Shell captures first 2015 Kingsport Speedway NASCAR victory

 

It had been almost one year to the day since Zeke Shell of Johnson City visited victory lane at Kingsport Speedway last April 25, and he finished third in points on strength of nine top-five finishes.

 

Shell began the 2015 racing campaign fast in each of the four races held entering tonight’s racing program, but for some reason it seems he was carrying a monkey on his back. Bad luck caused him to get collected in wrecks not of his own making while running inside the top five, while the race team also struggled to determine electrical issues with the racing engine.

 

Finally finding the electrical problem that had plagued the motor, and also having “lady luck” riding with him, the 27-year-old Shell made a bold statement with a strong performance en route to capturing his first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series “First Kingsport Credit Union” Late Model Stock win of the season at “The Concrete Jungle.”

 

Ronnie McCarty, already with one victory to his credit this season, entered the night leading Late Model Stock points and earned the pole position for the 60-lap main event.

 

McCarty and Shell brought the 16-car field to the green flag from the front row, with McCarty quickly taking the lead over Shell. But the event’s first caution waved just three laps in when Bruce Blessing slowed in turn two with a flat left-front tire.

 

Off the double-file restart, McCarty once again moved back out ahead of Shell, while Kres VanDyke and Kyle Barnes battled for third. Barnes took the position from VanDyke on the sixth circuit racing off the fourth turn.

 

With the race running clean-and-green following the lap 3 caution period, McCarty and Shell were setting a blistering pace around the .375-mile banked concrete oval to hold almost a half-straightaway advantage over Barnes and VanDyke as the raced reached the halfway point.

 

It’s said in short-track racing that rubbin’ is racin’ and when competitors’ need to use the bump-and-run, it’s acceptable. Shell was glued to leader McCarty’s rear bumper lap-after-lap, while also sticking the nose of his ride up underneath the leader as they raced off the corners.

 

Shell moved McCarty up the track on lap 40 between turns three and four to assume the lead. But McCarty was not about to go down without a fight, as he roared back strong to get up under Shell on opposite end of the track between turns one and two. But Shell slammed the door racing off the second corner to hold onto the top spot.

 

With Shell showing the way out front, the last thing he wanted to see was the caution flag wave. Jerry Lane, making his first Late Model Stock start, brought the caution out on lap 46 when he had a little assist from behind to send his car spinning.

 

Shell and McCarty were lined up door-to-door on the front row for the restart, with Barnes and VanDyke behind in the second row. With the green flag waving, Shell rocketed back out ahead while the trio of McCarty, Barnes and VanDyke were battling hard for real estate.

 

Close quarters racing action on lap 49 between turns one and two produced contact between VanDyke and McCarty, with both McCarty and Barnes getting out of shape exiting turn two onto the backstretch. While McCarty and Barnes had to reel their mounts back in, VanDyke took over second in the running order followed by Lee Tissot and Justin Fontaine.

 

But out front, Shell was in control driving the Tennessee Hills Distillery (Jonesborough)/Capone’s (Johnson City)/Vape On (Johnson City)/Pit Stop Garage (Johnson City)/Shell Media (Printing, Design, Graphics, Wraps, Promotions, Marketing, Advertising) of Johnson City/Roush Yates Performance Products/Performancenter Racing Warehouse/LTO-PRW Chassis (Statesville, N.C.)/Bobby Myers Performance Racing Engines/No. 97 Ford Fusion to victory over VanDyke, Tissot, Fontaine and McCarty.

 

Completing the top 10 finishers were Barnes, Wayne Hale, Joey Trent, Allen Hawkins and Rick Pannell.

 

“Man, hopefully we’ve got all of our bad luck behind us,” said a smiling Shell after climbing from his car in victory lane. “Sitting parked in victory lane – this right here is what it’s all about. It makes all the hours you work back at the race shop worthwhile. To say that our season up until tonight has been frustrating, well, that would be a major understatement. We’ve had a fast race car at each event. But we’ve either gotten collected in somebody else’s wreck while running inside the top five, or the electrical issue we struggled to determine the cause of on our race engine has hurt us. Hopefully this win will be the first of several others we’ll get this season. We had a really good car tonight and I believe we showed that during the race.

 

“It’s really gratifying to be able to win races with my father (Pat Shell), and now with my pregnant wife (Amber Shell) supporting me on race night’s. We’re just a small, family-owned race team and we don’t have a big pit crew. Tonight at the track it was just myself, dad, Amber and spotter Scott Clark helping. We’ve got some friends whose businesses help us a little with our racing, but basically our racing budget consists of we need to win enough purse money each week to help fund us getting back to the track the following race. With my wife and I expecting our first child later this year, who knows once our baby arrives if I’ll be able to continue racing. All I know is, I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had driving a race car and I’m just going to enjoy racing for as long as possible.”

 

John Harrell of Surgoinsville is approaching the half-century mark, but judging from his on-track racing exploits so far this season, age isn’t slowing the veteran racer down. The 49-year-old, who will turn 50 on July 5, drove the MWH Construction/Mark’s Auto Parts/Perfection Plus Painting/Castle’s Customs Muffler & Paint/J.D. Light Race Engines/Outlaw Graphics/No. 19 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to his fourth straight Street Stock win to remain a perfect four-for-four on the season. Harrell easily won over Jared Broadbent, Paul Shull, Chris Tunnell and Mark Christian.

 

John Ketron grabbed the lead at start of the 25-lap Pure 4 feature, while his son Billy Ketron and Keith Helton raced side-by-side the opening five circuits before Helton moved into second place. Helton began pressuring the elder Ketron for the lead. The event’s first caution waved on lap 7, when Bruce Crumbley and Dylan Bates wrecked between turns one and two.

 

John Ketron and Helton battled for the lead back under green, with Helton, driving the Pizza Plus of Kingsport (Sullivan Gardens location)/Catch 22/Toy-Auto of Kingsport/4 Way Mini Storage/No. 9 Saturn into the lead on lap 11. While Helton would go on to capture his third victory on the season, behind him the Ketrons raced hard for family bragging rights.

 

Helton recorded the win over Billy Ketron, John Ketron, Chris Neeley and last week’s winner Kenny Absher.

 

Nasty Jones of Chilhowie,Va., earned his second consecutive Pure Street victory over Hershell Robinette, Jake Phipps, Robbie Allison and Gary Crumbley.

 

Dennis Stanley of Kingsport recorded his first-ever victory at Kingsport Speedway. The 49-year-old Stanley got the Rookie Pure 4 win over Dwayne Banks, Chris Wilhelm, William Hale and Craig Phelps.

Kingsport Speedway PR