Chandler goes distance for SUPR Devil's Bowl victory

By Bryan Wimberley
DirtonDirt.com correspondent

MESQUITE, Texas (June 12) Claiming his first series victory in nearly four years, outside front-row starter Jeff Chandler of Minden, La., held off polesitter Allen Tippen by four lengths at Devils Bowl Speedway on Saturday for a flag-to-flag victory on the O'Reilly Southern United Professional Racing tour.

Chandler earned $2,000 for the victory at the historic half-mile oval outside Dallas, but it wasn't without feeling heat from Tippen and Ronny Adams near the end.

Tippen, also of Minden, settled for second with the sixth-starting Adams of Greenwood, La., in third. Devils Bowl regular Johnny Philpot, Jr. of Sunnyvale, Texas, edged second-generation driver Kyle Cummings of Minden for fourth in a 25-lapper that lasted just 11 minutes.

Because he was fighting a loose-handling condition with his car in turns one and two, Chandler said he got a little conservative on that end of the track in the closing laps.
I never knew how close Allen and Ronny were and I figured they were right behind me, but I never seen anybody, Chandler said. "I was worried about running up on a lap car near the end and about having to pass him, but the race ended first.

Tippen hoped his harder tire choice would make him good enough at the end to overtake Chandler, but it didn't pan out.

It would have been a different story if we had a longer race, Tippen said. I was getting better and faster and faster at the end. ... I had a good run on (Chandler) and me and Ronny had a little incident, that kind of backed me up a little bit. I would have loved to have won, but a second with the luck that we have been having at the beginning of the year, I am glad to take it really.

At the outset of the 25-lapper, Chandler jumped into the lead before the races only caution flew on the second lap for a spinning Jeff Jones in turn two. Chandler pulled away on the restart while Tippen and Cummings gave chase.

Adams took third from Cummings on the eighth lap while Chandler built a half-straightaway lead up front.

Tippen got pressure from Adams for the runner-up spot on lap 12, but Tippen fought him off to hold the position as the cut down Chandlers lead. Further back, Philpot slipped by Cummings for fourth on lap 13.

With eight laps remaining, Tippen and Adams were within a few lengths of the leader as Chandler hunkered down for the onslaught to come. On lap 21, Tippen went high to keep Adams in third, and Adams scraped the wall after bumping Tippen as they continued their chase.

Chandler stayed in control the rest of the way while Cummings regained the fifth spot from 11th-starting Patrick Daniels late in the race.

Notes: Chandler's Barry Wright Race Car is powered by a PTS Racing Engine and sponsored by David Peterson Contracting, OWC Welding, David's Transmission. ... Chandlers seventh career SUPR victory is his first since Sept. 3, 2006, at his hometown Champion Park Speedway. ... Chandler has four top-five finishes in the last five SUPR events at Devils Bowl dating back to 2003. ... The checkers fell at 11:29 p.m. ... The 14th race at Devils Bowl in SUPR history was the first in nearly two years. ... Local driver Ronnie Long broke a transmission in his No. 29 after finishing third in his heat race; he drove Tom Lorenzs No. 84 in the main event, finishing 18th. ... Making a 500-mile journey to Devil's Bowl was Mark Myers of Clovis, N.M.; he failed to make the feature, falling two positions shy in his consolation race. ... Other drivers failing to make the feature: Bill Blue, Wesley Chandler, Jeff Crane, Devane Hillman, Paul Joyner, Tom Lorenz, Phil Miller, Robbie Starnes, Chris Tarrant, Jason Trevathan, John Wallace and Larry White. ... The next O'Reilly SUPR event is a June 18-19 doubleheader at I-30 Speedway near Little Rock, Ark.

OReilly SUPR @ Devil's Bowl: (1) Jeff Chandler, (2) Allen Tippen, (3) Ronny Adams, (4) Johnny Philpot Jr, (5) Kyle Cummings, (6) Patrik Daniel, (7) Rob Litton, (8) Lee Davis, (9) Gary Christian, (10) Donald Watson, (11) Robbie Stuart, (12) Chris Holley, (13) Wendall Bolden, (14) Kevin Sitton, (15) Josh Danzy, (16) Michael Coleman, (17) David Ashley, (18) Ronnie Long, (19) Alex Ashley, (20) Jeff Jones, (21) Max Eddie Thomas. Heat race winners (among 34 cars): Tippen, Chandler, Cummings, Watson. Consolation winners: D. Ashley, Holley. Provisional starter: Sitton.

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