Peeples takes first leg of the road to the nationals

Kenny Peeples Jr. and Brandon Umberger, both of Rural Retreat, have spent the last several weeks splitting wins, and along with Phil Gann of Mayodan, N.C., are the only repeat winners this season at Wythe Raceway.
So when it came time to kick off the Exit 54 Exxon Road to the Nationals on Saturday night, July 14, on the high banked half mile dirt super speedway those two again found themselves at the front of the field with Peeples coming out on top.
The Exit 54 Exxon Road to the Nationals is a three race series during the month of July that gives one driver the potential to win $5,000 if he could win all three races on July 14, 21 and 28 and this all leads up to the Mountain Empire Nationals, which will be held on Labor Day weekend boasting over a $40,000 purse for the Exit 54 Exxon Late Model Division and Peeples has put himself in position to take home over $5,000 after he claimed the first $1,000 on Saturday night.
Peeples started from the pole position after qualifying fourth and having the top four cars inverted before the start of the 30-lap feature event. Clinton Cook of Radford qualified on the pole with Gann second, Jason Lawrence of Pilot third and Peeples fourth before the inversion.
Peeples used the front row start to his advantage and held off a strong challenge from Umberger toward the end of the race. Umberger, who had a terrible qualifying run, started ninth and put on a great show as he charged through the field. With Umberger taking second, Cook settled for third, equaling his career best finish with Chase McCormick of Dobson, N.C., fourth and Rock Hill, S.C., driver, Ron Thomas rounding out the top five.
Lawrence finished sixth with Super Late Model points leader, Barry Arnold of Max Meadows finishing seventh. Jackie Cook of Radford, Joey Steele of Abingdon and David Watts of Buchanan completed the top 10 finishers.
The England Automotive Super Street Division put on the best race of the year as ninth place starter, Daniel Moss of Elk Creek took the win in a race that had fans standing on their feet. This race saw the top seven cars side by side almost at all times and swapping positions from the lead to seventh for the entire 20-lap event.
Moss held off Mike Keith of Rural Retreat for the victory with Keith being chased to the finish line by Jimmy Tate of Wytheville. Ralph Brewer of Wytheville made his first start in many years. Most fans will remember Brewer from his dominant years winning multiple track championships during the 1970s and 80s, finished fourth followed by Teddy Tate of Rural Retreat, Brian Coake of Max Meadows and Keith Griffitts of Sugar Grove. Both Griffitts and Coake suffered flat tires between lap 16 and 17, but rallied back for top 10 finishes. Completing the top ten was Michael Hedrick of Wytheville, Mike Hurley of Rural Retreat and Steven Quillen of Tazewell.
Roby Orr of Glade Spring looked to have the Open Wheel Modified race in hand until 2006 FASTRAK National Champion and Wythe Raceway track champion, Ron Lawson of Austinville moved by him on lap 14 and held off RK Dix of Rural Retreat for the victory. Orr came home third with Troy Loomis of Sherrills Ford, N.C., and Willie Gibson of Abingdon rounded out the top five. Completing the field was Mike Johnson of Marion, Taylor Hayes also of Marion, Gator Cornett of Sugar Grove and Duke Bare of Meadowview.
The City Cab of Marion Pro Mini Division continues to have the strongest car count this week starting 31 cars with Duke Bare of Meadowview and Doug Monday of Max Meadows putting on a great show racing side by side every lap, swapping the lead back and forth several times a lap. Monday led every lap including the one that counted to take home the win.
Bare finished second, Everett Cox of Austinville was third, Brandon Farris finished fourth and taking home fifth was Mount Airy, N.C., driver, Luke Golding. Rounding out the top 10 was Gator Cornett of Sugar Grove, Jason Powers of Marion, Andy Jolliffe of Chilhowie, John Hickman of Abingdon and Zach Eaton of Max Meadows.
Pie Short of Abingdon took home yet another victory in the Hornet Division beating Trevor Cregger of Christiansburg to the finish line. Nicole Reedy of Marion, Cody Umberger and Clark Cooper both of Rural Retreat, completed the top five finishers. Another Rural Retreat driver, Dakota Wilson, Marion drivers, Morgan Widener and Michelle McMahan, Sugar Grove driver Jon Keyes and Jay Cox also of Rural Retreat rounded out the top 10.
Travis Lefler of Rural Retreat took home the victory in the U-Car Division over Kevin Gentry of Chilhowie, Leon McMahan of Marion, Donald Wilson of Rural Retreat and Robert Felts of Wytheville. Doug Glissan of Wytheville, Rob Favre of Willis, Morgan Widener of Marion, Travis Stoots of Sugar Grove and Jake Eaton of Bland completed the top 10 in the U-Car division.
Kids bike races were also held with over 75 participants racing on Saturday night as all the kids had a great time as the fans and racers cheered them all on.
Wythe Raceway will again be back in action on Saturday, July 21, with the second leg of the Exit 54 Exxon Road to the Nationals featuring a $1,000 to win Exit 54 Exxon Late Model race during the LC Transportation 200 with racing in all other divisions. For more info on either of these races visit http://www.WytheRaceWay.com or call (276) 223-9804.