“Ty Norder Wins Modified Mafia Feature”
“Jeremy Pilkerton Wins Limited Late Model Feature”
By Brent Hottle
Winchester(VA)-With a string of big events the past few weeks, this week would be no different as the Modified Mafia Tour would invade the Shenandoah Valley for their final visit this season. The limited late model, pure stock, and hobby stock divisions would also be on hand to do battle this evening. During the modified time trials we would see Cole Hilton get upside down in turns one and two. Thankfully his Elite Chassis would do its job and allow Cole Hilton to be able to get out under his own power. He would be checked out and was okay. We would wrap up the qualifying events with a climb to the pole event for the modifieds. This event is where the top six qualifiers from time trials will race two at a time starting with the fifth and sixth positions. The winner of each match up attempts to win each race as he “climbs to the pole”. Ty Norder would battle his way up to the final match and win to earn himself the pole starting position for the thirty lap main event.
We would next pause shortly to allow promoter Greg Gunter to perform a little track maintenance before the feature events. Once this maintenance was complete we would hold our weekly Invocation and playing of our National Anthem. It would now be time for the feature events.
First to pull out onto the speedway would be the pure stock division. It would take three attempts to get the race started. The first attempt would be called after Trent Holmes went for a spin in turn two. The second attempt would be called after heartbreak would ensue for outside pole sitter Kevin Koontz, as he would smoke and drop fluid in turn one and come to a stop at the top of turn two. The third attempt would be a success. Walter Crouch would lead lap one over Jerry Jenkins Jr and Chris Sumption. Crouch would begin to pull away from the field, he would build a full straight away lead by the end of lap ten. As he was pulling away, we would see Sumption searching high and low to find the momentum to move around Jenkins for the second position. The caution flag would fly on lap thirteen as Delmar Grady would slow to a stop at the top of turn one. This would set up a two lap shootout. Walter Crouch would go on to win the feature event. Jerry Jenkins Jr and Chris Sumption would round out the top three. We would learn in victory lane that Walter Crouch was not only able to lead every lap and take the feature win, but he did this with a car that had a brake failure during the event.
It was now time for the thirty lap Modified Mafia feature event. Ty Norder would lead lap one over Chris Arnold and Mitch Thomas. The caution would quickly come out as Cody Williams would spin in turn four. Tj DeHaven and Ray Kable would also get caught up in this incident, with DeHaven’s car settling on the front and rear of Williams and Kable’s cars. Stephen Pedulla would spin in turn two during the restart attempt. Norder would lead lap two over Arnold and Thomas. Norder would start to pull away slightly as Aronold and Thomas battled side by side for the second position. Thomas would take over the second position by the end of lap five. The
caution flag would once again fly, this time for Mike Franklin who had slowed to a stop at the top of turn four. Norder would continue to lead after the lap six restart. Debris on the back straightaway would bring out the caution once again on lap eight. We would go back to green for one lap, as Ryan Dolan would spin in turn four to bring out the caution. Heartbreak would ensue for Thomas during the restart attempt. As he would charge hard to the low side of Norder for the lead as they raced into turn one, he would spin in the middle of the corner and bring the caution back out. Norder would continue to lead as now Arnold would find himself in a battle with Michael Altobelli for the second position. Altobelli would take over the second position on lap twelve. He would now begin to use the top side, as he attempted to find the momentum needed to pass Norder for the lead. The field would see a final caution on lap twenty-two as Owen Lacey would spin in turn two. Norder would continue to lead the field as Altobelli continued to try and find a way to battle for the lead. Ty Norder would go on to take the feature win. Michael Altobelli and Chris Arnold would round out the top three. Mitch Thomas would make a hard charge back through the field after his spin to finish in the fourth position.
The limited late model division would pull onto the speedway next. Veteran Gearld Davis would lead lap one just before Dylan Rutherford and Calvin Michael would bring out the caution by spinning in turn four. Next we would see a high speed game of cat and mouse as Davis would speed around the outside lane. Jeremy Pilkerton would stay glued to the rear of Davis and attempt to use the low side several times to make a pass for the lead. On lap nine we would see Pilkerton get another run on the low side that would stick this time. He would pull ahead of Davis and lead lap ten by a few inches. Pilkerton would then lead lap eleven solidly and begin to pull away from Davis. Rutherford would slow to a stop at the top of turn four and bring out the caution on lap fifteen. After the restart Pilkerton would continue to lead the field as Davis would now find himself defending a challenge for the second position by Ray Kable. Kable would complete the pass and move into the second position by the end of the eighteenth lap. Jeremy Pilkerton would win the twenty lap feature event. Ray Kable and Gerald Davis would round out the top three.
The final feature event of the night would be for the hobby stock division. Jason Wilkins would lead lap one over a side-by-side battling Justin Hottle and Billy Sonner Jr. Wilkins would slowly begin to pull away from the field on the second lap. Sonner had now moved ahead of Hottle for the second position. As the laps clicked away we would see Wilkins’ lead continue to grow as Sonner would also start to put distance between him and third place running Hottle. Jason Wilkins would go on to win the fifteen lap feature event. Billy Sonner Jr and Justin Hottle would round out the top three.
We want to thank all of our fans and teams who attended this week's events. A big shout out to Robert Salts who was making his first visit all the way from Nebraska! Also, we would like to ask the teams to please remind any crew who operates an atv or motorized bike in the pit area to please watch their speed. We had several speeding vehicles in the pit area this week and want to ensure everyone's safety. Also, I would like to let everyone know that our official who had fallen off of his atv as he was making his way to the modified accident scene was checked out and is okay. Thank you to everyone who reached out with concern for his well being.
Pure Stock Results
Walter Crouch, Jerry Jenkins Jr, Chris Sumption, Gregory Morgan, Brady Holmes, Gary Frye, (DNF Delmar Grady, Kevin Koontz, Trent Holmes, Tony Johnson)
Modified Mafia Results
Ty Norder, Michael Altobelli, Chris Arnold, Mitch Thomas, Glenn Elliott, Justin Cullum, Joey Polevoy, Cody Oliver, Tj DeHaven, Ryan Toole, Ryan Dolan, Brian Buckler, Owen Lacey, (DNF Joey Clower, Ray Kable, Mike Franklin, Tim Schulte, Stephen Pedulla, Robert Kramer, Cody Williams, Samuel Lamborgini)(DNS Cole Hilton)
Limited Late Model Results
Jeremy Pilkerton, Ray Kable, Gerald Davis, Austin Stover, Brad Omps, Michael Carter, James Lichliter, Bubby Tharp Jr, Steven Powell, Craig Parrill, Brayden Carter, Calvin Michale, John Davidson, (DNF Dylan Rutherford)
Hobby Stock Results
Jason Wilkins, Billy Sonner Jr, Justin Hottle, Sam Hoffman, Larry Smith Jr, Dave Rutherford, (DNF Andrew Saffelle, Aaron Drummond)(DNS James Stephens) |
