This Week In Racing
This Week In Racing w/ Daniel Culiver
May 30, 2009
Pro Buzz - The night would start off with Brandon Thornton and Rick Simmons on the point for the Pro Buzz feature. Thornton would get the early jump while Simmons stayed close behind in second. John Pendergrass would have to work his way up from the back and the first caution flag was brought out when the #5 of Jody Monroe was turned entering turn 3. It would be Thornton and Simmons once again on the front row for the restart, and Thornton would once more pull ahead from the rest of the field. The dual would be between the top three of Thornton, Simmons, and Pendergrass, and with only a handful of laps remaining, Pendergrass would make his way
into second. On the final lap, Pendergrass would get the bumper of Thornton but would be unable take the checkers first. Brandon Thornton would be first, John Pendergrass second, Rick
Simmons third, John Barnett in fourth, and Chris Cole rounding out the top five.
Sportsman - Bradley Carter and the #97 of Wayne Jones would lead the field to the green in the Sportsman feature. Jones and Carter would be doorhandle to doorhandle on the first lap and into the second, but with Carter continuing to hold the bottom groove, he would pull ahead and pace Jones and the rest of the pack. As Carter and Jones kept there distance fro the field, fourth place would turn out to be a good one between the #12 of Bryan Faulkner and the #5 of Byron Westbrooks. Faulkner would get the position on Westbrooks but would later fall out of the race due to overheating issues. The battle for second would tighten up between Jones and the #17 of R.L. Vickers, and the two at one point began to close in on Carter. The caution flag would fly 13 laps in due to fluid on the track, and now Jones would have his shot at Carter by restarting on the outside of the front row. Carter cleared Jones by the start/finish line but Jones would stay right on the bumper of Carter. Jones day would go sour after falling off the pace with only a few laps remaining and the caution flag would wave so officials could check for debris. Vickers would try his luck at Carter on the outside for the next restart, but Carter proved to be just too strong. He would go on to in the Sportsman feature followed by R.L. Vickers, Byron Westbrooks, and Eddie Gibbs rounding out the finishing cars.
Mini Stocks - Casey Clark would share the front row with Alex Campbell in the mini-stocks, and it would be Clark pulling out to the lead...only to be overtaken by Chris Mahan. Mahan would lead the first lap with Hunter Spivey pulling up close behind. The two would do battle for a few laps, and then Spivey's day would begin to take a bad turn. Coming off turn two, the #6 of Spivey brushed the outside wall which led to a tire failure. Spivey would make repairs in the pits and return but the race would be in Chris Mahan's hands. The next caution would wave at lap 4 when the #5 of Campbell lost it coming off four collecting the #3 of Mark Collins along the way. Mahan would be at the point once again on the restart but the green wouldn't stay out long when the #16 of Jeremy Davis and #6 of Spivey spun on the backstretch. Bruce Caldwell would try the outside of Mahan for the next restart but Mahan would quickly pull ahead. The remainder of the race would all be Chris Mahan and he would go on to collect another feature win for the 2009 season. Joe Davis finished in second, followed by Casey Clark, Bruce Caldwell, and Mark Collins.
Super Stocks - The front row for the Super Stocks would consist of the #21 of David Dean Jr. and the #92 of Michael Neely. Dean would pull ahead on the start with the rest of the field in a cluster completing lap 1. Neely and the #1 of Steve Jones would do battle for the second spot, while the #77 of Troy Gray would work his way into the mix. Gray would overtake Jones and then make his way to the bumper of Dean. The caution would come out for the first time after the #16 car put down fluid. Dean and Gray would make up the front row on the restart and the two would continue to stay in tight formation most of the race. As Dean and Gray pulled away from the pack, Clayton Hopkins would lead the second group. Gray would finally get to the outside of Dean and the two made contact on the frontstretch shortly after. The caution was flown due to the fender from Gray, that was ripped away after contact from Dean. Gray and Hopkins would lead the field down for the next restart and Troy Gray would once more show dominance by pulling away. Hopkins would pull up to the bumper but would be unable to make a pass on Gray. Troy Gray would go on to win the Super Stock feature followed by Clayton Hopkins, Steve Jones, Jody Crowe, and the #92 of Michael Neely.
Open Wheels - Junior Seymour and Gary Wade Finley would be the guys at the point for the open wheel feature. Finley would quickly use the outside to his advantage and pull ahead of the field. Phillip Price would slide into the second position and at times challenge Finley for first. John Thomas did not get off to a great start after slipping sideways in turn two. Meanwhile, Price reached the back bumper of Finley and even gave him a shove coming off turn four. The ONE AND ONLY caution of the night (Yes, there was only one) came out after Shannon Berry spun his #12 in turn four while battling back in the back. After the restart, it would be smooth sailing for Finley as he paced the single file pack. Craig Bell once again had a strong car and remained in the third position for most of the evening. John Thomas, who had slipped earlier in the race, began to make his way closer and closer. Thomas and Bell would put on a great battle with Thomas putting the chrome horn to Bell lap after lap trying to loosen him up. Bell would have the power on the straightaways, but Thomas would have the better handling car in the corners. Another close battle would be a few spots back between the pole sitter Junior Seymour and the #117 of Andy Brittain. At the halfway point of the race, Finley would continue to hold first down with Price not far behind in second. Thomas would still be trying the high side and low side to get by Bell and Seymour would still be ahead of Brittain further back in the field. Bell would finally make his move of the night by slipping past Phillip Price and Price would lose another position after being overtaken by John Thomas. Finley would win the 40 lap feature, followed by Craig Bell, John Thomas, Phillip Price, and Junior Seymour rounding out the first five spots.
Hot Shots - The Hot Shot feature would have Jimmy Kent in the #46 Scottie Bradford ride and the #51 Winning Edge car of Daniel Culiver. On the start, Culiver would pull ahead and pace the field, but the #1 of Steve Edwards would overtake Culiver coming to complete the first lap. Edwards would begin to slip further and further away and leave the battle for second to Culiver and Billy Byrd. Byrd would use the outside to slip past Culiver but that would upset Byrd's car and leave him sideways coming off the turn. Cloudy Buchanan would bring out the first yellow after losing control of her #80 car in turn two. Culiver would get another shot at Edwards on the restart, but Edwards would prove to be just too strong. Mark Collins would use the inside line to sneak past Culiver and leave him hanging and then Billy Byrd would use the outside lane to pull up with Culiver. The two would put on a great show lap after lap and Culiver would come out with the upper hand. The top three of Edwards, Collins, and Byrd would pull away from the rest of the field while fourth would be battled between Culiver and Brandon Momen. Byrd would slip in turn one and that would allow Culiver to pull up to the bumper of Byrd. After a bump in turn three, Byrd would put the spurs to Culiver for three laps in a row, but Culiver would not budge. Another caution would wave with less than five laps remaining. The restart would help Edwards but hurt Collins. Edwards would get the jump for the restart, and Culiver would sneak under Collins to take second. As Culiver chased down Edwards for the lead, Mark Collins would continue to slip in the turns and that would help Billy Byrd take third place. Edwards would win the 20 lap feature followed by Daniel Culiver, Billy Byrd, Brandon Momen, and Cloudy Buchanan.
Amateur Buzz - Garrett Finley would start on the pole for the Amateur Buzz feature with the #23 of Katie Dixon on the outside. Finley would get a great start and the #39 of Steven Smart would quickly pull right behind to follow. The caution would wave early after the #9 and #23 tangled in turn four. Finley would get a good restart but Smart would be right there to challenge. With Finley holding the bottom, Smart would have no choice but to take the lead on the outside and that would turn out to be a "Smart" descision. As the #39 began to pull away, Finley would stay in close quarters hoping for Smart to slip up and that would happen just a few laps later when the #39 turn sideways in turn two but would recover and hold the lead. The slip up would allow Finley another shot at Smart and this time it would be the #39 using the bottom to his advantage. Finley would be unable to get by the #39 and he would go on to win the feature over Finley, TJ Zimmerman, Hunter Gant, and the #23 of Katie Dixon.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
This Week In Racing w/Daniel Culiver May 17, 2009
This Week In Racing
May 17, 2009
Mini Stocks - The Mini Stocks started off a great day of racing with Casey Clark in the #57
and the #21 of Shay Miller on the front row. When the race went green, Miller and Clark stayed bumper
to bumper while the #97 of Chris Mahan slowly made his way through the pack, inching
and closer to the top spot. While Mahan worked his way to the front, the #00 and the #6
Hunter Spivey also stayed locked together in close quarters. As Miller continued to pull
away from the field, the #57 of Clark got sideways on lap 7 exciting turn two and then weaved back across the track making contact with the #7 along the way. On the restart it would be
Spivey going to the outside and when the race resumed, Spivey quickly resumed his dominating
ways by taking the top spot from Miller. Spivey would go on to win the Mini-Stock feature
followed by Chris Mahan, and Mark Collins rounding out the top three.
