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Leading all 53 laps at the Tazewell Speedway, Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC, wrapped up his second consecutive O'Reilly Southern Nationals Series championship. Madden's series-leading fifth victory boosted him to the title worth $5,353 over Dennis Franklin, a three-race winner on the series, who was fifth at Tazewell.

Madden started outside the front row at the high-banked Tazewell and got the jump on polesitter Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL. Madden was never headed throughout the race, as he crossed the finish line ahead of Tommy Kerr of Maryville, TN, the previous night's series winner in Bulls Gap, TN. Vic Hill of Greeneville, TN was third followed by Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, TN. Franklin started seventh and finished fifth, but fell short of gaining enough positions to beat Madden for the series crown. Hollingsworth ended up 14th. [complete results] [event photos]

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Tommy Kerr of Maryville, TN notched his first career O'Reilly Southern Nationals Series victory at the Volunteer Speedway, while Dennis Franklin inched ahead of Chris Madden in the title chase with one race remaining in the 10-race series. Kerr, who started outside the front row at the 4/10-mile oval, earned $5,300 for leading all 53 laps on the ninth-leg of the mini-series. Rick Rogers of Knoxville, TN was second followed by Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN, and Franklin, of Gaffney, SC. Madden, a four-time winner on the series in 2008 and the winningest all-time series driver, finished eighth. [complete results]

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Breaking a two-driver stranglehold on victory lane with the O'Reilly Southern Nationals, Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN, took command on the 13th lap at the Cleveland Speedway to win the eighth leg of the 10-race mini-series. Owens earned $3,500 for the 35-lap victory at the third-mile oval, as he outran series dominators Dennis "Rambo" Franklin and Chris Madden, both of South Carolina.

The polesitting Franklin led the first two laps before fellow front-row starter Skip Arp of Georgetown, TN, took over for two laps. Franklin was back ahead on the fifth lap, but the fourth-starting Owens made his way to the front eight laps later and stayed in command the rest of the way for his second straight special event victory at Cleveland. He won an O'Reilly Southern All Star race at the same oval five days earlier.

Owens, Franklin, and Madden were followed across the finish line by Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN, and Jamie Perry of Ringgold, GA. Arp was the first dropout in the 24-car field. [complete results]

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Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC nabbed his fourth victory on the seventh leg of the O'Reilly Southern Nationals tour at the Crossville Raceway to pull back into a tie for the points lead with fellow South Carolina driver Dennis Franklin of Gaffney with three events remaining.

Madden took control with just three laps remaining in the 35-lapper with race-long leader Anthony White's departure and he outran his rival Franklin to the finish line. Only Madden and Franklin have reached victory lane on the tour, promoted by North Carolina driver Ray Cook. Polesitter Rick Rogers of Knoxville, TN finished third followed by Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL and Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville. White, who started outside the front row, was listed 14th in the final rundown. The feature event was slowed by five cautions, including two in the final three laps. [complete results] [event photos]

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Advantage, Dennis Franklin. In the two-driver battle at the top of the O'Reilly Southern Nationals Series standings, the driver nicknamed "Rambo" from Gaffney, SC, went ahead in the points chase with a flag-to-flag victory at the Green Valley Speedway in the sixth leg of the 10-race mini-tour. Franklin outran reigning series champion Chris Madden, of Gray Court, SC, for the second consecutive series event to edge out to a 886-882 lead in the series points. The title pays $5,353.

Franklin started on the pole at Green Valley and led all the way for the second consecutive race. Franklin, who earned $3,500, also won July 15 at the Cherokee Speedway, his hometown track, and July 19 at the Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, GA. Madden, who started third at Green Valley, finished second followed by front-row starter Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN. Tony Knowles of Tyrone, GA and William Thomas of Phenix City, AL rounded out the top five. [complete results] [event photos]

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Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, SC, led all 53 laps at the Screven Motor Speedway, as the battle between two South Carolina drivers continued to rage on the O'Reilly Southern Nationals tour. Franklin's $5,300 victory moved him into a tie for the mini-series points lead after five events with Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC, who rallied from 16th to finish second at Screven. Franklin (two victories) and Madden (three victories) are knotted atop the series lead with 736 points apiece.

Ed Basey of Evans, GA, who started alongside the polesitting Franklin, finished third at Screven followed by Shon Flanary of Mount Carmel, TN, and Chesley Dixon of Swainsboro, GA, as the race drew a 2008-high 37 entries. [complete results] [event photos]

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Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC kept up his hot streak on the O'Reilly Southern Nationals Series by overtaking teenager Dillon Wood of New Smyrna Beach, FL on the last of 53 laps at the Swainsboro Raceway. The seventh-starting Madden, who won his third series race in four 2008 events, earned $5,300 for the victory in leading only the final lap.

Wood, who started 10th and led laps 35-52, settled for second, but earned his richest career Late Model payday with $2,500. Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, SC, who entered the race with a two-point series lead on Madden, was third after starting eighth while front-row starters Brent Dixon of Elberton, GA and Brandon Kinzer of Allen, KY rounded out the top five. Bob Robertson of Evans, GA rallied from 19th to finish sixth. [complete results]

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Reigning series champion Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC, captured the third leg of the O'Reilly Southern Nationals Series at the Hartwell Speedway for his second 2008 victory in three starts. Madden, who started on the pole and earned $3,500 for his series-leading eighth career victory, outran seventh-starting Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, SC, who won the previous Southern Nationals event at the Cherokee Speedway two nights earlier.

Third-starting Casey Roberts of Toccoa, GA, was third at the 3/8-mile oval followed by hometown driver Frankie Beard, and Brandon Kinzer of Allen, KY, who started outside the front row and has finished no worse than sixth in 2008's three series events. Michael Akeson of Augusta, GA, started 21st in the 22-car field and rallied to finish ninth. [complete results]

Hometown driver Dennis "Rambo" Franklin raced from his fifth starting spot at the Cherokee (SC) Speedway to grab a victory in the second leg of the O'Reilly Southern Nationals Series. Franklin, who finished second in the previous night's series opener near Wytheville, VA, earned $3,500 for his second career series victory and first since the 2006 opener.

Casey Roberts of Toccoa, GA, who started outside the front row, finished second at Cherokee's shortened 3/8-mile oval, while Furman Parton of Union Mills, SC rallied from his 10th starting spot to finish third. Tony Knowles of Tyrone, GA and polesitter Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC, winner of the series opener, rounded out the top five. [complete results]

Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC, began this year's O'Reilly Southern Nationals Series just like he did last year's — with a victory at the Wythe (VA) Raceway. Madden led all 35 laps to earn $3,500 at the half-mile oval in beginning his defense of his crown on the Ray Cook-promoted series, which enters its fourth season.

Dennis "Rambo" Franklin of Gaffney, SC, the 2006 Southern Nationals winner at Wythe, put on a show in rallying from his seventh starting spot to second. Fifth-starting Brandon Kinzer of Allen, KY, finished third followed by fourth-starting Shon Flanary of Mount Carmel, TN, and Tommy Kerr of Maryville, TN, who started outside the front row. The race was slowed by four cautions and Tim Dohm of Cross Lanes, WV, won the PPM Racing Products Hard Charger Award with his 17th-to-8th run. [complete results]