FROM ZERO TO HERO

The Motor Mile Speedway season opener an exciting two day event

JW Martin

Signs of spring are everywhere. As the drab days of winter are replaced by the longer days and warmer temperatures it signifies, sights and sounds of this wonderful season are plentiful. Flowers begin to bloom and the delightful chirps of birds are only muted by the soothing thunder of 400 horsepower engines. Racers have returned to Motor Mile Speedway-it’s racing season again.

What began as an afternoon of racing turned into a weekend short track spectacular. After a fourteen-plus car debacle on the front stretch in the Limited Sportsman division and a record-breaking start to the season in the Street Stock class, the weekend festivities came to a climax on Sunday in the Late Model Stock Car division. Cleveland, NC, native Davin Scites never led a lap in the season opener until the checkers fell over the driver of the number 06 Chevrolet.

LMSC

The CMC Supply/Shelor Motor Mile 150 was Philip Morris’ race to win…and lose.

What took two days to begin took two laps to decide in a fiercely contested bout between a pair of veterans whose dash for the checkers in the season opener notably resembled the season finale last fall.

The first Price’s Body Shop Pole Award of the season went to the defending track champion Philip Morris, who led a field of 29 Late Model Stock cars to the green flag under threatening skies. The weather had forced postponement of the division’s season opener back a day, but the only forecast available shortly after 1 p.m. on Sunday called for nothing but racing excitement.

Only a pair of cautions slowed the action in the first 100 laps. The first of which came on lap 6, involving the number 11 of Adam Barker and Chad Harris’ LBDT sponsored Chevrolet. It was the only caution of the two to have serious implications; both drivers were forced to retire early from competition after tangling down the backstretch and colliding with the inside retaining wall.

Only a few positions changed hands before the latter of the two cautions waved for Andrew Thomas’ number 69 automobile on lap 38, but when racing resumed on lap 45, the action had begun to heat up.

Forrest Reynolds and Mike Looney, both of whom had started outside the top ten, had made their way up to the 7^th and 10^th positions respectively, and were beginning to put pressure on a few of the front runners.

As the back half of the top ten continued to change hands, up front Philip Morris had begun to distance himself from the field. Davin Scites’ 06 –replete with brand-new sponsorship from Champion spark plugs- had driven from his fifth place starting spot to second by the time the field completed lap 75.

But the half-a-straightaway lead Morris had built on Scites quickly diminished as the Clarence’s Steakhouse Chevrolet began to encounter heavy lapped traffic.

By lap 123 the blistering pace set by the pair of leaders had put several high profile drivers in danger of falling off the lead lap, including Tommy Lemons Jr. Running in the eighth position, Lemons had succumbed to the faster foes, falling off the lead lap only briefly; he was the recipient of the lucky dog when the final- and most significant- caution of the day came out on lap 138.

93 laps of green flag racing came to a sudden end as the number 91 of Shane Bradford came to a rest on the front straightway. The lengthy green flag run had caused attrition among the ranks, and had been the downfall of several teams, including Curtis Truex Jr.’s number 08 and Kevin Wood’s number 20.

More significantly, however, the caution signaled a rebirth of Scites and the number 06 team. And with last season’s finale still in the minds of drivers and fans alike, the six lap shootout between Philip Morris and Davin Scites had begun.

The green flag on the lap 143 restart was the fuse to the cannon that shot Davin Scites to the inside of Morris in turn one. Scites’ Chevy was not as strong as Morris through the corners, but driver number 06 compensated for this disparity by leaning against Morris’ driver’s side door through the turns.

It was all about muscle in those waning laps. Side by side Morris tried to keep Scites pinned down to the apron as Scites pushed against Morris, muscling the number 26 up the banking in the turns. There was no give, and - until the final circuit- no take, as the duo locked fenders around the entire track.

No quarter was given to either driver, and as the white flag fell into the air, it was now anybody’s race to win. But coming off turn four, after leading every lap of the contest, Morris faltered, pushing up the track with help from Scites. The daylight at the bottom side of the turn had put the third place machine- wheeled by Jason Mitcham- in the fray, and as the three veterans made the final sprint to the line, Scites was the first across the stripe.

Morris was relegated to second, and Mitcham, tickled pink at the action displayed ahead him, came home a solid third.

