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Posted: 04/11/09
03:35 PM
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The Starstruck Report-April 10, 2009
Hello friends, it's great to be speaking to you once again. A new season started this week and the Starstruck report is back in business. I want to thank everyone that wrote and gave comments to me during my hiatus. It really meant alot to me to know what the column meant to you. It was a cool night, people still waiting to get in at 7:30 before the races, and 50th anniversary merchandise being sold at the souvenir stand. After some words dedicating the 50th anniversary of the track, it was time for what we waited all winter to see, racing.
Grand Stock (30 laps): Daniel Shelton (27) started on the pole for this race. He lost the lead by a nose to Donnie Newman(69) on the first lap only to regain it on lap 2. Lap 5, Cory Willoughby (7) was off the pace and went in the pits. Lap 8, Donnie Newman (69) took the lead and Shelton (27) lost another position as Mark Simpson (36) passed him for second. Lap 9 saw Woody Ellington (90) go in the pits. Lap 13, Shawn Hopkins was off the pace and wouldn't make it to the pits. This lead to a quickie caution being called on lap 16. Lap 28 saw B K Wilson (82) off the pace. Newman (69) took the checkered flag. Simpson (36) said he over drove the car and didn't have anything for Newman (69). Here is the official finishing order. 1. 69 Donnie Newman 2. Mark Simpson (36) 3. Tommy Tatum (62) 4. Daniel Shelton (27) 5. Todd Ruggles (40) 6. Keith Mackta (00) 7. Bill Nixon (49)
8. Mike Cole (63) 9. B K Wilson (82) 10. Shawn Hopkins (84) 11. Woody Ellington (90) 12. Cory Willoughby (7)
Modifieds (50 laps): Ryan Boggs (50), the birthday boy, started the race on the pole. He would lead most of this race. Lap 17, a caution was called. Lap 20, Stacey Willbourne brought out the caution around turn 2. Lap 26, Thomas Stinson (4) takes the lead. A caution was called on lap 33 when Chris Hoylman (42) spins in turn 2. Billy Morris (20) would be a close second but the 5 time defending champion, Thomas Stinson (4) would hang on to win this race. Here is the official finishing order. 1. Thomas Stinson (4) 2. Billy Morris (20) 3. Ryan Boggs (50) 4. Chris Johnson (36) 5. Kyle Wood (19) 6. Mike Rudy (8) 7. Rusty Wood (57) 8. Michael Johnson (38) 9. Alan Purser (41) 10. Chris Hoylman (42) 11. Stacey Wilbourne (23) 12. Ryan Wilbourne (21)
Ucar (25 laps): This is a division that continues to improve with great car counts and aggressive racing. Brian Scott (24) started this race on the pole. Lap 1, Frank Silva (91) takes the lead. Lap 6, Daniel Thomas (99) ended up in the pits. Lap 13, Mike Chapman (18) takes the lead. Lap 15 saw a caution in turn 4 with Austin Dodge (87) and Justin Groome (82). This was a hard hit. Jason Marshall (57) was in pits during this caution. Charlie Simmons (3) was also in pits for a flat tire before the restart. The rest of the race was all Mike Chapman (18) as he took the checkered flag. Here is the official finishing order. 1. Mike Chapman (18) 2. Frank Silva (91) 3. Lindsay Bryant (71) 4. David Kerns (78) 5. Jody Young (5) 6. Corey Lawrence (6) 7. Jamie Hite (04) 8. Austin Dodge (87) 9. Michael Harper (77) 10. Rusty Bennett (92) 11. David Gonce (09) 12. Charlie Simmons (3) 13. Mike Shifflett (12) 14. Butch Mixell (22) 15. Wes Simmons (88) 16. Ryan Garrett (33) 17. Brian Scott (34) 18. Lauren Edgerton (24) 19. Tony Mills (61) 20. Justin Groome (82) 21. Mark Richards (17) 22. Jason Marshall (57) 23. Casey Williams (45) 24. Daniel Thomas (99)
Late Model Sportsman (50 laps): Brad Davis (18) started this race on the pole. Brandon Hendrick (39) took the lead on the first lap but the caution was called for a bad start. Greg Fernandez (02) broke a spindle in the first lap and was the first retiree of the race. We get a complete restart and Davis (18) leads on the first lap. Lap 19, Caution came out when Shane Lockhart (95) spun in the front stretch hard. Lap 36, no caution but Andy Kemp (27) taps Roy Hendrick (11). Hendrick (11)makes a very masterful save to keep the car out of the wall. Lap 41, Chris Hopkins (43) takes the lead from Brad Davis (18). There was contact and Davis (18) almost spun. Like Hendrick, he got control of the wheel and pulled off a very masterful save that even saved his position. Hopkins (43) would hang on to the lead to the checkered flag. Here is the official finishing order. 1. Chris Hopkins (43) 2. Brad Davis (18) 3. Chris Dodson (0) 4. Brandon Hendrick (39) 5. Shannon Marano (6) 6. Jeff Oakley (15) 7. Shayne Lockhart (95) 8. Sonny Allen (20) 9. Wayne Magee (2va) 10. Roy Hendrick (11) 11. Andy Kemp (27) 12. Greg Fernandez (02)
