7/4/2012
County Line Raceway
June 30 Race Recap
With excessive heat blanketing the region, fans and drivers filed into County Line Raceway for a hot night of racing action. With the return of the ARDC Midgets, the Nashville Feed SS4, Rapid Red Racing Supply Thunder & Lightening, PL Woodard Pure Stock V8 & Barnes Equipment Late Models, the racing was sure to be as hot as the temperature. Also on hand for tonight, Down & Dirty magazine. Down & Dirty magazine is locally owned and operated and caters to "Racing With A Home Town Flavor". Dedicated to local drivers and tracks, Down & Dirty magazine can be purchased at several area locations. Pick up the latest issue today with County Line's own Barnes Equipment Late Model Driver Ronnie Boykin on the cover.
Up first, our Nashville Feed Super Stock 4 division with Just Baier & Glenn Bottoms on the front row. Baier would jump out in front of Bottoms as they exited turn 2, as Winstead fought to get around Bottoms for 2nd spot. Making it 3 wide, Dakota Whitley would thread the needle between Brad Hamm and James Manning to take over the 3rd spot, and after a few laps would get around Winstead for 2nd with his sites set on Baier. Hamm would get around Bottoms for 4th spot bringing points leader John Proctor with him. As the leader caught the tail end of the field, Brad Hamm made a move on Winstead for the 3rd spot bringing Proctor with him to take over 4th as Winstead slipped back to 5th spot. The first caution of the night would come out for the 61 of Eric Hill who slowed in turn 4. Back green with Baier out front, followed by Dakota Whitley, Brad Hamm, John Proctor & Bill Winstead. Baier would lose the lead to Dakota Whitley as they came out of turn 2 followed by Hamm, Proctor, Baier & Winstead. Coming to the checkered flag, the 16 of Zach Bunn would slow in turn 4 as Hamm slid under Whitley taking over the lead as Whitley slid up the track. Brad Hamm would bring home his first win in the Nashville Feed Super Stock 4 division of 2012. He was followed by John Proctor, Dakota Whitley, Justin Baier and Dustin O'Neal.
Out next, the very exciting ARDC Midgets. Theses 16 guys would be ready to go 3 wide side by side as soon as the green flag dropped! With the front row of Nick Wean and Drew Heistand, at the drop of the green these guys would GO! Wean would lead the first lap as the rest of the field jockeyed for position. The first red flag of the night would come out for the 26 of Andy Cardinale and the 13 of Brian Gilmore got together on the backstretch with Gilmore flipping over a couple of times before landing on his side. Back green with Nick Wean still out front. The second caution would come out for Andy Cardinale as he slowed on the front stretch. Back green, Wean still out front. The third caution would come out a few laps later when Bruce Buckwalter took a tumble going into turn 1, flipping several times. Unsure of the condition of the driver, the ambulance was dispatched quickly to check on Buckwalter. With a green white checkers finish, it would be Nick Wean bringing home the win followed by Drew Heistand & Alex Bright.
The third feature event for the night, the PL Woodard Pure Stock V8 division lined up with Ronnie Owens on the pole and Gary Whitley starting 2nd. After a caution on lap 1 for a spin on the backstretch, we were back green, only to be slowed again by a caution. No laps complete at this point, so we go to a single file start. Ronnie Owens leads Roy Hall, Jerry Williams, Tony Harrell & Bryce Pearson. With 3 complete, the caution would come out again for a car in the wall in turn 4. Back green with Owens still out front of Hall, Williams, Harrell and Pearson. Williams starts looking under Hall for the 2nd spot, can't make th pass. Will try again unsuccessfully as the caution came out for a single car spin in turn 4. Green again, Owens out front, Williams trying hard to get under Hall, makes contact sending Hall spinning in turn 2. Both would continue, only to be slowed for a debris caution in turn 4. Ronnie Owens would lead the remaining laps bringing home his first win of the 2012 season in the PL Woodard V8 division. Owens was followed by Tony Harrell, Phillip Lamm, Spencer Whitley & Jerry Williams.
