JASPER, FL-Two of nearly 700 racers entered in this year’s fourth annual AKRA "Christmas in Dixie" turned "Hat Tricks" at Cross Roads Motorplex in Jasper, Fl December 28-30. Hawkinsville, Ga hot shoe Dee Paschal produced a trio of wins on the first day of racing on the wide ¼-mile dirt oval. On day two White Bluff, TN racer Kyle Bowers did the same.
Racers came from not only nearby states, but from great distances as well. Louisiana, Texas, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, and Alabama were represented in the entries.
Paschal showed his wheel turning talents in two and four-cycle racing producing four-cycle wins in Stock Lite and Senior Stock and a two-cycle victory in the Florida All-Stars feature. “It takes a lot of preparation and a lot of good people behind you to get three wins here at this level,” Paschal pointed out after his third win.
After two rounds of qualifying Stock Lite’s field was set with Dustin McGraw, who turned a 14.391-seconds lap, on the pole. Dale Fisher shared row one with McGraw. Austin Weaver and Austin Struth made up row two. Behind them Paschal was positioned in the fifth starting position.
It took several attempts to get the field going, but once they did McGraw broke from them only to have his small advantage taken away by the race’s second caution flag. McGraw led them back to the green flag. Behind him Wilson Keene and Paschal were working together. Keene began challenging McGraw for the lead. The pressure of two challengers proved too much for McGraw who surrendered the front to Paschal who took it to the finish line from there.
“The track was super slick so the tires took a little while to come in,” described Paschal, who pocketed $500 for the win. “Then it was a combination of tires, motor and kart that got me up front until the end.”
Classes with over 20 entries offered a $500 winning purse and classes with less than 20 entries payback based on 80 percent. A total of $35,000 was awarded back to racers that weekend.
In the final laps racers battled for positions behind Paschal. Jerry Mullis took second closing within 0.988-seconds of Paschal at the stripe. McGraw held third and was followed by Dillon Jackson and Tara Henderson for the top five of 29.
Three races later Paschal started on Senior Stock’s outside pole. Monroe, N.C. based Walt Barnes blasted out a 14.517-seconds lap for the pole that was 0. 091-seconds faster than Paschal’s best effort of 14.608-seconds.
The first attempt to get the field racing fizzled as the leaders were rounding turn three. Behind them karts tangled in turn two. On the single file restart Paschal slipped by Barnes for the lead which he never surrendered. Paschal built a huge 7.274-seconds advantage over Barnes. Troy Hale came from an eighth place start to a third place finish. Neal Harraway finished where he started in fourth. Lennon Gray, who started ninth, was fifth across the stripe.
“We made some changes after Stock Lite and the kart got real quick,” Paschal said “We broke a header at the beginning of the race, but it still came together.”
Paschal scrambled back to the grid to start on Florida All Stars’ outside pole. Shay
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