“It looked like good racin’ to me,” Mitcham said with a grin. “It’d been more fun if it’d been me for the lead, but I thought we had a shot at it.”

An unhappy Philip Morris had a different take on the two lap showdown, however.

“Rick Murdock was trying to take me out for the last six laps. Runnin’ in the side of me down the straightaway and in the corners- I guess he just wants to have some of it back,” an agitated Morris stated. “The fans are in for a big treat this year.”

With the left side contingencies completely rubbed away and the number barely visible from the tire marks, the Cleveland, NC native leaned against his black Chevrolet the victor.

“I may have got into him goin’ into the first turn, but after that, when he started hittin’ me, it was on. I hated to race like that, but that’s racin’, you know what I mean?” Scites explained.

Rounding out the top five was Kelly Kingery and Mike Looney, who had rallied from his seventeenth place starting spot to claim fifth. It was an exceptional day for team number 47; the Limited Sportsman driver’s climb into the ranks of LMSC competition had reaped fantastic results.

“This is way more than we expected, you know, basically that’s a Limited Sportsman car,” Looney explained. “We’ve got the money to run five more races; if anybody could give 100 bucks a week that would help. But this was a great day; it feels like a win for us.”

LMSC Top Ten qualifiers- 1. Philip Morris 2. Jason Mitcham 3. Kelly Kingery 4. Wade Day 5. Davin Scites 6. Matt Dibennedto 7. Adam Barker 8. Keven Wood 9. Chad Harris 10. Tommy Lemons, Jr.

LMSC Final Standings - 1. Davin Scites #06 ( Davidson , NC ) 2. Philip Morris #26 ( Ruckersville , Va. ) 3. Jason Mitcham #24 ( Christiansburg , Va. ) 4. Kelly Kingery #4 ( Wirtz , Va. ) 5. Mike Looney #47 (Catawba, Va. ) 6. Forrest Reynolds #04 ( New Castle , Va. ) 7. Tommy Lemons, Jr. #27 ( Troy , NC ) 8. Brandon Dean #99 (Lancaster, SC) 9. Wade Day #74 (Elizabethton, TN) 10. Rusty Skewes #41 ( Bluefield , Va. ) 11. Lee Tissot #51 (Arden, NC) 12. Owen Kelley #73 13. Michael Cherry #34 ( Sanford , FL ) 14. Lynn Phoenix #14 ( Shawsville , Va. ) 15. Jamie Byrd #15 (Dublin,Va.) 16. Jason Merriman #30 (Dublin,Va.) 17. Matt Dibennedto #44 18. Amanda McDermott #13 ( Kannapolis , NC ) 19. Zeke Shell #97 (Limestone, TN) 20. Shane Bradford #91 (Concord, NC) 21. Dude Gibbs #54 (Seaford, Va.) 22. Robert Tyler #88 (Greensboro, NC) 23. Dewayne Howard #37 ( Blacksburg , Va. ) 24. Tink Reedy #17 ( Roanoke , Va. ) 25. Curtis Truex, Jr. #08 ( Mayetta , NJ ) 26. Andrew Thomas #69 (Monroe, NC) 27. Keven Wood #20 ( Huntersville , NC ) 28. Adam Barker #11 29. Chad Harris #3 (Stuarts Draft, Va.)

MOD-4

The new season began with a classic game of follow-the-leader in the MOD-4 division, as Kevin Kenley’s number 29 led all 30 laps of the night’s contest in route to victory lane.

Jeff Montgomery sat on pole with a time of 18.116, and led a field of fourteen competitors to the green flag shortly after 5:00 p.m., simultaneously ushering in the new season of racing at Motor Mile Speedway.

Montgomery’s lead slipped quickly from his grasp, however. Kenley had gotten a great jump on the pole sitter’s number 25, and as the leaders roared through turns one and two, Kenley had slid to the bottom side of the track, assuming the lead.

But the green flag had birthed a battle for third between Rocky Yate’s number 3 and defending champion Dennis Holdren; an engagement that lasted throughout the race, ultimately costing the pair of veterans a chance at the trophy.

