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Late Model Report and Results: Comdata/Overdrive 200

20 October 1997



                LITTLETON IN OVERDRIVE FOR COMDATA WIN

Nashville, TN - David Littleton of Columbia, TN, in the George Clanton
Construction Chevrolet Monte Carlo dominated the second half of the
Comdata/Overdrive 200 today at Nashville Speedway USA . Littleton took the
lead on lap 135 and then stretched the lead to over 4 seconds at the
finish. The win was only the second ever for Littleton in Late Model
competition at Nashville, his previous win coming in the Winston 200 in
July
of 1995.

        "We had a fast car, and once I got to the front I felt pretty
comfortable," an excited Littleton commented afterwards. "I would like to
thank my crew and sponsor for their help. We have had a tough year with
engine and other problems, and I thought we would never get back in
winner's circle."

        There were 40 Late Models that took the green flag behind pole
sitter Jerry Coble of Madison, TN in the Comdata/Ryder Chevrolet. It was
the outside pole driver, Andy Kirby of White House, TN that became the
first clear leader of the race as he kept the Coors Light/Mapco Express
Ford on the high side of Coble for almost two laps before edging into the
lead. Coming up quickly from his 4th starting spot was Chad Chaffin who
slid into second place ahead of Coble with a neat inside move and then slid
back to third again when Coble and Chaffin touched. The opening scramble
soon settled down to some good racing with Kirby leading Coble, Darryl
Sage, Chaffin, and Littleton as the fifth lap was completed.

        Kirby opened a quick lead, but by lap 10 Coble began to close the
gap by running a lower line than the leader seemed able to run. By lap 20
the two were nose-to-tail and Coble began looking to the inside for the
lead. The first caution of the event flew on lap 24 when Bennie Hamlett
broke something in the rear end and lost control exiting turn 4 and hit the
outside wall. John Hayden tried to check up and was hit in the rear by
Scott Henderson, spun and slammed hard into the now stationary Hamlett
machine.

        As cleanup was completed, and the cars returned to green flag
racing Kirby still led with Chaffin now in second, having passed Coble just
as the caution flew, Coble, Littleton and Greg Williams.Littleton was into
third on lap 41 as he dipped below Coble and began to chase down the
leaders. Meanwhioe back in the pack, Joe Buford was coming to the front at
a rapid place as he moved into the top ten on lap 50, after having started
in 28th. Buford would get as high as fifth before he tried to pass Jon
Kerley on the outside coming off turn four. The two cars touched, shooting
Buford into the turn four wall and ending a great run.

        Chaffin had managed to work his way under Kirby for the point on
lap 34 and he soon opened a lead on the restart. Kirby was able to keep up
for the first couple of laps, but running the higher line could not
maintain contact and soon was three car lengths behind.Casey Atwood had now
moved up to challenge the top five, which consisted of Chaffin, Kirby,
Coble, Littleton and Sage. Chaffin's day eas to end early as the right rear
wheel came off the car on the exit from turn two causing a spinout and
eventually his retirement.Kirby returned to the lead with Coble right
behind. Then on the restart, Coble slipped under Kirby and retook the
point.

        Shortly after the halfway point two cars spun on the backstretch
and the caution flew again, and this time all the leaders headed for the
pits and new rubber and fuel. The only exception was Adam Petty who stayed
on the track and by doing so took over the lead of the race. Kirby won the
race off pit road, with Littleton, Coble and Kerley following him out.
Atwood was blocked in and came out of the pits in tenth spot.

        On the restart, both Billy Morris and Cecil Chunn were able to get
a lap back as  Petty was slow coming up to speed, but Petty soon ran Morris
back down, but could not close on Chunn. On lap 135 Littleton slid to the
inside of Petty in turn four and took the point. From then on he opened up
a lead on the field that would eventually be as great as
the length of the front straight. The fight for the positions behind
Litttleton continued  unabated with Kirby, Wade Allan Buttrey,  Coble,
Kerly and eventually Atwood dueling back and forth. Kirby got hung up
behind the lapped car of Morris and lost three spots while Atwood took
advantage of slower traffic to advance into the top five with 50 laps
left in the 200 lap race. 

