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James Essex
UNION, Ky. (April 5) - What rust? Even though he ran just a couple of races at the end of 2007 many figured that Kevin Claycomb would be a little rusty in his return to the cockpit of a race car, but so far he has shown that he is more than ready to get back to winning something he was accustomed to in his 25 year racing career when he walked away from it in 2004. On Saturday Night at Florence Speedway the 47-year-old Vincennes, IN native captured the $5,000 32nd Annual "Spring 50" win marking his second victory in the three races he has run this year.
Claycomb would take the lead for good on lap 41 when race leader Patrick Sheltra got into a car he was lapping eliminating his chance for the win. Claycomb, who was a close second at the time then picked up the lead and led the remaining nine laps for his second win in the annual event at Florence. His first win came in 1996. Rod Conley of Wheelersburg, OH finished second followed by Cody Mahoney of Madison, IN, Josh Williams of West Harrison, IN and 6-time Florence track champion Steve Landrum of Erlanger, KY.
Claycomb driving for Scott Clippinger Racing based in Evansville, IN started on the pole alongside reigning "Hillbilly 100" champion, Eddie Carrier, Jr. as both drivers earned those spots by winning the first two heat races. Carrier would bolt to the lead at the start of the 50 lap event with Claycomb, Conley, Sheltra and Frank Heckenast, Jr. bargaining for top five spots with one lap scored.
Carrier would explode to a half a straightaway lead on Claycomb in the early going and was already picking up the tail end of the field by the fourth lap when the first caution of the race came out for fast qualifier, John Gill who had spun in turn number two. On the Delaware double file restart the drivers would not get a good lap in when Audie McWilliams, who had moved from 10th to sixth in the running order nailed the backstretch wall ending his night.
On the next restart Carrier would not be able to pull away from Claycomb like he had done in the first four laps. A car on the move was Heckenast, who was making his first ever appearance at Florence was running strong as he was up to third a lap into the second restart of the race.
Jerry Rice, who started eighth then started to make some moves as he challenged Sheltra for fourth by lap seven and then moved past Sheltra into that spot on lap nine, but a lap later Sheltra would return the favor re-passing Rice for fourth.
With ten laps in the scoring column Carrier was still showing the way followed by Claycomb, Heckenast, Sheltra and Rice with Conley and Tim Prince just outside the top five runners.
Rice would suddenly slow with ten scored pulling into the infield ending his race on lap 11. Meanwhile up front Claycomb had taken over the lead from Carrier. The third caution would fly would then fly for top ten runner Terry Hicks who had come to a stop alongside the outside retaining wall coming off of turn four. Heckenast, who still running in third at the time unfortunately clipped Hicks' car which cause enough damage to eliminate the second generation racer from competition.
On the restart Mike Jewell would have a flat and get into the turn one wall ending his night while running in sixth place. A lap later David Spille would bring out caution number five after coming to a halt in turn number two.
This would then set up a 13 lap green flag period in which Claycomb would still be holding the point as Carrier was off the pace with a flat tire on lap 15. Carrier would drop several positions as he eventually went pit side ending a solid run. At the same time Carrier went out Sheltra, who started fifth roared past Claycomb to take over the lead of the race.
The front running cars of Sheltra and Claycomb were then pulling away from the field as Prince was up to third with Gill making a comeback from a lap four spin residing in the fourth spot. With Sheltra and Claycomb getting into lapped traffic by the 20th lap Prince, Gill and Conley would start to close the distance on them.
Just as the cars took the halfway mark Mike Meyers, who was making his first start at Florence got upside in turn three as Conley and Jesse Lay were involved in the accident. The cars of Meyers and Lay went off the track on the hook as Conley continued on resuming his fifth place spot in the running order.
With 25 laps scored there were now seven cars on the lead lap with Sheltra, a full-time ARCA driver leading the event. Caution number seven would appear as Gill would suffer a right rear flat tire while running in fourth. Gill would slow and head pit side ending his evening.
Sheltra would three wheel his way around the half-mile track holding Claycomb at bay and when Claycomb would stumble a couple of times on the rough and tumble surface Sheltra would build his lead to as many as six car lengths.
The final caution of the race would come out on lap 31 when Prince would flip his car in turn number two. Prince would come out of the incident unscathed, but his car was done for the night as a strong performance. Prince would give up his third place run, allowing Josh Williams and Rod Conley to move up a spot.
Sheltra and Claycomb were putting on quite a race for the lead with 15 circuits remaining with Williams, Conley and the youngster Mahoney in the battle for third. Again Sheltra and Claycomb would run into traffic with both drivers having to negotiate through.