As the leaders continued to distance themselves from the contention for third, havoc enclosed the rest of the field off turn two on lap 6. The first caution of the 2008 season waved for Kimberly McCreary, who arguably took the worst impact of the night throughout all divisions. Trouble between Aaron Markham’s number 40 and McCreary’s number 42 climaxed as the pair came off turn two, with McCreary’s car careening up the track, sustaining a hard drivers-side hit with the outside retaining wall. Vernon Landreth was also collected, but it was McCreary who received the worst of the lap 6 crash. It took two wreckers to retrieve the number 42 from the turn two fence, warranting a lengthy red flag period.

Racing resumed for two laps before the number 02 of Tim Brumfield and Landreth tangled in one and two, sending Landreth’s number 37 skating up the banking and pan-caking the outside wall. Landreth was able to continue, but the accident brought the field under the second caution of the day.

The two car mix-up proved to be the final yellow of the contest, and the field came to the green on lap 9 with Kenley’s number 29 holding serve.

By lap 11 the hard fought bout for third had ended. After washing high through turn four, Yates had given Holdren all the daylight he needed to execute the pass, and as the pair made their way into turn one, the battle for bronze had drawn to a close, and Holdren began to set his sights on Montgomery’s number 25.

Holdren, with Yates in hot pursuit, completed the pass on the number 25 on lap 20, and one lap later Yates had driven past Montgomery on the outside. But as the laps dwindled down and the margin between first and second grew, time had expired.

Holdren and Yates would have to settle for first and second runner up.

“I tried to get Dennis to stay behind me until we got by the number 25, but he got too good a car, he wouldn’t wait on me,” Yates said.

“I can’t ask for a better racecar,” Holdren said. “Second place…I’m grateful for second place.”

Taking the checkers on opening night meant a lot for Kenley, as driver number 29 now sits atop the MOD-4 point standings.

“This means a lot, I love it. It’s been a long time since we’ve been to victory lane, and I’m glad to be back.”

Jeff Montgomery and Brian Reedy would round out the top five on opening night.

Mod 4 Top Ten Qualifiers – 1. Jeff Montgomery 2. Kevin Kenley 3. Rocky Yates 4. Dennis Holdren 5. Aaron Markham 6. Kimberly McCreary 7. Nick Cole 8. Bryan Reedy 9. Lee Bradley 10. Vernon Landreth

Mod 4 Final Standings- 1. Kevin Kenley #29 (Christiansburg, Va.) 2. Dennis Holdren #2 ( Roanoke , Va. ) 3. Rocky Yates #3 ( Abingdon , Va. ) 4. Jeff Montgomery #25 ( Blacksburg , Va. ) 5. Bryan Reedy #17 (Ashburn, Va.) 6. Lee Bradley #62 (Roanoke, Va.) 7. Ritchie Radar #99 (Blue Ridge, Va.) 8. Tim Bromfield #02 (Roanoke, Va.) 9. Nick Cole #63 ( Bristol , TN ) 10. Wayne Corprew #77 ( Roanoke , Va. ) 11. Vernon Landreth #37 (Barren Springs, Va.) 12. Aaron Markham #40 (Cloverdale, Va) 13. Kimberly McCreary #42 ( Lowgap , NC )

LIMITED SPORTSMAN

With Derrick Lancaster and Mike Looney absent from Saturday’s starting grid, one might be inclined to think there would be nothing worthy of a headline…well Parrish the thought.

Roger Parrish Jr. grabbed the first Lightin’ Lube/Pennzoil Pole Award of the season in the Limited Sportsman division, and led the field rag-to-rag, dominating opening day and simultaneously taking the early lead in the point standings.

“This feels great, we’re off to a good start, and hopefully we can go for a championship this year,” Parrish said with a smile in victory lane.

But smiles were scarce behind Parrish’s winning Chevrolet Saturday night as a multitude of racers obtained damage in at least one of several wrecks marring the 50 lap feature.

Whether it was first-race jitters, rusty skills, or just the abnormal size of the field -26 took the green flag- it was a caution-filled night for the drivers of the Limited Sportsman division. In just the first ten laps three cautions slowed the field to a crawl, and the latter of the three, coming on lap 8, warranted the red flag.

