CARTHAGE, Tenn. (April 26, 2003) - In what was described as the best, most exciting race in the history of Riverview Speedway by many racing experts that were on hand, William Horton Jr. of Davisboro, Georgia won the 100-Lap Southern All-Star Super Truck Feature this past Saturday night. It was the very first SAS Super Truck appearance at Riverview Speedway in Carthage and it left everyone from fans to officials to racing celebrities breathless. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver, Bobby Hamilton Sr., who was on hand for the event, stated it was the best race he had ever seen at Riverview Speedway. Terrell Davis of the Middle Tennessee Racing News echoed Hamilton’s sentiments saying it was one of the best races he had ever seen in his over 30 years of Middle Tennessee racing coverage.

David Odell of Lawranceville, Georgia had the pole and led the race for the first 52 laps. Closely following Odell in 2nd place was #57 Horton Jr. and in 3rd was the fastest qualifier #45 Richard Johns. In fact, from lap 2 through 50 these 3 trucks never changed position. However, there was a lot of jockeying for position going on behind the top 3 trucks. One of these trucks was #56 driven by Billy Melvin of Trustville, AL. On lap 50 Melvin moved up and passed the 3rd place truck #45 Johns and on Lap 51 Melvin took over 2nd place moving by Horton Jr.. On lap number 52 Melvin made an incredible move utilizing a lapped truck to go by the leader, David Odell, and took over 1st place. From this point on “the race was on”!

Odell started to move back into the pack as Horton Jr. and Johns passed him. Truck #1, Roger Adkins, got into the mix and moved into 4th place as Odell fell further back. Almost unnoticed, truck #37, Brandon Brown, slowly started moving up through the field and before you knew it, on lap 63, had moved into 3rd place as Johns fell back to 4th.

On lap number 90 William Horton Jr. regained the lead over Melvin and on lap 95 there was a spin-out involving Melvin which sent him to the back of the pack. There was another caution on lap 96 following a mishap, which set up a final 4-lap dash for the checkered flag. By this time #37, Brandon Brown had moved up to 2nd place and was challenging Horton Jr. for the lead. Truck #40 Vince Whitmeyer had moved up to 3rd place and #32 Michael Foy restarted in 4th place with 4 laps to go.

On the restart on lap 96 the collective crowd in the grandstands held their breath as the top 4 trucks flew around the track desperately looking for one last chance to pass and improve their finishing position. Even though the top 4 trucks never changed position in the last 4 laps, there were several opportunities taken which thrilled the crowd. In the end it was #57, William Horton Jr. who took the checkered flag and won the first ever SAS Super Truck Race at Riverview Speedway.

In Victory Lane Horton Jr. thanked the Riverview Speedway crowd for all of their support and enthusiasm during the race and expressed how much he loved the track and commented on how it was one of the most exciting races he had ever been a part of. Officials with the Southern All-Stars also expressed how impressed they were with Riverview Speedway and what a fine race it was.

In other action Saturday night……Anthony Walker of Nashville won the equally exciting Sportsman Feature; James Mehaffey of Lebanon won the “All-Fours” Feature race; and Carl Bowling of Murfreesboro won the 92nd consecutive running of the Nas-Karts.

The Mini-Cup Feature was the race that brought a bit of controversy this past Saturday night. Wayne White of Joelton took 1st place in the race that featured 20 cars but after the race, back in Tech, White and 5 other cars that all finished in the top 10 were disqualified for running illegal engines or for running illegal engine parts. Once the dust settled it was #3, Anthony Warner of Lafayette, who was awarded 1st place. During the actual race Warner finished 2nd behind White.

This Saturday night, May 3rd, Riverview Speedway’s regular weekly racing program returns. The Late Models and Open Wheel Modifieds will be back after being off this past Saturday night. Riverview’s other weekly classes, such as the Sportsman, Mini-Cups, All Fours and Nas-Karts will be on hand as well. Gates open at 2pm this Saturday with racing at 6pm.

RESULTS

SOUTHERN ALL-STAR SUPER TRUCKS
1ST: #57 William Horton Jr., Davisboro, GA
2nd: #37 Brandon Brown, Jackson, MS
3rd: #40 Vince Whitmeyer, Flowery Branch, GA
4th: #32 Michael Foy, Grayson, GA
5th: #45 Richard Johns, Lawranceville, GA
6th: #99 Brian Huff, Buford, GA
7th: #01 Josh Adkins, Cumming, GA
8th: #75 David Odell, Lawranceville, GA
9th: #1 Roger Adkins, Canton, GA
10th: #92 Cale Langford, Chatsworth, GA
11th: #91 Johnny Wall, Huntsville, AL
12th: #56 Billy Melvin, Trustville, AL
13th: #12 Shannon Berry, Arab, AL
14th: #09 Josh Cheek, Buffalo, TX
15th: #3 Chris Serio, Birmingham, AL

SPORTSMAN
1st: #68 Anthony Walker, Nashville, TN
2nd: #46 John Summers, Franklin, KY
3rd: #77 Brian Leyhew, Milton, TN
4th: #45 Scott Thompson, Castalian Springs, TN
5th: #12 Chuck Adcox, Greenbrier, TN
6th: #47 Gary Adcock, Springfield, TN
7th: #44 Jerre Smithson, Nashville, TN
8th: #17 Chris Damian, Hartsville, TN
9th: #07 Joe Ray Jr., Portland, TN
10th: #12X Larry Gentry, Mt. Juliet, TN
11th: #71 Daniel Victory, Smyrna, TN
12th: #27 Curtis Thompson, Donelson, TN
13th: #00 Bubba Likens, Westmoreland, TN
14th: #31 Dale Shoulders, Hartsville, TN

CITIZEN’S BANK NAS-KARTS
1st: #9 Clay Bowling, Murfreesboro, TN
2nd: #4 Matt Huffines, Hartsville, TN
3rd: #12 John Young, Hartsville, TN
4th: #22 Tom Lowe, Carthage, TN
5th: #68 Jonathan Foster, Hartsville, TN
6th: #99 Linda Rubright, Lafayette, TN

REGINA WHITE, EA TAX SERVICE MINI-CUPS
1st: #3 Anthony Warner, Lafayette, TN
2nd: #84 Clay Alexander, Franklin, TN
3rd: #121 Joseph Meyer, Mt. Juliet, TN
4th: #33 Jay Robinson, Huntsville, AL
5th: #12 John Young, Hartsville, TN
6th: #97 Zach Coll, Elkmont, AL
7th: #10 Chuck Tuck, Athens, AL
8th: #7 Preston Luper, Mt. Juliet, TN
9th: #5 Jack Read, Murfreesboro, TN
10th: #99 George Rubright, Lafayette, TN
11th: #17 C.J. Tuck, Athens, AL
12th: #29 Lance Richmond, Gordonsville, TN
13th: #40 Jamie Holmes, Red Boiling Springs, TN
14th: #8 Ricky Gross Jr., Westmoreland, TN

TRI-STATE RACING EQUIPMENT ALL-FOURS
1st: #11 James Mehaffey, Lebanon, TN
2nd: #1 Kenny Wix, Westmoreland, TN
3rd: #6 Ron Dodson, Sparta, TN
4th: #15 Jason Averitt, Murfreesboro, TN
5th: #99 Roy Young, Red Boiling Springs, TN
6th: #46 Eric Perkins, Franklin, KY
7th: #4 Jason Holley, Westmoreland, TN
8th: #70 A.J. Garber, Whitleyville, TN
9th: #33 Clayton Brooks, Bethpage, TN
10th: #7 David Ray, Carthage, TN
11th: #23 Jason Qualls, Sparta, TN