May 9, Lancaster Speedway Racing Report

By Mark Huey

Andy Hodges took over the #7 Country’s Race Team in 2007, when Rooster Ghant left the Crate Late Model team. Jerry “Country” and Valerie Strickland, the car owners, make sure that the crew is always dressed with racing-style uniforms and have raced Lancaster Speedway since the inception of the Crate Late Model division in 2004. The team has won several times at Lancaster Speedway, but the win scored this past Saturday, rivals any win scored in the past by the Rock Hill based team. With Cauthen Motors paying a bonus, taking the winners’ purse to $1000, Hodges began the night in good order, by winning his heat race. After a last lap crash involving Brandy Baker and John Pursley throttled Hodges to the front row, the most important moment in the main event would be a race to the first corner, which Hodges was able to win over Johnny Pursley. Brandy Baker lost control of his #16 racer on the first lap, and retired to the pits for the night. On the restart, Hodges again took charge and led lap one. The middle pack tangled on the following lap, resulting in several frontrunners pitting for flat tires, including Ron Parker and Matt Long. The race restarted and the positions were stabilized over the course of the next nine laps, with Hodges holding off Pursley. On the final lap, Johnny Pursley dive-bombed underneath Hodges in turn three, making hard contact with Hodges. He would be able to hold on to second across the line, followed by Pursley, who would lead the final lap. However, the #09 car would not make it past a post-race fuel inspection. According to track rules, all competitors must use fuel either purchased from the track, or the same brand of fuel, with is Turbo Blue. Pursley was disqualified for using a different fuel and Hodges was awarded with the win, to the delight of the crowd on hand. Hodges was followed by Timbo Mangum, John Pursley, Matt Long, and Ron Parker. Andy Hodges is currently the points leader.

At the end of the first NDRA Crate heat race, the final lap was a photo finish. Remember Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven in Darlington? Mark Martin and Kevin Harvick at Daytona? They had finishes that could be determined by electronic timing and video analysis. If we had such technology, then human judgment would not be needed in such cases and Lancaster Speedway. Thus, there is a rule concerning photo-finishes, stating that the car nearest the infield (on the inside) will be declared the winner in case of a finish that is too close to call. That was the case with Ron Parker and Johnny Pursley in heat race #1. With Pursley on the inside, he was declared the winner. Parker did not agree with the call, but it was the only call that could be made by the scorer. Also, in that heat race, Colt Gilliam, who flipped and destroyed a car back in 2005, became the latest “Over the Wall” member, when he vaulted “out of the park and into the dark” into the Lancaster Speedway pine thicket on the backside of turns three and four. He also chopped down a racetrack landmark � that pole that for years has stood center of the corner. We are going to miss that pole! Gilliam was able to walk away, but the car suffered heavy damage. In the second heat race, John Pursley and Brandy Baker had an on-track encounter, which resulted in a heated exchange between the two.

In the Stock 4 Cylinder division, Blake Rallings returned after sustaining extensive damage two weeks ago in a crash on the front stretch. He would run well through the field and come up with a second-place finish. Jeffrey McGuirt took another the win, with Jacob Catoe third. However, Catoe lost an engine on the final lap and did not pass post race weight requirements. This put Ray Adams third, Evan Thomas fourth, and Eric Caskey finished fifth. Jeffrey McGuirt leads the points in the stock four division.

Frankie McGuire was the winner of the Pure Street main event. Steve Hinson spun out of control on the first lap of competition and triggered a crash with Joe Johnson, Jr. Jesse Carson, and Jerry Sexton. There were several more spins and crashes in turns one and two, as the cars had trouble getting into and out of that corner. It definitely was “calamity corner” this past Saturday night. In a wild battle over the last three laps, Frankie McGuire held off Steve Hinson, Jason Starnes, James Marion, and Jesse Carson. Steve Hinson leads the points standing.

In the Limited Late Models, John Pursley and Chad Paxton started on the front row. Pursley won the battle to the first corner, with Mike Huey and Chad Paxton battling for second. These two had raced side-by-side during the heat race earlier for five laps. They would do that for 7 more laps during the main event, to the delight of the crowd. Then, on a pass underneath Paxton, Mike Huey was poised to chase down John Pursley, who was way out front. Huey roared the United Contractors car to life, inching closer and closer to Pursley. On lap 12, Huey was ready to do battle, when he contacted the wall out of turn four, damaging the right rear spoiler. This caused his car to lose momentum and would not be able to catch the famed “NINE CAR.” Pursley won, followed by Huey, Paxton, Steve Davis, and David Yandle. Mike Huey leads the points standings in Late Models.

Fourteen year old Brandon Blackmon won the Young Guns main event for the second week in a row. Austin Baker ran second, Andrew Yandle was third, Josh Langley was fourth, and Andrew Baker finished fifth. After a crash on lap two grounded four competitors, Blackmon resumed racing, leading every lap. Blackmon also leads the points standings.

In the Sportsman Crate division, Dustin Sweatt picked up his second win in a row by winning the Sportsman Crate main, and the bonuses by Cauthen Motors. This division was among the last of the cars to hit the track for the main events. By this time, the track was extremely slick and many cars had difficulty maneuvering through turns one and two. Several cars were forced to pit with three cautions. Dustin Sweatt was the winner, followed by Jody Bigham, Shaun Medlin, Michael Hough and Chris Bell.

Brandy Baker was the winner of the Super Street division. He collected the bonuses from Cauthen Motors. This division started the night with sixteen cars, but due to engine problems and crashes, on five cars were running at the end. Baker was followed by Tom Megill, Matt Cauthen, Don Burns, and Thomas Lee. Jeff Langley had a rough night, when his #5 Websters Racing machine made contact with Rocky Price off turn two. The contact sent Langley upside down into the wall, landing on all four tires. Langley walked away, but not before the car sustained heavy damage. Brandy Baker is the points leader in the Super Street division.

Shawn Mangum returned to Lancaster Speedway driving the Big Show #3 in the Vintage race. He would win followed by Chris Fincher, Jeff Medlin, Ben Helms, and Steve Helms.

Photos of Saturdays racing action can be seen at www.luvracin.com, click on “writers” � then click on “LarrE Ervin” � select Lancaster from 5-9-09 and enjoy!! Thanks to Larrie Ervin for taking these excellent photographs! There was also a crew from Cruise Control TV on hand to film some footage at Lancaster Speedway. This show can be streamed online at www.cruisecontroltv.com.

Racing with all divisions under the lights will resume next Saturday night. The track is located off US Highway 521 and Shiloh-Unity Road. www.lancasterspeedway.net