“Winged Sprint Cars Made Their Return”
“Andy Anderson Wins Caution Free Mid Atlantic Modified Feature”
By Brent Hottle
Winchester(VA)-It may be spring in the Shenandoah Valley, however the hot and muggy
temperatures showed summer is coming. It was a very hot day at the races, but a hot day is
better than no day at the track. With two weeks off due to weather, everyone was ready to get
back to racing. There was also high anticipation for the return of “winged” sprint cars to the
“Action Track”.
Normally we would start our night off with hotlaps. However, this night would be slightly different
as the sprint cars took to the track to build heat in their engines. Once they were off the
speedway we started out with our timed hotlaps for the limited late model and modified
divisions. The SCDRA/Winchester UCAR took to the track next. Once the Sprint Cars finished
up with their hotlaps it was time for some heat race action.
In the heat races we would see several passes for positions throughout all of the divisions. With
the extreme heat in the area there is always a fear of how the track conditions would be. On this
night the track would be “slick” but wide. This combination would aid in the production of two
wide racing and sometimes three wide racing during the evening. This would continue into the
feature events that we would see next.
The first division to take center stage would be the URC Sprint Cars. This would be the first of
two fifteen lap feature events for the night. Adam Carberry and Josh Weller would lead the field
to the green. Weller would get a jump from the outside and lead the field into turn one. Weller
would continue to lead the field as Carberry would attempt to hold off a challenge for the second
position from Jason Shultz. Weller would begin to pull away from the field as he had built up a
seven car length lead by the eighth lap. During this lap Shultz would challenge Carberry for the
second place position as they headed into turn one. Shultz would pull ahead of Carberry for
second as the two sped down the back straightaway. Josh Weller would go on to win the fifteen
lap event, followed by Jason Shultz and Adam Carberry.
The next division onto the speedway would be the Mid Atlantic Modified Division. Pole sitter
Andy Anderson would jump out to the early lead and begin to pull away from the field. As
Anderson continued to pace the field the man on the move was Michael Altobelli Jr. Altobelli
would make a charge to the front from his fifth place starting position. By lap eleven Altobelli
would move into the second place position. However, he had a lot of ground to make up as
Anderson had built up a full straight away lead by this point. As the two navigated their way
around lap cars. Altobelli would begin to slowly reel in Anderson. Altobelli would pull up to the
rear bumper of Anderson as they took the white flag. As the two cars entered turn three Altobelli
would go high and pull alongside Anderson. Anderson would slide up the track as they drove off
of turn four taking the momentum away from Altobelli. Andy Anderson would win the caution
free event. Michael Altobelli Jr would cross the line in second, followed by Rick Hulson in third.
Next, we would see the Limited Late Models take to the speedway. Levi Crowl and Wesley
Bonebrake would lead the field to the green. Crowl would take the early lead, just as the yellow
flag waved indicating a restart. On the restart Crowl and Bonebrake would charge side by side
into turn one. Bonebrake would pull ahead as the two cars charged out of turn two. Bonebrake
would lead lap one. Bonebrake would pull out to a full straightaway lead over Crowl by lap six. It
would be erased on lap eight as the caution flag waved for a spinning James Smith. The yellow
would once fly again for a wreck in turn two before the ninth lap could be completed. On the
third restart we would see Sam Archer get a great start and pull ahead of Bonebrake. Archer
would build up to a two car lead over Bonebrake just before Dickie Tharp slowed on the front
stretch bringing out the fifth caution of the event. Archer would continue to lead after the restart
over Bonebrake. Jonathan DeHaven would win a three wide battle for third and begin to set his
sights on Bonbrake just as the yellow flag flew once again. On the next restart contact would
ensue between DeHaven and Archer. As both cars slid up the track, Bonebrake would find his
way back to the lead. The last caution of the night would come out on lap twenty two for a wreck
in turn four. Wesley Bonebrake would go on to win the caution-filled event. Jonathan DeHaven
would finish second followed by Justin Fulton in third.
It was now time for the second feature event for the URC Sprint Cars. The field would start in a
full invert from how they finished in the first feature. Ryan Stillwagon and Kevin Darling would
make up the front row. Darling would lead the field into turn one and lead the first lap. Stillwagon
would slip up in turn one allowing Andy Best and Jake Karklin to take the second and third
positions. Karklin would move into second by the third lap. By this time Darling had built up a
three quarter of a straight away lead. At the mid-point of the fifteen lap event Karklin would cut
that lead to half a straight away. Darling would go on to pick up the pace and cross the finish line
first with a full straight away lead over second place finisher Jake Karklin. Andy Best would
finish third.
The final feature of the night was for the SCDRA/Winchester UCAR divisions. Rusty Poston
would lead the field into turn one. Outside pole sitter Jason Jarvis would take the early lead
away from Poston as he led lap one. Jarvis would begin to pull away from the field until the
caution flag flew on lap six. Poston would get another great start and take the lead from Jarvis
on the restart. Jarvis would once again regain the lead on the eighth last just as a three wide
battle would form for third. The caution flag would once again fly as a couple of cars would get
together on the front straight away. Andre Hoffner would time the next restart perfectly as he
jumped to the lead as the cars headed into turn one. Hoffner would go on to win the event,
followed by Robbie Carrol in second and Jason Jarvis in third. Kevin Oates would win the
Winchester UCAR portion of the event.
We want to thank all the teams and fans that came out in the extreme heat to support the night's
events. We look forward to seeing everyone back Saturday night for the second portion of the
Winchester/Hagerstown Shootout.
URC Sprint Car Feature One Results
Josh Weller, Jason Shultz, Adam Carberry, Jake Karklin, Dallas Schott, Andy Best, Kevin
Darling, Ryan Stillwagon
URC Sprint Car Feature Two Results
Kevin Darling, Jake Karklin, Andy Best, Dallas Schott, Josh Weller, Jason Shultz, Adam
Carberry, Ryan Stillwagon
Mid Atlantic Modified Results
Andy Anderson, Michael Altobelli Jr, Rick Hulson, TJ DeHaven, Justin Cullum, Mike Franklin,
Cody Williams, Travis Clower, Jimmy Jesmer Jr, Mike Corbin, Michael Pappas, Roy Clower,
Joey Polevoy, Jacob Whitt, Lane Hessong, Haley Kaiser, Ryan Dolan, Robert Kramer, Cary
Moreland Sr, Stuart Weaver, (DNF Nick Dibella, Ray Kable, Sam Caravello)(DNS Matt Wallace,
Brad Miller, Mike Ciozobka)
Limited Late Model Results
Wesley Bonebrake, Jonathan DeHaven, Justin Fulton, Bubby Tharp Jr, Craig Parrill, Levi Crowl,
Andy Anderson, Gerald Davis, Gunnar Walls, Rodney Walls, Scott Sweeney, Jason Smith,
Charles Smith, Justin Dillman, Branson Woodward, Brad Omps, Eric Cronise, Dickie Tharp,
Tyler Hoy, Aaron Drummond, Sam Archer
SCDRA/Winchester UCAR
Andrew Hoffner, Robbie Carrol, Jason Jarvis, Shawn Payne, Rusty Poston, Kevin Oates, Larry
Lamb, Luke Hoffner, John Hammett, Matt Popish, Brody Tolstyka, Tyler Kline, Matt Chronister,
Randy Wilkins, Travis Dye, Danny Cronin, Lonnie Hobday, Tonya Arnold, Jeff Foster, Brandon
Hoffner, Dallas Butts, Justin Boarman, James Furley, Virgil Meyer, Allen Griffith