|
Rick Anges
BARBERVILLE, Fla. (June 26) - Once again the weather looked like it would be a factor as heavy rains blew through the area. Volusia Speedway Park general manager Tonya Moschell stood at the front door of the office in the early afternoon and said, "Embrace the Rain" and within moments the showers stopped and the sun began to shine.
The track crew at VSP did an awesome job and prepared the track for one of the biggest events of 2009. By the time the four classes of the night rolled out for practice the surface was top notch.
The early storms kept many of the long haul team from making the jaunt thirty-four teams rolled in for the 4th annual Scott Thompson Memorial. The race is to remember the memory of the young racer who was the 2005 Late Model Champion. He lost his life in a non-racing automobile accident.
Once again the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series brought the fans out. The crowd bean streaming in and were in their seats as qualifying began for the fifty lap $3800 to win race.
The first car on the track proved to be the fastest as "The Professor" Ivedent Lloyd wheeled the David Clegg machine around the big half-mile oval of Volusia and clipped off the only sixteen-second run. 16.776 proved to be the Zeigler Racing Engines Fast Qualifier.
Four cars from each of the four Heat races would be the first to move on to the big dance later in the evening. It was no surprise that the winner of the first heat went to none other than Ivedent Lloyd, UDLMCS Champion and defending Scott Thompson Memorial champion of 2008 "The Locomotive" Johnny Collins crossed the stripe in the second spot. Jason Fitzgerald who is in the tight battle at the top of the point's race for the UDLMCS took third and the fourth car to move on was Darrell Padgett.
Keith Nosbisch made the trek from Tampa and won the second heat of the evening. Three time UDLMCS '09 winner and the point leader coming into the race "the Magic Man" Mark Whitener was second, John Rankin and Russell Brown Jr. followed in third and fourth.
"The Tallahassee Terror" Tyler Ivey was the winner in heat number three. Richard Ferry moved on to the A-main in the second place, third was Adam Bedenbaugh and fourth went to Joe Kump.
The final Heat race of the night went to Jackie Nosbisch of Riverview, Fl. Dillon Wood crossed the stripe in second, third went to Matt Hartley and the final transfer spot was John Kellum.
Two B-Mains would put four cars from each into the feature with the final two drivers being provisional's given by the track and the UDLMCS. "The Dough Boy" Patrick Williams piloting the number 38 machine formerly campaigned by Scott Thompson himself was the victor in the first B, Stephen Castleberry would finish second, third was Kent Corbin whose Father Bennie was in attendance after suffering a stroke and fourth went to Clay Bedenbaugh.
"Showtime" Shan Smith took the checker in the final B-main followed by Stanton Mills in second, Lawton Minchew in third and Adam Bennett the final transfer. Kevin Durdin (UDLMCS) and Chris Freeman (VSP) would get in on provisional's.
The top eight drivers came out to the stage at intermission and drew a Frisbee with a number on it for their starting places. Keith Nosbisch and Tyler Ivey drew one and two respectively to start on the front row.
Martha Thompson Mother of the late Scott Thompson gave the command, "Gentlemen Start Your Engines!" and the field roared to life.
Prior to the four wide salute to the fans Patrick Williams took the #38 car to the front of the field for the missing man formation. The packed house was on its feet and cheering as they rode by.
The cars fell back into the starting spots and came to the green with Keith Nosbisch jumping out to the early lead with his brother Jack in tow as the field crossed the stripe for lap number one. Whitener would come from his seventh starting spot to and move into third.
Whitener wasted no time as he flashed by the Nosbisch brothers to take over the top spot. The younger of the two Nosbisch brothers, Jack would go away fast as fell through the field and ended up with a twenty-fifth finish.
It wasn't long before Lloyd had clawed his way to the front and was right on the deck lid of the leader Whitener. Behind them were Nosbisch and Ivey as the top four maneuvered their way through lapped traffic sitting a distant fifth was Johnny Collins with Jason Fitzgerald in sixth.
