah Cornett-Ching 150
45 – Kodie Conner 150
7c – Tyler Church 150
51 – Eddie Fatscher 149
118 – Bradley McCaskill 148
15 – Roy Hayes, Jr. 147
48 – John Batten 146
7 – Dave Farrington, Jr. 145
24 – JP Josiasse 145
29 – Spencer Davis 117
49 – Jeff Batten 99
10 – Kyle Desouza 55
55 – Kevin Floars DNS

Sources: Alan Dietz/PASS PR