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Posted: 04/24/10
07:07 PM
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The Starstruck Report
Hello friends and welcome to another edition of the Starstruck Report. With just the second week of the season, we have rule controversies, drivers getting mad at each other and plenty of action. This night was overcast and a cool comfortable night to sit out at the track and watch some races. Let's get to the action.
Street Stock (50 laps): Travis Nicely (911) started the race on the pole. Lap 2, Brian Smith (06) took the lead. Lap 4, Jason Beck, (41) spun around turn 4 and no caution was called. Lap 10, red flag came out when a caution involving O K Wilson (32) Justin Dunkum (13), Jason Beck and Ryan Smith (06) had contact. Wilson (32) has the radiator busted on his car and it leaked fluid. Track cleanup took a while. Mike Ganoe (82) took the lead since Smith (06) was involved in that caution. Lap 38, Robbie Groome (79) spins but no caution was called. Ganoe (82) hung on to claim the checkered flag. After the race, Gary Turner (17) was disqualified for being too light. Here is the official rundown. 1. Mike Ganoe (82) 2. Ricky Stotler (92) 3. Brian Smith (06) 4. Shawn Sutphin (15) 5. Michael Sutphin (25) 6. Travis Nicely (911) 7. Paul Clemons (29) 8. Todd Ruggles (40) 9. Robbie Groome (79) 10. Chris Kantzler (01) 11. Chris Bryant (6) 12. Bo Tuck (39) 13. James Loving (97) 14. Justin Groome (8) 15. Justin Dunkum (13) 16. O.K. Wilson (32) 17. Jason Beck (41) 18. Gary Turner (17) (DQ)
Grand Stock (30 laps): Donnie Newman (69) started on the pole. Cory Willoughby (7) stalled on the pace laps and wouldn't race. Lap 11, Kevin Wilson (47) spun in turn 1 after some contact from Daniel Shelton (27). The race would remain clean till the end. On the last lap, Tommy Tatum (62) did a bump and run on turn 3 with Donnie Newman and claimed the checkered flag in a photo finish. Brian Myslivy (3) was disqualified in tech. Here is the official finishing order. 1. Tommy Tatum (62) 2. Donnie Newman (69) 3. Shawn Hopkins (84) 4. J.D. Eversole (98) 5. Daniel Shelton (27) 6. Kevin Wilson (47) 7. Bill Nixon (49) 8. Woody Ellington (11) 9. Doug Fields (44) 10. James Overton (15) 11. Cory Willoughby (7) 12. Brian Myslivy (3) (DQ)
Modified (100 laps): Mike Rudy (8) had the fastest lap in qualifying. However, Hunter Slayton (77) would start this race on the redraw. This race would be the first race at Southside Speedway that contained double file restarts like you see in Nascar. Lap 1, Mike Johnson (38) would take the lead. Lap 4, Greg Fernandez (34) went in the pits. Fernandez's (34) had fluid loss problems in practice. Lap 6, Caution came out due to an incident in turn 2 involving Hunter Slayton (77), Alan Purser (41) and Chris Johnson (36). Slayton (77) had the worst damage and wouldn't return to the race. They restarted double file, Stinson took the lead on lap 7 due to a very good restart beside the leader Michael Johnson (38). Lap 30, Chris Johnson (36) spun in turn 1. Stacey Wilbourne (23) was also invovled in the caution. Lap 42, Stacey Wilbourne (23) spun in front stretch. Ryan Wilbourne (21) went in the pits during that caution. Stinson (4) would hold the lead to claim the checkered. Here is the official finishing order. 1. Thomas Stinson (4) 2. Mike Rudy (8) 3. Michael Johnson (38) 4. Chris Johnson (36) 5. Alan Purser (41) 6. Chris Hoylman (37) 7. Kyle Wood (19) 8. Ryan Wilbourne (21) 9. Stacey Wilbourne (23) 10. Hunter Slayton (77) 11. Greg Fernandez (34)