Sportsman - The Sportsman division would kick off there feature with a unique twist. For the race, the Super Stocks were allowed to run with the Sportsman class and that in turn would prove to be a great idea by the Speedway. Starting on the front row would be Bryan Faulkner and R.L. Vickers. Vickers quickly would take control of the race on the start, but Bradley Carter quickly closed in. Carter would assume the lead by lap 3 . The first caution would fly when Byron Westbrooks made contact with the #97 of Wayne Jones, which sent Jones up into the turn three wall. On the restart, it would once again be Carter in command. While Carter pulled away from the pack, the battle for second would be between Vickers and the #18 of Jared Lawler. A new contender would make his prescence known when the #77 of Troy Gray from the Super Stocks would ease his way under Lawler for the third position. After being hung on the outside, Lawler would slip loose and spin his car in the middle of one and two, which brought out the second caution. Troy Gray would show the power his red #77 possessed when he went to the outside of Carter for the restart. Carter would get the jump, but Gray kept his ride solidly in the second position. As the field began to spread apart, Carter would pull further away from the rest of the field. The next caution flag would be displayed when the #21 of Zack Graham spun coming off turn two. The field would be bunch of the restart giving everyone a shot at Bradley Carter. Jay McClure showed his power by charging into second only to then be spun around by the #77 of Gray. The next restart, would bring the pack close again and this time it would be Lawler going to the outside of Carter. In almost the exact same fashion, Lawler would be spun around in turn one by Gray after contact entering the corner. For the next restart in a short period of time, Vickers would take his car to the outside, with Gray and Larry Crowe in the second row. Carter would get the jump but the real action was between Gray and Crowe after the #77 pushed up into the #9. Crowe would show his displeasure by nudging into Gray entering turn one and turning him up into the fence. That would set of a chain reaction with Gray, Crowe, and Westbrooks all wadding up in the turn. Carter would once again lead the field to the restart with Lawler back on the outside, and the race would then be all Carters. Carter went on to win the feature followed by Jared Lawler, R.L. Vickers, Byron Westbrooks, and Clayton Hopkins rounding out the top five.
Open Wheels - The open wheels would feature Craig Bell and John Thomas at the point. Thomas would take the lead at the start and begin to pace the field. Bell would hold second down for several laps, but not without heat from behind thanks to Phillip Price in the #5. The dominator Gary Wade Finley would not be far behind Price. As Thomas pulled away, the field began to spread out. The pack would tighten up quickly as Thomas worked his way through lap traffic and a melee would ensue when the #56 of Bell tangled with traffic bringing out the first yellow of the day. On the restart, Gary Wade Finley would challenge Thomas for the lead by hanging his #37 on the outside. Again, Thomas would finally pull ahead of Finley but the two remained close together the majority of the race. The caution would wave once again when the #24 of Brian White spun coming off turn four. Thomas and Finley would once again make up the front row for the restart and once again the two would produce a great side by side battle. The tight racing finally gave when the two made slight contact in turn three which then resulted in Thomas losing it in turn one. Another caution would fly when the #117 lost contol on the frontstretch triggering another chain reaction crash with cars spinning everywhere. For the next restart, Phillip Price would be at the point for the first time. The #117 would bring out another caution on lap 23 after slipping once again exiting turn four. This time for the restart, Price would have a tough contender with Gary Wade Finley on the outside. The green wouldn't stay out long due to a error in the lineup. Unlike before, this time Finley would take the inside and start in the third spot which left the #21 of Michael Jordan to take the outside spot for the first row. Jordan would quickly get under the #5 of Price and take the lead of the race. Jacob Heard would bring out another caution and like before on the restart, Jordan's #21 showed its power by pacing the field ahead of Finley. Lap after lap, Jordan would exit the corners sideways and that finally backfired in turn two when he turned his car completely sideways, only to save it once again. Shannon Berry would bring out the yellow for spinning due to the shuffle. Finley would take control of the race on the next restart and ANOTHER caution flag would fly for Michael Jordan after making contact with John Thomas. Finley would pace the field after the restart and this time everyone would avoid contact and allow for long run racing. As Thomas chased Finley, Michael Jordan would start to move closer and closer to the leaders. Jordan would finally make his way past Thomas and set his sights on Finley for the final laps. Finley's day would turn sour when he run out of fuel in the closing laps, giving the lead and ultimately the win to Michael Jordan. The win was Jordan's first in the Open Wheels. John Thomas would finish second, followed by Craig Bell, Phillip Price and Finley.
Pro Buzz - The Pro Buzz class would feature Chris Cole and the #28 of John Pendergrass on the front row. Cole and Pendergrass would stay close together with Pendergrass fighting on the outside. Rick Simmons would join the battle by going three wide and taking the lead. As the field bunched due to the move, Pendergrass would be stuck on the outside of a three wide group and then be spun out by Chris Cole. For the restart, it would be Cole and Collins on the point. Cole would once again take control with Simmons and Collins close behind. The next caution would wave when Mark Collins slipped sideways entering turn three then was clipped by Brandon Thornton in the #16. Pendergrass would go to the outside on the restart and that would be a beneficial move. As Cole and Simmons held the inside line, Pendergrass would make a bonzai move to the outside by going three wide and taking the lead over Cole. Brandon Thornton would slip into the second spot, but would be unable to pass Pendergrass. He would make one last attempt at a pass exiting turn four on the last lap, and would come up a bumper short of winning the race. The #28 of Pendergrass would go on to win the race over Thornton, followed by Rick Simmons, Chris Cole, and Jared Osborne.
Hot Shots/Amateur Buzz - The Hot Shots kicked off with Richard McLemore and Billy Byrd on the front row. On the start, the #4 of McLemore tried his best to fend off Byrd going into turn one, but Byrd would have the advantage with Mark Collins pushing him. The race would quickly be in the hands of Byrd and Collins who battled the majority of the race side by side. On the restart, it would once again be the #4 and #31 on the front row but this time Byrd would have the inside. He would quickly dart ahead and Collins would follow. As Collins and Byrd battled for the lead, third place would turn out to be a tough battle between the #4 of McLemore, the #51 of Daniel Culiver, and the #80 of Cloudy Buchanan. Culiver would hold the position for most of the race, only to be passed on the outside by Buchanan. On the final restart, Collins finally made his way past Byrd to take the top spot and he would go on to win the 15 lap feature over Byrd, Buchanan, Culiver, and the #7 of Brandon Momen.
May 17, 2009
Mini Stocks - The Mini Stocks started off a great day of racing with Casey Clark in the #57
and the #21 of Shay Miller on the front row. When the race went green, Miller and Clark stayed bumper
to bumper while the #97 of Chris Mahan slowly made his way through the pack, inching
and closer to the top spot. While Mahan worked his way to the front, the #00 and the #6
Hunter Spivey also stayed locked together in close quarters. As Miller continued to pull
away from the field, the #57 of Clark got sideways on lap 7 exciting turn two and then weaved back across the track making contact with the #7 along the way. On the restart it would be
Spivey going to the outside and when the race resumed, Spivey quickly resumed his dominating
ways by taking the top spot from Miller. Spivey would go on to win the Mini-Stock feature
followed by Chris Mahan, and Mark Collins rounding out the top three.
Sportsman - The Sportsman division would kick off there feature with a unique twist. For the race, the Super Stocks were allowed to run with the Sportsman class and that in turn would prove to be a great idea by the Speedway. Starting on the front row would be Bryan Faulkner and R.L. Vickers. Vickers quickly would take control of the race on the start, but Bradley Carter quickly closed in. Carter would assume the lead by lap 3 . The first caution would fly when Byron Westbrooks made contact with the #97 of Wayne Jones, which sent Jones up into the turn three wall. On the restart, it would once again be Carter in command. While Carter pulled away from the pack, the battle for second would be between Vickers and the #18 of Jared Lawler. A new contender would make his prescence known when the #77 of Troy Gray from the Super Stocks would ease his way under Lawler for the third position. After being hung on the outside, Lawler would slip loose and spin his car in the middle of one and two, which brought out the second caution. Troy Gray would show the power his red #77 possessed when he went to the outside of Carter for the restart. Carter would get the jump, but Gray kept his ride solidly in the second position. As the field began to spread apart, Carter would pull further away from the rest of the field. The next caution flag would be displayed when the #21 of Zack Graham spun coming off turn two. The field would be bunch of the restart giving everyone a shot at Bradley Carter. Jay McClure showed his power by charging into second only to then be spun around by the #77 of Gray. The next restart, would bring the pack close again and this time it would be Lawler going to the outside of Carter. In almost the exact same fashion, Lawler would be spun around in turn one by Gray after contact entering the corner. For the next restart in a short period of time, Vickers would take his car to the outside, with Gray and Larry Crowe in the second row. Carter would get the jump but the real action was between Gray and Crowe after the #77 pushed up into the #9. Crowe would show his displeasure by nudging into Gray entering turn one and turning him up into the fence. That would set of a chain reaction with Gray, Crowe, and Westbrooks all wadding up in the turn. Carter would once again lead the field to the restart with Lawler back on the outside, and the race would then be all Carters. Carter went on to win the feature followed by Jared Lawler, R.L. Vickers, Byron Westbrooks, and Clayton Hopkins rounding out the top five.