That particular crash was a spectacle to behold. Coming to the restart after clean-up had been completed for a two car incident in turn four; someone among the top three missed a shift. Although at first glance it appeared to Jeff Woodward’s number 94, no spectator could have been for sure. What was certain was the aftermath that followed. The front of the field scattered as Woodward coasted the FM-94 Chevy Monte Carlo to the inside of the front straightaway, and as drivers began to hit the brakes, the field began to stack up, ushering in a wave of mayhem and destruction.

In all some 14 cars had become involved by the time the smoke cleared over the gaggle of ruined racecars stopped just before the start/finish line. Sparks flew beneath the cars able to limp away from the crash site, but those less fortunate would need the assistance of a wrecker. Those involved included Danielle McDermont, Dean Sutphin, and Anthony Barnes. Terry Lawson had lost the whole front clip of his Pontiac, and the number 03 of Dan Martin had extensive damage to his automobile after crawling over a competitor’s hood with the right front tire.

Although the wreck had been catastrophic to watch, the complications rendered by the unlucky majority of racers were not profound enough to warrant a DNF. Most managed to continue.

Four more yellows for multi-car scuffles would keep the action tight until the restart on lap 26 gave way to a green flag finish.

Jeff Woodward had continued to challenge Parrish throughout the evening. The short runs appeared to favor Woodward’s number 94, and it appeared as though his Chevrolet rolled through the center of the corners better than the leader’s. Woodward had continued to increase the heat on Parrish for the lead, but by lap 30 Woodward could no longer look ahead for the machine filling up his rear-view mirror.

Tracy Moore had methodically worked around the third place automobile of Matt Taylor, and on lap 33 Moore’s number 11 had executed the pass on the second place machine of Woodward. Subsequently Woodward began to fade, finishing sixth at the checkers.

But the effort spent on the campaign for second had cost Moore valuable time on the leader. Parrish had checked out; by lap 47 Parrish had worked past lapped traffic and had built a full straightaway lead on driver number 11.

A lead that proved to be insurmountable.

But the brand-new Chevrolet sat just outside victory lane with a cautiously confident Tracy Moore speaking its praises.

“I had to earn second place tonight, and sometimes you have to crawl before you can run, and we did that tonight,” Moore stated. “We hope to get to victory lane one of these days, and we’re gonna push and push and push until we hopefully do.”

Judging by Moore’s performance, Parrish will not be at a loss for competition for that track championship this season, as the symbolic reigns have been passed from Lancaster and Looney to Parrish and Moore.

Limited Sportsman Top Ten Qualifiers- 1. Roger Parrish, Jr 2. Jeff Woodward 3. Matt Taylor 4. Tracy Moore 5. Daryn Cockram 6. Dusty Mullins 7. Aaron DePlazes 8. Cory Donley 9. Dean Sutphin 10. John Griffin

Limited Sportsman Final Standings – 1. Roger Parrish, Jr. #07 ( Vinton , Va. ) 2. Tracy Moore #11 (Dugspur, Va.) 3. Matt Taylor #92 (Elliston, Va.) 4. Daryn Cockram #1 (Blacksburg, Va) 5. Caleb Holman #63 ( Abingdon , Va. ) 6. Jeff Woodward #94 ( Cedar Bluff, Va. ) 7. Aaron DePlazes #02 8. Dean Sutphin #12 (Floyd, Va.) 9. Cory Donley #51 ( Winston-Salem , NC ) 10. Anthony Barnes #9 (Draper, Va.) 11. Randy Dunnigan #3 ( Dublin , Va. ) 12. Tony Rogers #88 13. Adam Long #20 (Cedar Bluff, Va.) 14. Craig Stallard #34 (Jenkins, Ky) 15. Danielle McDermott #14 ( Broadrun , Va ) 16. Dan Martin #03 (Roanoke, Va.) 17. Mike Dailey #24 (Radford, Va.) 18. Philip Sisson #33 ( Shawsville , Va. ) 19. Jerry Godbey #00 ( Blacksburg , Va. ) 20. Tim Taylor #38 (Fries, Va.) 21. Allen Sumner #42 (Bluff City, TN) 22. Matthew Gusler #05 ( Newport , Va. ) 23. Dusty Mullins #18 (Grundy, Va.) 24. Terry Lawson #23 ( Christiansburg , Va. ) 25. Lindsey Holman #75 ( Abingdon , Va. ) 26. John Griffin #5 (Fincastle, Va.)

