The XS Batteries Showdown in K-Town 3: Making History

KTOWN

The scenic route to the Knoxville Dragstrip is a entertaining one, full of switchback curves, steep climbs, sudden turns and the like, but it’s only the beginning of the fun to be found in Maynardville, Tennessee the weekend of May 6th and 7th. If you blink, you’ll miss the turn into the first entrance and the gravel road that runs along behind the grandstands. Slowly cruising along the old stands, listening to the chunk of gravel under tires, visitors get a birds-eye view of a quaint racetrack nestled in a cozy surround of trees.

N87A5432-1The skies were blue and clear, the afternoon comfortably warm. The pits were already buzzing as qualifying was preparing to finish up and the evening would bring about eliminations. The track was set on kill as The XS Batteries Showdown in K-Town 3: Making History, was readying to get underway.

The event, gaining popularity over the last year or so, started on a whim. Wes Clapp of Clapp It Up Promotions shares some of the history, “The event started off as a spur of the moment idea. I had been helping spread the word on our monthly heads-up program for a couple of years and had also been setting up rules. The track owner reached out to me after a planned venue had cancelled, and I answered the call. I told him if he would trust me, I could make something happen.” Clapp was given the green light and the rest as they say was history. With a $5,000 payout in Outlaw 275, backing by local sponsors and only two weeks to spread the word, the ball was off and rolling.

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As with any event, the spring day was filled with highlights and mishaps. Several racers in the Limited Drag Radial class suffered from engine failures and at the opposite end of the spectrum several ran new personal bests. Tennessee native, Shane Goss shares, “I know we made personal bests in Michael Newcome’s and Rick Wetherbee’s car, both of which we in LDR trim.”

Adam Preston went into Saturday’s eliminations in the No. 1 qualifying spot, with a 4.28 at 183.32 mph. Despite a brush with the wall Friday night, Preston went on to take the win in Limited Drag Radial for the weekend. Isaac Preston gave some insight on what happened, sharing “Friday night we spun the car around and smacked the wall. We stayed up all night remounting the turbos and beating the quarter out, and zip tying and duct taping the front end back together.”

N87A4595-1Also, one of several classes contested at The Showdown, was Radial Renegade. The brainchild of Wes Clapp, he cleverly found a way to fit a variety of cars into one class, and has been quite successful at it. “Radial Renegade started in my first actual planned event. I knew that in the beginning, I couldn’t draw a lot of the big names or the car counts of some of the most popular radial classes, so I had to focus on my local guys. We had a few local X275 cars, a few Nitrous X cars, and quite a few Ultra Street cars, but not enough to have a separate class for each,” Clapp explains. “After a lot of thought, I found a way for them all to fit into one class, and boy did it work. My first time I had 17 cars, and at my second event I had 22 cars.”

Going into Saturday’s eliminations, Jeff Carpenter drove into the No. 1 qualifier spot with a 4.690. Ten cars made the call for Radial Renegade eliminations, where Michael Hicks took the win over Scott Kincaid in the finals.

Due to itbeing a holiday weekend, car count suffered a bit for this event, but nonetheless, fun was had by all. Victoria Hurst of Tori’s Photo Hut, whom has been a large help with the event shared her enthusiasm,” I love this event because it brings in cars I only get to see on social media. The track is a good track, and the workers are awesome. I am very proud of Wes Clapp for the hard work he has put into this event and to getting the word out to people.”N87A5409-1

Behind every good promoter and event are a slew of folks helping, and this case is no different. Clapp sends out praises to those that have helped him get the event where it is today, “Track owner, Tommy Joe Harrill’s willingness to better the facility and focus on the surface itself, has made it a good one. Mark Rogers and Keith Thomas are the gurus that make it happen, as well as the help of VP Fuels very own Jason Rueckert from time to time. I haven’t had a radial guy complain yet. Victoria Hurst and Kole and Ashley Prichett are a big help and make a great team when it is crunch time. I also have to give thank to the good Lord above and to my wife and son. It’s not always easy to deal with a constant ringing phone, but they understand and handle it like champs,” chuckles Clapp.

Already looking to the future, Clapp is making plans for next year. “I believe if you take care of the racers, put them first and hold true to your word, they will come out of the wood works to support you. It’s not always easy to make these events happen, but if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, work hard, and be dedicated and not give up, one can prevail.”

With the evening closing in and the chill beginning to fill the night air, the curtain closed on the XS Batteries Showdown in K-Town 3: Making History. We’ll keep our eyes peeled to see what other history making events Wes Clapp and Clapp It Up Promotions produces in the future!

About the author

Tabitha Sizemore

From building and racing her own car to track photography and sponsoring races, Tabitha has her hand in a little bit of everything when it comes to drag racing.
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