Keith Nosbisch would be part of the first caution with Adam Bennett as he went around in turn one. Nosbisch would not be a factor for the rest of the race and finish a disappointing sixteenth.
On the restart though it was Fitzgerald would use some aggressive driving to make his way to the front with a two-car battle for the second spot between Whitener and Lloyd. The duo ran side by side for several laps. Eventually the Professor would get by and set his sites on Fitzgerald.
The final fifteen laps were like a heavy weight fight between Fitzgerald and Lloyd swapping the top spot lap after lap as they made their way through lapped traffic.
As the two went under the white flag and into one Fitzgerald had to slide high to avoid contact with a lapped car in one allowing Lloyd to pull away and take the win in the fourth annual Scott Thompson Memorial and his second in a row and third of the season for UDLMCS. Finishing almost a straightaway behind the leaders was Whitener in third; Darrell Padgett had a superb run in fourth and fifth was Richard Ferry with a strong run.
"I had to work pretty hard for that one" said Lloyd in the winners circle, "Jason is a really good race car driver." "It really means a lot to me to win this one, I raced with Scott a lot he was a hell of driver."
The next race for the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series will be at the wild and fast Waycross Motor Speedway in Waycross Georgia. Once the race will be brought to you LIVE over the internet on www.realracinusa.com
For more information on the series go to www.uniteddirtlatemodels.com
OFFICIAL FINISH
1 07 Ivedent Lloyd Jr.
2 7F Jason Fitzgerald Jr.
3 5W Mark Whitener
4 46P Darrell Padgett
5 17F Richard Ferry
6 5C Johnny Collins
7 47 Tyler Ivey
8 66H Matt Hartley
9 26W Dillon Wood
10 17SS Shan Smith
11 52 John Kellum
12 J17 Joe Kump
13 23 Lawton Minchew
14 00B Russell Brown Jr.
15 03 Stephen Castleberry
16 101 Keith Nosbisch
17 16 Stanton Mills
18 56d Kevin Durdin
19 98c Kent Corbin
20 6 Clay Bedenbaugh
21 53 John Rankin
22 42 Adam Bennett
23 26B Adam Bedenbaugh
24 38 Patrick Williams
25 12 Jack Nosbisch
26 21Q Chris Freeman
Heat 1:
1. Ivedent Lloyd
2. Johnny Collins
3.Jason Fitzgerald
4. Darrell Padgett
5. Patrick Williams
6. Clay Bedenbaugh
7. Stephen Castleberry
8. Chuck Julian DNS
Heat 2:
1. Keith Nosbisch
2. Mark Whitener
3. John Rankin
4. Russell Brown Jr
5. Stanton Mills
6. Travis Varnadore
7. Chris Freeman
8. Shan Smith DNS
Heat 3:
1. Tyler Ivey
2. Richard Ferry
3. Adam Bedenbaugh
4. Joe Kump
5. Kent Corbin
6. Ryan Mitchell
7. Bobby Clark
8. Shane Williams
Heat 4:
1. Jack Nosbisch
2. Dillon Wood
3. Matt Hartley
4. John Kellum
5. Adam Bennett
6. Kevin Durden
7. Lawton Minchew
8. David Shugart
9. Wayne Shugart
10. Johnny Allen DNS
B-Main 1:
1. Patrick Williams
2. Stephen Castleberry
3. Kent Corbin
4. Clay Bendebaugh
5. Bobby Clark
6. Ryan Mitchell
7. Chuck Julian
8. Shane Williams
9. David Shugart
B-Main 2:
1. Shan Smith
2. Stanton Mills
3. Lawton Minchew
4. Adam Bennett
5. Wayne Shugart
6. Travis Varnadore
7. Kevin Durden
8. Chris Freeman
9. Johnny Allen
Kevin Durdin was awarded a provisional from the UDLMCS and Chris Freeman of Enterprise, Fl was awarded a provisional from VSP.
|
