“James Lichliter Wins Limited Late Model Feature”
“Mitch Thomas Wins UMP Modified Feature”
By Brent Hottle
Winchester(VA)-With cold and windy temperatures in the Shenandoah Valley for the last several weeks, iIt was a refreshing March day with the warm temperature that passed through the area this past Saturday. We would see the Limited Late Model, UMP Modified, Pure Stock, and East Coast Legend Series compete. For the second week in a row we would see over 45 legend cars sign in to compete. With 49 cars signing in for the series, officials would once again have to make a change in the order of events. This time we would hold two separate features for the legend series. Half of the field would qualify for feature one, while the other half would qualify for feature 2.
Once hot laps were completed along with the qualifying heats for all divisions it would be time for our weekly Invocation and playing of our National Anthem. We would pause before the Invocation for a moment of silence. This was done in honor of the Dennis Family. Bobby & Sandy Dennis have been a big part of the Winchester Speedway for several decades. Unfortunately, their daughter would pass away suddenly Friday. Myself and the rest of the staff here at the speedway would like to send them our deepest condolences during this tough time.
The limited late model division would be the first to compete. James Lichliter would lead the field from the pole position into turn one. Lichliter would lead lap one over Gerald Davis and Austin Stover. Davis would hold off a challenge from Stover for the second position as the pair raced side by side to complete lap two. This would allow Lichliter to pull out to a four car lead as Stover continued to battle Davis and move ahead into the second position. Tom Chaffins would spin in turn four on lap five, bringing out the first caution of the event. As the field attempted to go back green, Tommy Whitt would spin in turn two resulting in another restart. Lichliter would continue to lead after the field went back to green. By lap eight he would have a six car lead over Stover, who would be about six car lengths ahead of a side by side battle between Davis and Wesley Bonebrake. The caution would once again fly, this time for debris on the back straight away. On the restart Bonebrake and Davis would once again battle for the third position. With Bonebrake moving solidly into third by the end of the tenth lap. Tom Chaffins would go for a spin on the back straight away slowing the field once again. Lichliter would continue to show his strength as he would build out to around a three quarter of a straightaway lead by the fifteenth lap. The field would once again slow for two more cautions before the twenty lap event could be complete. This couldn’t stall Lichliters momentum. As James Lichliter would go on to take the feature win. Austin Stover and Wesley Bonebrake would round out the top three.
It would now be the UMP Modified divisions turn to take center stage. Mitch Thomas would lead the field to lap one over Vance Williams Jr and a side by side battling Mike Corbin and Justin Cullum. By lap two Thomas would pull out four car lengths ahead of Williams who was around
two car lengths ahead of Cullum. The caution flag would fly on lap four due to a four car spin in turn four. We would see Joey Clower spin in turn two on the restart bringing out the caution once again. Thomas would lead after the restart over a side by side battling Cullum and Williams. Just as Thomas would pull out to a half of a straight away lead over a now second place running Cullum, Clower would spin in turn one to bring out the caution and erase Thomas’ lead. Thomas would show he was too strong to lose this event as he would take the win and cross the finish line with a full straightaway lead over second place. Justin Cullum and Vance Williams Jr would round out the top three.
We would now see the first of two features for the East Coast Legend Series. Colton Friese would get a great start and lead the field into turn one. Pole sitter Mike Mohelski wasn’t going to give up easily as he charged deep into the turn and would take the lead away as the pair raced out of turn one. Mohelski would lead lap one over Friese and Ryan Walls. Friese would begin to search for the speed needed to get to the lead over the next lap. On lap three Friese would charge deep into turn one in an attempt to take the lead. His car would slide up some allowing Mohelskit to pull away slightly. As the field completed the sixth lap Mohelski would continue to lead over Friese as Walls and Jeremy Ott battled side by side for the third position. Ott would take over the third position by the end of the seventh lap, just as the leaders would find themselves in lap traffic. Friese would look to the low side of Mohelski and battle for the lead on the tenth lap as they raced out of turn two. Friese would take the lead by the end of the eleventh lap. Tracy Linn would spin in turn four on the thirteenth lap and bring out a caution. Friese would now continue to lead over Ott who had taken the second position away from Mohelski. Friese and Ott would race nose to tail for the final laps of the event. Ott would continue to search different lines, but would fall short of making the speed needed to take the win. Colton Friese would go on to win the twenty lap event. Jeremy Ott and Mike Mohelski would round out the top three.
