ELLISVILLE, Fla. (May 29) — Before loading their car for a trip halfway across the top of the Sunshine State from their home base in Milton, Fla., Joseph Joiner and his crew knew the road to victory lane in the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series-sanctioned Harvey Jones Memorial Saturday night at All-Tech Raceway could lead them to an eventual matchup with Mark Whitener.
The track isn’t located far from Whitener’s shops in Middleburg, Fla., and the veteran driver has turned a bunch of laps at the track. He’s also won or played a major factor in many events at the Wendell Durrance-promoted facility, and is known to be one of the country’s top Crate Late Model competitors. When you hang a $10,000 prize on the line in front of the 40-year-old driver, you can usually count on him being a serious contender for the cash, and especially at the half-mile oval that was once a paved facility.
“He’s usually got the car to beat around here, and we’ve watched a lot of videos that he’s either won or run well at this place,” Joiner said after posting a lucrative victory in his Capital Race Cars-built machine over Whitener, Jason Welshan, Jimmy Thomas and Clay Harris. “I figured coming over here that I was gonna have to race him at some point to have any chance to win it. He’s a good driver, and to beat him in a show this big is the kinda stuff you dream about.”
Making Early Moves
Joiner, realizing during the opening circuits that his car was handling very well, engaged Whitener in an early duel for the lead, and took the lead on the 10th circuit en route to the winner’s circle in the 60-lap affair.
“I couldn’t mess up, because the car was that good,” Joiner said. “When I made a mistake, the car would make up for it. Early in the race we had really good grip, and we restarted on the outside and I could charge the corner and make the car bend, and then pull across the middle with good exit speed. That got us to second place, and Mark [Whitener] was out there leading the race by a few car lengths, but I could see we were gaining on him.”
Drawing even with Whitener for a side-by-side duel that lasted about three laps, Joiner made the pass stick and led the rest of the distance.
“When your car is that good, you can’t dilly-dally around, so I made the decision to drive down low to attempt to pass him early,” Joiner said. “You can’t waste time in these races, and I didn’t know if the track would take rubber or not, so we made the move when I felt we had the car to do it, rather than finding out later that we waited too long.”
Nasty Wreck Erases a Few Contenders
The track was racy and multi-grooved all night, and when a rubber strip finally appeared later in the race, it did so in two lanes and left competitors a pair off grooves to use. The race was setting up for a thriller of a finish when frontstretch contact on a restart between Michael Lloyd and Wil Herrington set off a wild crash that took out many top contenders, including themselves. It also set off a disagreement among crew members, and both drivers were disqualified for leaving their cars under red-flag conditions.
The incident occurred with 20 laps remaining, and left Joiner leading Whitener and Jason Welshan on the restart after a lengthy cleanup, as machines driven by Trey Mills, Jake Rainey, Herrington, Lloyd, T.J. Brittain, Richard Ferry and Donnie Chappell were either caught up in the incident or damaged in the melee, all exiting the event after completion of 40 circuits.
Hello Again, No. 5
While Joiner drove away at times earlier in the race by a comfortable margin and eventually won by more than seven seconds after the incident depleted the list of top contenders, it was good ole’ Whitener—as Joiner predicted—who showed up large and used the top lane to threaten for the lead on the restart after the accident.
Using the high lane in his familiar No. 5 against Joiner’s lower approach, Whitener was able to get close to the lead several times, but the wall he teased nearly every lap eventually proved to be his downfall. The close battle for the top spot ended when Whitener made a critical error that slowed his charge, brushing the wall and knocking a tire off the wheel.
“I knew he was out there and probably coming on the top, but I wasn’t sure how close,” Joiner said. “Jesse Enterkin was handling the signals for me, and he made me aware. I gotta give him credit, because he let me know when Mark [Whitener] was making up ground. Hat’s off to the signal guys. Our whole team came together really well tonight. Marshall Green at Capital Race Cars gives me all the time I need when I’m calling him with questions, and last week after one phone call he told me he felt we were ready to go win a race, and to send him the photo from victory lane. Penske Shocks…and everybody else who has something to do with this whole effort, they all play an important role and I’m proud to represent them.”
While he did return after pitting to replace the tire, Whitener spent the final 14 laps making up ground, taking second spot from current series points leader Jason Welshan after a side-by-side battle over the closing stages, a duel which entertained the crowd as Joiner drove away to the victory.
