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Posted: 08/14/10
09:28 AM
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The Starstruck Report-- 8/13/10 News and Notes.
Hello friends and welcome again to another edition of the Starstruck Report. It was a nice cool night at the track and a very comfortable evening to watch racing. I think everyone was tired at the end of the night due to all divisions competing and a late night. As you look at the date on the calendar, it really did appear to be Friday the 13th at times. Some of the closer points races have changed and we will be addressing that in Starstruck midweek. Now let's go to the action.
Champ Karts (20 laps): Ken Miller (4) started this race on the pole. However, Buzz Moore (11) would lead the first lap. Jason Higginbotham (44) took the lead on the second lap. On lap 3, Ryland Craze (55) had his kart go off pace and stalled in the front stretch bringing out the first caution. On the restart, Higginbotham (44) took the inside line and held off Brad Davis (18) for the On lap 12, Moore (11) and G. R Waldrop (04) spun in turn 4. Higginbotham (44) took the inside lane and held off a challenge from Cameron Wood (21). Waldrop (04) would take his kart in the pits. On lap 18, Davis (18) took the lead. On the last lap, Higginbotham (44) spins Davis (18) in the frontstretch and takes the lead. Davis dropped back to 4th. Like many of the races in this division, this one was decided by the last lap.
1. Jason Higginbotham (44)
2. Brad Davis (18)
3. Clint Gunn (02)
4. Hunter Ashworth (17)
5. Mike Matthews (31)
6. Cameron Wood (21)
7. Stanley Holmes (38)
8. J. D. Eversole (98)
9. Randy Emory (00)
10. Ken Miller (4)
11. Buzz Moore (11)
12. David Emory (22)
13. Tyler Davis (20)
14. Ryan Barksdale (67)
15. Stan Holmes (01)
16. Daniel Davis (12)
17. G. R. Waldrop (04)
18. Ryland Craze (55)
Modifieds (50 laps): Thomas Stinson (4) had the fastest lap in qualifying. He drew 4th position on the redraw. Michael Johnson (38) started on the pole. On the first start, Stacey Wilbourne (23) and Alan Purser (41) both had problems on the first start. No official lap. Purser (41) was unable to continue. On the next start, M. Johnson (38) held off Mike Rudy (8) to take the lead. Stinson (4) would take the lead on lap 12. On lap 16, Ryan Wilbourne was off pace but got off the track in time to avoid a caution. On lap 24, Bryan Scott (34) spun in turn 2. Stinson (4) took the inside lane for the restart and held off Chris Johnson (36). On lap 30, C. Johnson (36) car went off the pace bringing out the caution flag. Stinson (4) went on the inside and held off Rudy (8) for the restart. C. Johnson (36) spun hard in turn 1. S. Wilbourne (23) and M. Johnson (38) also got together in a separate incident. Scott (34) was the lucky dog. Stinson (4) claimed the inside lane again and held off Rudy (8) to retain his lead. Stinson (4) held on to claim his 7th victory of the year.
1. Thomas Stinson (4)
2. Mike Rudy (8)
3. Warren Lipford, Jr. (43)
4. Stacey Wilbourne (23)
5. Bryan Scott (34)
6. Chris Johnson (36)
7. Kyle Wood (19)
8. Michael Johnson (38)
9. Ryan Wilbourne (21)
10. Alan Purser (41)
Ucar (25 laps):This race stayed clean and green the entire run. Cody Lawrence (6) was the pole sitter. However, Jamie Hite (12) took the lead on the first lap and held on for the win. You saw correctly, there were no cautions in this race. All 25 laps were green.
