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.
Friday, April 17, 2009
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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