TRACKS: Clay Campbell Notches Second Caraway Win

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

June 12, 2001

ASHEBORO, NC – Several years ago Clay Campbell watched Darrell Waltrip make the most of a last-turn skirmish between Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte to win a Winston Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.

Saturday night Campbell found himself in the same position. And the president of Martinsville Speedway made sure the results were the same as Waltrip’s.

Campbell, Casey Kepley and James Triplett had been bunched tightly together at the front of the pack for much of the 35-lap Limited Sportsman race at Caraway Speedway. And headed into the third turn on the final lap, Kepley and Triplett drew alongside each other. The two bumped and slid down the track.

Campbell shot through the low opening and dashed to the checkered flag for his second win of the season.

“It was a good night for the Taylor Motorsports-Hayes Jewelers team,” said Campbell, who also was the top qualifier, but started third after the field was inverted before the green flag fell. “Being fastest qualifier and winning the race on the same night was pretty gratifying.”

So was the late charge to the lead.

“Going into the final lap in third and coming out in first was really exciting,” said Campbell. “We were all running pretty tight and the two cars in front of me got together coming off turn two and just opened the door for me to go through.”

Not only was it Campbell’s second win of the season, it was his 10th fop-five finish in 10 Caraway starts this season. He leads the season-long points standings by 14 points over James Boling.

Text provided by M. Smith

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