1. Jamie Hite (12)
2. David Kerns (78)
3. Mike Chapman (18)
4. Frank Silva (91)
5. Charlie Simons (3)
6. Austin Dodge (87)
7. Michael Hall (94)
8. Shawn Hendricks (44)
9. Rusty Bennett (92)
10. Andrew Condrey (36)
11. David Gonce (09)
12. Johnathon Doane (34)
13. Corey Lawrence (6)
Late Model Sportsman (75 laps): Hold on to your seats with this one. This was a wild race. Shayne Lockhart (95) ran the fastest lap in qualifying and started 7th on the redraw. Brad Davis (18) took the pole for this race. On lap 2, Jeff Oakley (15) spun in turn 4. Timmy Langford (39) had a damaged tire in this caution. Davis (18) took the inside on the restart and lead by a nose initially over Greg Fernandez (02). On lap 4, Fernandez (02) claimed the lead. On lap 15, Andy Kemp (27) spun in turn 4. Langford (39), Oakley and Kemp (27) all made pit stops during this caution. Lockhart (95) took the outside and took the lead from Fernandez on the restart. Mike Kersey (7), Fernandez (02) and Eddie Johnson (43) had a hard caution in turn 2. Fernandez (02) pushed E. Johnson's (43) car backwards in the backstretch and was parked for the race. Personal note, I think Fernandez (02) was given a quick thumb. I have seen worse not get parked and this was light in comparison. Lockhart (95) took the inside on this restart and looked to be holding off Chris Dodson (0). However, E. Johnson (43), Kemp (27) and Kersey (7) were among the cars piled up on the front stretch during this restart. Lockhart (95) took the restart on the inside and took the lead after two good laps of side by side racing. On lap 32, Kersey (7) and Shannon Marano (6) gets together turn 4. Dodson (0) appeared to take the lead on the outside by this restart was called back and ruled that Dodson (0) jumped the start. Lockhart (95) took the inside and retained his lead holding off Dodson (0). On lap 36, Marano (6) broke a steering hose. This caused his car to get on fire. Thankfully, he was able to get out of the car okay. Thank you to the safety standards we have in racing today like the fireproof suits. Lin O'Neill (1), Neil J Culley (44) also had pit stops during this caution. Lockhart took the inside lane and retained his lead from Dodson (0). Lap 40, big pile up in turn 4. I wasn't able to see all the cars involved. The signal was given that all laps would count now including the caution laps since the show was running late. The race resumed at lap 44 and Lockhart kept his lead on the inside by beating out Dodson (0). This settled things for a little bit. On lap 66, Chris Johnson (41) spun in the backstretch. B. Davis (18) was also invovled in the caution. The race resumed on lap 72 and Lockhart (95) took the inside and the lead and held on to win over Chris Hopkins (99). Kevin Minter (96) had his car smoking hard on the last lap. This was Lockhart's (95) 5th win of the year.
1. Shayne Lockhart (95)
2. Chris Hopkins (99)
3. Chris Dodson (0)
4. Eddie Johnson (43)
5. Jeff Oakley (15)
6. Steve Zuskin (71)
7. Mike Kersey (7)
8. Raymond Pittman (50)
9. Lin O'Neill (1)
10. Neil Culley (44)
11. Timmy Langford (39)
12. Andy Kemp (27)
13. Brad Davis (18)
14. Kevin Minter (86)
15. Chris Johnson (41)
16. Shannon Marano (6)
17. Michael Solaimani (12)
18. Greg Fernandez (02) DQ
Grand Stock (30 laps): Are you still with me on this one. This race was mostly clean and green. Daniel Shelton (27) had fastest lap in qualifying. Shelton (27) drew 6th on the redraw. Bill Nixon (49) would start this race on the pole. However, Shawn Hopkins (84) would claim the lead on the first lap. On lap 13, the caution came out when Kevin Wilson (47) spun in turn 2. Hopkins (84) took the inside and held off Mark Simpson (36) for the lead. Hopkins (84) took his first win of the year.
