September 30, 2007 3:00 AM
News from Concord Motorsport ParkFor more information contact Larry Thomas at 704-782-4221 or lthomas@concordmotorsportpark.com
Crump Claims Fifth win of 2007, Championship Comes Down to Two Points
Chuck Crump was the winner of the Town & Country Ford late Model Stock Car 75-lap feature Saturday Night at Concord Motorsport Park. Other winners were: Jay Payne in the 40-lap J R D Earthworks Limited Late Model Division, Billy Symanski, Jr. in the 30-lap Coca-Cola Pure Stocks; Tracy Mullis in the 20-lap Fast & Furious Fours and Todd Bradburry in the 25-lap Redneck Racers.
Shane Brafford in the #03 Monte Carlo SS won the Mel’s Ignition Pole Award during the afternoon time trials, but chose to start on the outside of row one, a position that sometimes yields better momentum coming to the line. Chuck Crump had a different idea, and decided to lead all 75 laps of the Late Model contest. The race ran caution-free until lap thirty-six when Terry Brooks, Jr. came to a stop in Turn Two with a vibration he felt was a tire going down.
On the restart the order became Crump in the #8 Gatza Marble - R L Kellam Company 2006 Ford Fusion followed by Jeff Melton in the #6 Jugular Sports Drink Chevy, Kyle Beattie in the #96 A B S Insulation Monte Carlo, Brafford and “Dude” Thomas driving the #26 Town & Country Ford Fusion.
On lap fifty Beattie began looking inside Melton and for several laps the two diced nearly side by side until lap sixty-six when there was contact between the two. Melton slipped, but Beattie showed his true sportsmanship by backing off enough to let Melton catch the car. That move also let Melton get just out of reach for the balance of the circuits. At the finish it was Crump, Melton, Beattie, Brafford and Thomas at the line for the top five. Now, going into October 6th’s last race of the season, Brafford leads Crump by only two points. Next Saturday will be very interesting, indeed!
In the J R D Earthworks Limited Late Models feature Brian Conforth from Cape Coral, Florida made the outside work for his #33 Horizon Home Contractors - Whats Your Sign Chevrolet and took the point in Turn One of lap one, but Jay Payne of Thomasville in the #08 Cheerwine - Walt's Custom Exhaust Monte Carlo moved inside the #33 in Turn Three and lead by the slightest of margins at the line. In short order, Kenneth Cook in the #18 J R J Express Chevy, Bobby Measmer, Jr of Concord in the #14 Hughes Motorsports Chevy, the #23 J R D Earthworks Monte Carlo of Mike Terry and Conforth were all involved in the tight argument for second. By lap fifteen Measmer had pulled away for a solid second. The first caution came out on lap thirty-five for debris, restacking the field with five laps left by moving the lead lap cars to the front. The second and last caution flag waved on lap thirty-eight as the #8 Chevy driven by Chad Allmon and the #57 of John Rary, Sr. made contact on the front straight and the #7 Chevy driven by David Miller slammed hard into the inside wall trying to avoid the others. The two-lap shootout to the finish was close, but with no change in the finishing order.
Payne claimed his sixth win of the season, with Measmer, Terry, Conforth and Cook completing the top five. Bobby Measmer, Jr. leads Mike Terry by thirty-six markers going into Champion’s Night.
In the Coca-Cola Pure Stock 30-lap feature Brian Love of Mt. Pleasant, driver of the #25 Service Master - A.B.S. Insulating - Randy McAnulty Race Cars Monte Carlo drew the inside of the front row and used that to his advantage on the start, leading Billy Symanski, Jr in the #41 Chevy out of Turn One. Symanski was back on the inside in Turn Three of the first lap and was side by side at the line with the #25 ahead by a fender. The two ran side by side through lap four and finally Symanski, in the Shawn O'Connell's Roof Expressions - Fast Lane Auto Recovery Chevy, closed the door on Love coming off Turn One of lap five. After that, the Symanski was dialed in to run up front to the finish. At the checkers, Symanski enjoyed a lead the length of the front straight over Love, Ben Smith in the #44 Chevy, Clinton Baker in the #2 Monte Carlo, with fifth place going to David Miller in the #6 Pure Stocker. Points leader Charles Hutto finished sixth, allowing Ben Smith to close within two points of the leader. Here’s another championship down to two points going into the last race next Saturday. Next week’s season ending Champions Night is going to be incredible!
For the Fast & Furious Fours 20-lap feature Tracy Mullis in the #55 “Enforcer” drew outside front row and jumped into the lead in Turn One. Jake Simpson in the #74 “Albemarle Bulldog” pursued from his fourteenth and next to last place starting spot as the winner of the last race. Simpson was up to fifth place by lap three and second by lap five. After a caution flag bunched the field Simpson lost the right rear wheel and tire as the hub broke going into Turn Two. Jake’s #74 was unceremoniously ushered out on the hook, but he’ll be back next week. Mullis garnered his eighth trophy of the season with Evan Cupples in second, Cody Carelock third, Bradley Kimrey fourth and Eric Kimrey fifth. Mullis has a forty-two point lead over Simpson going into Champion’s Night.
Former Late Model Stock Car Champion Todd Bradburry of Rialto, California claimed the win in the Redneck Racers nightcap. Chris Player of Monroe came in second, Rusty Drye third, Kirby Allen fourth and David Miller fifth.
Next Saturday, October 6, 2007 is the final night of the NASCAR Whelen All American Series and is sponsored by Hank Thomas Performance. Grandstands open at 5:30 PM with the traditional night of racing starting at 7:30. On the schedule are 20-laps for the Fast & Furious Fours, 30-laps for the Coca-Cola Pure Stocks, 40-laps for the J R D Earthworks Limited Late Models, 75-laps for the Town & Country Ford Late Model Stock Cars and yet another 25-lap visit by the Redneck Racers.
RESULTS>>
Concord Motorsport Park is located at 7901 U S Highway 601 South, Concord, NC. For ticket information call 704-782-4221 or look us up on the web at www.concordmotorsportpark.com |