The always exciting Rapid Red Racing Supply Thunder & Lightning division would see Pat Ferrell & Johnny Edmondson on the front row. The caution would fly as the leaders exited turn 2 when Toby Hoyle & Michael Batten spun in turn 1. Back green with a complete restart would see Luke Owens take the lead from Ferrell followed by Edmondson for 2nd. Scott Baines would also get around to take over 3rd place. Ferrell would get squirrelly out of turn 4 setting off a chain reaction of events. Mark McDaniels would get into the rear of Ferrell who spun to the left catching the P50 of Lane Proctor. As the 3 darted and spun along the front stretch, several cars bunched up together, sheet metal flying and crunching underneath the force of the impact. Luckily of the many cars involved, Mark McDaniels, Mark Boykin, Michael Batten and Pat Ferrell to name a few, would be able to continue, although with lots of damage. Back green after a lengthy red flag with Luke Owens out front. A couple more quick cautions slowed the field but, Owens continued to lead Johnny Edmondson, Ricky Dickens, Scott Baines & Michael Batten. Batten moved up several positions after starting in the rear of the field after winning 3 in a row. Batten would go to work on Baines for 4th spot and take it. Coming out of turn 4, Baines would spin bringing out the caution. Batten would challenge Dickens for 3rd and Dickens would make contact with the outside retaining wall, sustaining enough damage for him to slow out of turn 3 bringing out the caution. Due to time restraints, the laps would be cut for this feature. Coming to a green, white, checkers Owens continued to lead Edmondson, Batten, Lamm and McDaniels. Luke Owens would bring home the win followed by Michael Batten, who got around Johnny Edmondson on the backstretch, Michael Lamm and Mark McDaniels.
Our final event of the night, the Barnes Equipment Late Models lined up for their 30 lap feature with Dustin Mitchell & Cy Nelms Sr on the front row. Coming to the green flag, the C9 of Christian Joyner would lose power it appeared, causing the field to dart around him, as the leaders powered down into turn 1. Mitchell & Nelms were side by side as Mitchell slipped up into Nelms, causing Nelms to spin in the racing groove. Several cars would get around Nelms except Bobby Bottoms. Bottoms would slam into Nelms so hard, all 4 tires would come off the ground. After later investigation, made known that Joyner's drive shaft came out, ending his night before it completely started.it was After a quick clean up by track staff, Russell Erwin would lead the field to green. By lap 6, Erwin was lapping the tail of the field when the caution came out. Back green, Erwin, Trevor Peoples, Britches Liles, Dustin Mitchell & Justin Pinno rounded out the top 5. The caution would come out again as Bobby Bottoms spun in 2, then again rather quickly for debris. Back green, Erwin leading Peoples, Mitchell, Liles & Nelms. Mitchell peaked under the 47 going into 3, finally getting underneath him in the corner. Mitchell began his march to catch the leader Erwin. Coming to the half way mark, Erwin had about a 5-6 car length lead over 2nd place Mitchell, but as the laps started to wind down, Mitchell started to close in on the leader as they started catching lap traffic. The caution would come out again, slowing the field, as Randy Lucas suffered from a flat tire. Back green with Erwin and Mitchell battling it out for the top spot. Britches Liles would get around Trevor Peoples for 3rd spot, as Nelms tried to get by for 4th. As the checkers flew, Russell Erwin would bring home his 5th win of the season. Erwin was followed by Dustin Mitchell, Britches Liles, Trevor Peoples & Cy Nelms Sr. Due to a protest called by the 2nd place finisher that was refused by the Erwin racing team, Mitchell was declared the winner.
Join us back at County Line Raceway in 2 weeks, as we enjoy a weekend off to celebrate our nation's holiday, July 4th. Wherever you may go, please stay safe and be ready to come back on July 14th when we'll have our Rapid Red Racing Supply Thunder & Lightning Special (20 laps - $1000 to win). Also on tap for July 14th, the ARCO Restoration Pure Stock Four Cylinder, Nashville Feed Super Stock Four Cylinder & Barnes Equipment Late Model. As always, if you have any questions, please check the website at www.countylineracewaync.com/ or call the track office at 252-985-1949. Thanks for your support and we'll see you at The Line!
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