1. Shawn Hopkins (84)
2. Tommy Tatum (62)
3. Brian Myslivey (3)
4. Mark Simpson (36)
5. J. D. Eversole (98)
6. Kevin Wilson (47)
7. Bill Nixon (49)
8. Daniel Shelton (27)
9. Donnie Newman (69)
10. Cory Willoughby (7)
11. James Overton (15)
12. Woody Ellington (11)
Street Stock (50 laps): Gary Turner (17) started this race on the pole. Mike Bedner (9) and Jessee Hendricks (38) spun in turn 2 on first lap but no caution. Lap 8, Justin Dunkum (13) went in the pits. Lap 10, in a good hands driver moment, Dan Rogers (33) blew a tire and got his car in the pits immediately to avoid a caution being called. To all that saw that car control, it was a wow moment. Bedner (9) wrecked in the backstretch and caught the leader Turner (17). Jason Beck (41) took the lead. Todd Ruggles (40) went in the pits on the inside. On lap 18, Beck (41) took the inside held off Turner (17) on the outside. Mike Ganoe (82) took the lead on lap 19. Right after that, Ruggles (40) and Chris Kantzler (01) wrecked in turn 1. Ruggles (40) got his car going and ran nose first into Kantzler (01) on the front stretch. This lead to a red flag and both men got out of the car to fight. The cars were rolling again around lap 21. Lap 24, the race resumed and Ganoe (82) took the lead on the outside lane from Beck (41). Lap 28, caution was called and Brian Smith (06), the current points leader, went in the pits with an overheating car. Lap 32, the race resumed and Ganoe (82) retained his lead over Turner (17). Turner (17) spun in turn 4, but no caution. Nicely (911) was blackflagged in lap 48 for a tire going down. Ganoe (82) went on to win this race.
1. Mike Ganoe (82)
2. Juston Groome (8)
3. Jason Beck (41)
4. James Loving (97)
5. Michael Sutphin (25)
6. Robbie Groome (79)
7. Ricky Stotler (92)
8. Alex Ayers (96)
9. O. K. Wilson (32)
10. Jessee Hendricks (38)
11. Gary Turner (17)
12. Travis Nicely (911)
13. Mike Bedner (9)
14. Dan Rogers (33)
15. Paul Clemons (29)
16. Brian Smith (06)
17. B. K. Wilson (51)
18. Justin Dunkum (13)
19. Chris Kantzler (01) DQ
20. Todd Ruggles (40) DQ
As you can say, it was a wild night in many ways with some interesting incidents. Now to give out the awards.
Tough Luck Champ Karts: Buzz Moore (11) gets the nod this week. He was the points leader going into this race and had an 11th place finish on that spin with Waldrop (04)
Tough Luck Modifieds: Alan Purser (41) gets the nod and he didn't complete one lap.
Tough Luck Ucar: This race was clean and green and the points leaders didn't really lose much ground this week. Therefore, I am not awarding one this week.
Tough Luck LMS: Mike Kersey (7) gets the nod this week. He was in multiple cautions. Honorable Mention goes to Greg Fernandez in this one. I really think they kicked him out of the race too fast and for less than I have seen in some incidents.
Tough Luck Grand Stock: Kevin Wilson (47) gets the nod. He was the only caution in that race.
Tough Luck Street Stock: Brian Smith (06) most likely lost the points lead this week with the overheating car.
Performance of the week: Shawn Hopkins (GS 84) gets the nod for his first win of the season.
Cone Restarts: The Starstruck Report has always posted on forums and had each column open to discussion on any issue. Since there is a mid week column now, I am open to posting comments on that as part of it even if you disagree with me. Just keep in mind this is a family column and I will not post profanity. There have been arguments for and against the cone restarts. On the against side, a driver that thinks he has a dominate car could have to challenge a slower car to retain his lead and really not know who he may have to race the lead from by the drop of the flag. On the plus side, it has made races more unpredictable. As a fan, I am very big on the cone restarts. I think they have made the races more exciting and I like the idea that the leader still has to race to keep their lead on a restart. Plus, you can all of a sudden have a 10th place car sneak up and win the race. Personally, I like good hard competitive racing. I am willing to even have a special Starstruck Report to show different opinions. This is open to drivers and fans alike.
Looking ahead: It is CocaCola Fan Appreciation at the track. Grand Stock is the only division not running. The Modfieds will have twin 30's and Late Model will have another 75 lap race. On mid week, I plan on looking at the points races after this week and the debate on cone restarts if anyone wants to participate. You can send all comments at larrystarstruck@yahoo.com. That's all for now, see you at the races.
*Larry Starstruck*
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