4/15/2023
Steel Block Bandits
CASHING IN: EMOTIONAL EMORY GETS FIRST BANDIT WIN IN CAGLE MEMORIAL
(SUMTER, S.C.) A totally different climate greeted teams as they made their annual trip to the Midlands of South Carolina as record highs replaced the record lows from their visit in 2022. Round three of the Bad Company was set to commence as 32 Steel Block Bandits Dirt Late Model Challenge teams gathered at the 67 year old Sumter Speedway. The 3rd Annual $5000 to win Billy Cagle Memorial was the setting as a huge crowd gathered just outside the Sumter city limits.
Qualifying was first on the docket as drivers vied for the $200 pole Award from Bryan Sullivan in memory of Ricky Sullivan Jr. Two groups of qualifying with the driver, getting two laps on the clock. Robbie Emory would be fast is in Group A with a lap of 14.724 besting Dustin Mitchell's lap of 14.728. Group B saw Derick Quade turn a 14.699 over Michael Batten’s lap of 14.746. Quade is overall quick time in HGR's Truck & Trailer Sales, Inc. qualifying, gets his first series pole and the $200.
Heat Race action was next that would see four heats that would transfer the top four cars to the A main. The Dirt Freak Racewear heat had Emory and Tyler Bare on the front row for the eight lap affair. Emory looked extremely strong as he towed the field around the 3/8ths oval to get the win. Bare was second, Jeff Parsons third and Brad Lowe was fourth. The Scott Service Company heat had the two defending champions in the front row in Mitchell and Derrick Rankin. Mitchell, who switched back to a Longhorn chassis this week, rolls to an easy win over Rankin, Caleb Fulp and David Duke.
The Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas heat saw Quade get out front early and cruise to the sun over Shaun Harrell, Dale Moore and Matt Glanden. The final heat of the night was powered by VP Racing Fuels. Batten flexed the muscles on his 21 ride and gets the win over Justin Mintz, Cale Green and Clint Hodges.
The two eight lap Last Chance Qualifying races followed the driver’s autograph session which was packed with fans getting a chance to meet the Bandits in person. In the first LCQ, Troutman, North Carolina’s Dan Breuer darted to the win and for the second straight race, he claws his way into the big show the hard way. Second was Michael Marlowe and third was Wayne Bryant, those three drivers moved on. In the second LCQ, Michael Alderman, who had new horses under his hood, gets a big win over Deano Long and Johnny Pridgen. Fairfield, Virginia’s Samuel Bryant gets a provisional and that would fill out the 24 car field.
With a barrage of fireworks illuminating the night sky, the field rolled off for the start of the 40 feature honoring Billy Cagle. Emory and Quade brought the field to green as the fans rose in unison. Several spins (4) slowed the beginning laps of the event as drivers battled for early position. On the fifth restart Quade broke free of Emory on the outside but a massive pileup behind them once again saw the yellow in the air. Dustin Mitchell spun in front of the field after a tap from Tyler Bare as six cars piled in including Derrick Rankin and Harrell, both suffering severe damage. Mitchell goes out side for repairs but returns and starts in the rear.
David Duke sees his night take a bad turn as he was charging through the field only to get caught up in a turn one incident. Dale Moore, one of the Arizona Sport Shirts Rookies, suffers heavy damage as well ending his top ten run. Several drivers had up and down nights including Jeff Parsons who had moved into the top 6 before a push in turn one costs him four spots. Up front Emory and Quade played an epic cat and mouse game on restarts shuffling each other high and low at the chose cone. Emory slips by Quade and take command as Quade begins his tussle with Batten and Bare. Two of the seasoned veterans, Dan Breuer and Johnny Pridgen kept themselves out of the carnage and made their way up through the field bringing Mitchell with them. Batten and Quade continued to battle before the final restart which saw heavy contact between the two costing Batten two spots as Bare slips by as well. Emory survives the final few green flag laps to secure the Delaware native’s first Bandit win. Quade crosses second, Bare third, with Batten and Breuer rounding out the top five.
Tears, sweat and raw emotion were evident as the team gathered on the front stretch. “I’m speechless, this has been such a long time coming, I can’t thank my mom and dad enough for what they do for me and my racing career. You know, we went 10 years of winning a race every year until the last two, it gets you down but dad kept working and at the end of last year we found something, we just needed some luck.” Said a tearful Emory. On all the cautions: “I knew we had the right tire so I wasn’t worried about it going away, I just kept buzzing it under caution so it wouldn’t seal over but man those cautions just kept coming. I can’t thank our partners who have stuck by us and believed in us enough, all those long nights in the shop and searching for speed, dad has hit on a great motor combination too, this is such a relief for all of us!”
———————————————————
BANDIT BITES:
- Jeff Parsons finishes 14th in his first trip to Sumter but after a stint in the top five he has to be pleased. “It was fun, definitely a challenge but it was fun” said Parsons.
- Breuer and Pridgen put on a clinic as the two elder statesmen sliced the through the field as others found themselves in accidents.
- For the second straight race, Dustin Mitchell fights his way from the rear to post a sixth place finish on the top side of Sumter nonetheless. Mitchell was the only car testing the high line besides Duke while everyone else was catfishing the bottom. These two performances by the defending champ could be huge later in the year.
- Tyler Bare who got into Mitchell triggering the multi car crash was apologetic afterwards- “I hate I got into Dustin, I thought he was going to stay down and he drifted up and I was already in the gas. He knows I don’t race that way and I don’t want to wreck a bunch of cars like that.”
- Quade has a good night, with the pole and a podium but comes up short again- “Congratulations to Robbie he deserved that one. I think Michael ( Batten) may be a little mad at me for the contact cause he shoved me down the back, but this place is just so tight”
- Batten wasn’t so understanding following the late Race contact that cost him a podium again at Sumter. “If you want respect, you have to show respect. I was used up, body bracing and interior on the drivers side is destroyed. We’ve all raced clean for 2 years but tonight there was no respect.”
- Matt Glanden is the highest finishing rookie as he post his career best series finish of tenth.
- Derrick Rankin suffers a unusually rough night and has a DNF at nights end and gets the Raphine Transport Hard Luck Award.
- There is going to be some long nights in shops this week as teams repair some mangled cars before heading west to Smoky Mountain for the second race of back to back weekends.
- Robbie Emory
- Derick Quade
- Tyler Bare
- Michael Batten
- Dan Breuer
- Dustin Mitchell
- Johnny Pridgen
- Justin Mintz
- Michael Marlowe
- Matt Glanden (R)
- Brad Lowe (R)
- Michael Alderman
- Wayne Bryant (R)
- Jeff Parsons (R)
- Clint Hodges
- Deano Long
- Jeff King (R)
- Samuel Bryant (R)
- David Duke
- Dale Moore (R)
- Derrick Rankin
- Shaun Harrell
- Kale Green
- Caleb Fulp
———————————————————
UP NEXT: Round 4 of 17
April 22- Smoky Mountain Speedway
3rd Annual Rockin with the Stars Night.
EP / Bandit PR