Open Wheels - The open wheels would feature Craig Bell and John Thomas at the point. Thomas would take the lead at the start and begin to pace the field. Bell would hold second down for several laps, but not without heat from behind thanks to Phillip Price in the #5. The dominator Gary Wade Finley would not be far behind Price. As Thomas pulled away, the field began to spread out. The pack would tighten up quickly as Thomas worked his way through lap traffic and a melee would ensue when the #56 of Bell tangled with traffic bringing out the first yellow of the day. On the restart, Gary Wade Finley would challenge Thomas for the lead by hanging his #37 on the outside. Again, Thomas would finally pull ahead of Finley but the two remained close together the majority of the race. The caution would wave once again when the #24 of Brian White spun coming off turn four. Thomas and Finley would once again make up the front row for the restart and once again the two would produce a great side by side battle. The tight racing finally gave when the two made slight contact in turn three which then resulted in Thomas losing it in turn one. Another caution would fly when the #117 lost contol on the frontstretch triggering another chain reaction crash with cars spinning everywhere. For the next restart, Phillip Price would be at the point for the first time. The #117 would bring out another caution on lap 23 after slipping once again exiting turn four. This time for the restart, Price would have a tough contender with Gary Wade Finley on the outside. The green wouldn't stay out long due to a error in the lineup. Unlike before, this time Finley would take the inside and start in the third spot which left the #21 of Michael Jordan to take the outside spot for the first row. Jordan would quickly get under the #5 of Price and take the lead of the race. Jacob Heard would bring out another caution and like before on the restart, Jordan's #21 showed its power by pacing the field ahead of Finley. Lap after lap, Jordan would exit the corners sideways and that finally backfired in turn two when he turned his car completely sideways, only to save it once again. Shannon Berry would bring out the yellow for spinning due to the shuffle. Finley would take control of the race on the next restart and ANOTHER caution flag would fly for Michael Jordan after making contact with John Thomas. Finley would pace the field after the restart and this time everyone would avoid contact and allow for long run racing. As Thomas chased Finley, Michael Jordan would start to move closer and closer to the leaders. Jordan would finally make his way past Thomas and set his sights on Finley for the final laps. Finley's day would turn sour when he run out of fuel in the closing laps, giving the lead and ultimately the win to Michael Jordan. The win was Jordan's first in the Open Wheels. John Thomas would finish second, followed by Craig Bell, Phillip Price and Finley.
Pro Buzz - The Pro Buzz class would feature Chris Cole and the #28 of John Pendergrass on the front row. Cole and Pendergrass would stay close together with Pendergrass fighting on the outside. Rick Simmons would join the battle by going three wide and taking the lead. As the field bunched due to the move, Pendergrass would be stuck on the outside of a three wide group and then be spun out by Chris Cole. For the restart, it would be Cole and Collins on the point. Cole would once again take control with Simmons and Collins close behind. The next caution would wave when Mark Collins slipped sideways entering turn three then was clipped by Brandon Thornton in the #16. Pendergrass would go to the outside on the restart and that would be a beneficial move. As Cole and Simmons held the inside line, Pendergrass would make a bonzai move to the outside by going three wide and taking the lead over Cole. Brandon Thornton would slip into the second spot, but would be unable to pass Pendergrass. He would make one last attempt at a pass exiting turn four on the last lap, and would come up a bumper short of winning the race. The #28 of Pendergrass would go on to win the race over Thornton, followed by Rick Simmons, Chris Cole, and Jared Osborne.
Hot Shots/Amateur Buzz - The Hot Shots kicked off with Richard McLemore and Billy Byrd on the front row. On the start, the #4 of McLemore tried his best to fend off Byrd going into turn one, but Byrd would have the advantage with Mark Collins pushing him. The race would quickly be in the hands of Byrd and Collins who battled the majority of the race side by side. On the restart, it would once again be the #4 and #31 on the front row but this time Byrd would have the inside. He would quickly dart ahead and Collins would follow. As Collins and Byrd battled for the lead, third place would turn out to be a tough battle between the #4 of McLemore, the #51 of Daniel Culiver, and the #80 of Cloudy Buchanan. Culiver would hold the position for most of the race, only to be passed on the outside by Buchanan. On the final restart, Collins finally made his way past Byrd to take the top spot and he would go on to win the 15 lap feature over Byrd, Buchanan, Culiver, and the #7 of Brandon Momen.
Friday, April 17, 2009
This Week In Racing w/Daniel Culiver
This Week In Racing w/Daniel Culiver
April 11, 2009
Pro Buzz - The night kicked off with Chris Cole and the previous week's winner Rick Simmons on the front row. As the green flag dropped, John Pendergrass in the #28 quickly went to the front after starting near the back. As Pendergrass tried to escape from the rest of the field, Brandon Thornton made his way to the back bumper of Pendergrass to challenge for the lead. Lap after the lap, Thornton tried the high side, then the low side trying to pass the #28. While the 28 and 16 dueled for the lead, Simmons began to creep up into contention in the 156 car. On the final lap, Thornton made one last move, but just couldn't get by Pendergrass. Pendergrass went on to the race, which is also his first win in racing. Brandon Thornton finished second, Simmons third, the #5 fourth, Chris Cole, David Lacourse, and Mark Collins.
Super Stocks - The Super Stocks kicked off there race with Guile Hornbuckle and David Dean Jr. on the front row. On the start, Hornbuckle jumped out in front of the pack just a little too much...and the race was restarted. On the next restart, Hornbuckle and Dean were neck in neck going into the first turn. Hornbuckle quickly assumed control of the race while the real battling was left up to the rest of the field. As the race progressed, several drivers like Troy Gray and Bobby Varon battled up through the field trying to catch up to Hornbuckle, but nobody was able to do it. Hornbuckle won the 15 lap feature, followed by Michael Neely in second, Troy Gray in third, David Dean Jr. in fourth, and Bobby Varnon in fifth.
Sportsman - R.L. Vickers started on the pole alongside Greg Kruse in the Sportsman feature. On the start, Vickers held his ground to lead the opening laps. As the field spread out, it would be Kruse, Jones, and Carter trying to chase down Vickers. In the previous weeks, it had been Carter who had dominated the field, but in those drivers I listed....this time Jones was in it and thats all that has to be said. Wayne Jones in the #97 known as "Old Yeller" slowly began to pick off positions one at a time and finally he caught up to Vickers. After a two lap battle, Jones completed the pass on the outside to take the lead. It would be all Wayne Jones the rest of the race as he went on to win his first race of the season in his first start of the season. Bradley Carter pass Vickers in the closing laps to take second, Vickers finished third, Kruse fourth, and Bryan Faulkner in fifth.
Hot Shots - Richard McLemore and Cloudy Buchanan led the field to the start in the Hot Shot feature. Buchanan darted out to the early lead while second became a side by side battle between Mark Collins in the #2 and Billy Byrd in the #31. As the two battled, Buchanan continued to pull away. As Mark Collins and Byrd battled for second, Daniel Culiver in the #51 snuck in to do battle witht the two. The first caution flag came out when the #01 and the #7 made contact on the backstretch sending the #01 into the wall. On the restart, it would be Buchanan and Byrd followed by Collins and Culiver in the first two rows. Once again on the green, it would be Buchanan but Byrd would get his way by taking the lead on the outside and bringing Culiver with him. As Byrd held the inside lead, Culiver tried desperately tried to make a move and finally completed it with a "Bump and Run" on Byrd in turn 2. After completing the pass on Byrd, Culiver began to pull away from the field while Collins took second from Byrd....but would then lose control and spin in turn four....which would bring out the caution. On the single file restart, Culiver waited until turn three to fire and from there he would be uncatchable. Coming to the white, Buchanan would spin out in the #80 in turn four, but the white flag had already waved, which left Culiver and Byrd to race back to the checkers. After dodging Buchanan in turn four, Culiver would go on to pick up his first win of the season and his first since 2006. Billy Byrd finished in second, followed by Mark Collins, Cloudy Buchanan, and Richard McLemore.
Open Wheels - The open wheels would kick off with Gary Wade Finley Jr. on the front row alongside Jarod Land who had set fast time in qualifying. On the start, Finley would pull ahead of Land to hold the top spot. As the field quickly spread out, battles for positioned ensued all around the track. Then on lap 4, David Moyes who was making his very first start and running very well, took a scary ride when contact sent him up and onto the turn two wall. After cleanup on the backstretch, the restart would kick off with Finley and Lane doing battle Phillip Price would hold his third position but would then start inching closer and closer to Land's back bumper. As Price began to close in on Land, John Thomas in the #47 began to get closer to the back bumper of price. After laps of green flag racing, the caution would wave on lap 25 when debris was spotted on the backstretch. On the next restart, Price would try his luck at going to the outside of Finley, but once again Finley would prove to be way too strong. Land and Price would continue to do battle and that would lead to contact which would send Price up on the wall. The incident would leave the rest of the field scattering for position. Under the caution, Price would show his displeasure with Land by spinning him out on the frontstretch. The spin would cause Price to be removed from the race for "Unsportsmanlike Conduct". The next restart would be a battle with John Thomas taking the outside on Finley....but like the times before Finley would prove too strong. As Thomas would be shuffled back on the outside line, Land would soldier on from the previous incident to take his chance at catching Finley. The caution would wave once again on lap 28 when Craig Bell would spin his car in turn one. John Thomas would once again try to get Finley on the outside but would quickly take a place in line behind Finley. The race would be settled between the two veterans Finley and Thomas but it would be Finley the winner. John Thomas finished a close second followed by the #17 of Wade Redd, the #65 of Junior Seymour, and the #35 of Jacod Heard rounding out the top five.
