RACE REPORTS FOR MARCH 23, 2019

It was as if it had been special ordered by everyone concerned…the weather for Opening Day at the newly renamed and refurbished Veterans Motorplex at the Rim was about as nice as one could expect for late March: sunshine and low to mid 60s temperatures at the start…getting a bit chilly as the night went on, but the on-track action certainly heated things up. It all began with Bryn Wright’s fine rendition of the National Anthem and the presentation of Colors by American Legion Post 45, and then the racing began in earnest, starting with…

LEGENDS
In the Legends qualifying race, Oliver Cordell picked up where he left off last season by leading flag to flag with defending champion Hunter Wright coming up through the field for second, and last year’s first feature winner Bryson Shaffer third.

Legends Qualifying Race Finish
1. Oliver Cordell (17) 10 laps
2. Hunter Wright (29) 10 laps
3. Bryson Shaffer (12) 10 laps
4. Adam Roberson (28) 10 laps
5. Justin Maxwell (20) 10 laps

It was a different story come feature time…and there is no other way to put this: Hunter Wright had this one well in hand. Once he took the lead from Justin Maxwell, he was not seriously challenged. Maxwell held on for second, with Adam Roberson third, Bryson Shaffer in fourth, and Oliver Cordell fifth.

Legends Feature Race Finish
1. Hunter Wright (29) 25 laps
2. Justin Maxwell (20) 25 laps
3. Adam Roberson (28) 25 laps
4. Bryson Shaffer (12) 25 laps
5. Oliver Cordell (17) 25 laps

BABY GRANDS
The Baby Grands qualifier saw Justin Shanes leading flag to flag, shadowed closely by Chris Willis. Mark Cole had a strong run to take third.

Baby Grands Qualifying Race Finish
1. Justin Shanes (24) 10 laps
2. Chris Willis (08) 10 laps
3. Mark Cole (50) 10 laps
4. Joe McCloud (15) 10 laps
5. Jessie Binkley (25) 10 laps

Justin Shanes got the first sweep of 2019, taking the feature win over Chris Willis and Joe McCloud. The three leaders hot lapped through traffic with a few laps to go and things got VERY tight. Shanes slid through the lapped pair of Tim Vinsant and Randy Roper leaving Willis and McCloud to fight it out behind. Mark Cole had another solid run for fourth, and Jessie Binkley took fifth.

Baby Grands Feature Race Finish
1. Justin Shanes (24) 25 laps
2. Chris Willis (08) 25 laps
3. Joe McCloud (15) 25 laps
4. Mark Cole (50) 25 laps
5. Jessie Binkley (25) 25 laps

ROAD WARRIORS
Same as it ever was…three wide racing was the rule in the Road Warriors qualifier, but in the end it was Tony Chambers taking the win over Landin Dickens, with Derrick Bissinger making his return a successful one in third.

Road Warriors Qualifying Race Finish
1. Tony Chambers (43) 10 laps
2. Landin Dickens (73) 10 laps
3. Derrick Bissinger (469) 10 laps
4. Jaclyn Barnett (17) 10 laps
5. Gerald Jackson (19) 10 laps

In the feature…well, let’s just say that Tokyo was in serious jeopardy tonight as the Godzilla #469, wheeled by Derrick Bissinger, took a wild first win of the Road Warriors season over Landin Dickens, Jaclyn Barnett, Tony Chambers, and David Lassiter. It was an exceptional race, paused briefly by Jesse Pedigo’s leaking machine coming to a stop on the front stretch, but it was 2-3 wide racing throughout, with breathless action for a 15 car field. AWESOME!!!

Road Warriors Feature Race Finish
1. Derrick Bissinger (469) 20 laps
2. Landin Dickens (73) 20 laps
3. Jaclyn Barnett (17) 20 laps
4. Tony Chambers (43) 20 laps
5. Mark Cummings (A1) 20 laps

PURE STOCKS
A very healthy field of Pure Stocks took the green for the Pure Stock qualifier, with Josh Hood leading from flag to flag. Donold Webb Jr pursued him throughout in his sharp new #27, and Willie Coats had a good run for third in another very nicely painted machine.

