“Kyle Hardy Wins Limited Late Model Feature”
“Devin Brannon Wins RUSH Crate Late Model Feature”
By Brent Hottle
Winchester(VA)-It was a beautiful day for racing here in the Shenandoah Valley. Warm temperatures and clear skies would make for a beautiful backdrop for a big night of racing at “The Action Track”. We would have the limited and Rush crate late models on hand, along with the pure and hobby stock classes. The SCDRA division would be on hand to run their “make up” feature from a rain out, along with a regular scheduled feature.
There would be plenty of side by side racing action during the heat races. Once they were over we would pause for our weekly Invocation and playing of our National Anthem. Just before our Invocation we would hold a moment of silence in honor of a few of our recently lost racing community members. One of those members was Paige Grove, a part time photographer here at the speedway. Anyone who came in contact with her would find her to have a great personality and passion for racing. Though she lost her life due to a tragic event, her memory will live on here at the speedway.
The SCDRA makeup feature would be the first onto the speedway. Polesitter Shawn Payne would lead lap one over Jason Jarvis and Brody Tolstyka. Brian Skelly would look to the low side of Tolstyka on lap two. Skelly would take over the third position by the end of the third lap. Jarvis would get a run out of turn two and pull alongside Payne to battle for the lead on lap five. The pair would cross the finish line side by side to complete lap six. Payne would pull ahead of Jarvis by the end of the seventh lap. As the pair raced around the speedway, Tyler Kline would move around Skelly for the third position by the end of lap nine. Heartbreak would ensue for the leaders on lap thirteen as Payne’s car would break as he raced out of turn two. Jarvis would make contact with the outside of Payne’s car, causing him to go airborne and turn into the inside wall. On the restart Tyler Kline would inherit the lead and go on to win his first feature event. Brody Tolstyka and Brian Skelly would round out the top three.
Next to pull out onto the speedway would be the limited late model division. Kyle Hardy would lead lap one over veterans Gerald Davis and Brad Omps. Hardy would begin to pull away from Davis as Davis would also begin to pull away from Omps. Justin Dillman would slow in turn two and bring out the first caution of the event. Hardy would continue to lead over Davis and Omps during the next several laps until lap nine when Craig Parrill would have his motor break going into turn one. Once the track surface was cleaned up we would go back racing. Hardy would once again start to pull away from Davis and Omps. By lap fifteen Hardy would have a three quarter of a straight away lead over Davis, who had around a four car lead over new third place running Gregory Carrico. Hardy would encounter lap traffic on lap eighteen, but would go on to take the feature win. Gerald Davis and Gregory Carrico rounded out the top three.
The RUSH crate late models would be next to do battle. Devin Brannon would lead lap one over Branson Woodward and Bubby Tharp Jr. We would see three separate cautions slow the field, before the completion of lap one. Brannon would lead lap two over now second place running Tharp. Brannon would pull out to a three quarter of a straight away lead over Tharp and Woodward by the end of the sixth lap. Brayden Carter would spin in turn one and bring out the caution on lap eight. After the restart we would see Brannon continue to lead over Tharp as Kyle Hardy would now move past Woodward for the third position. Brannon would continue to show his strength as he would have a full straight away lead over the field by lap sixteen. It would be quickly erased as Marty Pownall would spin in turn four to bring out the final caution of the event. Devin Brannon would go on to take the win with Bubby Tharp Jr and Kyle Hardy rounding out the top three.
We would now watch a caution free pure stock feature. Front row starters Chuckie Johnson and Tony Johnson would race side by side into turn one. Chuckie would lead lap one over Tony and Allen Brannon. It would be Johnson against Johnson as we watched the pair engage in a high speed chase around the speedway surface. The pair would maintain a six car length lead over Brannon for most of the feature. By lap thirteen Brannon would cut that lead down to two car lengths behind the leaders. Chuckie Johnson would be able to hold on and make no mistakes to take the feature win. Tony Johnson and Allen Brannon would round out the top three.
The hobby stocks would now take center stage for their feature event. Billy Sonner Jr would lead lap one over Justin Hottle and Jason Wilkins. As the leaders finished the third lap, Sam Hoffman would slow to the top of turn two and bring out the first caution of the event. On the restart Richie Gibson III would spin in turn one, resulting in another restart. Sonner would lead lap four after the restart over second place running Wilkins, who had moved ahead of Hottle. Billy Sonner Jr would lead every lap untested to take the feature win. Jason Wilkins and Justin Hottle would round out the top three.
The final feature for the night would be for the SCDRA division. We would see two cautions during the first two attempts to start the feature. The third time would be the charm as Robbie Carroll would lead lap one over Nick McDaniel and Rob Rudisill Jr. Carroll would quickly begin to pull away from the field. McDaniel would slide high in turn one on the third lap, resulting in him losing several positions. Carroll would lead lap four with a three quarter of a straight away lead over second and third place running Rudisill and Matthew Duvall. Carroll would encounter lap traffic on lap eight, just before Cody Bottorf would spin on lap nine in turn two to bring out the caution. Trevor Hammett would spin in turn two during the restart. There would be no change in the top three during the next few laps after the restart. The final caution of the event would come out on lap eleven as Hammett would hit the turn four inside wall. Robbie Carroll would take the feature win. Rob Rudisill Jr and Matthew Duvall would round out the top three.
We want to thank everyone who attended this week's events. We look forward to seeing everyone back at the speedway this coming Saturday Night! Mark your calendars for June 28th as the super late models make their first appearance for the running of the Jimmy Spence Memorial.
Limited Late Model Results
Kyle Hardy, Gerald Davis, Gregory Carrico, James Lichliter, Brad Omps, Michael Carter, Mike Franklin, Austin Lathroum, Calvin Michael, Austin Stover, John Davidson, Tom Chaffins, Andrew Fertig, (DNF Craig Parrill, Justin Dillman)
RUSH Crate Late Model Results
Devin Brannon, Bubby Tharp Jr, Kyle Hardy, Branson Woodward, Davin Kaiser, Steven Powell, Travis Campbell, Cody Williams, Richard Hawkins, Jeremiah Marshall, Chase Hardy, Scooter Tippett, Charles Smith, Kristopher Hutton, Roy Deese Jr, Gregory Carrico, Dylan Rutherford, Brayden Carter, Jim Pownall, Frank Dibella, Marty Pownall, (DNF Tyler Horst, Brayden Armel)(DNS Kevin Powell)
Pure Stock Results
Chuckie Johnson, Tony Johnson, Allen Brannon, Kris Eaton, Jerry Jenkins Jr, Walter Crouch, Mike Grady Jr, Chris Sumption, Andy Adkins, Brady Holmes, Gary Frye
Hobby Stock Results
Billy Sonner Jr, Jason Wilkins, Justin Hottle, Cody Sumption, Richie Gibson III, (DNF Robert Martin, Tony Catlett, Sam Hoffman)
SCDRA Make Up Feature Results
Tyler Kline, Brody Tolstyka, Brian Skelly, Larry Lamb, (DNF Shawn Payne, Jason Jarvis)(DNS Tyler Denike)
SCDRA Results
Robbie Carroll, Rob Rudisill Jr, Matthew Duvall, Stephen Suite, Nick McDaniel, Justin Bottorf, Lonnie Hobday, Samuel Regitz, Tyler Kline, Jay Lowman, Shawn Payne, Brian Skelly, Larry Lamb, Cody Bottorf, John Healy, Anthony Martin, (DNF Trevor Hammett, Travis Dye, Brody Tolstyka)(DNS Allen Griffith, Jason Jarvis)