Photo Credit: Keith Anderson
By Gerald Harris
The Gripp Energy Limited Late Models has had its up's and down's this season. The teams made the
trek down to Williamston, SC, home of Anderson Motor Speedway on May 12, 2018. The first two races
has seen some great racing at times along with some carnage. The drivers were trying to chase down
the two time winner of the season so far, Dillon Houser out of Hildebran, NC. The summer time heat set
in for the day with temperatures in the mid 90's, the staff was just hoping it wasn't going to bring the
tempers out.
They all unloaded and got set to kick things off with the first round of practice. However Houser picked
up where he left off, setting the fast time in the first round of practice with his teamate running in second.
It was a repeat in the second round of practice as Houser once again paced the field. The teams had
one last chance to make any adjustments with the final round of practice approaching. Jesse Clark from
Marshall, NC set the fast time in the Final Practice with young Rookie Tanner Brookshire from Leicester,
NC nipping at his heals. They got set to make their qualifying runs. Houser claimed the Renegade Race
Fuels Pole Award, and went on to roll a three on the invert dice which now allowed veteran driver Marion
Thomas from Leicester, NC starting on the top spot with Chris Phipps starting on the outside front row.
Thomas waited for the City Chevrolet Silverado to get out of his way, so he could get the race started.
He set sail once the green flag fell on the field, Thomas has had a string of bad luck and was ready to
get the monkey off of his back. He held off charges from Houser lap after lap, until Houser was finally
able to get around Thomas for the lead. The #15 of Kyle Barnes who had experienced issues in practice
with his exhaust, ducked down pit road on lap eight as he once again had the same issue.
The first caution flew as the #1 of Phillip Peters from Easley, SC made hard contact with the inside back
stretch wall. He was able to get out under his own powers, Houser led the field back to the green flag.
The field made one circuit around the 3/10th mile before the caution flew again as the #7 spun in turn
four. Once again Houser paced the field to the green with Clark on his outside. However before they
could complete a lap, the caution flew again, this time for the #4D of James Dolan and the #10 of Randy
Ollis getting together in turn one. Houser once again determined to bring home his third win of the
season, led the field back to the green flag. On the restart John Mamph from Canton, NC made a mad
dash towards the front and found himself inside the top five. The fourth caution flew as the #7 of German
Holden and Mamph got together on the track battling for position in turn one.
Houser once again held his head up high as he led the field back to the green trying to hold off hard
charging Clark. The field made three more laps before the caution flew again as the #14 of Davey Smart
came to a stop in turn one. Smart got a assist from the wrecker service and came to the aide of his crew
and rejoined the field. Houser once again held off Clark, the pair raced side by side. And once again
before they could complete a lap, the caution flew again as the #14 of Smart and #10T of Thomas got
together. Houser again paced the field back to the green flag, and one more time the Caution flew as the
#65 of Mamph went up in smoke going into turn one. After an extensive clean up on the track the race
was shortened due to the ammount of cautions and the time they had already ran. They was cut to 35
laps or the next caution.
Houser jumped back out front on the restart, and pulled away from the rest of the field. He went on to
capture his third win of the season, with Clark in second, Brookshire in third, Gallman in fourth and
Holden rounding out the top five.
Official Results
1. 11 Dillon Houser
2. 5 Jesse Clark
3. 55 Tanner Brookshire
4. 81 John Gallman
5. 7 Holden German
6. 14 Davey Smart
7. 18 TJ Williams
8. 22 Billy Brown
9. 10T Marion Thomas
10. 4D James Dolan
11. 4M Pete Messina
12. 65 John Mamph
13. 37 Chris Phipps
14. 10O Randy Ollis
15. 1 Phillip Peters
16. 15 Kyle Barnes
The Gripp Energy Limited Late Models has had its up's and down's this season. The teams made the
trek down to Williamston, SC, home of Anderson Motor Speedway on May 12, 2018. The first two races
has seen some great racing at times along with some carnage. The drivers were trying to chase down
the two time winner of the season so far, Dillon Houser out of Hildebran, NC. The summer time heat set
in for the day with temperatures in the mid 90's, the staff was just hoping it wasn't going to bring the
tempers out.
They all unloaded and got set to kick things off with the first round of practice. However Houser picked
up where he left off, setting the fast time in the first round of practice with his teamate running in second.
It was a repeat in the second round of practice as Houser once again paced the field. The teams had
one last chance to make any adjustments with the final round of practice approaching. Jesse Clark from
Marshall, NC set the fast time in the Final Practice with young Rookie Tanner Brookshire from Leicester,
NC nipping at his heals. They got set to make their qualifying runs. Houser claimed the Renegade Race
Fuels Pole Award, and went on to roll a three on the invert dice which now allowed veteran driver Marion
Thomas from Leicester, NC starting on the top spot with Chris Phipps starting on the outside front row.
Thomas waited for the City Chevrolet Silverado to get out of his way, so he could get the race started.
He set sail once the green flag fell on the field, Thomas has had a string of bad luck and was ready to
get the monkey off of his back. He held off charges from Houser lap after lap, until Houser was finally
able to get around Thomas for the lead. The #15 of Kyle Barnes who had experienced issues in practice
with his exhaust, ducked down pit road on lap eight as he once again had the same issue.
The first caution flew as the #1 of Phillip Peters from Easley, SC made hard contact with the inside back
stretch wall. He was able to get out under his own powers, Houser led the field back to the green flag.
The field made one circuit around the 3/10th mile before the caution flew again as the #7 spun in turn
four. Once again Houser paced the field to the green with Clark on his outside. However before they
could complete a lap, the caution flew again, this time for the #4D of James Dolan and the #10 of Randy
Ollis getting together in turn one. Houser once again determined to bring home his third win of the
season, led the field back to the green flag. On the restart John Mamph from Canton, NC made a mad
dash towards the front and found himself inside the top five. The fourth caution flew as the #7 of German
Holden and Mamph got together on the track battling for position in turn one.
Houser once again held his head up high as he led the field back to the green trying to hold off hard
charging Clark. The field made three more laps before the caution flew again as the #14 of Davey Smart
came to a stop in turn one. Smart got a assist from the wrecker service and came to the aide of his crew
and rejoined the field. Houser once again held off Clark, the pair raced side by side. And once again
before they could complete a lap, the caution flew again as the #14 of Smart and #10T of Thomas got
together. Houser again paced the field back to the green flag, and one more time the Caution flew as the
#65 of Mamph went up in smoke going into turn one. After an extensive clean up on the track the race
was shortened due to the ammount of cautions and the time they had already ran. They was cut to 35
laps or the next caution.
Houser jumped back out front on the restart, and pulled away from the rest of the field. He went on to
capture his third win of the season, with Clark in second, Brookshire in third, Gallman in fourth and
Holden rounding out the top five.
Official Results
1. 11 Dillon Houser
2. 5 Jesse Clark
3. 55 Tanner Brookshire
4. 81 John Gallman
5. 7 Holden German
6. 14 Davey Smart
7. 18 TJ Williams
8. 22 Billy Brown
9. 10T Marion Thomas
10. 4D James Dolan
11. 4M Pete Messina
12. 65 John Mamph
13. 37 Chris Phipps
14. 10O Randy Ollis
15. 1 Phillip Peters
16. 15 Kyle Barnes