Pure Stock Qualifying Race Finish
1. Josh Hood (08) 10 laps
2. Donold Webb Jr (27) 10 laps
3. Willie Coats (71) 10 laps
4. Carl Porter Sr (68) 10 laps
5. Bubba Turner (14) 10 laps

It had been a pretty clean night of racing up to the Pure Stock feature…then things kinda went south. Mind you, it was still Josh Hood up front–he led from flag to flag–but several spins and wrecks made things very interesting. Carl Porter Sr and Donold Webb Jr had great runs spoiled by flat tires, ditto Ronnie Upchurch who looked for sure to have second or third, and Ricky Bobby Groves had a good run ruined as well, but Bubba Turner made things tight at the end, while Willie Coats recovered from a wreck to place third. Terry Jackson claimed fourth and Jackson McLerran had a solid run in fifth.

Pure Stock Feature Race Finish
1. Josh Hood (08) 30 laps
2. Bubba Turner (14) 30 laps
3. Willie Coats (71) 30 laps
4. Terry Jackson (21) 30 laps
5. Jackson McLerran (7) 30 laps

SPORTSMAN
Tre Ashworth made his return to the Veterans Motorplex bullring a successful one, taking the win in the Sportsman qualifier, with Ricky Sanford moving up to second at the finish and defending champion Tim Gay running third.

Sportsman Qualifying Race Finish
1. Tre Ashworth (8) 10 laps
2. Ricky Sanford (145) 10 laps
3. Tim Gay (1) 10 laps
4. Jonathan Wilhite (71) 10 laps
5. Justin Dubay (81) 10 laps

Come feature time, Ricky Sanford grabbed the lead on lap two and never looked back. Tim Gay had to work hard to hold off Jonathan Wilhite and Tre Ashworth, who were nipping at his heels throughout. Justin Dubay had himself a good run to take home fifth.

Sportsman Feature Race Finish
1. Ricky Sanford (145) 40 laps
2. Tim Gay (1) 40 laps
3. Jonathan Wilhite (71) 40 laps
4. Tre Ashworth (8) 40 laps
5. Juston Dubay (81) 40 laps

TUNERS
It was a wild qualifying race for the Tuners, with Donald Ayers JUST clinging to the top spot, while Justin Martin took the outside route to run second. Daniel Harper was third.

Tuners Qualifying Race Finish
1. Donald Ayers (99) 10 laps
2. Justin Martin (711) 10 laps
3. Daniel Harper (95) 10 laps
4. Chris Brown (25A) 10 laps
5. David Gilliland (21) 10 laps

Come feature time, things did NOT work out like anybody figured. Sure, Chris Brown did lead from flag to flag, but it did look like Justin Martin had something for him…till his throttle cable came off, weirdly at the exact same time that third place Donald Ayres rolled into the pits. That set up a five lap shootout, which Brown handily won, with David Gilliland a happy second and Daniel “The Beard” Harper in third. Martin repaired his issues to take fourth and Steve Akey was fifth.

Tuners Qualifying Race Finish
1. Chris Brown (25A) 30 laps
2. David Gilliland (21) 30 laps
3. Daniel Harper (95) 30 laps
4. Justin Martin (711) 30 laps
5. Steve Akey (9) 30 laps

THIS WEEKEND AT VETERANS MOTORPLEX…TRIPLE 50s! Three HUGE feature races featuring the 2019 debut of the Super Stocks and the ALL-NEW Pest Doctor Ridge Runners, plus THE RUMBLE ON THE RIDGE…50 laps for the wild Pure Stocks! Throw in the Baby Grands and the incredible Road Warriors and you have a terrific night of exciting Family Friendly action that can’t be beat! Gates open at 4:30, first race at 6, at VETERANS MOTORPLEX, where ACTION is the ATTRACTION!