9/10/2017
Delaware International Speedway
MILLS PADS POINT LEAD WITH FALL CHAMP QUALIFIER BIG BLOCK WIN
By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – A shuffle due in large to the weather combined the Fall Championship qualifiers for both the NAPA Big Block Modifieds and the S.R. Pete & Sons
Super Late Models on Pepsi Night Saturday at the Delaware International Speedway.
A solid field of 22 Big Block Modifieds were on hand with heat wins going to Brandon Watkins, H.J. Bunting and Howard O’Neal. The 30-lap Fall Championship qualifier got off to a rocky start when a jingle in the fourth turn collected Dave Dissinger, Jamie Mills, JoJo Watson, T.J. Williams, Carson Wright, Clay Tatman and Scott VanGorder. Mills, Watson and Dissinger restarted at the rear while Williams, Tatman, Wright and VanGorder were done for the night.
Howard O’Neal started on the pole and immediately got comfortable in the high groove. Jordan Watson quickly found second after starting in seventh while Brandon Watkins, Robert Dutton and H.J. Bunting battled for the third spot.
O’Neal held off Watson for ten laps but smoke started to pour from the rear of the car and O’Neal coasted to a stop to bring out the yellow and to turn the lead over to Jordan Watson. The yellow was the break that Mills needed as he had worked himself back up to just outside the top five when the yellow flew.
On the restart Mills got by Jim Britt and two laps later dropped Dutton to fourth. The final yellow flew on lap 18 when Kevin Sockriter rolled to a stop. On the restart Mills got by Bunting for second and it only took one more circuit for him to pass Watson for the lead.
Watson tried every line he could find through the turns but could not match Mills’ speed. He would drive to his third win of the season. “We wanted to pad our point lead tonight,� said Mills. “And that is what we did.�
Jordan Watson ended a strong drive in second with Bunting posting his best finish of the season in third. Fourth went to JoJo Watson who also returned from the rear allowing him to hold on to his second spot in the standings and Robert Dutton turned in one of his best runs this season finishing in fifth.
NAPA Big Block Modified Feature: 1. Jamie Mills; 2. Jordan Watson; 3. H.J. Bunting; 4. JoJo Watson; 5. Robert Dutton; 6. Jim Britt; 7. Brandon Watkins; 8. Dave Dissinger; 9. Kevin Sockriter; 10. Westley Smith; 12. Don Hallowell; 13. Howard O’Neal; 14. Dale Hawkins; 15. Kyle Fuller; 16. Matt Hawkins; 17. Scott VanGorder; 18. Carson Wright; 19. Clay Tatman; 20. T.J. Williams; DNS: Eric Vent; Brad Trice.