April 11, 2009
Pro Buzz - The night kicked off with Chris Cole and the previous week's winner Rick Simmons on the front row. As the green flag dropped, John Pendergrass in the #28 quickly went to the front after starting near the back. As Pendergrass tried to escape from the rest of the field, Brandon Thornton made his way to the back bumper of Pendergrass to challenge for the lead. Lap after the lap, Thornton tried the high side, then the low side trying to pass the #28. While the 28 and 16 dueled for the lead, Simmons began to creep up into contention in the 156 car. On the final lap, Thornton made one last move, but just couldn't get by Pendergrass. Pendergrass went on to the race, which is also his first win in racing. Brandon Thornton finished second, Simmons third, the #5 fourth, Chris Cole, David Lacourse, and Mark Collins.
Super Stocks - The Super Stocks kicked off there race with Guile Hornbuckle and David Dean Jr. on the front row. On the start, Hornbuckle jumped out in front of the pack just a little too much...and the race was restarted. On the next restart, Hornbuckle and Dean were neck in neck going into the first turn. Hornbuckle quickly assumed control of the race while the real battling was left up to the rest of the field. As the race progressed, several drivers like Troy Gray and Bobby Varon battled up through the field trying to catch up to Hornbuckle, but nobody was able to do it. Hornbuckle won the 15 lap feature, followed by Michael Neely in second, Troy Gray in third, David Dean Jr. in fourth, and Bobby Varnon in fifth.
Sportsman - R.L. Vickers started on the pole alongside Greg Kruse in the Sportsman feature. On the start, Vickers held his ground to lead the opening laps. As the field spread out, it would be Kruse, Jones, and Carter trying to chase down Vickers. In the previous weeks, it had been Carter who had dominated the field, but in those drivers I listed....this time Jones was in it and thats all that has to be said. Wayne Jones in the #97 known as "Old Yeller" slowly began to pick off positions one at a time and finally he caught up to Vickers. After a two lap battle, Jones completed the pass on the outside to take the lead. It would be all Wayne Jones the rest of the race as he went on to win his first race of the season in his first start of the season. Bradley Carter pass Vickers in the closing laps to take second, Vickers finished third, Kruse fourth, and Bryan Faulkner in fifth.
Hot Shots - Richard McLemore and Cloudy Buchanan led the field to the start in the Hot Shot feature. Buchanan darted out to the early lead while second became a side by side battle between Mark Collins in the #2 and Billy Byrd in the #31. As the two battled, Buchanan continued to pull away. As Mark Collins and Byrd battled for second, Daniel Culiver in the #51 snuck in to do battle witht the two. The first caution flag came out when the #01 and the #7 made contact on the backstretch sending the #01 into the wall. On the restart, it would be Buchanan and Byrd followed by Collins and Culiver in the first two rows. Once again on the green, it would be Buchanan but Byrd would get his way by taking the lead on the outside and bringing Culiver with him. As Byrd held the inside lead, Culiver tried desperately tried to make a move and finally completed it with a "Bump and Run" on Byrd in turn 2. After completing the pass on Byrd, Culiver began to pull away from the field while Collins took second from Byrd....but would then lose control and spin in turn four....which would bring out the caution. On the single file restart, Culiver waited until turn three to fire and from there he would be uncatchable. Coming to the white, Buchanan would spin out in the #80 in turn four, but the white flag had already waved, which left Culiver and Byrd to race back to the checkers. After dodging Buchanan in turn four, Culiver would go on to pick up his first win of the season and his first since 2006. Billy Byrd finished in second, followed by Mark Collins, Cloudy Buchanan, and Richard McLemore.
Open Wheels - The open wheels would kick off with Gary Wade Finley Jr. on the front row alongside Jarod Land who had set fast time in qualifying. On the start, Finley would pull ahead of Land to hold the top spot. As the field quickly spread out, battles for positioned ensued all around the track. Then on lap 4, David Moyes who was making his very first start and running very well, took a scary ride when contact sent him up and onto the turn two wall. After cleanup on the backstretch, the restart would kick off with Finley and Lane doing battle Phillip Price would hold his third position but would then start inching closer and closer to Land's back bumper. As Price began to close in on Land, John Thomas in the #47 began to get closer to the back bumper of price. After laps of green flag racing, the caution would wave on lap 25 when debris was spotted on the backstretch. On the next restart, Price would try his luck at going to the outside of Finley, but once again Finley would prove to be way too strong. Land and Price would continue to do battle and that would lead to contact which would send Price up on the wall. The incident would leave the rest of the field scattering for position. Under the caution, Price would show his displeasure with Land by spinning him out on the frontstretch. The spin would cause Price to be removed from the race for "Unsportsmanlike Conduct". The next restart would be a battle with John Thomas taking the outside on Finley....but like the times before Finley would prove too strong. As Thomas would be shuffled back on the outside line, Land would soldier on from the previous incident to take his chance at catching Finley. The caution would wave once again on lap 28 when Craig Bell would spin his car in turn one. John Thomas would once again try to get Finley on the outside but would quickly take a place in line behind Finley. The race would be settled between the two veterans Finley and Thomas but it would be Finley the winner. John Thomas finished a close second followed by the #17 of Wade Redd, the #65 of Junior Seymour, and the #35 of Jacod Heard rounding out the top five.
Friday, April 10, 2009
This Week In Racing w/Daniel Culiver
April 4th, 2009
Amateur Buzz - John Barnett started his second race from the front row in the #22 Nissan
alongside Sam Ledbetter in the #96. Barnett quickly jumped out in front of the field and from there was simply....UNBEATABLE. Barnett lapped the entire field in the 15 lap feature and he did so with illegal wheels....but that didn't matter to Barnett. Barnett, a SCCA racer who was looking for a change simply just wanted to come out and log laps in his new ride and he did so in perfect fashion. Barnett took the checkered flag first over the field....even after slowing down to let the others pass him. The win was given to Steven Smart in the #12 Mustang, second went to Parrish Potter in the #10, and third went to Sam Ledbetter in the #96
Super Trucks - The front row for the Super Trucks consisted of Robbie Edger int he #2 and defending champion Mitchell Walls in the #23. On the start, it would be Walls who would take control while the rest of the field scattered for position. Like the week before, Parker Henegar once again showed that he was a top contender by keeping his sights set on front runners Edger and Walls. Jay Robinson Jr. tried to keep his truck ahead of Shannon Berry, but Berry proved to be just to strong. After a ferocious....and yes it was that rough of a battle, Berry finally made his way past Robinson to take the spot. The caution flag waved when Brittany Finley put the spurs to the #48 of Robinson and sent him into the spin cycle, while the #9 of Wagner spun to avoid the incident. On the restart, it would be Walls who once again paced the field, while Henegar continued to try to make a pass on Edger for second. The next caution waved when Berry stuck his nose into Parker Henegar and sent him into a spin. Brittany Finley took a shot at Walls on the next restart by going to the outside, but like the many times before, Walls proved to be by far the strongest truck in the field. Mitchell Walls went on to win the race followed by Brittany Finley, Shannon Berry, Chris Wagner, and Jay Robinson Jr. rounding out the top five.
Sportsman - It was once again Bradley Carter on the front row for the Sportsman feature and alongside was another veteran, RL Vickers. Carter proved that he was the car to beat early by holding a comfortable lead over Greg Kruse who had Vickers knocking at his back door. It was all Carter in the feature and the real race was for second. Carter showed why he was a multiple champion in the Sportsman division when he held on to take his second win in a row. Greg Kruse held off R.L. Vickers for second, and Vickers held third over Bryan Faulkner.
Pro Buzz - Rick Simmons started his first Pro Buzz race on the pole alongside another Pro Buzz rookie, John Pendergrass. From the start, Simmons and Pendergrass paced the field ahead of David Lacourse and John Barnett, who also competed in the Amateur Buzz race earlier. While Simmons and Pendergrass dueled for first and second, Barnett continued to hold third, and Chris Cole fought to hold off Lacourse. At several points during the 15 lap feature, Pendergrass looked to have a good run going on the 156 of Simmons, but he was unable to complete the pass. The caution flag waved on lap 9 for debris and on the restart, it was once again Simmons who got the jump on Pendergrass and Pendergrass dropped back to third. John Barnett kept his #22 Nissan in second position, desperately trying to hold off Pendergrass. Pendergrass finally completed his pass on Barnett but was unable to catch back up to Simmons. Rick Simmons went on to win the feature followed by John Pendergrass, John Barnett, David Lacourse, Mark Collins, and Chris Cole.
Super Stock - The Super Stock feature is always and show when a Graham is in it, and this time it was no different....but yet it did have a twist, due to an old veteran starting on the outside pole. It was Zack Graham and Bobby Varnon who led the field to the green flag. On the start, Graham held the first position while Varnon kept his Camaro on the outside. Guile Hornbuckle made his way into second and set his eyes on Graham, but Graham proved to be the class of the field. The caution flag waved early and on the restart, this time it was Hornbuckle with the outside front row spot. As before, it was Graham who took control but all the while he was surrounded. While Graham paced the field, Bobby Varnon began to quietly creep his way up to Graham's back bumper. As the field began to spread out into single file, Varnon continued to take his time and wait for the move. With just two laps to go, the caution flag waved once again when Guile Hornbuckle's car lost power on the backstretch. On the final restart, the shootout would be between Graham and Varnon, and it was Varnon who made the move to the bottom of Graham in turn three. While the two battled neck and neck, Troy Gray began to make his way into contention. It was Varnon who would take the checkered flag over Troy Gray, Zack Graham, Michael Neely, Adrian Sanders, David Dean Jr., and Mark Mitten.