UCar (25 laps): David Gonce (09) started the race on the pole. During the first attempt to start the race, Jonathan Doanne (21) spins in turn 3 bring out a caution. Shawn Hendricks (44), Jordan Bell (17) and Jody Young (5) were also invovled. Since there were no official laps, we had a complete restart. Lap 4, Tony Mills (61) spun in turn 1. Jonathan Doanne (21) went in the pits and retired from race. Lap 5, Daniel Thomas (99) took the lead. Lap 11, Brian Scott (34) went in the pits. Lap 16, David Gonce (09) went in the pits. Daniel Thomas (99) hung on to win the checkerd flag. Here is how they finished. 1. Daniel Thomas (99) 2. Rusty Bennett (92) 3. Mike Chapman (18) 4. David Kerns (78) 5. Austin Dodge (87) 6. Charlie Simons (3) 7. Frank Silva (91) 8. Jason Marshall (94) 9. Josh Thomas (72) 10. David Blankenship (4) 11. Jody Young (5) 12. Jordan Bell (17) 13. Andrew Condrey (36) 14. Corey Lawrence (6) 15. Tony Mills (61) 16. David Gonce (09) 17. Michael Harper (77) 18. Bryan Scott (34) 19. Jonathan Doane (21) 20. Shawn Hendricks (44)
Now let's analyze the races.
Tough Luck Award Street Stock: O K Wilson (32) gets the nod this week. He took the most damage from the only real big caution in that divisions race and dropped alot of fluid on the track, which prevented him from being able to continue the race.
Tough Luck Award Grand Stock: Cory Willoughby (7) wins this week. His car was stalled during the pace laps and he wasn't able to complete one official lap in their main event.
Tough Luck Modifieds: It truly was a disappointing debut for Greg Fernandez (34) whose car lost fluids during practice. They topped it off so they could atleast make a few laps.
Tough Luck award Ucar: David Gonce (09) gets the nod this week. He went from the pole to finish 15th. The pole and outside poles have been unlucky starting positions in the early part of the season.
Performance of the week: Tommy Tatum (62) and Donnie Newman (69) had a photo finish in the Grand Stock event. On one hand, I can understand Newman for being upset on the bump and run that lead to the finish. He had lead the whole race up to that point and appeared to have more forward bite out of the corners. However, after reviewing the tape on youtube, it really didn't look like a very dirty bump and run compared to some I have seen in races. It wasn't a hit to wreck. Check out the highlights at this url, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXtORksNJZw and forward to the 4:39 mark. Check it out and judge for yourself what happened.
New Rules: The modified division was the first to test out the new double file restarts this year. They have a commitment cone before the start/finish line and the leader has to chose the inside or outside before the cone. Then everyone else lines up behind them double file. Southside will run all divisions with the new restart rule as the season progresses. For the record, I think it's going to make restarts more interesting like it does in Nascar. The leader can lose the lead immediately if the second place car gets a good restart or you could have a situation where the front two cars spin and possibly takes out the whole field. In the long run, it will make all the races more competitive.
Whispers in the pits: In the early season, there have only been two weeks and already some controversy about post race inspections. Without going into details, it's a matter that has plagued Southside Speedway over the years. Drivers are quietly complaining the rules aren't consitent. As a writer, I want to see the rules the same no matter who the driver is and that everyone should be treated fair. The drivers are saying the same way. However, the Starstruck Report knows that in the end, all decisions are final no matter how controversial and can't be appealed.
Looking ahead: This coming Thursday, the track will be running the annual Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown. Last year's race was won by Kyle Bush. Driver's like Tony Stewart, Elliot Sadler, and Joey Lagano are slated to drive a late model in this race. With talent like this along with the local favorites, it's an event you don't want to miss. All proceeds go to the Denny Hamlin Foundation for cystic fybrosis.
I want to thank the drivers and crews for sharing their stories and entertaining us the way they do each week. To the readers, thank you for letting me tell you a story. That's all for now, I will see you at the races.
*Larry Starstruck*
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