“I couldn’t drive it no harder than we did toward the end,” Whitener said. “His car [Joiner] was real good all night, and he drove a really smooth race. He could go to the bottom and run down there, and my car was committed to the top so we had to stay up there, and he flat had us beat. Up against the wall was the only place I could really feel the racetrack the way we needed. I got close to him a couple times late in the race, but it took the air off my spoiler and I got into the wall a little bit, and knocked the tire off the rim. Somehow we made another charge and got back to second place after we changed the tire.”
Paying Respects
The race drew a large crowd, which paid respects to the man for whom the event is named. Jones was a popular driver in the region who raced for several decades at area tracks and competed well into his 70s, and his family is still much respected in the racing industry. Joiner made an extra effort in the winner’s circle to spend time with his widow Hazel Jones, and the rest of the family.
“I’m not sure that I ever raced against Harvey Jones, but he did this stuff a long time and you have to respect what it took for him to race so many years, and having the chance to meet his wife made it extra special to win this race,” Joiner said. “I’ve only raced at this track once before and that was five or six years ago, so we didn’t have a notebook on the car or nothing when we got here. “I told all them guys on our team if we come here and beat Mark Whitener, then we’ve done good. None of us are truly professionals who have a ton of experience traveling to national shows, but if you can come into this place and beat him here, either he’s had some trouble or you’ve had a really good night.”
Joiner’s car carried sponsorship from Trading Paints, Hunt the Front, Law Offices of Cole & Davis, Three Trade Consultants, Dirt Car Lift, Dirt Track Bank, Base Racing Fuels, Wehrs Machine, QA1, Jones Racing Products, VonBon Products and Go Lithium.
Coming Events
The traveling circuit’s next event will be a $2,500-to-win contest slated June 5 at Senoia (Ga.) Raceway, which is the fifth event of the season for the organization. That race will be followed June 11-12 by the inaugural Tomahawk Tussle at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, S.C., which is also included as part of the E-Z-GO $100,000+ Challenge that carries a separate points fund from the regular touring series.
About Crate Racin’ USA
The economical Chevrolet Performance 602 and 604 Circle Track Engine is utilized by competitors in the various divisions presented by Crate Racin’ USA. It’s in stock and available for free, next-day delivery from Newsome Raceway Parts in Hartsville, S.C.
Each engine is built and sealed at the factory to prevent any expensive modifications. To place an order, call 1-877-497-3624.
For more information and rules, visit the organization’s website at www.crateracinusa.com, or follow our extensive social media programs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Newsome Raceway Parts, a division of Raceway Chevrolet in Hartsville, S.C., is the title sponsor of Crate Racin’ USA. E-Z-GO Golf Carts is the title sponsor of the newly-established E-Z-GO $100,000+ Challenge.
Chevrolet Performance is an official sponsor of the organization, along with Advanced Laser & Machine, Cruise with the Champions, Hoosier Racing Tire, KRC Power Steering, Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, My Race Pass, VP Racing Fuels and Lubricants and Willy’s Carburetors.
Official chassis sponsors include Warrior Race Cars, Rocket Chassis and CVR Race Cars.
Harvey Jones Memorial: 1. Joseph Joiner, 2. Mark Whitener, 3. Jason Welshan, 4. Jimmy Thomas, 5. Clay Harris, 6. Parker Martin, 7. Garrett Mosley, 8. Jimmy Sharpe, 9. Tanner Collins, 10. Mike Combs, 11. Troy Dixon, 12. Richard Ferry, 13. Trey Mills, 14. Donnie Chappell, 15. Jake Rainey, 16. T.J. Brittain, 17. Brandon Wells, 18. Cameron Saunders, 19. Chuck Cumby, 20. Kyle Van Sickle, 21. Jimmy Sharpe Jr., 22. Russell Brown Jr., 23. Henry Carter, 24. Jake Knowles, 25. Trynt Lloyd.
Disqualified: Wil Herrington, Michael Lloyd.
Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series (current points): 1. Jason Welshan, 358 points; 2. Tanner Collins, 324; 3. Jake Knowles, 314; 4. Jimmy Thomas, 298; 5. T.J. Brittain, 288; 6. Jake Rainey, 270; 7. Mike Combs, 254; 8. Troy Dixon, 232; 9. Colton Leyendecker, 192; 10. (tie) Austin Horton and Mark Whitener, 190.
Total entries: 36
Boyd-Bilt Fabrication Fast Qualifier: Jake Rainey, 19.986 seconds
KRC Power Steering Heat Winners: Russell Brown Jr., Jason Welshan, Mark Whitener, Joseph Joiner.
KRC Power Steering B-main Winners: Jake Rainey, Michael Lloyd
Lap leaders: Mark Whitener 1-9; Joseph Joiner, 10-60.
Cautions: 8
Margin of victory: 7.571 seconds