Hot Shots - The Hot Shots kicked off there race with Steve Edwards and Mark Collins on the front row. Edwards led the opening lap but it was Collins who quickly assumed the lead. Billy Byrd took his Chrysler 300m to the outside to pass Birthday-Boy Daniel Culiver for third and the next lap took second from Edwards. The first caution came out when Cloudy Buchanan spun her #80 Malibu exciting turn four. On the restart, Collins quickly assumed control with Byrd second, Edwards third, and Culiver knocking on his back bumper. While Collins continued to pull away, it was Culiver who put on the show by sliding his #51 Buick Reatta sideways lap after lap. Buchanan worked her way back into the top five by passing the #01, but run out of laps to catch the four leaders. It looked as if the top four would stay locked in on the final lap, but Edwards who was running in third, was put in the spin cycle by Culiver. Collins went on to win the 15 lap feature followed by Billy Byrd and Daniel Culiver rounding out the top three.
Mini Stocks - The Mini Stocks once again had a great car count and the front row consisted of the #21 and the #6 of Hunter Spivey. On the start, Spivey quickly took control as the rest of the field became scattered. Like the days of old when the mini-stocks consisted of Pinto's, now the field became a battle between mini-late models. The first caution flag waved when the #00, who was running in second, lost control in turn two. On the restart, it would be Skylar Charles who would go to the outside front row, while the #95 and the #97 of Chris Mahan would start on the second row. As before, Spivey would pull away, but it would be Charles who would keep his #81 not too far behind. Chris Mahan proved that he had a strong car when he made his move for third on the #95. The next caution waved when the #57 of Casey Clark spun his car on the exit of turn two. On the next restart, it would be the #95 who would take his shot at Spivey. Spivey again pulled away from the field while the major battle was for third. After the final caution flag, Mahan wanted to take his shot at the lead when he decided to go to the outside of Spivey on the restart. Hunter Spivey went on to win the feature with Skylar Charles in second, and Chris Mahan rounding out the top three.
April 4th, 2009
Amateur Buzz - John Barnett started his second race from the front row in the #22 Nissan
alongside Sam Ledbetter in the #96. Barnett quickly jumped out in front of the field and from there was simply....UNBEATABLE. Barnett lapped the entire field in the 15 lap feature and he did so with illegal wheels....but that didn't matter to Barnett. Barnett, a SCCA racer who was looking for a change simply just wanted to come out and log laps in his new ride and he did so in perfect fashion. Barnett took the checkered flag first over the field....even after slowing down to let the others pass him. The win was given to Steven Smart in the #12 Mustang, second went to Parrish Potter in the #10, and third went to Sam Ledbetter in the #96
Super Trucks - The front row for the Super Trucks consisted of Robbie Edger int he #2 and defending champion Mitchell Walls in the #23. On the start, it would be Walls who would take control while the rest of the field scattered for position. Like the week before, Parker Henegar once again showed that he was a top contender by keeping his sights set on front runners Edger and Walls. Jay Robinson Jr. tried to keep his truck ahead of Shannon Berry, but Berry proved to be just to strong. After a ferocious....and yes it was that rough of a battle, Berry finally made his way past Robinson to take the spot. The caution flag waved when Brittany Finley put the spurs to the #48 of Robinson and sent him into the spin cycle, while the #9 of Wagner spun to avoid the incident. On the restart, it would be Walls who once again paced the field, while Henegar continued to try to make a pass on Edger for second. The next caution waved when Berry stuck his nose into Parker Henegar and sent him into a spin. Brittany Finley took a shot at Walls on the next restart by going to the outside, but like the many times before, Walls proved to be by far the strongest truck in the field. Mitchell Walls went on to win the race followed by Brittany Finley, Shannon Berry, Chris Wagner, and Jay Robinson Jr. rounding out the top five.
Sportsman - It was once again Bradley Carter on the front row for the Sportsman feature and alongside was another veteran, RL Vickers. Carter proved that he was the car to beat early by holding a comfortable lead over Greg Kruse who had Vickers knocking at his back door. It was all Carter in the feature and the real race was for second. Carter showed why he was a multiple champion in the Sportsman division when he held on to take his second win in a row. Greg Kruse held off R.L. Vickers for second, and Vickers held third over Bryan Faulkner.
Pro Buzz - Rick Simmons started his first Pro Buzz race on the pole alongside another Pro Buzz rookie, John Pendergrass. From the start, Simmons and Pendergrass paced the field ahead of David Lacourse and John Barnett, who also competed in the Amateur Buzz race earlier. While Simmons and Pendergrass dueled for first and second, Barnett continued to hold third, and Chris Cole fought to hold off Lacourse. At several points during the 15 lap feature, Pendergrass looked to have a good run going on the 156 of Simmons, but he was unable to complete the pass. The caution flag waved on lap 9 for debris and on the restart, it was once again Simmons who got the jump on Pendergrass and Pendergrass dropped back to third. John Barnett kept his #22 Nissan in second position, desperately trying to hold off Pendergrass. Pendergrass finally completed his pass on Barnett but was unable to catch back up to Simmons. Rick Simmons went on to win the feature followed by John Pendergrass, John Barnett, David Lacourse, Mark Collins, and Chris Cole.
Super Stock - The Super Stock feature is always and show when a Graham is in it, and this time it was no different....but yet it did have a twist, due to an old veteran starting on the outside pole. It was Zack Graham and Bobby Varnon who led the field to the green flag. On the start, Graham held the first position while Varnon kept his Camaro on the outside. Guile Hornbuckle made his way into second and set his eyes on Graham, but Graham proved to be the class of the field. The caution flag waved early and on the restart, this time it was Hornbuckle with the outside front row spot. As before, it was Graham who took control but all the while he was surrounded. While Graham paced the field, Bobby Varnon began to quietly creep his way up to Graham's back bumper. As the field began to spread out into single file, Varnon continued to take his time and wait for the move. With just two laps to go, the caution flag waved once again when Guile Hornbuckle's car lost power on the backstretch. On the final restart, the shootout would be between Graham and Varnon, and it was Varnon who made the move to the bottom of Graham in turn three. While the two battled neck and neck, Troy Gray began to make his way into contention. It was Varnon who would take the checkered flag over Troy Gray, Zack Graham, Michael Neely, Adrian Sanders, David Dean Jr., and Mark Mitten.
Hot Shots - The Hot Shots kicked off there race with Steve Edwards and Mark Collins on the front row. Edwards led the opening lap but it was Collins who quickly assumed the lead. Billy Byrd took his Chrysler 300m to the outside to pass Birthday-Boy Daniel Culiver for third and the next lap took second from Edwards. The first caution came out when Cloudy Buchanan spun her #80 Malibu exciting turn four. On the restart, Collins quickly assumed control with Byrd second, Edwards third, and Culiver knocking on his back bumper. While Collins continued to pull away, it was Culiver who put on the show by sliding his #51 Buick Reatta sideways lap after lap. Buchanan worked her way back into the top five by passing the #01, but run out of laps to catch the four leaders. It looked as if the top four would stay locked in on the final lap, but Edwards who was running in third, was put in the spin cycle by Culiver. Collins went on to win the 15 lap feature followed by Billy Byrd and Daniel Culiver rounding out the top three.
Mini Stocks - The Mini Stocks once again had a great car count and the front row consisted of the #21 and the #6 of Hunter Spivey. On the start, Spivey quickly took control as the rest of the field became scattered. Like the days of old when the mini-stocks consisted of Pinto's, now the field became a battle between mini-late models. The first caution flag waved when the #00, who was running in second, lost control in turn two. On the restart, it would be Skylar Charles who would go to the outside front row, while the #95 and the #97 of Chris Mahan would start on the second row. As before, Spivey would pull away, but it would be Charles who would keep his #81 not too far behind. Chris Mahan proved that he had a strong car when he made his move for third on the #95. The next caution waved when the #57 of Casey Clark spun his car on the exit of turn two. On the next restart, it would be the #95 who would take his shot at Spivey. Spivey again pulled away from the field while the major battle was for third. After the final caution flag, Mahan wanted to take his shot at the lead when he decided to go to the outside of Spivey on the restart. Hunter Spivey went on to win the feature with Skylar Charles in second, and Chris Mahan rounding out the top three.
This Week In Racing w/Daniel Culiver
April 4th, 2009
Amateur Buzz - John Barnett started his second race from the front row in the #22 Nissan
alongside Sam Ledbetter in the #96. Barnett quickly jumped out in front of the field and from there was simply....UNBEATABLE. Barnett lapped the entire field in the 15 lap feature and he did so with illegal wheels....but that didn't matter to Barnett. Barnett, a SCCA racer who was looking for a change simply just wanted to come out and log laps in his new ride and he did so in perfect fashion. Barnett took the checkered flag first over the field....even after slowing down to let the others pass him. The win was given to Steven Smart in the #12 Mustang, second went to Parrish Potter in the #10, and third went to Sam Ledbetter in the #96
Super Trucks - The front row for the Super Trucks consisted of Robbie Edger int he #2 and defending champion Mitchell Walls in the #23. On the start, it would be Walls who would take control while the rest of the field scattered for position. Like the week before, Parker Henegar once again showed that he was a top contender by keeping his sights set on front runners Edger and Walls. Jay Robinson Jr. tried to keep his truck ahead of Shannon Berry, but Berry proved to be just to strong. After a ferocious....and yes it was that rough of a battle, Berry finally made his way past Robinson to take the spot. The caution flag waved when Brittany Finley put the spurs to the #48 of Robinson and sent him into the spin cycle, while the #9 of Wagner spun to avoid the incident. On the restart, it would be Walls who once again paced the field, while Henegar continued to try to make a pass on Edger for second. The next caution waved when Berry stuck his nose into Parker Henegar and sent him into a spin. Brittany Finley took a shot at Walls on the next restart by going to the outside, but like the many times before, Walls proved to be by far the strongest truck in the field. Mitchell Walls went on to win the race followed by Brittany Finley, Shannon Berry, Chris Wagner, and Jay Robinson Jr. rounding out the top five.
