Posted: Friday, October 30, 2009 12:45 pm

Speed — Martin resident Benjamin Barnett blazed a trail to the finish line in his 1965 Nova, winning first place in the Super Pro division on Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 at the Northwest Tennessee Motorsports Park in Gleason. Photo submitted

The lower temperatures of recent weeks haven’t cooled off the red-hot racing action at Northwest Tennessee Motor-sports Park in Gleason.
Weakley Countians, led by Martin resident Benjamin Barnett’s victories on consecutive Saturday nights, have been beating the competition to the finish line the past few weekends.
On Oct. 10, Barnett began his win streak in the Super Pro Class, racing his 1965 Nova to victory while reaching a speed of 115.31 mph. Parsons resident Willie Mills fouled and took second place in his 1955 Chevy.
In the Pro (Footbrake) competition, McKenzie’s Steve Martin drove his 1973 Vega to the top prize at a speed of 105.92 mph. Gleason’s own Terry Wiseman fouled and finished as the runner-up in his 1981 Spirit.
In the King of the Track division, Mark Fisher, from Cordova, finished in first place in his 1991 Mustang. Fisher peaked at 136.34 mph. Gleason's Charles Chappell was the runner-up in his 1969 Skylark. Chappell’s top speed was 113.42 mph.
In the Outlaw 275 bracket, Brownsville resident Leonard Crawford was the winner in his 1989 Chevy, while Scott Russell, from Jackson, took second prize driving his 1993 Mustang.
In the Street division, Chris Peeler, from Dresden, took the top prize in a 1974 Nova, peaking at 79.24 mph. Jackson resident Eric Lambert was the runner-up in a 2003 Ram.
A pair of Weakley County residents took the top two prizes in the Junior Dragster 8-12 age group. Palmersville resident Nicole Leo was the winner, peaking at 50.32 mph, while Lawson Roberts, from Gleason, was the runner-up.
In the Junior Dragster 13-and-older division, Lee Gregory, from Hornbeak, was the winner at a speed of 81.96 mph, with Kyle Clapp, from Mayfield, Ky., following in second place.
Barnett followed up his first win by driving his 1965 Nova to a speed of 112.85 mph and a win in the final on Oct. 17. Scotts Hill resident Jason Mills was the Super Pro runner-up in his 1969 Camaro, hitting a speed of 105.65 mph.
Dresden’s Mike Peeler was the winner in his 1969 Road Runner, maxing at a speed of 95.15 mph in the Pro (Footbrake) division. Wes Lockhart, from Mayfield, Ky., took second place in a 1981 Firebird reaching 91.46 mph.
In King of the Track action, Holladay resident Phil Davis earned the top prize with a speed of 98.87 mph in his 1973 Nova. Robbie Graves, from Jackson, was the runner-up in a dragster, hitting a speed of 1135.18 mph.
In the Street division, Henry’s Ronnie Martin drove a 1986 Fiero to the top prize, reaching a speed of 79.35 mph. Dresden resident Tim Neisler finished in second place in his 1990 GMC at a speed of 62.06 mph.
In the Junior Dragster 8-12 age bracket, a pair of Palmersville residents squared off in the final. Alex Montgomery was the winner, peaking at 59.75 mph, with Nate Montgomery finishing in second at a speed of 50.22 mph.
In the Junior Dragster 13-and-older age division, a duo from Kevil, Ky., raced their way to the final. Cydnie Wiggins took the top prize with Tracy Armer following in second place.