Date: Tuesday April 6, 2010 9:00 AM
Further Info: Larry Thomas: lthomas@concordspeedway.net  (704) 782 4221
Story by Holli Frazier

Jay Payne claims Wilburn Auto Body Late Model Stock Car win for Town & Country Ford Opening Night 2010 at Concord Speedway.

CONCORD, N.C. – Jay Payne wins the Wilburn Auto Body Late Model division race; Jeff Melton wins the Coca-Cola Pure Stocks division race; Eric Harrington wins the Tim Marburger Honda Fast & Furious Fours division race; and Rusty Drye won both of the twin Thunderstox races Saturday night at Concord Speedway

Jay Payne, the Thomasville native started the race in the fifth position, but ended the night in victory lane.  Kenny Sigmon took the lead on lap one, but Travis McIntire was at his door by lap two.  McIntire went for the lead on lap four and was able to complete the pass on lap five, sending Sigmon back to the fifth position in the shuffle.  Jerry Miracle took the lead on lap eight and pulled away from the field with about a six car-length lead by lap sixteen, but Bobby Measmer, Jr. was back on his bumper by lap twenty-three.  The yellow flag waived on lap thirty for debris in Turn One.  Miracle initially maintained the lead on the restart, but Payne took it away on lap thirty-two.   The second caution flag waived on lap thirty-three when Sigmon spun in Turn Three while running in the fifth position.  Payne held the lead on the restart and was pulling away from the field until the last caution flag of the race waived on lap thirty-seven when Jeff Melton hit the inside wall on the front-straight and had to pull his car behind the wall.  Payne held the point on the restart, pulled away from the field, and took the checkers.

Jeff Melton won the Coca-Cola Pure Stocks race after charging through the field during the thirty lap race.  Jamie Flaquer jumped out to an early lead on lap one, but Barry Reed was on his bumper for the first five laps.  Charles Faassen scraped the wall on lap six after getting loose, but was able to continue without bringing out the caution.  Flaquer, Reed, and Melton ran nose-to-tail for two laps before the three cars went three-wide in Turn Three on lap ten.  Barry Reed took the lead until the first caution of the race waived on lap nineteen when both the #27 and # 92 machines spun, but never made contact in Turn Three.  Pasquerillo got loose in the turn and spun, and Flaquer spun to avoid contact bringing out the caution.  The race restarted on lap nineteen, and Reed jumped out to a five car-length lead over the second place runner.  By lap twenty-four, Melton had caught Reed and shadowed him around the track until the two were side-by-side on lap twenty-six in Turn Three.  Melton finally took the lead from Reed coming out of Turn Two and took the checkers with Reed on his bumper.

Eric Harrington won the first Tim Marburger Honda Fast & Furious Fours race of the season.  The race ended with a Green-White-Checker finish after several extensive caution periods for fluid clean-ups.  Chad Miller led the field to the green, but lost the lead in the first couple of laps to Wayne Harrington.  Wayne Harrington’s car started billowing smoke, forcing the leader off the track and into the pits, allowing Barry Canter to take the lead.  Canter led until Eric Harrington went by on lap five.  The first caution of the race came out on lap ten when Terry Parham’s car went up in a plume of smoke on the front-straight.  Chad Miller took the lead on the restart, but Barry Canter started closing in as the laps ticked away.  Eric Harrington regained the lead until Dean Lancaster and Matthew Grimes tangled in Turn Three.  Both cars were able to continue, but it brought out the second caution of the race.  Tracy Mullis was sent to the pits for a stop-and-go penalty for changing lanes after passing the commitment cone, lining up for the restart in the wrong lane.  Dean Lancaster and Chad Miller were trading paint and pushing fenders until Lancaster got into Miller on the front-straight and Miller retaliated coming out of Turn One.  Both cars were sent to the rear of the field for rough driving.  The race restarted, but not for long, as a big wreck in Turn One brought out the red flag while the track officials cleaned up the debris from the multiple cars that sustained damage in the incident.  Due to time constraints, the race ended under a Green-White-Checker.  Canter was in the lead with Justin Potter on the outside, and Eric Harrington in third.  Canter had a bad restart causing the #8 of Harrington to run into the back of the leader and allowing the Potter to take the lead by Turn Two.  Harrington’s Honda took the lead from the Potter then the Canter passed Potter for second.

The first Thunderstox division race kicked-off the 2010 season at the half-mile.  Drye won the race after battling side-by-side with Allen Kirby for the position for most of the fifteen lap event.  Kirby lead the field to the green, but “The Vigilante” charged through the field.  The only caution of the first race waived on lap four when Randy McAnulty smacked the wall in Turn Three.  When the field took the green, the Drye/Kirby show came to life with side-by-side racing for two laps with multiple lead changes.  Drye took the lead in Turn One after running door- to- door for two laps with the second place finisher, Allen Kirby.

“The Vigilante” also took home the trophy for the second Thunderstox feature.  John Rary initially took the lead in the nightcap event, but Bob Wallace snatched it away just before the line to complete lap one.  Allen Kirby took the lead on lap three.  On lap eight, Kirby and Drye went door-to-door for the lead and Drye squeaked by at the line for the position.   Kirby fell off the pace on lap twelve, allowing Drye to pull away for the win.  Just before the line, Wallace did a slide-job under Matt Drye to claim the second spot

Saturday Results>>.

Friday April 2nd INEX Legends, Bandoleros and Arena Cars Outdoors raced on the quarter-mile.  The winners include:
RPM ProFormance Legends Winners:
Pro- Steven Ross Stanfield, NC #66 Chris Rogers '34 Ford Coupe
Masters- Hoyt Demis Archdale, NC #21 Demis Wallcovering - Racing Electronics Legends car Semi Pro- Jake Morris Fredericksburg, VA #99 Lqinc '39 Ford Coupe
Young Lions- Gray Gaulding Statesville, NC #08 Gunbroker.com - Chase Pistone, Inc. '37 Ford Coupe
Bandoleros:
Outlaws- John Holleman IV Winston-Salem, NC #4 Maaco of Winston-Salem - Sink Tower Bandolero
Bandits- Carson Ferguson Charlotte, NC #00 Indocil Art Bandolero
Arena Cars Outdoors- Josh Turner Concord, NC #17

Friday Results>>

Legends, Bandoleros and Arena cars race again Friday April 9th on the quarter-mile.

Saturday April 10th is Two for One Night for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series on the half-mile TriOval.  Buy one adult ticket for $10, get another free.  Buy one Hot Dog or Corndog, get one free!  Also on the card are twin features for all divisions.  Two 15-laps features for the Fast & Furious Fours, Pure Stocks and Thunderstox, two 25-laps features for the Late Model Stock Cars.

Concord Speedway is located on Highway 601 South of Concord.  For information visit our website at www.concordspeedway.net or call 704-782-4221.

Editor’s note: My sincerest apologies for this news coming to you, in my opinion, two days late.  This was somewhat unavoidable with the influx of memberships and registrations that were received Saturday.  Hopefully, all future releases this season will be on time! Holli was ready, I wasn't.   Larry

Points Standings as of April 3,, 2010:
Wilburn Auto Body Late Model Stock Cars

Coca-Cola Pure Stocks

Tim Marburger Honda Fast & Furious Fours