Sportsman - It was once again Bradley Carter on the front row for the Sportsman feature and alongside was another veteran, RL Vickers. Carter proved that he was the car to beat early by holding a comfortable lead over Greg Kruse who had Vickers knocking at his back door. It was all Carter in the feature and the real race was for second. Carter showed why he was a multiple champion in the Sportsman division when he held on to take his second win in a row. Greg Kruse held off R.L. Vickers for second, and Vickers held third over Bryan Faulkner.
Pro Buzz - Rick Simmons started his first Pro Buzz race on the pole alongside another Pro Buzz rookie, John Pendergrass. From the start, Simmons and Pendergrass paced the field ahead of David Lacourse and John Barnett, who also competed in the Amateur Buzz race earlier. While Simmons and Pendergrass dueled for first and second, Barnett continued to hold third, and Chris Cole fought to hold off Lacourse. At several points during the 15 lap feature, Pendergrass looked to have a good run going on the 156 of Simmons, but he was unable to complete the pass. The caution flag waved on lap 9 for debris and on the restart, it was once again Simmons who got the jump on Pendergrass and Pendergrass dropped back to third. John Barnett kept his #22 Nissan in second position, desperately trying to hold off Pendergrass. Pendergrass finally completed his pass on Barnett but was unable to catch back up to Simmons. Rick Simmons went on to win the feature followed by John Pendergrass, John Barnett, David Lacourse, Mark Collins, and Chris Cole.
Super Stock - The Super Stock feature is always and show when a Graham is in it, and this time it was no different....but yet it did have a twist, due to an old veteran starting on the outside pole. It was Zack Graham and Bobby Varnon who led the field to the green flag. On the start, Graham held the first position while Varnon kept his Camaro on the outside. Guile Hornbuckle made his way into second and set his eyes on Graham, but Graham proved to be the class of the field. The caution flag waved early and on the restart, this time it was Hornbuckle with the outside front row spot. As before, it was Graham who took control but all the while he was surrounded. While Graham paced the field, Bobby Varnon began to quietly creep his way up to Graham's back bumper. As the field began to spread out into single file, Varnon continued to take his time and wait for the move. With just two laps to go, the caution flag waved once again when Guile Hornbuckle's car lost power on the backstretch. On the final restart, the shootout would be between Graham and Varnon, and it was Varnon who made the move to the bottom of Graham in turn three. While the two battled neck and neck, Troy Gray began to make his way into contention. It was Varnon who would take the checkered flag over Troy Gray, Zack Graham, Michael Neely, Adrian Sanders, David Dean Jr., and Mark Mitten.
Hot Shots - The Hot Shots kicked off there race with Steve Edwards and Mark Collins on the front row. Edwards led the opening lap but it was Collins who quickly assumed the lead. Billy Byrd took his Chrysler 300m to the outside to pass Birthday-Boy Daniel Culiver for third and the next lap took second from Edwards. The first caution came out when Cloudy Buchanan spun her #80 Malibu exciting turn four. On the restart, Collins quickly assumed control with Byrd second, Edwards third, and Culiver knocking on his back bumper. While Collins continued to pull away, it was Culiver who put on the show by sliding his #51 Buick Reatta sideways lap after lap. Buchanan worked her way back into the top five by passing the #01, but run out of laps to catch the four leaders. It looked as if the top four would stay locked in on the final lap, but Edwards who was running in third, was put in the spin cycle by Culiver. Collins went on to win the 15 lap feature followed by Billy Byrd and Daniel Culiver rounding out the top three.
Mini Stocks - The Mini Stocks once again had a great car count and the front row consisted of the #21 and the #6 of Hunter Spivey. On the start, Spivey quickly took control as the rest of the field became scattered. Like the days of old when the mini-stocks consisted of Pinto's, now the field became a battle between mini-late models. The first caution flag waved when the #00, who was running in second, lost control in turn two. On the restart, it would be Skylar Charles who would go to the outside front row, while the #95 and the #97 of Chris Mahan would start on the second row. As before, Spivey would pull away, but it would be Charles who would keep his #81 not too far behind. Chris Mahan proved that he had a strong car when he made his move for third on the #95. The next caution waved when the #57 of Casey Clark spun his car on the exit of turn two. On the next restart, it would be the #95 who would take his shot at Spivey. Spivey again pulled away from the field while the major battle was for third. After the final caution flag, Mahan wanted to take his shot at the lead when he decided to go to the outside of Spivey on the restart. Hunter Spivey went on to win the feature with Skylar Charles in second, and Chris Mahan rounding out the top three.
April 4th, 2009
Amateur Buzz - John Barnett started his second race from the front row in the #22 Nissan
alongside Sam Ledbetter in the #96. Barnett quickly jumped out in front of the field and from there was simply....UNBEATABLE. Barnett lapped the entire field in the 15 lap feature and he did so with illegal wheels....but that didn't matter to Barnett. Barnett, a SCCA racer who was looking for a change simply just wanted to come out and log laps in his new ride and he did so in perfect fashion. Barnett took the checkered flag first over the field....even after slowing down to let the others pass him. The win was given to Steven Smart in the #12 Mustang, second went to Parrish Potter in the #10, and third went to Sam Ledbetter in the #96
Super Trucks - The front row for the Super Trucks consisted of Robbie Edger int he #2 and defending champion Mitchell Walls in the #23. On the start, it would be Walls who would take control while the rest of the field scattered for position. Like the week before, Parker Henegar once again showed that he was a top contender by keeping his sights set on front runners Edger and Walls. Jay Robinson Jr. tried to keep his truck ahead of Shannon Berry, but Berry proved to be just to strong. After a ferocious....and yes it was that rough of a battle, Berry finally made his way past Robinson to take the spot. The caution flag waved when Brittany Finley put the spurs to the #48 of Robinson and sent him into the spin cycle, while the #9 of Wagner spun to avoid the incident. On the restart, it would be Walls who once again paced the field, while Henegar continued to try to make a pass on Edger for second. The next caution waved when Berry stuck his nose into Parker Henegar and sent him into a spin. Brittany Finley took a shot at Walls on the next restart by going to the outside, but like the many times before, Walls proved to be by far the strongest truck in the field. Mitchell Walls went on to win the race followed by Brittany Finley, Shannon Berry, Chris Wagner, and Jay Robinson Jr. rounding out the top five.
Sportsman - It was once again Bradley Carter on the front row for the Sportsman feature and alongside was another veteran, RL Vickers. Carter proved that he was the car to beat early by holding a comfortable lead over Greg Kruse who had Vickers knocking at his back door. It was all Carter in the feature and the real race was for second. Carter showed why he was a multiple champion in the Sportsman division when he held on to take his second win in a row. Greg Kruse held off R.L. Vickers for second, and Vickers held third over Bryan Faulkner.
Pro Buzz - Rick Simmons started his first Pro Buzz race on the pole alongside another Pro Buzz rookie, John Pendergrass. From the start, Simmons and Pendergrass paced the field ahead of David Lacourse and John Barnett, who also competed in the Amateur Buzz race earlier. While Simmons and Pendergrass dueled for first and second, Barnett continued to hold third, and Chris Cole fought to hold off Lacourse. At several points during the 15 lap feature, Pendergrass looked to have a good run going on the 156 of Simmons, but he was unable to complete the pass. The caution flag waved on lap 9 for debris and on the restart, it was once again Simmons who got the jump on Pendergrass and Pendergrass dropped back to third. John Barnett kept his #22 Nissan in second position, desperately trying to hold off Pendergrass. Pendergrass finally completed his pass on Barnett but was unable to catch back up to Simmons. Rick Simmons went on to win the feature followed by John Pendergrass, John Barnett, David Lacourse, Mark Collins, and Chris Cole.
Super Stock - The Super Stock feature is always and show when a Graham is in it, and this time it was no different....but yet it did have a twist, due to an old veteran starting on the outside pole. It was Zack Graham and Bobby Varnon who led the field to the green flag. On the start, Graham held the first position while Varnon kept his Camaro on the outside. Guile Hornbuckle made his way into second and set his eyes on Graham, but Graham proved to be the class of the field. The caution flag waved early and on the restart, this time it was Hornbuckle with the outside front row spot. As before, it was Graham who took control but all the while he was surrounded. While Graham paced the field, Bobby Varnon began to quietly creep his way up to Graham's back bumper. As the field began to spread out into single file, Varnon continued to take his time and wait for the move. With just two laps to go, the caution flag waved once again when Guile Hornbuckle's car lost power on the backstretch. On the final restart, the shootout would be between Graham and Varnon, and it was Varnon who made the move to the bottom of Graham in turn three. While the two battled neck and neck, Troy Gray began to make his way into contention. It was Varnon who would take the checkered flag over Troy Gray, Zack Graham, Michael Neely, Adrian Sanders, David Dean Jr., and Mark Mitten.