STREET STOCK

As attrition took its toll on the Street Stock field Saturday night, only the Doctor was insusceptible to the disease that had stricken her competitors.

Dr. Sheryl Carls won the first Street Stock event of her career Saturday night, becoming the first female driver to win a point’s paying race at the Motor Mile Speedway in the process.

Eric Long would lead the dozen car field to the start, but no sooner than the green flag waved the yellow flag was in the air for a series of accidents on lap one. Doug Hubert brought out the yellow after spinning through turns three and four, and as Hubert’s car coasted to the apron of the speedway, he narrowly missed Gary Davis, who was in the process of wheeling his number 71 automobile behind the wall.

As the accident in turn four progressed, Mike Marion’s number 04 began to bellow smoke from the rear of his Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

It would prove to be a short day for both Marion and Davis; both drivers were forced to retire from competition on lap one from motor complications.

Engine issues would also claim the leader on lap 14. Racing into turn one, Eric Long, who had paced the field since the restart on lap 2, dropped to the apron, making the lonely left turn into the backstretch pits. Long’s misfortune had been a gift to the second place driver; the problem was determining who would take it.

Doug Moore and Brent Bell had been dueling it out throughout the majority of the green flag run, and when Long’s number 41 ducked down to the apron, the duo’s fight for runner-up had become a fight for first.

The campaign wore on for another two laps before Moore became the clear front-runner in turn two. But on lap 17, the leader would again become a victim of circumstance.

As Doug Moore’s number 12 had began to work through lapped traffic, he came to the rear of a moving road block in the form of Doug Hubert’s number 6. And as the leader entered turn one, aggressiveness would get the better of Moore as the pair tangled, sending both drivers spinning widely up the banking. With nowhere to go, Bell’s strong showing ended instantly as the number 92 connected with the left rear quarter panel of Moore’s number 12, radiator-first.

“It was my fault,” Doug Moore said. “I went to dive under him, and he cut down-it really wasn’t his fault, I should have been a little more patient.”

The turn one accident on lap 20 claiming both the leaders would eventually spell the end of Doug Moore’s chances Saturday night. Moore would mount a pair of charges to the front; all fleeting attempts, however, as with only eight laps to go, sprinkles began to fall over Motor Mile Speedway.

With all the attrition enveloping the field around her, Dr. Carls had found herself the benefactor of the lead after the turn one fiasco. She led the field to the restart, and would only have to complete two circuits before Mother Nature came to her aid.

As the rain became slightly heavier, Dr. Carls stood in the garage with optimism in her voice.

“The car’s running great, and I’m happy where I’m at.”

Asked whether or not she could hold off the field when racing resumed, Dr. Carls answer was sarcastically concise.

“Oh yeah, absolutely.”

The engines would not re-fire that evening, however, and amidst the downpour, the loudspeaker announced the verdict. Dr. Sheryl Carls had achieved an historic victory.

“This is just huge. To win the season opener is fantastic. To come out here with a car that handled as well as it did, and then win – I wish it hadn’t rained, but I’ll take the win… the big guys get to win that way too don’t they?” Dr. Carls said with a laugh.

Street Stocks Top Ten Qualifiers- 1. Eric Long 2. Garry Davis 3. Brent Bell 4. Doug Moore 5. Sheryl Carls 6. Barry Gregory 7. David Kopp 8. Doug Hubert 9. Mike Marion 10. Larry Bowman

Street Stocks Final Standings- 1. Sheryl Carls #0 (Lexington, Va.) 2. Doug Hubert #6 (Salem,Va. ) 3. Doug Moore #12 (Dugspur, Va.) 4. David Kopp #22 (Hillsville, Va.) 5. Larry Bowman #15 (Christiansburg, Va.) 6. Taylor Ransom #27 (Roanoke, Va.) 7. Barry Gregory #9 ( Pulaski , Va. ) 8. Brent Bell #92 (Galax, Va.) 9. Eric Long #41 (Roanoke, Va.) 10. Larry Smith #31 (Newbern, Va.) 11. Mike Marion #04 (Fairlawn, Va.) 12. Garry Davis #71 Radford, Va