October 7, 2007 3:45 AM
News from Concord Motorsport Park
For further information contact Larry Thomas at 704-782-4221 or lthomas@concordmotorsportpark.com

Chuck Crump Wins and Captures Championship

Chuck Crump of Star, NC won the Town & Country Ford Late Model Stock Car feature Saturday night at Concord Motorsport Park and in the process took the Late Model Stock Car Championship as well.  Other winners included Jay Payne of Thomasville, NC in the Limited Late Models; Billy Symanski Jr. of Mint Hill in the Coca-Cola Pure Stocks; Evan Cupples of Concord in The Fast and Furious Fours and Todd Bradburry of Rialto, California, now residing in Concord in the Redneck Racers.

With two championships to be determined by the thinnest of margins, the Late Model Stock Car camp had all the trappings of one fantastic show.  Shane Brafford of Concord, driver of the number 03 Chevrolet fielded by A R G Motorsports had claimed the pole position in the afternoon time trials with Crump, trailing by just two points, sitting on the outside of the front row.  Crump just had to finish in front of Brafford to claim his first track Late Model championship! 

At the drop of the green flag, Crump, in the Gatza Marble - R L Kellam Company 2006 Ford Fusion used the momentum of the outside line to move to the point as Brafford slipped a bit coming off Turn Three.  He would hold this position for all seventy-five caution free laps to claim the win and the championship.

Not that the event was boring, mind you.  Just behind the number 8 Jeff Melton of Concord in the number 6 Jugular Energy Drink Chevy went inside Brafford as well and in short order Shaun Mangum of Monroe in the number 25 Laurence Chevrolet Chevy and Bryan “Dude” Thomas, also of Monroe, in the number 26 Town and Country Ford Fusion began a dice for third that would run side by side through lap 12 before Mangum would settle for third for awhile.  Meanwhile, just I front of that battle Brafford was challenging Melton for second!  All this jousting allowed Crump to pull away to about 10 car-lengths before the report came from his spotter that Crump was having brake problems.  Never-the-less, Crump was determined.  While Mangum moved up to third and Melton attempted to mount a challenge for the lead, Chuck just held on.  At the checkers it was Crump, Melton, Mangum, Thomas, Brafford and Kyle Beattie in the number 96 A B S Insulation Monte Carlo, who had been moving steadily up through the event.

“There’s no brakes on the car!  We’ve fought hard all year, everyone has… Shane… Jeff… Shaun… this is amazing.  It means a lot to be able to compete with theses guys week end and week out, we let one (championship) slip in 2001…  to finally get our name on the board means a lot!”  Chuck was referring to the Champions Board the may be viewed just outside the box office where the fans enter the speedway.

In post-race inspection, Shane Brafford’s engine didn’t quite make the mark, and Shane was disqualified from the event, but, he still managed second place in the points with 1,112 markers to Chuck’s 1160.  Jeff Melton finished third in the points and claimed The Independent Tribune Rookie of the Year award.  Shaun Mangum and “Dude” Thomas finished out the top five in the standings.

The JRD Earthworks Limited Late Models Championship wasn’t as tight as Bobby Measmer, Jr. of Concord enjoyed a thirty-six point lead going into Saturday races.  The top five at the finish were Jay Payne of Thomasville, NC in the number 08 Cheerwine - Walt's Custom Exhaust 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo; Mike Terry of Charlotte in the number 23 J R D Earthworks - Truck Service of Charlotte - Maaco Paint 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo;        Kenny Sigmon of Denver, NC in the number 48Car Quest Grand Prix; Bobby Measmer, Jr of Concordin the number 14 Hughes Motorsoprts Monte Carlo and Kenneth Cook of Concordin the number 18 Chevrolet.  Measmer took the Champion’s and the Rookie of the Year laurels.  Second in standings is Mike Terry; third is Brian Conforth of Cape Coral, Florida in the number 33 Horizon Home Contractors – What’s Your Sign 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo SS.  Fourth in the points was Kenneth Cook and fifth Steve Ackerly of Monroe, driver of the number 66 Independent Technologies Chevrolet

Much drama surrounded the Coca-Cola Pure Stocks as well at Charles Hutto of Monroe held only a two point lead as the cars lined up for the last race of the season.  Hutto was outside front row in the number 1 Iron Horse Motorcycles - Charlotte Sunroofs Chevrolet Monte Carlo, with Ben Smith, who needed to finish one position ahead of Hutto starting inside second row.  Another near-perfect Hollywood script!  The fairy-tale ending never came for Hutto.  On lap 12 ominous sparks began to appear from underneath the number one and the Chevy ground to a halt in Turn Two with suspension problems.  Smith, of Harrisburg, then had the luxury of just completing the event, and he did so by crossing the finish line in third, capturing the Championship and the 2007 Pure Stock Rookie of the Year title in the number 44 B B U C Chevrolet.

Billy Symanski, Jr gathered in his eighth trophy of the season in the number 41 Shawn O'Connell's Roof Expressions - Fast Lane Auto Recovery Chevrolet.  Second went to Chad Allmon of Mt. Pleasant in the number 8 Home Improvement Specialties - C M Allmon Masonry Chevrolet.  Fourth was Clinton Baker of Charleston, Illinois and fifth went to David Miller of Troutman.

In the final standings Hutto claimed second, a dozen points back.  Baker is third, Symanski fourth and Allmon fifth.

In the Fast & Furious Fours feature Evan Cupples in the #14 Wayside Family Restaurants Honda jumped into to lead at the starting flag and never looked back.  Cupples first win at the track came in a special non-winners event on September 15th and his second Saturday night.  Second was Bradley Kimrey of Norwood; third Cody Carelock of Charlotte; fourth Jake Simpson of Albemarle and fifth Roberts Dabbs of Mooresville in his first start.

The Fast & Furious Fours championship was in the hands of Tracy Mullis of Monroe, enjoying a forty-two point lead before Saturday’s contest.  Mullis had a disappointment Saturday as his “Enforcer” Honda dropped out with problems.  The final standings showed Mullis first, Jake Simpson second, Bradley Kimrey third, Cody Carelock fourth and Justin Little of Albemarle fifth.  Carelock captured Rookie of the Year.

“Superman” put in another appearance in Victory Lane Saturday as Todd Bradburry flew to the front of the Redneck Racers feature.  Shaun Mangum in “Big Show” claimed second after a race-long duel with Superman, Jeff Melton in Air Force One finished third, Chris Player in “Big Show II” was fourth and Rusty Drye in “Vigilante” crossed the finish line fifth.

Results>>

Racing returns to “America’s Super Short Track” next on Saturday October 20th as the United Auto Racing Association Southern Touring Asphalt Racing Series visits.  Racing starts at 7:00 with 20 laps Fast and Furious Fours, 25 laps Redneck Racers and 150-laps U A R A Stars Late Model racing.  More information on this event is available at www.uara-stars.com.

Concord Motorsport Park is located at 7940 U. S. Highway South Concord, NC 28025.  For more information log on to www.concordmotorsportpark.com or call 704-782-4221.