Hot Shots - The Hot Shots kicked off there race with Steve Edwards and Mark Collins on the front row. Edwards led the opening lap but it was Collins who quickly assumed the lead. Billy Byrd took his Chrysler 300m to the outside to pass Birthday-Boy Daniel Culiver for third and the next lap took second from Edwards. The first caution came out when Cloudy Buchanan spun her #80 Malibu exciting turn four. On the restart, Collins quickly assumed control with Byrd second, Edwards third, and Culiver knocking on his back bumper. While Collins continued to pull away, it was Culiver who put on the show by sliding his #51 Buick Reatta sideways lap after lap. Buchanan worked her way back into the top five by passing the #01, but run out of laps to catch the four leaders. It looked as if the top four would stay locked in on the final lap, but Edwards who was running in third, was put in the spin cycle by Culiver. Collins went on to win the 15 lap feature followed by Billy Byrd and Daniel Culiver rounding out the top three.
Mini Stocks - The Mini Stocks once again had a great car count and the front row consisted of the #21 and the #6 of Hunter Spivey. On the start, Spivey quickly took control as the rest of the field became scattered. Like the days of old when the mini-stocks consisted of Pinto's, now the field became a battle between mini-late models. The first caution flag waved when the #00, who was running in second, lost control in turn two. On the restart, it would be Skylar Charles who would go to the outside front row, while the #95 and the #97 of Chris Mahan would start on the second row. As before, Spivey would pull away, but it would be Charles who would keep his #81 not too far behind. Chris Mahan proved that he had a strong car when he made his move for third on the #95. The next caution waved when the #57 of Casey Clark spun his car on the exit of turn two. On the next restart, it would be the #95 who would take his shot at Spivey. Spivey again pulled away from the field while the major battle was for third. After the final caution flag, Mahan wanted to take his shot at the lead when he decided to go to the outside of Spivey on the restart. Hunter Spivey went on to win the feature with Skylar Charles in second, and Chris Mahan rounding out the top three.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Early Bird Race 3-29-09
Race Recap W/Daniel Culiver
March 29, 2009
Sportsman:
The Sportsman Division kicked off the day's races with the #J18 of Jason Sanford on the pole. Defending champion Bradley Carter quickly took the lead on lap 1 and continued to pace the field the entire race. While Carter was out front, Josh Northcutt in the #81 kept his Batman schemed ride in second while Greg Kruse maintained third. Midway through the race, the yellow flag waved for a small piece of debris in turns 1 and 2. As the field lined up for the restart, Kruse took his Mopar Powered car to the outside of Carter in row 1, while Northcutt took the inside of row 2. On the restart, Carter got a great jump on Kruse and resumed the comfortable lead that he held before. The real battle was for 2nd as Northcutt tried desperately to get by Kruse. Finally as the white flag waved, Northcutt succesfully passed Kruse on the outside after Kruse wiggled off turn 4. Bradley Carter won the 25 lap feature with Josh Northcutt in second, Greg Kruse in third, Jason Sanford in fourth, the #15 of Josh Ross in fifth, and the #5 in sixth.
Super Trucks:
Parker Henagar started on the pole with fastest qualifier Robbie Edger on the outside. On the start, Henagar and Edge stayed side by side until Edger slipped up while trying to clear the pass on the #35. As Edger fell back, the defending champion Mitchell Walls made his way up into the second position. The caution flag waved on lap 12 when Shannon Berry made contact with the #9 of Chris Wagner in turn one. On the restart, Walls quickly got past Henagar on the outside and took control of the 50-lap feature. Henegar maintained second, but during that time Jay Robinson showed that he was a force to be reckoned with when he took the second position away after a great pass on the outside. As the field spread out, the #36 of Finley and the #12 of Berry engaged in an intense battle which resulted in a caution when Finley spun Berry in turn 4. Once again on the restart, Mitchell Walls showed that he was the top dog. Parker Henegar continued to keep his truck in second while Finley stayed in third. Again the caution flag waved when Robbie Edger spun entering turn 3. This time on the restart, Jay Robinson Jr. tried his luck on the outside of the front row, but was unable to challenge Walls for the lead. The green didn't stay out long due to a melee in turn 3, which was a result of contact between Berry and Finley. Both trucks spun around but were able to continue with no damage. Robbie Edge brought out the next caution when he once again lost it in turn 3 and 4. On the next restart, the field took the green in single file......and like the several restarts before, Mitchell Walls quickly stretched out to a comfortable lead. But just a few laps into the run, Parker Henegar showed that he still had some fight left in his #35 truck when he jumped to the back bumper of Walls. Walls went on to the win the 50 lap feature with Parker Henegar finishing in second, Jay Robinson Jr. in third, Chris Wagner with an impressive fourth, and Brittney Finley in fifth.
Late Model:
The race of the decade took place when the Southern Superstar Late Models took to the track. Johnny Brazier and Jeff Letson led the field to the green and trouble quickly ensued when Brazier and Letson made contact on lap 2 which in turn sent Brazier on a wild ride up onto the turn 1 wall. Brazier was not injured in the accident but his #71 machine was destroyed. On the restart, Letson led the field down with the #4 of Heath Hindman close behind. John Henegar made his way into the fourth position when he got by Chase Oliver. Brian Bentley also showed early strength when he began to make his way toward the front. Throughout the 100 lap race, the story was Letson and Hindman who lap after lap remained in a tight single file line. John "Boy" Wilkerson also kept his #11 right on the back bumpers of Letson and Hindman throughout the race and that would later pay off when the two leaders made contact late in the race. The second caution flag waved on lap 18 and as before on the restart, the story was Letson and Hindman. Just a few laps into the run on lap 20, the #27 brought out the third yellow flag of the day. When the green flag waved once again, Hindman desperately tried to get past the #131 of Letson. On lap 63, contact sent Brian Bentley for a spin in turn 1. Another caution was brought out by the #30 car on lap 75. As before when the green flag waved, the 131 and 4 remained nose to tail.The intense racing between the leaders finally took its toll when Hindman and Letson made contact in turn 4 in the late stages of the race. Not too pleased by the contact with Letson, Hindman sought revenge on the restart by waiting for the #131 to come back around. The incident triggered a multi-car accident which took out Brian Bentley and damaged the #16 of Mellner. Hindman was parked for incident and Letson went to the back after coming in the pits to make repairs. The white #16 brought out another caution when he lost it on the backstretch. Another multi-car accident took place when the #89 car lost it in turn 2 which resulted in hard contact with the #30 car. The accident removed the 30 car from the race and caused major cosmetic damage to the #89. The next scary incident took place just a few laps later on lap 92 when the #41 of Gary Nix slammed into the turn 1 wall after an apparent stuck throttle. Nix was not injured in the bad accident but his brand new #41 car was demolished. After the chaos of the Letson-Hindman incident, the race was left in the hands of John "Boy" Wilkerson and the #39 of John Henegar. With just a few laps to go, Wilkerson's car wiggled on the exit of turn 4 and that caused Henegar to just slightly tap and send the #11 into the spin cycle. Wilkerson was none to pleased with the bump from Henegar and expressed himself afterward. Henegar went on to win the Early Bird Shootout with Chase Oliver finishing in a great second place run. The #16, #89 who battled back from the earlier incident with the 30 car, and the #11 of Wilkerson rounded out the top 5.
Super Stocks:
The Super Stocks opened the season with a field full of Veterans. Clayton Hopkins and Troy Gray made up the front row with long time racers Bobby Varnon and Billy Byrd in the second row. Guile Hornbuckle brought up the rear in his #27. On the start, Hopkins car struggled getting up to speed which helped Troy Gray jump out to the lead. In the opening laps, Gray paced the field with the #57 of Byrd right on his back bumper. Hopkins meanwhile made his way back up to the front slowly but when he did catch the field, he stormed past Varnon and then set his sights on Hornbuckle. The yellow flag waved for Hornbuckle on lap 13 and the caution was a big break for Hopkins in the #49. On the restart, Hopkins took his blue #49 to the outside of Gray and the two raced in close quarters for several laps until Gray finally managed to clear Hopkins. Gray went on to win the Super Stock feature with Hopkins in a close second, Billy Byrd in third, Bobby Varnon in fourth, and Guile Hornbuckle in fifth. Gray's win was a great relief for the kid who just hours before, had a transmission fail in practice. After a long trip to Harvest, Gray and his crew put in the new transmission and went on to take home the trophy.
Amateur Buzz:
The 15 lap feature for the Amateur Buzz kicked off with Chris Cole taking an early lead. The battle for second was between four cars and finally someone had to give when contact from the #12 sent the #38 car into the outside turn 2 wall, which brought out the first caution. On the restart, the #37 of Garrett Finley remained right on the back bumper of Cole in second, and newcomer John Barnett joined the battle with the #12. After several laps of close racing, the #12 lost control and spun in the middle of turns 1 and 2. Once again on the restart, Finley stayed right on Cole's back bumper and he continued to stay close for the remainder of the race. Cole went on to win the buzz feature, but not without a strong last lap charge from Finley who went on to finish second. John Barnett brought his new ride home in third, while the 12 car finished fourth, the #12 in fifth, the #01 in sixth, and the #38 in seventh.
