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Posted: 05/01/10
08:26 AM
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The Starstruck Report
Hello friends and welcome to another edition of the Starstruck Report. Thursday April 29 was a special day at Southside Speedway. Denny Hamlin's foundation for cystic fibrosis rented the track for the event and made all the decisions concerning the event. In many ways, it was like a minature Nascar event. 36 cars had shown up on the invitation from most of Virginia's tracks, one ARCA driver and a few USAR drivers. Eli Gold gave us the play by play on the PA system. Larry MacReynolds, fox personality and former Nascar crew chief, was this year's grand marshall. On this year's format, we had a competition caution at lap 150 to let the guys work on their cars for 10 minutes.
Short track showdown (250 laps): Denny Hamlin (11) was the pole winner with Tony Stewart (14) on the outside. Unlike most Southside events, cautions did count. Denny Hamlin (11) took the lead for the first few laps. On lap 11, Bobby Labonte (44) had a tire go down. He got the car out of the way fast enough so no caution was called. On lap 17, we had the races first caution when Kevin Harvick (29) spun in turn 1. The race would restart at lap 23, Kyle Bush (51) took the lead on the double file restart. Lap 32, we had a caution involving Curtis Markham (4) and Bugs Hairfiled (04) in turn 4. Terry Carroll (90) was in the pits. He had the most air conditioned car in the race with a whole side without sheet metal from an incident in the last chance race. Hermie Sadler (25) also had some damage this caution. Lap 34, Mark Davis (36) would have this lap and 37 in the pits. As the cars get set for the restart, Kevin Harvick (29) is the lucky dog. The race resumed on lap 40 and last year's Langley champ C E Falk (40) took the lead on the double file restart. Lap 42, Scott Turlington (48) and Marcos Ambrose (47) had contact in turn 1. Terry Carroll (90) was the lucky dog on this caution. The race restarted on lap 53. On lap 61, Chris Hopkins (07) ran up the rail in the backstretch and flipped over in turn 3. They stopped the cars on the field since this would be a long cleanup. Aric Almirola (15) got out of his car during this period and ran to the portable toilet in turn 2. Turlington (48) went back in the pits after they restarted the engines. Lap 65, Terry Carroll (90) in the pits. Race restarted lap 68. On lap 90, Mark Waltz (2) spins in turn 3 bringing out the caution. Joey Logano (20) had some damage in this wreck. Lap 91, H. Sadler (25) in the pits. Curtis Markham would pit around laps 93 and 96. Scott Turlington came in the pits at lap 100. The race restarted on lap 103 and Denny Hamlin (11) took the lead on lap 104. Lap 104, we had a bad spin out with Logano (20) which lead to a pileup. Cup drivers Harvick (29) and Bush (51) wouldn't return. Matt Macall (23) was also out. They stopped the cars during this caution during the clean up. Mark Davis (36) on this caution. The race restarted on lap 116. On lap 124, caution came out when Scott Marshall (7) spun in turn 2. Tommy Lemons, Sr (27) would be the lucky dog. The race restarted on lap 135. It would stay clean till the scheduled competition caution. Each car got to make changes and also had a change of right side tires. Davis (36) smoked in the pits. The race resumed and caution was called at lap 158 when Scott Marshall (7) had a tire down in the backstretch. Lap 160, Hermie Sadler (25) was in the pits. The race resumed with Hamlin (11) as leader on lap 166. Caution came out on lap 183 when Hermie Sadler (25) spun in turn 3. Clay Campbell (24), president of Martinsville Speedway, would be the lucky dog. The race restarted on lap 189. Lap 191, big pile up in the backstretch including Campbell (24) and Phillip Morris (26). Kyle Waltz (1) and Nick Smith (12) had some time in pits during this caution. Aric Amirola (15) would be the lucky dog. On lap 196, we had a restart. Lap 2063, Nick Smith (12) went in pits. Lap 209, Eliot Sadler (19) was in pits. Hower, the race would be mostly clean till Darren Wallace Jr (76) spun in turn 4. This would set up a green white checkered finish and Almirola would have his second lucky dog in a row. The race resumed at lap 253. It ended where Hamlin (11) got loose in turn 4 and C E Falk got by him to take the win. Here are the official results. 1. C. E. Falk (40) 2. Tony Stewart (14) 3. Eddie Johnson (57) 4. Denny Hamlin (11) 5. Brandon McReynolds (28) 6. Marcos Ambrose (47) 7. Scott Turlington (48) 8. Tommy Lemons, Jr. (27) 9. Stephen Berry (9) 10. Mark Wertz (55) 11. Darrell Wallace, Jr. (76) 12. Aric Armirola (15) 13. Kyle Waltz (1) 14. Hermie Sadler (25) 15. Terry Carroll (90) 16. Curtis Markham (4) 17. Elliott Sadler (19) 18. Nick Smith (12) 19. Philip Morris (26) 20. Clay Campbell (24) 21. Scott Marshall (7) 22. Marc Davis (36) 23. Kyle Busch (51) 24. Kevin Harvick (29) 25. Joey Logano (20) 26. Matt McCall (23) 27. Matt Waltz (2) 28. Chris Hopkins (07) 29. Bugs Hairfield (04) 30. Bobby Labonte (44)
As you can see, this was quite a race. Let's give out my usual awards.
Performance of the week: The nod this week goes to C E Falk (40). He lead several laps and was never out of the top 5 the whole race. Plus, he really appeared strong doing hard racing with the Nascar stars.
Tough luck award: Chris Hopkins (07) had the scariest wreck I have seen since Michael Perkins (formerly the 11) a few years ago. In both cases, thank God both men got out of their cars safely. Hopkins (07) was the winner of the first Denny Hamlin short track showdown as well.
Looking ahead: Late Model Sportsman will headline the event with twin 50's. Grand Stock (30 laps), Street Stock (50 laps) and Champ Karts (25 laps) will also see action. Street Stock and Champ Karts are scheduled for double file restarts this week. Personally, I wish all the divisions were but it seems to be going that direction by the end of the season.
As I close this week, all I can say is what a professional looking show. My thanks to the drivers and teams that put on a good show and Grand Marshall Larry McReynolds. Eli Gold gave the play by play alot of energy. That's all for now. See you at the races.
*Larry Starstruck*
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