Veteran Late Model driver Scott Griffin recorded his first win of the 2000 season Saturday night at Senoia Speedway, in the Alan Vigil Southlake 50-lap feature. Griffin who returned to Senoia Speedway this season after finishing fourth in the 1999 Southern All Star Series and second in the Rookie points battle recorded his first win out of three attempts at the 3/8-mile track that he call home.

Griffin, a long time native of Tyrone in the R&S Hauling/Steve Banks Enterprise Ford Thunderbird took the lead on lap six from Sharpsburg's Wayne Hansard in what was to be the only pass for the lead during the feature.

"The car felt good at the beginning of the race," said Griffin. "The middle of the race it was still felt pretty good, but it got worse as we went on, but we were still able to hold him (Hansard) off to the end. "I want to thank Rickey (Griffin), my brother and partner for all of his help and support, Steve Banks Enterprises, Danny Peeples who has been a tremendous help to us in both setting up the chassis and our engine program which he has been a part of for a while now. The guys at the shop as well as their family's who have given up a lot of their time so that we can go racing like this."

Wayne Hansard lead the first lap that saw the only caution flag during the 50-lap feature, when after the field passed the flagman's stand Senoia's Chad Caldwell was bumped from behind by fellow rookie driver Scotty Ellis. Ellis' contact with Caldwell sent him up the banking and into the outside wall between turns one and two. Caldwell's Ford suffered extensive damage to the front-end, which would later end his night of racing.

McDonough's John Beach was not that lucky either as he also was involved in the incident and might have to have a front-clip for the Don Jackson's Spartan Lincoln sponsored Ford.

Four laps after the restart Griffin was able to get along side of Hansard as the two came off of turn four and on to the front straightaway. The two veteran drivers went door to door into turn one and two where Griffin was able to pulling up in front of Hansard going down the backstretch. Griffin got in to a rhythm for the next 20 some laps, with Hansard trying different line around the 3/8-mile track.

With five laps to go Hansard started to push the outside of the envelope with Griffin as he was able to drive lower in to turns one and three capitalizing on Griffin's drifting up off of the exits of turns two and four. Griffin's management of power off set his handling problems at the end, as Hansard was only able to get up to Griffin's door as the two came to the checkered flag.

B.J. Holley from Jackson dropped back to third place on the start from his outside front row starting position to finish there, his best finish of the year. Fourth place finisher Gabriel Corbitt has found something that has been holding him back for a while and is looking to get better next week. Fayetteville's Sean Cieutat's fifth place finish is his best of the year with Todd Doddson in sixth. Charlie Bagwell turned in a seventh place finish with rookie driver Scotty Ellis in eighth. Chad Caldwell got a few more laps in before retiring to ninth with John Beach round out the field of ten starters.

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