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Posted: 08/21/10
04:38 PM
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he Starstruck Report, August 20 News and Notes.
Hello friends and welcome once again to another edition of the Starstruck Report. It was a very hot and humid night in the stands and most of the racing was very clean and green, even to the point where the modifieds won't have a tough luck award this week since every car finished. The night started with a meet and greet with all the drivers around the track and some handing out some postcards of their cars and signing them for fans. The racing was mostly green for most of the divisions, with Late Model Sportsman being a little wild at points. The scoreboard was broke this week so I had to listen exclusively to the officials channel to keep my lap tallies right for the report. Before we get to the action, I want to make a dedication.
Dedication: My father, Larry Sr, has been fighting and tumor in his stomach and will be having surgery the week after the race season on Sept. 10. He took me to alot of races growing up and his favorite driver of all time is Richard Petty. I am going to dedicate the last three season issues of the Starstruck Report to his recovery.
Ucar (25 laps): Andrew Condrey (36) started this race on the pole. However, Shawn Hendricks (44) would lead the first lap. Rusty Bennett (92) would take the lead on the second lap. Lap 7, Mike Chapman (18) took the lead and would not look back. Around lap 10, Frank Silva went in the pits. Chapman (18) claimed the checkered flag and points leader David Kerns (78) finished third. Right now, this is the only points race still up for grabs.
1. Mike Chapman (18)
2. Austin Dodge (87)
3. David Kerns (78)
4. Jason Marshall (94)
5. Charlie Simons (3)
6. Shawn Hendricks (44)
7. David Gonce (09)
8. Andrew Condrey (36)
9. Rick Powers (51)
10. Frank Silva (91)
11. Rusty Bennett (92) DQ
Modifieds I (30 laps): This was another very clean and green race. Chris Johnson (36) started this race on the pole. As the race started, he held on very close to Mike Rudy (8) the 2nd place car till lap 3 where he had a solid lead. Johnson (36) would hang on to claim the flag by a nose over Thomas Stinson (4) at the line.
1. Chris Johnson (36)
2. Thomas Stinson (4)
3. Mike Rudy (8)
4. Alan Purser (41)
5. Kyle Wood (19)
6. Michael Johnson(38)
7. Stacey Wilbourne (23)
8. Ryan Wilbourne (21)
9. Tim Layne (22)
10. Bryan Scott (34)
Champ Karts (20 laps): This race was also clean and green for the most part. Cameron Wood (21) started on the pole. Around lap 8, J D Eversole (98) took the lead. Around lap 18, the caution came out with Hunter Ashworth (17) and another kart in turn 2. Ryland Craze (55) was awarded the lucky dog and got his lap back. Eversole (98) lined up on the inside and had the early lead from Brad Davis on the outside. However, before the lap was over, he lost positions to both Jason Higgenbotham (44) and Buzz Moore (11). Higgenbotham (44) held on to win the race.
1. Jason Higgenbotham (44)
2. Buzz Moore (11)
3. J. D. Eversole (98)
4. Brad Davis (18)
5. Stan Holmes (01)
6. Mike Matthews (31)
7. David Emory (22)
8. Randy Emory (00)
9. Clint Gunn (02)
10. Ryan Barksdale (67)
11. Stanley Holmes (38)
12. Cameron Wood (21)
13. Tyler Davis (20)
14. Daniel Davis (12)
15. Brian Nixon (16)
16. Ryland Craze (55)
17. G. R. Waldrop (04)
18. Hunter Ashworth (17)
19. Kenny Miller (4)
Late Model Sportsman (75 laps): Chris Hopkins (99) started this race on the pole. Lap 2, Lin O'Neill (1) took the lead. Hopkins (99) would reclaim the lead around lap 17. The race was very clean till lap 24 when Raymond Pittman III (50) blew an engine. Neil John Culley (44) had a pitstop during this caution. On the restart, Hopkins (99) took the inside and beat Shayne Lockhart (95) on the outside. The next lap, Mike Kersey (7) pulled in with a flat tire. Lap 31, the second caution flag waved when Jeff Oakley (15) spun in turn 2. Culley (44) and Oakley (15) both had pit stops during this caution. Hopkins (99) took the inside and held off Lockhart (95) to retain his lead. The caution flag would wave again on lap 41 when Greg Fernandez (02) would spin on turn 2 and Mike Lee (46) was also involved in the caution. Hopkins (99) would take the inside lane again and this time held off Eddie Johnson (43) to retain his lead. Lap 43, the caution came out again as Timmy Langford (39) and Mike Solaimani (12) wrecked in turn 2. Lockhart (95) went in the pits with a flat tire. This next restart was some good racing. Hopkins (99) took the inside and held off Dodson (0) intially. Dodson (0) would claim the lead on lap 45 but lost it back to Hopkins (99) on the next lap. Lap 51, Eddie Johnson (43) took the lead. The race stayed green till lap 64 when Solaimani (12) spun hard in the front stretch. Solaimani (12) went in the pits and passed the pace car. This lead to a warning not to do that under caution. Car Owner Bobby Creech was warned about punching on Solaimani's car. E. Johnson (43) took the inside and held off Dodson (0) to keep the lead. At lap 69, Oakley (15) spun in turn 2. They thought there may have been some contact with Chris Johnson (41) but that was ruled as a racing incident. E. Johnson (43) took the lead on the restart holding Dodson's outside challenge off. At lap 71, C. Johnson (41) spun hard in turn one and unable to continue. On the restart, Lockhart (95) started on the outside and took the lead from E. Johnson (43). It appeared that E. Johnson (43) may have had a tire going down at the end as he fell backwards in the last laps. Lockhart (95) would claim the checkered flag. However, his car was too light in tech inspection and the race was awarded to Hopkins (99).
