Dohm battles his way to #8216;Summer Sizzler 50#8217; win at Rocky Top

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 29, 2006

COAL GROVE — The “Summer Sizzler 50” was tabbed the “can’t miss race of the summer,” and it certainly lived up to its name as a big crowd was in the stands when some of the best Dirt Late Models in the country invaded Rocky Top last Friday.

Two cars came from as far away as North Carolina.

In the “Summer Sizzler 50” Late Model A-Main, World of Outlaws regular Eddie Carrier Jr. took the lead at the start.

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Carrier then received heavy pressure from Jackie Boggs the next nine laps. Finally, after trying to get by for so many laps, Boggs made the pass on lap 10.

Behind the two leaders, the battle for third was a dandy as the cars went two- and three-wide running the low, middle, and high sides.

Near

the halfway point of the race, former Lucas Oil Series regular Tim Dohm started his methodical charge to the front. He passed Carrier to move into the second position, but it looked like Boggs had the race wrapped up until a lap 39 restart.

On the restart, Carrier jumped to the extreme high side and found bite as Dohm looked to the inside of Boggs for the lead.

Going down the backstretch the trio went three-wide for the lead. Carrier and Dohm then split Boggs going into turn three as they went side-by-side for the lead.

Carrier on the outside and Dohm on the inside stayed side-by-side for the remaining laps of the race.

With two laps to go, Carrier got sideways allowing Dohm to clear him coming to the white flag. Carrier put together a strong charge on the last lap but couldn’t make the pass as Tim Dohm took the $3,000 win in the “Summer Sizzler 50.”

Carrier finished second with Boggs third, Chris Garnes fourth, and Rod Conley from the 16th starting position to fifth.

Carrier won the dash while Dohm and G.R. Smith from North Carolina won heats.

In the AMRA Modified A-Main, Todd Robinson took the lead at the start and had the dominant car all night long to take his second Rocky Top win in a row.

The racing through the field behind Robinson was tight all night long as Shawn Holliday finished second with Rick Hensley coming from the back to third and Darren Muncy also coming from the back to finish fourth.

Greg Thompson put together another late race charge to finish fifth.

Holliday won the dash race while Robert Garnes and Jason Perry won heats.

A scary first lap crash in the Bomber A-Main took out eight cars with Eric Dennison getting the worst end of the deal as he ended up on his roof.

However, all drivers involved in the crash escaped without injury.

When the racing resumed, the battle for the lead between Wayne Hughes and Jim Lemaster saw both drivers battle hard with nobody giving an inch.

Hughes was able to hold on to take his third Rocky Top win this season with Lemaster second, Brett Carey third, Bobby Roberts fourth and Jason Rayburn fifth.

Hughes and Lemaster won heat races.

Racing resumes Friday with Late Models, MRA Modifieds, Bombers and 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder.

General mission is $12 and pit admission $25.

For more informatio,n visit RTR on the Web at www.rockytopracewayinc.com.