        The final quarter of the event saw Littleton open a straightaway
lead over Coble. Kerley took a wild ride on lap 173 as he tried to get
under Buttrey's car in turn 2 and contact was made. Kerley bounced off
another two cars as he tried to get straightened out before continuing
without losing  a position. Atwood had worked his way aroud Kirby
and was right on the rear of Kerley, while Kirby stayed glued to atwood's
bumper. Atwood slipped past Kerley to evade the three car fight and set off
after Coble. The final change in the top five came on lap 184 when Kirby
finally got back around Kerley for fourth. Littleton took the win with
Coble second, Atwood third, Kirby fourth and Kerley rounding out thetop
five.

        There were only 5 cautions in the race for a total of 39 laps which
resulted in an average speed of 71.824 mph. Six cars finished on the lead
lap with 28 cars still running at the finish.

Nashville Speedway USA - Provisional results for the 
Nashville Late Model Stock, 
Comdata/Overdrive 200:
          
Ps.Ql.No.  Driver , Car                                          Laps  
-- -- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- ----- 
 1  6   2  David Littleton George Clanton Construction      Chev 200        
 2  1  45  Jerry Coble     Comdata/Ryder                    Chev 200        
 3 20  53  Casey Atwood    Brooks & Dunn Metal Rodeo        Chev 200       
 4  2  10  Andy Kirby      Mapco Express/Coors Light        Ford 200       
 5  8  44k Jon Kerley      Sharon Super Market              Chev 200       
 6 24  49  Adam Petty      Spree Sprint Cellulsr            Pont 200       
 7  9  87  Wade Allen Buttry Perfecta Drywall/Cunningham    Chev 200       
 8 14  55  Dean Howard     Bradley Paving/Sam's Auto Sales  Chev 200       
 9 23  42  Ricky Sanford   PSG/Auto Shield                  Chev 199       
10 12   0  Mike Murray     Mapco Espress/Coors Light        Chev 199       
11  8  44  Billy James     Jayski's Page/X-OBYTE            Chev 199       
12 25  15  Jason Oates     Five Star Racing                 Pont 199       
13 39   4  Marty Ward      Hooters                          Ford 199       
14 10  81  Todd Morris     Prudential Realty/Terry Clark    Chev 199
15 26  52  Dwayne Hudson   Hudson Racing                    Chev 199       
16 29  09  Ricky Bolden    Capitol Chevrolet/Sloans Yamaha  Chev 199       
17 15  84  Cecil Chunn     Camino real Mexican Restaurant   Pont 199       
18 21  26  Russell Winstead Renshaw Automotive              Chev 198       
19 19  23  Toby Robertson  Racing Decor                     Chev 198       
20 40  17  Greg Williams   Koester Company                  Chev 197       
21 31   5  Mark Day        Scogin Enterprise                Chev 197       
22 27  51  Jimbo Vance     Double R Paving                  Chev 197       
23 33   8  Walt Nabors     Nabors Motorsport                Chev 194       
24 32  80  Tony Formosa    TM's Automotive/Red Line Oil     Chev 194       
25 13  18  Glenn Stovall   Tar heel Chevrolet-Olds          Chev 193       
26 36  72  Dorris Vaughn   Top Sellers                      Chev 189       
27 30   7  Brian Hall      Hall Brick Cleaning              Chev 189       
28  3  21  Darryl Sage     Hollingsworth Oil/Sudden Service Pont 187       
29  5  03  Jerry Underwood Beaman Auto/Steve Bass Tire      Pont 140       
30 35  28  Joe Brantley    W KY Machine Shop/Slit Fire      Chev 136       
31  7 104  Craig Wilson    Arrow 104.5FM                    Chev 121       
32 11   3  Bo Miller       Millers AAA Transport            Chev 120       
33 17  91  Mark Cash       Red Hot & Blue Bar-B-Q           Chev 112       
34  4   1  Chad Chaffin    Logan's Roadhouse                Ford  76       
35 28 107  Joe Buford      Cone Oil/107.5FM The River       Ford  56       
36 34  75  Scott Henderson Lewisburg Industrial & Welding   Chev  26       
37 22  96  Bennie Hamlett  Smyrna Pawn/Fairway Rental       Ford  23       
38 37  95  John Hayden     Tapp Motors/Thermo-Tilt Windows  Chev  23       
39 18  04  Jeff Higdon     Higdon Racing/Templeton Dozer    Chev   7       
40 16  11  Michael Green   Michael's Motor Company          Ford   2       

Margin of Victory : 4.7 seconds
Cautions          : 5 for 39 laps
Track Length      :  0.5960 Miles

John Kaiser -- The Auto Channel