RACE REPORTS FOR OCTOBER 19, 2019
(all photos by Gary Chopik unless noted)
It was hard to accept that the day that started out so beautifully could end so abruptly. Practice saw sunny skies and pleasant temperatures at the Little Track on the Hill, but by the time the racing was due to begin the skies had clouded up and before time trials had completed a light curtain of mist was descending, just enough to delay events. The track crew was, as ever, right on the problem and the racing surface was cleared with only a slight delay, the first races being for…
BABY GRANDS
Sweeps seemed to be the order of the event on Pull-A-Part Night, and the first was scored by the hustlin’ Hoosier, Danny Trent. Trent nabbed fast time, the heat race win, and the feature win in a thoroughly dominant performance…despite being dead last on lap 1! As ever, Justin Shanes gave it his all, but this time the flying deuce from Martinsville would not be caught, Shanes even looping his #24 racer in his spirited pursuit. Mark Cole brought home a top three after a vicious wreck ended the night for Tim Vinsant and Jessie Binkley (who made a visit to the ambulance for a sore hand) while Darrell Fudge who had spun a couple of times as well) managed to get his 13 back on the track—minus its front bodywork!—in time to complete the full distance. “I love this joint!” Trent declared in Victory Lane. “It’s a driver’s track!” He sure does seem to have acclimated to it…
Baby Grands Feature Race Finish
1. Danny Trent (2) 25 laps
2. Justin Shanes (24) 25 laps
3. Mark Cole (50) 25 laps
4. Darrell Fudge (13) 25 laps
5. Tim Vinsant (14) 17 laps
Other finisher: 6. Jessie Binkley (25) 17 laps
Baby Grands Heat Race Top Five
1. Danny Trent (2) 10 laps
2. Tim Vinsant (14) 10 laps
3. Jessie Binkley (25) 10 laps
4. Justin Shanes (24) 10 laps
5. Mark Cole (50) 10 laps
Fast qualifier: Danny Trent (2) 13.971 64.419 mph
PRO 4 ASPHALT SERIES
The Pro 4 Asphalt Series inaugural champion, Rick Rowland, made just one more start, but not in his usual blue 82. No, on this night he was in his son’s normal ride, the 51, which had already seen Victory Lane at Veterans Motorplex in 2019. While he did have to give way in the heat race to Michael Carter (his first VMR win!) in the feature he was as steady and smooth as always though Jaclyn Barnett and Michael Meadows (in the white Smyrna Ready Mix machine again) kept him honest. Carter wound up fourth, while Jeffrey Lee’s 79 could not make the call for the feature.
Pro 4 Asphalt Series Feature Race Finish
1. Rick Rowland (51) 25 laps
2. Jaclyn Barnett (17) 25 laps
3. Michael Meadows (17X) 25 laps
4. Michael Carter (07) 25 laps
DNS: Jeffrey Lee (79)
Pro 4 Asphalt Series Heat Race Top Five
1. Michael Carter (07) 10 laps
2. Rick Rowland (51) 10 laps
3. Michael Meadows (17X) 10 laps
4. Jaclyn Barnett (17) 10 laps
5. Jeffrey Lee (79) 4 laps
Fast qualifier: Rick Rowland (51) 14.956 60.177 mph
PURE STOCKS
On his way to a championship…? Or perhaps the question mark isn’t appropriate anymore…on this night Josh Hood did what he needed to do, completing the second sweep of the weekend in Pure Stocks. The only car remotely close to the black 08 was the BLUE 08, that of Ronnie Upchurch. Upchurch gave a good chase but to be fair, Hood was in his own area code. Donold Webb Jr came back this weekend to wheel the 27 to third in the main, ahead of Michael Williams. Making a brave return after his horrifying roll down the back stretch on August 24th, Willie Coats presented himself in the 11, sore but competitive, and brought the machine home in 5th. Hood merely needs to start next weekend’s race to secure the 2019 Pure Stock championship title.