Street Stock (25 laps): Alex Ayers (96) started this race on the pole. It was announced at the beginning that all winners of any street stock events this year will start in the back in the remaining races. The first lap saw a caution as James Groome (31) went around in turn 3. Ricky Stotler (92) was blackflagged for jumping the restart. There was a restart and caution came back out immediately as Herbert LaRue (26) was stuck in turn 3. Keep in mind, there was a rule change this race and caution laps didn't count. Lap 3, Travis Nicely (911) spun in the back stretch. Gary Turner (17) was in the pits during this caution. Lap 4, saw another caution. Mike Ganoe (82) charged his way to the lead in lap 5. Lap 7, no caution but Charles Thacker (70) appeared to be off the pace. Lap 16 saw a real spin in turn 1. Justin Dunkum (13), Alex Ayers (96), and Charles Thacker (70) had all spun. After the flag was thrown and the field was frozen, Mike Ganoe (82) had spun too. The scoring tower ruled this was not part of the race since the caution was already out and Mike Ganoe (82) got to keep the lead. Yes, a little bit of controversy on that one. Lap 17, Ethan Ayers (69) and Chris Bryant (6) had some contact but no caution. Ganoe (82)held his lead to take the checkered flag. Here is the official finishing order. Note: Wayne Groome (08) and Ricky Stotler (92) were both disqualified. 1. Mike Ganoe (82) 2. Michael Sutphin (25) 3. Shawn Sutphin (15) 4. Brian Smith (06) 5. Ethan Ayers (69) 6. Nicholas Hemesath (81) 7. Paul Clemmons (29) 8. James Groome (31) 9. O K Wilson (32) 10. Robbie Groome (79) 11. Travis Nicely (911) 12. Chris Wilson (01) 13. Chris Bryant (6) 14. Charles Thacker (70) 15. Gary Turner (17) 16. Robert Corbitt (58) 17. Justin Dunkum (13) 18. Alex Ayers (96) 19. John Kantzler (00) 20. James Loving (97) 21. Herbert LaRue (26) 22. Wayne Groome (08) 23. Ricky Stotler (92)
Now it's time for the fun part of the column. The drivers really looked like they were in mid season form in some of the races. The first Late Model Sportsman race this year was very clean. In the last few years, there was usually alot of banging the first night and alot of torn up cars. In fact, when you look at my overviews, all the races were very clean for this point of the season.
Performance of the night: This wasn't the easiest night to pick but I am going to give it to Mike Chapman (18 Ucar). He started the race in 11th and went on to win the race. This was worthy of a hard charger award too.
Tough Luck award (Grand Stock): Cory Willoughby (7) wins this one as the first car retired from the race. He had high hopes for this season but going off the pace early in the first race has to be a huge disappointment.
Tough Luck Award (Modified): Stacey Willbourne (23) wins this one for having the first main caution of the night in Mods. Since the race was clean, it was hard to come up with this award.
Tough Luck Award (Ucar): This award goes out to Brian Scott (34). While Chapman (18) charged to the front, Scott (34) started the race on the pole and ended up finishing 17th.
Tough Luck Award (Late Model Sportsman): This may seem like a common sight on this column but it goes to Greg Fernandez. Breaking spindles on the first lap has to be a disappointing way to start the season.
Tough Luck Award (Street Stock): This was tough to call but Wayne Groome (08) and Ricky Stotler (92) would be co winners of this one due to the DQ calls.
And now, a personal note if I may. We did see some signs of the bad economy tonight and some very familiar faces were seen sitting in the stands. While I won't name names right now or exploit anyone's hard times, it really did make me think. Racing in many ways is a very expensive sport to run. While I think that the local tracks have made efforts to keep things as affordable, sponsorship dollars were getting hard to come by as well. I know of cases where a driver has spent his last dollar just to come racing and has the same enthusiasm as those of us in the stands carry race in and race out. In some ways, maybe we should be sure to say thank you to those that do their best to get in the show everyweek and entertain us on a sport we all love.
Next week, we will have Grand Stock (30 laps), Street Stock (50 laps), the first appearance of the MACKA Champ carts (20 laps) and Late Model Sportsman will run their first 100 lap race of the season. That's all for now and I will see you at the races.
*Larry Starstruck*
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