September 16, 2007, 2:30 AM
News from Concord Motorsport Park
For further information contact Larry Thomas at 704-782-4221 or lthomas@concordmotorsportpark.com.

Chad Mullis Collects Second Win of the ’07 Season

Chad Mullis claimed his second Town & Country Ford Late Model Stock Car win of the 2007 season Saturday night during the Town & Country Ford Night for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series at Concord Motorsport Park.

Other winners were: Mike Terry in the J R D Earthworks Limited Late Models, Billy Symanski, Jr. in the Coca-Cola Pure Stocks, Jake Simpson in the Fast & Furious Fours and Evan Cupples in the Fast & Furious Fours special “non-winners event.

Third time was the charm at the start of the Town & Country Ford Late Model Stock Cars feature.  In the two initial attempts at the start, cars jumped early and it was on the third attempt that the green flag was finally waved.  Shane Brafford in the #03 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS fielded by A R G Motorsports started on the pole after a 16.382 seconds qualifying effort in the afternoon good for 109.879 miles per hour average speed.  Brafford shared the front row with the #6 Jugular Energy Drink 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS with Jeff Malton at the keyboard.  The two ran door-to-door for the first lap with the smallest of advantages going to the Melton mount at the line.

Caution came out on lap 3 as points leader Chuck Crump in the #8 Gatza Marble - R L Kellam Company 2006 Ford Fusion fell off the pace, stopping short of pit road in Turn Two.  Crump retired behind the wall, possibly without a clutch.

Melton and Brafford resumed their duel after dark on the restart with Shaun Mangum in the #25 Lawrence Chevrolet - Mangum's 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS and the #96 ABS Insulating Chevy of Kyle Beattie  joining in the dance.

On lap 17 heavier contact was made between Brafford and Melton and with both trying to stay off each other, Brafford went for the slide of the night, ending up wrong way to at the bottom of Turn One.  The caution flag waved and everyone tried to recover.  Something had happened to Melton’s car and he went behind the wall and the hood came off.

The restart found Shaun Magnum on the point, followed by Beattie, “Dude” Thomas in the #26 Town & Country Ford – Dents USA Fusion and Brooks in fourth.

On lap 28 Mangum suddenly slowed coming off Turn One and brought his Chevy to the pits a lap later as caution was out again.

On the restart, Beattie had the lead, Chad Mullis in The Miracle Dental Center  Monte Carlo was second, followed by Thomas, Brooks and Brafford.  Mangum returned to the fray on lap 40 with Melton trailing but, just two laps later magnum was back on pit road.  Then, on lap 46 the whole complexion of the race changed.  Beattie and Mulllis were sparring for the lead as Melton’s engine erupted in a massive cloud of smoke and pool of oil entering Turn Three.  The caution flag waved yet again for a lengthy cleanup and everyone looked forward to the last laps shootout.  This was going to be one-heck-of-a-finish!

The restart!  Mullis moved to the outside of Measmer going into Turn One and here was Brooks looking inside.  They entered Turn Two THREE WIDE rubbing and bouncing off other through the back straight, still three-wide, through Turn Three, still three-wide and past the line, still three-wide at the end of lap 47 with Mullis getting there a bit before Beattie and Brooks.  Three-wide rubbing, er… racing… does leave a lot of bits and pieces laying about and the caution flag was displayed to pick up the pieces.

The restart on lap 48 was brief as Beattie lost his right front tire shortly after the start and the caution flag was shown to the field again as lap 48 was completed.  Beattie pitted for a tire change and returned for the two-lap shootout.

The green flag came out on the start of lap 49 with Mullis leading, Brooks second, and Brafford third. Lap 49 and 50 completed with Mullis coming home the winner, Brooks, second, Brafford third, Thomas fourth and Toby Parese in the # 11 Chevy of Toby Parese fifth.

“That was a good race” stated Mullis to the fans in attendance.  “That was probably the best race I’ve seen here!  I wasn’t expecting that (three- wide). Kyle and I were having a great race there and probably would have had a photo finish here if we’d stayed green to the end.”

Mike Terry in the #23 J R D Earthworks Chevrolet Monte Carlo pushed into the lead on the outside lane in Turn One of lap 1 and lead to the checkered flag.  Just behind Terry, Brian Conforth in the #33 Horizon Home Contractors - Whats Your Sign Chevy Monte Carlo began pressing The #18 J R J Express Chevy piloted by Kenneth Cook with the #08 Cheerwine - Walt's Custom Exhaust Monte Carlo of Jay Payne just behind.  On lap four Conforth worked by Cook for second.  Bobby Measmer, Jr. in the #14 Hughes Motorsoprts Chevrolet and Payne worked by Cook for third and fourth during the eleventh circuit.  Caution flew on lap 18 as Kenny Sigmon in the #48 took a sideways slide into Turn Three.  On the restart, the field tightened up, but the running order remained the same through the finish.  Terry first, Conforth second, Measmer, Jr, third, Payne in fourth and Cook finishing fifth.