Pure Stocks Feature Race Finish
1. Josh Hood (08X) 30 laps
2. Ronnie Upchurch (08) 30 laps
3. Donold Webb Jr (27) 30 laps
4. Michael Williams (91) 30 laps
5. Willie Coats (11) 30 laps
Other finishers: 6. Brandon Ladd (40) 17 laps
Pure Stocks Heat Race Top Five
1. Josh Hood (08X) 10 laps
2. Ronnie Upchurch (08) 10 laps
3. Michael Williams (91) 10 laps
4. Donold Webb Jr (27) 10 laps
5. Brandon Ladd (40) 10 laps
Fast qualifier: Josh Hood (08X) 14.853 60.594 mph
PULL-A-PART PRO 8 LATE MODEL
When you beat Mark Day in a straight fight at Veterans Motorplex, you know you’ve accomplished something! Dylan Fetcho did just that in the Pull-A-APart Pro 8 Late Models on the sponsor’s own special night. Fetcho dove under Day on lap 10 and withstood multiple challenges from the perennial champion to claim the win. Day never gave up even as he scraped the wall repeatedly but was unable to repass the 89. Previous race winner Jonathan Wilhite chased the leading pair but was never able to close in enough to contend, while Dylan Jones brought the Climer 05 home in fourth. Blake Isenberg tossed sparks in every turn but survived for fifth, just managing to hold off a disappointed Walt Garrison. We may get a chance to revisit the Fetcho/Day battle next weekend as Dylan reported that he’d be back for the final race of the year…
Pull-A-Part Pro 8 Late Model Feature Race Finish
1. Dylan Fetcho (89) 50 laps
2. Mark Day (8) 50 laps
3. Jonathan Wilhite (71) 50 laps
4. Dylan Jones (05) 50 laps
5. Blake Isenberg (77) 49 laps
Other finishers: 6. Walt Garrison (5.3) 49 laps
Pull-A-Part Pro 8 Late Model Heat Race Top Five
1. Mark Day (8) 10 laps
2. Walt Garrison (5.3) 10 laps
3. Jonathan Wilhite (71) 10 laps
4. Dylan Jones (05) 10 laps
5. Blake Isenberg (77) 10 laps
Fast qualifier: Dylan Fetcho (89) 13.267 67.837 mph
PEST DOCTOR RIDGE RUNNERS
Last weekend Jesse Litchford ruled the Pest Doctor Ridge Runners roost; this weekend Daniel Harper was on the top perch as he swept the board in the speedy front wheel drive division. Litchford arrived arrived late and had no practice (and a bad wheel bearing!) but still qualified second fastest…in the race though, it was Harper from flag-to-flag. Josh Harrell had to withstand a late challenge from Litchford, but the mist that would soon put an end to the night’s events made the track just a little slick and the move that might’ve gotten the 58 into contention for the win turned into a lurid slide that Jesse JUST managed to keep off the wall. At that point perhaps he might’ve figured that third was better than a wadded-up car, though he did close back in on the 411 in the waning laps but just fell short…Josh Garvin and Steve Akey had their own private battle throughout with Garvin eventually claiming fourth and Moonshiner 50 winner Akey fifth.
Pest Doctor Ridge Runners Feature Race Finish
1. Daniel Harper (95) 30 laps
2. Josh Harrell (411) 30 laps
3. Jesse Litchford (58) 30 laps
4. Josh Garvin (25) 30 laps
5. Steve Akey (99) 30 laps
Other finishers: 6. Tony Chambers (43) 6 laps, 7. Marc Deist (423) 1 lap. DNS: David Ray Bates (88)
Pest Doctor Ridge Runners Heat Race Top Five
1. Daniel Harper (95) 10 laps
2. Jesse Litchford (58) 10 laps
3. Josh Garvin (25) 10 laps
4. Josh Harrell (411) 10 laps
5. Steve Akey (99) 10 laps
Fast qualifier: Daniel Harper (95) 15.099 59.607 mph
ROAD WARRIORS
The mist that preempted qualifying returned in the closing laps of the Pest Doctor Ridge Runners feature, which resulted in the Road Warriors being unable to compete in their feature. Still, they did get their heat race completed, which resulted in the second straight checkered flag for Kasey Williams (winner of the feature one week prior), and a far more unfortunate result for Brandon Miller, who piled his #59 into the turn two wall in as vicious a hit as we’ve seen this year that didn’t end in a roll. Brandon was shaken and was transported to Skyline for a checkup but was treated and released to hopefully race again. David Lassiter ended up second in the prelim, ahead of Derrick Bissinger, Austin Jacobs took a fine fourth, and Jerry Langston was fifth.
Road Warriors Heat Race Finish
1. Kasey Williams (K3) 10 laps
2. David Lassiter (6) 10 laps
3. Derrick Bissinger (469) 10 laps
4. Austin Jacobs (95) 10 laps
5. Jerry Langston (3) 10 laps
Other finishers: 6. Justin Doney (7), 7. Tony Chambers (43), 8. Jessie Pedigo (2), 9. David Ray Bates (88), 10. Cameron Choate (19), 11. Aaron Porter (04), 12. Brandon Miller (59) DNS: Lynn Newcomb (55)
Fast qualifier: David Lassiter (6) 17.244 52.192 mph
NEXT WEEKEND…it’s the closing event of the 2019 season…and EVERYBODY RACES! And we do mean EVERYBODY! The Road Warriors, the Pro 4 Asphalt Series, the Legends, the Baby Grands, the Pure Stocks, the Super Stocks, the Pull-A-Part Pro 8 Late Models, and…100 laps for the Late Model Sportsman! EVERYBODY! What a way to put a cap on an outstanding season of action at Veterans Motorplex! REMEMBER: gates open at 2 PM, first green flag at 4 PM…all this action PLUS TRUNK OR TREAT for the kids, at YOUR HOME for FAMILY FRIENDLY high-banked racing excitement…VETERANS MOTORPLEX AT THE RIM, where ACTION is the ATTRACTION!