By DAVID MILLER
Special to The Dispatch
Chad Thrash waited angrily at the scales Saturday at Magnolia Motor Speedway, as the rest of the top-five finishers in the Golden Egg Spring Nationals remained in the queue behind him.
The results of the $5,000-to-win Street Stocks feature would be delayed for more than a half hour before it was announced that Thrash had been disqualified for being five pounds light of the required 2,950-pound post-race weight requirement.
Thrash, who had dominated the race and led all 50 laps, told race officials at the scales that their decision to disqualify him and award runner-up finisher TJ Herndon the win was because “that car sponsored the series.” Thrash later declined to confirm which car he was referencing, nor did he want to speak about the decision.
“No comment,” Thrash said.
Herndon, a Tennessee native, clinched his fourth feature win of the season. Herndon said he isn’t involved “at all” with either the Mississippi Street Stock Series or Mid-South Big-10 Street Stock Series, both of which co-sanctioned the race.
TK King, Spencer Hughes, Kyle Livingood and Neil Brown rounded out the top 5.
“I hate to take [the win] like that, but I’ll take them any way I can get ’em,” Herndon said.
Albert Rich, who manned the scales for the Midsouth Big 10 Street Stock Series Saturday night, said cars are scaled at 3,000 pounds before the race and are allowed a one-pound burn-off of fuel for each lap of the race. Rich said Thrash told him he missed weight because of the 11 caution flags during the race.
“Granted, there were a lot of cautions, but as a team, they need to understand that it could be like that,” Rich said. “So they need to add more fuel or extra weight if there’s any question.”
Herndon floated through the top 5 throughout the race after nursing carburetor issues that began in hot laps. He took over second place when Jamey Boland, the only driver to challenge Thrash in the race, charged hard through the middle on lap 47 and connected with Thrash’s right side, losing momentum and drifting up the track after cutting a tire.
The middle chewed up at both corners, forcing drivers to the top or bottom and making passing almost impossible.
“The track was just treacherous to try and run on,” Herndon said. “We were just doing the best we could. Chad had a good car; I didn’t have nothing for him all race long.”
Boland, who regularly runs Durrence Layne Late models, competed in his third Street Stock race of the season. Boland shot to second on a restart on lap 22 and raced side-by-side with Thrash for a few laps before Thrash again opened up his lead.
“I got a good restart on the outside,” Boland said. “We started running hot and I moved down. But (Thrash) had a good car. It would have been a good race.”
Boland said he had a car good enough “to win any race around here.” He said his late-race gamble that resulted in a cut tire was “bad luck.”
“I thought it was going to be enough room, but we just barely touched and cut my tire down,” Boland said.
In other race action, Cliff Ross won the Durrence Layne Late Models feature. Spencer Hughes, Randall Beckwith, Ryan Colby and Braden Mitchell rounded out the top 5.
Tyler Burgess won the 602 Sportsman feature. Nick Thrash, Colby Ponds, Tody Ratcliff and Corey Pennington rounded out the top 5.
Cody Chism won the Factory Stocks feature. Scooter Ware rebounded from losing his entire rear end in the Friday feature to finish second Saturday night. John A Beard Jr., Brad Gable and Corey Adank rounded out the top 5.
Lee Hutchinson won the Hot Shots feature.
Friday’s results:
Randall Beckwith won the Durrence Layne Late Model feature. Evan Ellis, Spencer Hughes, Matt Brazil and Tommy Reed rounded out the top 5.
Blake Ray won the 602 Sportsman feature. Chace Pennington, Tony Shelton, Jamie Pickard and Jason Milan rounded out the top 5.
Brad Gable won the Factory Stocks feature. Alex Johnson, John Johnson, Cody Chism and John A Beard, Jr. founded out the top 5.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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