The opening laps of the Coca-Cola Pure Stock race were the best as Ben Smith in the #44 B B U C Chevrolet jumped into the lead in Turn One, but Billy Symanski, Jr. moved inside the #44 Shawn O'Connell's Roof Expressions - Fast Lane Auto Recovery Chevrolet in Turn Three and barely took the lead at the line at the end of the first lap.  Smith jumped to the outside and went around Symanski the long way to lead lap 2. Symanski held the point again after the third circuit with Brian Love of Mt. Pleasant in the #25 Service Master -  A.B.S. Insulating - Randy McAnulty Race Cars Chevrolet running a tight third behind Smith.  Symanski was able to pull out a lead as Love and Smith diced for second.  On lap 14 David Good in the #77 slapped the outside wall hard coming into the front straight, but did not bring out the caution until he completed another round and coasted almost to a stop.  The caution flag flew again on the restart as Buddy Compton’s #17 dumped fluids on track.  Buddy was able to affect repairs and return.  From there to the finish the running order remained the same with Symanski finishing first, Ben Smith second, Brian Love 25 third, Hutto fourth and Clinton Baker fifth

At the start of the Fast & Furious Fours race, Jeremy Whitman in the # 82 “The Convict” went to the lead on the green flag.  On lap 11 Bradley Kimrey drove his #99 under “The Convict” in Turn 3 and into the lead, but Whitman was none to happy about the pass, tagging the #99 car in Turn One, causing both to bounce off the concrete retaining wall.  Whitman and Kimrey were relegated to the rear of the field for their involvement in the incident.  On the restart, Whitman again dumped Kimrey’s car in Turn One, taking Debbie Hickman and the #28 Tony's Pizza Ford out in the same move.  Having seen enough, Race Director Barry Wray sentenced Whitman to the trailer for the rest of the event.  The twenty-minute time limit forced the race to end after fifteen laps with Jake Simpson of Albemarle scoring another victory in his #74 “Albemarle Bulldog”.  Tracy Mullis of Monroe was second in “The Enforcer”, Evan Cupples of Concord third, Eric Kimrey Fourth and Justin Little fifth.

Cupples entered his name in the all-time winner’s list by scoring the victory in the Fast & Furious Fours “Non-Winner’s” special event at the end of the evening. Results>>

Legends and Bandoleros racing from Friday night September 14 was rescheduled to Sunday September 16 due to rain.  Pit gates open at 2:00, rotating practice at 3:10, heat races at 5:00 with features to follow.

RPM Race Cars Legends Divisions winners from Friday September 7th  include: Pro-Jordan Anderson of Columbia, SC.  Semi Pro- Stephen Ross of Stanfield.  Chargers- Travis Payne of Lancaster, SC.  Masters- Clay Hair of Mt. Pleasant. 

Future Stars Academy Bandoleros Divisions winners were: Beginner Bandits- John Holleman of Winston Salem. Bandits- Stephen Bergh, Jr. of Harrisburg.  Young Guns- Ronnie Bassett, Jr. of Winston Salem.  Outlaws- Kendall Sellers of Kannapolis. September 7th Results>>

R PM Race Cars Legends Divisions winners from Saturday September 8th include: Pro- Brandon Temple of Emporia, VA.  Semi Pro- Christian Pahud of Harrisburg.  Chargers- Cody Blackburn of Stanley, NC.  Masters- Clay Hair of Mt. Pleasant.

Future Stars Academy Bandoleros Divisions winners were; Beginner Bandits- John Holleman.  Bandits- Davey Matthews of Douglasville, GA. Young Guns- Ronnie Bassett, Jr.  Outlaws- Nathan Rogers of Oil City, PA. September 8th Results>>

The NASCAR Whelen All American Series returns Saturday September 29, 2007 with Independent Tribune Night.  The traditional night of racing includes a 75-lap Late Model Stock Car feature and a visit from the ever-popular Redneck Racers.

Legends and Bandoleros racing returns to the quarter-mile track Friday September 21st and Saturday September 22nd.  Racing starts at 7:45 each evening.

The Pebble Pushers Custom Car & Truck Show makes it’s Second Annual appearance Saturday September 22nd and Sunday September 23rd on the half-mile TriOval.

Concord Motorsport Park is located at 7940 U. S. Highway 601 South Concord, NC 28075.  For ticket and schedule information, call 704-782-4221 or on the web at www.concordmotorsportpark.com.