Hot Shots:
2008 Hot Shot champion Mark Collins of Lacey's Spring led the field to the green flag in the Hot Shot division along with Burl Barton in the #95. Collins paced the field the majority of the race and the real battle was between the #95 of Barton, the #3 of Byrd who also competed in the Super Stock race, and the #51 of Hobbs Island's Daniel Culiver. Barton and Byrd battled lap after lap side by side and Byrd finally cleared Barton who was then left to battle with Culiver. When Culiver made his move to the outside of Barton on the backstretch, the two made contact which in turn sent Barton for a wild ride onto the concrete. Barton's car came back down on all four but was unable to continue. On the restart, Collins quickly shot out ahead of the field with Byrd close behind. The field had a fine time driving through the fluid left down by Barton in turn 3 and 4 and that helped Billy Byrd make his move on the last lap. Byrd took his #3 Chrysler 300m to the outside of Collins in turn 3 and cleared him coming out of four. Byrd went on to the win the race with Mark Collins in second, Daniel Culiver in third, the #25 in fourth, and Burl Barton in fifth.
March 29, 2009
Sportsman:
The Sportsman Division kicked off the day's races with the #J18 of Jason Sanford on the pole. Defending champion Bradley Carter quickly took the lead on lap 1 and continued to pace the field the entire race. While Carter was out front, Josh Northcutt in the #81 kept his Batman schemed ride in second while Greg Kruse maintained third. Midway through the race, the yellow flag waved for a small piece of debris in turns 1 and 2. As the field lined up for the restart, Kruse took his Mopar Powered car to the outside of Carter in row 1, while Northcutt took the inside of row 2. On the restart, Carter got a great jump on Kruse and resumed the comfortable lead that he held before. The real battle was for 2nd as Northcutt tried desperately to get by Kruse. Finally as the white flag waved, Northcutt succesfully passed Kruse on the outside after Kruse wiggled off turn 4. Bradley Carter won the 25 lap feature with Josh Northcutt in second, Greg Kruse in third, Jason Sanford in fourth, the #15 of Josh Ross in fifth, and the #5 in sixth.
Super Trucks:
Parker Henagar started on the pole with fastest qualifier Robbie Edger on the outside. On the start, Henagar and Edge stayed side by side until Edger slipped up while trying to clear the pass on the #35. As Edger fell back, the defending champion Mitchell Walls made his way up into the second position. The caution flag waved on lap 12 when Shannon Berry made contact with the #9 of Chris Wagner in turn one. On the restart, Walls quickly got past Henagar on the outside and took control of the 50-lap feature. Henegar maintained second, but during that time Jay Robinson showed that he was a force to be reckoned with when he took the second position away after a great pass on the outside. As the field spread out, the #36 of Finley and the #12 of Berry engaged in an intense battle which resulted in a caution when Finley spun Berry in turn 4. Once again on the restart, Mitchell Walls showed that he was the top dog. Parker Henegar continued to keep his truck in second while Finley stayed in third. Again the caution flag waved when Robbie Edger spun entering turn 3. This time on the restart, Jay Robinson Jr. tried his luck on the outside of the front row, but was unable to challenge Walls for the lead. The green didn't stay out long due to a melee in turn 3, which was a result of contact between Berry and Finley. Both trucks spun around but were able to continue with no damage. Robbie Edge brought out the next caution when he once again lost it in turn 3 and 4. On the next restart, the field took the green in single file......and like the several restarts before, Mitchell Walls quickly stretched out to a comfortable lead. But just a few laps into the run, Parker Henegar showed that he still had some fight left in his #35 truck when he jumped to the back bumper of Walls. Walls went on to the win the 50 lap feature with Parker Henegar finishing in second, Jay Robinson Jr. in third, Chris Wagner with an impressive fourth, and Brittney Finley in fifth.
Late Model:
The race of the decade took place when the Southern Superstar Late Models took to the track. Johnny Brazier and Jeff Letson led the field to the green and trouble quickly ensued when Brazier and Letson made contact on lap 2 which in turn sent Brazier on a wild ride up onto the turn 1 wall. Brazier was not injured in the accident but his #71 machine was destroyed. On the restart, Letson led the field down with the #4 of Heath Hindman close behind. John Henegar made his way into the fourth position when he got by Chase Oliver. Brian Bentley also showed early strength when he began to make his way toward the front. Throughout the 100 lap race, the story was Letson and Hindman who lap after lap remained in a tight single file line. John "Boy" Wilkerson also kept his #11 right on the back bumpers of Letson and Hindman throughout the race and that would later pay off when the two leaders made contact late in the race. The second caution flag waved on lap 18 and as before on the restart, the story was Letson and Hindman. Just a few laps into the run on lap 20, the #27 brought out the third yellow flag of the day. When the green flag waved once again, Hindman desperately tried to get past the #131 of Letson. On lap 63, contact sent Brian Bentley for a spin in turn 1. Another caution was brought out by the #30 car on lap 75. As before when the green flag waved, the 131 and 4 remained nose to tail.The intense racing between the leaders finally took its toll when Hindman and Letson made contact in turn 4 in the late stages of the race. Not too pleased by the contact with Letson, Hindman sought revenge on the restart by waiting for the #131 to come back around. The incident triggered a multi-car accident which took out Brian Bentley and damaged the #16 of Mellner. Hindman was parked for incident and Letson went to the back after coming in the pits to make repairs. The white #16 brought out another caution when he lost it on the backstretch. Another multi-car accident took place when the #89 car lost it in turn 2 which resulted in hard contact with the #30 car. The accident removed the 30 car from the race and caused major cosmetic damage to the #89. The next scary incident took place just a few laps later on lap 92 when the #41 of Gary Nix slammed into the turn 1 wall after an apparent stuck throttle. Nix was not injured in the bad accident but his brand new #41 car was demolished. After the chaos of the Letson-Hindman incident, the race was left in the hands of John "Boy" Wilkerson and the #39 of John Henegar. With just a few laps to go, Wilkerson's car wiggled on the exit of turn 4 and that caused Henegar to just slightly tap and send the #11 into the spin cycle. Wilkerson was none to pleased with the bump from Henegar and expressed himself afterward. Henegar went on to win the Early Bird Shootout with Chase Oliver finishing in a great second place run. The #16, #89 who battled back from the earlier incident with the 30 car, and the #11 of Wilkerson rounded out the top 5.
Super Stocks:
The Super Stocks opened the season with a field full of Veterans. Clayton Hopkins and Troy Gray made up the front row with long time racers Bobby Varnon and Billy Byrd in the second row. Guile Hornbuckle brought up the rear in his #27. On the start, Hopkins car struggled getting up to speed which helped Troy Gray jump out to the lead. In the opening laps, Gray paced the field with the #57 of Byrd right on his back bumper. Hopkins meanwhile made his way back up to the front slowly but when he did catch the field, he stormed past Varnon and then set his sights on Hornbuckle. The yellow flag waved for Hornbuckle on lap 13 and the caution was a big break for Hopkins in the #49. On the restart, Hopkins took his blue #49 to the outside of Gray and the two raced in close quarters for several laps until Gray finally managed to clear Hopkins. Gray went on to win the Super Stock feature with Hopkins in a close second, Billy Byrd in third, Bobby Varnon in fourth, and Guile Hornbuckle in fifth. Gray's win was a great relief for the kid who just hours before, had a transmission fail in practice. After a long trip to Harvest, Gray and his crew put in the new transmission and went on to take home the trophy.
Amateur Buzz:
The 15 lap feature for the Amateur Buzz kicked off with Chris Cole taking an early lead. The battle for second was between four cars and finally someone had to give when contact from the #12 sent the #38 car into the outside turn 2 wall, which brought out the first caution. On the restart, the #37 of Garrett Finley remained right on the back bumper of Cole in second, and newcomer John Barnett joined the battle with the #12. After several laps of close racing, the #12 lost control and spun in the middle of turns 1 and 2. Once again on the restart, Finley stayed right on Cole's back bumper and he continued to stay close for the remainder of the race. Cole went on to win the buzz feature, but not without a strong last lap charge from Finley who went on to finish second. John Barnett brought his new ride home in third, while the 12 car finished fourth, the #12 in fifth, the #01 in sixth, and the #38 in seventh.
Hot Shots:
2008 Hot Shot champion Mark Collins of Lacey's Spring led the field to the green flag in the Hot Shot division along with Burl Barton in the #95. Collins paced the field the majority of the race and the real battle was between the #95 of Barton, the #3 of Byrd who also competed in the Super Stock race, and the #51 of Hobbs Island's Daniel Culiver. Barton and Byrd battled lap after lap side by side and Byrd finally cleared Barton who was then left to battle with Culiver. When Culiver made his move to the outside of Barton on the backstretch, the two made contact which in turn sent Barton for a wild ride onto the concrete. Barton's car came back down on all four but was unable to continue. On the restart, Collins quickly shot out ahead of the field with Byrd close behind. The field had a fine time driving through the fluid left down by Barton in turn 3 and 4 and that helped Billy Byrd make his move on the last lap. Byrd took his #3 Chrysler 300m to the outside of Collins in turn 3 and cleared him coming out of four. Byrd went on to the win the race with Mark Collins in second, Daniel Culiver in third, the #25 in fourth, and Burl Barton in fifth.
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