It would now be time for the second East Coast Legend Series feature. Jeremy Hahn and Travis McClelland would race side by side into turn one. McClelland would lead lap one over Hahn and Logan Jones. On lap four Jones would begin to defend a challenge by Kirk Martin for the third position. Martin would take over the third position by the end of the sixth lap. Logan Carbaugh would begin to challenge Martin for the third position by the end of ninth lap as McClelland continued to lead over Hahn. Carbaugh would continue to keep his momentum as he would move around Martin and then Hahn for the second position by the completion of the tenth lap. As the field crossed the line to finish the eleventh lap, Carbaugh would go to the high side of McClelland into turn one. Carabugh would keep his momentum and take the lead from McClelland as they raced down the back straight away. Carbaugh would now begin to pull away from the field over the next few laps. Logan Jones who had fallen back a few spots would now begin to find speed once again as he would move into the third position on lap sixteen and then into the second position and pull up to the leaders rear bumper by the end of the seventeenth lap. The caution would now come out for Cameron Sutton as he would go for a spin in turn two. On the restart we would see a few cars get together resulting in Devin Friese spinning in turn two. We would have another caution for debris before going back to green for the final three
laps of the event. Logan Carbaugh would take the win in the twenty lap second feature. Logan Jones and Travis McClelland would round out the top three.
The final feature event for the night would be for the pure stock division. Gary Frye Jr would spin going into turn one on the initial start bringing out the caution. On the restart front row starters Chuckie Johnson and Walter Crouch would race side by side into turn one. Johnson would pull ahead and take the lead as he raced down the back straight away and led lap one. Crouch would search for a line around Johnson during the first few laps. As the race progressed Johnson would begin to pull away. Johnson would have over a half of a straightaway lead by the end of the fifteen lap main event. Chuckie Johnson would take the win, with Walter Crouch and Tony Johnson rounding out the top three.
We want to thank everyone for attending this past week's events. Racing is getting back into full swing and the racing is heating up. I would like to give all parents a reminder: Please do not allow your small children to come to victory lane unattended. The youth are the future of our sport and I love to see them enjoying victory lane and interacting with the drivers, but my first priority is safety! We need to keep them back as we wait for the driver to come to victory lane and park their car. We also need to allow them time for their crews to speak to their driver and the driver get out of his car for his interview. Once this is complete the children are welcome to join in the celebration with the drivers and pictures. We just want to keep everything safe and running smoothly. We look forward to seeing everyone back this coming weekend.
Limited Late Model Results
James Lichliter, Austin Stover, Wesley Bonebrake, Gerald Davis, Mike Franklin, Brad Omps, Tommy Whitt, Michael Carter, Chad Earnst, Kristopher Hutton, Richard Hawkins, Steven Powell, (DNF John Davidson, Andrew Fertig)(DNS Bubby Tharp Jr)
UMP Modified Results
Mitch Thomas, Justin Cullum, Vance Williams Jr, Mike Corbin, Benjamin Seals, Haley Kaiser, Brian Buckler, Tim Schulte, (DNF Scooter Tippett, Joey Clower, Stuart Weaver)
East Coast Legends Results
Feature One
Colton Friese, Jeremy Ott, Mike Mohelski, Ryan Walls, Shaun Abney, Lincoln Kearchner, Justin Cunningham, Stephen Wurtzer, Dalton Friese, Rick Hartwig, Seth Kearchner, Scott Musselman, Justin Wagaman, Zac Smith, Tyler Rampmeyer, Hunter McElroy, Jacob Burdette, Ezra Burdette, Brad Kelley, Andrew Mowen, Cameron See, Ben Burnisky, Brady Moats, (DNF Tracy Linn, Tyler Kaylor)
Feature Two
Logan Carbaugh, Logan Jones, Travis McClelland, Scott Houdeshell, Kelby Friese, Brian Rampmeyer, Eric Hurst, Colby Miller, Ben Morrow, Bryan Wagaman, Moses Goetz, Dustin Wiles, Kayleigh Linn, Kirk Martin, Cameron Sutton, Matt Grebe, Dustin Burnisky, Bradley Friese, Ryan Walls Jr, Jimmy Eicher, (DNF Mike Grady Jr, Jeremy Hahn, DEvin Friese, Bill Funk)
Pure Stock Results
Chuckie Johnson, Walter Crouch, Tony Johnson, Craig Parrill, Jerry Jenkins Jr, Chris Sumption, Buddy Wilson, Trent Holmes, Brady Holmes, Andy Adkins (DNF Gary Frye Jr)