1. Chris Hopkins (99)
2. Chris Dodson (0)
3. Lin O'Neill (1)
4. Eddie Johnson (43)
5. Brad Davis (18)
6. Mike Lee (46)
7. Greg Fernandez (02)
8. Jeff Oakley (15)
9. Jason Pittman (51)
10. Chris Johnson (41)
11. Timmy Langford (39)
12. Mike Kersey (7)
13. Michael Solaimani (12)
14. Neil John Culley (44)
15. Raymond Pittman (50)
16. Shayne Lockhard (95) DQ
Modifieds II (30 laps): Alan Purser (41) would start this race on the pole. However, Mike Rudy (8) would lead the first lap. On lap 6, the caution came out with Timmy Layne (22) spun in turn 4. On the restart, Rudy (8) took the inside and held off Thomas Stinson (4) of laps. Stinson (4) took the lead on lap 8. On lap 28, Kyle Wood (19) spun around turn 2, bringing out the caution. Purser (41) was sent to the rear. Ryan Wilbourne (21) had the lucky dog. Stinson (4) took the inside and intially held off Rudy (8) for the lead. However, Stacey Wilbourne (23) spun during the restart. Stinson (4) would hold off Rudy (8) on the restart and claim the checkered flag.
1. Thomas Stinson (4)
2. Chris Johnson (36)
3. Mike Rudy (8)
4. Michael Johnson (38)
5. Kyle Wood (19)
6. Ryan Wilbourne (21)
7. Tim Layne (22)
8. Stacey Wilbourne (23)
9. Greg Fernandez (34)
10. Alan Purser (41)
Street Stock (50 laps): This was a very clean race as well. Justin Groome (8) started this race on the pole. However, Ricky Stotler (92) would lead the first lap. On lap 10, Dan Rogers (33) and Brian Wilson (51) spun in turn 4. Stotler (92) took the inside lane and J. Groome (8) would take the outside. However, the lead was claimed by Gary Turner (17) by the end of this lap. On lap 17, Mike Ganoe (82) claimed the lead. On lap 18, Brian Smith (06) went off pace. Ganoe (82) would lead the rest of the race which remained caution free till the end.
1. Mike Ganoe (82)
2. Gary Turner (17)
3. Justin Dunkum (13)
4. James Loving (97)
5. Jason Beck (41)
6. Ricky Stotler (92)
7. Paul Clemons (29)
8. Michael Sutphin (25)
9. Alex Ayers (96)
10. Justin Groome (8)
11. Travis Nicely (911)
12. O. K. Wilson (32)
13. Mike Bedner (9)
14. Dan Rogers (33)
15. Jessee Henricks (38)
16. Robbie Grooms (79)
17. Brian Smith (06)
18. Brian Wilson (51)
This made for an interesting evening and even hard for some of the weekly awards.
Performance of the week: The most memorable moment came in the first modified race where Chris Johnson (36) won the race by a nose over Thomas Stinson (4).
Tough Luck Ucar: Rusty Bennett was disqualified in tech. Since there were no DNF's, I couldn't think of another candidate.
Tough Luck Modifieds: No DNF's in either race and nothing that really affected the big picture with the points race. Therefore, I am not awarding one this week.
Tough Luck LMS: Shayne Lockhart (95) gets the nod this week for being disqualified in tech. Going into this race, he was the only one that had a chance of taking the lead from Dodson (0).
Tough Luck Street Stock: Brian Smith (06) gets the nod on his car going off the pace. He has dropped from the points lead to 6th in just two weeks.
Points races in play: Currently, the Ucar and Champ Kart division are the only ones that look like it can go down the wire. David Kerns (78) leads Mike Chapman (18) by 80 points. The Ucars will run two more races. On the Kart side, Buzz Moore (11) leads Brad Davis (18) by 120 points. That division will only have one more race on the final night.
Looking ahead: Late Model Sportsman will headline next weeks action with the Virginia 125. Grand Stock (50 laps), Ucar (25 laps), and Street Stock (50 laps) will also be on the night. This should be an action packed night. Considering the way the LMS races have been lately, it could be a question of who's left running at the end. That's all for now, see you at the races.
*Larry Starstruck*
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