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Posted: 08/28/10
08:51 PM
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The Starstruck Report, 8/28/10 News and Notes.
Hello friends and welcome once again to another edition of the Starstruck Report. It was a crazy night where many of the points races are clinched going into the final week. In most cases, only second or third is really up for grabs. I been amazed by the patterns lately where the Late Model Sportsman division has been full of cautions and the Street Stocks would run another 50 lap race caution free. True, I have been hard on Street Stock in the past but they are improving and getting to be a better racing division all the time. Like last week, this issue is going to be dedicated to my father as his surgery date draws near.
Street Stock (50 laps): Justin Groome (8) started this race on the pole in what would stay a caution free race. Jesse Hendricks (38) pulled his car in the pits around lap 3. Around lap 18, Chris Kantzler (01) went off pace and pulled his car to the outside pits and retired from the race. On lap 9, contact between Justin Dunkum (13) and Chris Bryant (6) but no caution was called. At lap 31, Mike Ganoe (82) claimed the lead. Around lap 48, Chris Bryant (6) went in the pits. Ganoe (82) would win the race and claim the championship this year. Justin Groome (8) currently second in points as of this writing was rookie of the year.
1. Mike Ganoe (82)
2. Brian Smith (06)
3. Justin Groome (8)
4. Gary Turner (17)
5. James Loving (97)
6. James Groome (31)
7. Ricky Stotler (92)
8. Michael Sutphin (25)
9. Ethan Ayers (69)
10. Paul Clemons (29)
11. Jason Beck (41)
12. Travis Nicely (911)
13. Robbie Groome (79)
14. Dan Rogers (33)
15. Alex Ayers (96)
16. Chris Bryant (6)
17. O. K. Wilson (32)
18. Justin Dunkum (13)
19. Brian Wilson (51)
20. Chris Kantzler (01)
21. Jesse Hendricks (38)
Ucar (25 laps): This race was very clean as well with one caution. Frank Silva (91) had the fastest lap in qualifying. Daniel Thomas (21) got the pole on the redraw. But, by the end of the first lap, Mike Chapman (18) claimed the lead. Lap 5, Silva (91) and David Kerns (78) made contact in turn 2. Silva had a tire go down from the contact and this temporarily took the points lead from Kerns (78) at this point but the race is close enough to be determined next week. Thomas (21) also pitted during this caution. Chapman (18) took the inside and held off Austin Dodge (87) to retain the lead. Jamie Hite (12) would take the lead on lap 12 and claim the win. The top 3 Ucars in points are seperated by 200 points. So, this one is all up for grabs.
1. Jamie Hite (12)
2. Austin Dodge (87)
3. Mike Chapman (18)
4. Frank Silva (91)
5. Jason Marshall (94)
6. Shawn Hendricks (44)
7. Jody Young (5)
8. Andrew Condrey (36)
9. Rick Powers (51)
10. Daniel Thomas (21)
11. Butch Mixell (22)
12. Brett Lawrence (6)
13. David Kerns (78)
Late Model Sportsman (125 laps): This one got wild at points. Chris Dodson (0) had the fastest lap in qualifying. Chris Hopkins (99) got the pole on the redraw. Keep in mind as you read this, all laps counted including caution laps. Around lap 13, Andy Kemp (27) went off pace and in pits. His car wouldn't return to the race. Lap 33, the first caution came out when Raymond Pittman III (50) spun in turn 4. Mike Lee (46) and Roy Hendrick (11) went in the pits during this caution. Neil J Culley (44) was the lucky dog. The race resumed on lap 39, Shayne Lockhart (95) claimed the lead on the outside from Hopkins (99), on what initially appeared to be a bad restart. Hopkins (99) went backwards and in the pits as his distributor went bad. Lap 42, Chris Johnson (41) was blackflagged for a hanging bumper in front. Lap 43, the caution flag waved again when Greg Fernandez (02) spun in turn 4. C. Johnson (41) answered the black flag on this caution. Raymond Pittman III (50) received the lucky dog. N J Culley (44) pitted during this caution. The race resumed on lap 50 and Lockhart (95) took the the inside and held off Dodson (0) by a nose at the line before claiming a solid lead on the next lap. Lap 55, Jeff Oakley (15) spun in turn 2. Timmy Langford (39) received the lucky dog in this caution. On lap 60, the race resumed and Lockhart (95) stayed on the inside lane and held off another close challenge from Dodson (0). On lap 91, Brad Davis (18) went off pace and appeared to have a flat tire. No caution was called. On lap 95,Hendrick (11) spun in turn 2. Oakley (15) and Langford (39) made pit stops during this caution. The race resumed on lap 101 and Lockhart (95) retained his lead on the inside and held off Eddie Johnson (43). Lap 106, Kersey (7) spun in turn 2. R. Pittman (50) was the lucky dog. They attempted to restart on lap 112, however, Culley (44) wrecked Kersey (7) on the restart. There was a little bit a show of anger on both parts and both men were parked for the night. The race was red flagged at lap 115. Hendrick (11) was the lucky dog for the caution. The race resumed at lap 121 where Lockhart (95) took the inside and held off E. Johnson (43) for the win.