With 40 laps complete Sheltra would enter turn number three and that's when his troubles would begin. Sheltra would run into the corner a little too hot and run up on the side of Billy Vaughan's car, Sheltra would immediately slow allowing Claycomb by for the lead.
Sheltra would limp around the track for another lap, but pulled into the infield ending what could have been a trip to victory lane.
Claycomb would then lead the rest of the way going unchallenged in the waning laps. The race for second though came down to the final lap as Conley and Mahoney would fight it out to the checkers with Conley baring edging out Mahoney for runner-up honors. Williams would come home third followed by Landrum.
Completing the top ten were David Spille, Tom Sheets, Joe Ramey, Patrick Sheltra and Billy Vaughan.
Afterwards Claycomb was relieved the race was over and that he was the winner of the race he first won 12 years ago. "I was worried there at the start he (Carrier) was pulling away there, the track was rough with all the rain and I was just looking for a line around the track, the car was real good all race long so it's good to get a win," said the former UMP Late Model Champion, who won last Friday Night, March 28 at Paducah, KY for his first win since leaving the sport after the 2004 season.
"The kids got older and they were playing sports and with the business we just didn't have the time to put into, up until the end of last year when I drove a few races for Scott (car owner Clippinger) at Kentucky Lake, I had been to one race and that was going to Haubstadt one night and watching a sprint car race." Something else new for Claycomb is having a crew chief, since for all of racing career he drove for his father, Bill. Long-time veteran crew chief Danny Myers is the man turning the wrenches on the #16c race team. "It's good to have someone like Danny on board with the team, he's doing a great job, I don't know how much we'll be racing this year, I'm just enjoying this right now, I go down there (to Evansville) once a week to check things out, so hopefully we can keep this going in a positive direction," said Claycomb.
Sheltra, who was getting ready to head for an ARCA practice session the next day was disappointed his night ended when it did. "We got into lapped traffic there, we should have used our head a little more, we had seven or eight laps to go, I think we should have waited a little bit longer to get by them (lapped cars), we started fifth there and the car was little tight at the beginning then it really started to come into it, we're still learning every time out and we'll be alright in the future, Sheltra said afterwards.
For Mahoney it was his best finish in his career in a bigger paying race. "We're real happy with the finish (third), we don't get to make it over too much at Florence, we've got a new motor (Bullock) and a new MasterSbilt and everything is working real well. For a long-time there I thought I could get Conley and I think I got the tires hot and faded back there a little bit so we end up third and he finished second," Mahoney commented.
Claycomb's winning entry is sponsored by 5150 Race Trailers/Engler Machine and Tool/Allstar Performance/Hyperco/Sweet Manufacturing and VP Racing Fuels. The MasterSbilt Race Cars ride is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine.
Conley's second place run came in the Conley Trucking/Draime Racing Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo SS with Mahoney coming home third in the Fox Custom Cabinets and Wilds Restoration sponsored number 4. Williams took home third in the Bicycle Playing Cards/Dargie Racing Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo with Landrum finishing fifth in his Randy's Towing and Recovery/Dargie Racing Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo SS.
Race Summary
Florence Speedway-Union, KY
Saturday Night, April 5, 2008
Late Models
Fast Qualifier: John Gill 15.619 seconds
First Heat (10 Laps-Top 7 Advance); Kevin Claycomb, Rod Conley, Cody Mahoney, John Gill, Robby Hensley, Tim Prince, Billy Vaughan, Tom Sheets, Jeff Alsip, Josh McGuire, Dean Boyd
Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 7 Advance): Eddie Carrier Jr., Patrick Sheltra, Jerry Rice, Mike Meyers, John Holt, Josh Williams, Joe Ramey, Gary Engle, Jesse James Lay, Rick Combs, Tony Brewer
Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 7 Advance): Joey Kramer, Frank Heckenast, Jr., Mike Jewell, Audie McWilliams, Terry Hicks, David Spille, Steve Landrum, Adrian Nichols, Bryan Barber, Jason Jameson, Ronald Strack (DNS)
B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Josh McGuire, Jesse James Lay, Tom Sheets, Jeff Alsip, Gary Engle, Adrian Nichols, Jason Jameson
32nd Annual "Spring 50" Feature Finish: Kevin Claycomb, Rod Conley, Cody Mahoney, Josh Williams, Steve Landrum, David Spille, Tom Sheets, Joe Ramey, Patrick Sheltra, Billy Rice, Joey Kramer, Audie McWilliams Vaughan, John Holt, Tim Prince, John Gill, Jesse James Lay, Mike Meyers, Eddie Carrier Jr., Mike Jewell, Frank Heckenast Jr., Terry Hicks, Robby Hensley, Josh McGuire, Jerry Rice, Joey Kramer, Audie McWilliams
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