1. Shayne Lockhart (95)
2. Eddie Johnson (43)
3. Nick Smith (55)
4. Lin O'Neill (1)
5. Chris Dodson (0)
6. Steve Zuskin (71)
7. Greg Fernandez (02)
8. Mike Lee (46)
9. Jeff Oakley (15)
10. Jason Pittman (51)
11. Shannon Marano (6)
12. Raymond Pittman III (50)
13. Roy Hendrick (11)
14. Timmy Langford (39)
15. Neil Culley (44)
16. Mike Kersey (7)
17. Brad Davis (18)
18. Chris Johnson (41)
19. Chris Hopkins (99)
20. Andy Kemp (27)
Grand Stock (30 laps): Tommy Tatum (62) had the fastest lap in qualifying. Daniel Shelton (27) took the pole on the redraw. On lap 4, Donnie Newman (69) blew an engine. No caution was called. Lap 5, Shawn Hopkins (84) took the lead. Around lap 11, Kevin Wilson (47) hit the wall in the front stretch and went in the pits, however, no caution was called. Cory Willoughby (7) went in the pits at lap 15. Wilson (47) would re enter the race around lap 22. On lap 25, Woody Ellington (11) spun and there was believed to be contact with Tatum (62). Ellington (11) was ruled only one in the caution but received the lucky dog. Hopkins (84) took the inside and held off Shelton (27) for the lead. On lap 26, J D Eversole (98) got in the back of Shelton (27). The track ruled Shelton (27) was already loose when the contact was made and it was just racing in Eversole's (98) case. On the restart, Hopkins (84) held off Mark Simpson's (15) challenge on the outside. Tatum (62) would claim the lead on the last lap for the win.
1. Tommy Tatum (62)
2. Shawn Hopkins (84)
3. J. D. Eversole (98)
4. Mark Simpson (15)
5. Chris Hott (01)
6. Bill Nixon (49)
7. Woody Ellington (11)
8. Daniel Shelton (27)
9. Keith Mackta (00)
10. Kevin Wilson (47)
11. Cory Willoughby (7)
12. Donnie Newman (69)
Now on to the weekly awards.
Performance of the week: Shayne Lockhart (95) gets the nod this week for his dominating run in the Late Model Sportsman race. I didn't really see anything else that really stood out this week.
Tough Luck Street Stock: It's hard to give an award on a caution free race but Chris Kantzler (01) gets the nod for being the first car out.
Tough Luck Ucar: David Kerns (78) had the points lead all year and lost it this week due to the wreck with Frank Silva (91) this week.
Tough Luck Late Model Sportsman: Chris Hopkins (99) had a very strong car and to have the distributor break on the first caution gives him the nod this week. It would be fair to argue that this has been a tough season for Hopkins (99) in some ways if you have followed him the last few years.
Tough Luck Grand Stock: Donnie Newman (69) gets the nod with the blown motor. He has been offered some engines by other teams to run next week. However, from the way he was talking, he seemed tired and just ready for this season to be over.
Todd Ruggles-Chris Kantzler controversy: The Street Stock division has one of the biggest track controversies right now and it was very hard for me to ignore. As many of you may have read two weeks ago, Ruggles (40) and Kantzler (01) were in a caution. Ruggles (40) drove his car backwards in the front stretch and hit Kantzler (01) straight where they got out of their cars to fight. Being a two week old story, I know some are wondering why it's being brought up again. Both men were suspended for fighting. However, if you read my Street Stock recap in it's entirety and the tough luck, Kantzler (01) was reinstated while Ruggles (40) was being told he couldn't race. For the record, there is no way I can condone what either man did on the track that week. In fact, it doesn't even matter to me who hit who first to bring out the caution. Both of them got out of their car to fight and the rule book says very clearly that a fight is a two race suspension. Kantzler (01) was only out one race. In all fairness, Ruggles (40) should have been allowed to race as well. As it has been covered many times, inconsistencies in the rules and one driver seemingly getting the benefit of controversial calls has been the bane of Southside Speedway. Fans and drivers alike want to see the rulebook followed correctly. It's a shame this becomes a constant topic of discussion on a regular basis. maybe next year, we can get off the topic for a little bit but I would be very surprized to see that happen.
Looking ahead: Next week will be the season finale. The commentary half will be a salute to the champs. There will not likely be any tough luck awards next week at all next week and the commentary will be strictly about how the points races ended. All divisions will be in action next week. That's all for now and I will see each of you at the races faster than you can say "don't print that." LOL
*Larry Starstruck*
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