Raceway results

By LANGLEY AUSTIN/Correspondent

Kenny Peeples, Jr. of Rural Retreat had been preparing all week for the $2,000 to win FASTRAK Racing Series event at Wythe Raceway, but on Friday evening with the forecast for Saturday being 70 percent chance of rain, the speedway decided to move the FASTRAK Southern Series race to next Saturday night, Aug. 4, to help eliminate the possibility of the series regulars traveling from as far away as Alabama and not getting to race.
So Peeples showed up for the race in the Exit 54 Exxon Late Models and took the field to task once again taking his third straight Exit 54 Exxon Late Model victory. Peeples will have to wait another week to get his shot at the $1,000 bonus in the Exit 54 Exxon Road to the Nationals as the FASTRAK Series will roll into town for the Alliance Tractor Trailer Training Center 200.
Jason Lawrence of Pilot tied his career best finish of second again on Saturday night as he inches closer to getting his racer in victory lane for the first time. Lawrence had a successful stint in asphalt racing over the last couple of seasons before moving to the high banked half mile dirt super speedway of Wythe Raceway. Lawrence held off Randy Taylor of Troutdale, who is a multi-time Late Model track champion as the two battled side by side for much of the race. The third place finish and a pole qualifying effort was a very bright spot for Taylor as he has had very rough season to date. 2006 Exit 54 Exxon Late Model track champion, Chase McCormick of Dobson, N.C., brought his car home in fourth with David Watts of Buchanan claiming fifth in his best finish of the season.
Completing the top 10 finishers in the Exit 54 Exxon Late Models was Bret Dysart of Southern Pines, N.C., Scott Agee of Christiansburg, Van Lester of Dandridge, Tenn., Jackie Cook of Radford and Harry Cadmus of Lenoir City, Tenn. Brandon Umberger of Rural Retreat, who has won several features this season and who had been the points leader coming into Saturday night’s Exit 54 Exxon Late Model race, broke a drive shaft on lap 14 and finished 17th. Umberger’s bad finish combined with Peeples three straight wins has the two tied in the Exit 54 Exxon Late Model points battle with only six races left to decide the championship.
Keith Griffitts of Sugar Grove continued his hot streak in the England Automotive Super Street Division, but not before Michael Hedrick of Wytheville led the first six laps in his England Automotive sponsored car. Griffitts led Max Meadows driver, Brian Coake to the finish line with Hedrick taking his best finish of the season coming home third. Mike Keith of Rural Retreat and Jimmy Tate of Wytheville rounded out the top five finishers. Completing the top ten in the England Automotive Super Street division was Daniel Moss of Elk Creek, Sammy Lawrence of Barren Springs, Teddy Tate of Rural Retreat, Steven Quillen of Marion and Eddie Bentley of Sugar Grove.
Roby Orr of Glade Spring drove home to his third career Open Wheel Modified victory in dominating fashion as he held off Duke Bare of Meadowview for the victory. Bare had a battle of his own for second as RK Dix of Rural Retreat raced him hard for the spot before settling for third position. Troy Loomis braved the inclement weather as it rained on him all the way from his home in Sherrills Ford, N.C., and collected a fourth place finish. Completing the field was last week’s winner, Mike Johnson of Marion, Willie Gibson of Abingdon, Ron Lawson of Austinville, Gator Cornett of Sugar Grove and Taylor Hayes of Marion. Bare and Lawson are currently tied for the points lead in the Open Wheel Modified Division.
Jake Eaton of Bland had the field covered once again in the U-Car Division as he bested the field in the 20-lap feature. Eaton held off newcomer, Josh Forrest of Mount Airy, N.C., who started fourth, but could not get to Eaton before the checkered flag fell. Leon McMahan of Marion, Travis Lefler of Rural Retreat and Tim Widener of Marion completed the top five. Donald Wilson of Rural Retreat, Dale Keyes of Sugar Grove, Rob Favre of Willis, Duke Bare of Meadowview and Kevin Gentry of Chilhowie completed the top 10 finishers.
Cody Umberger of Rural Retreat collected his second win in the last three races in the Hornet Division as he led every lap en route to the victory. Trevor Cregger of Christiansburg started sixth was in fourth by lap two, moved to third on lap 10 then up to second after caution set up green white checkered finish and then tried a slingshot move for the lead on the final lap, but Umberger was able to hold his ground and hold off Cregger for the win.
Cole Dutton of Chilhowie was third with, Jay Cox and Dakota Wilson both of Rural Retreat rounding out the top five finishers. Completing the top 10 was Michelle McMahan and Morgan Widener both of Marion, Jon Keyes of Sugar Grove, Clark Cooper of Rural Retreat and Pie Short of Abingdon.
The City Cab of Marion Pro-Mini Division saw Jason Powers of Marion led the first four laps before Doug Monday of Max Meadows slipped by him and led all the way to the checkered flag. Duke Bare of Meadowview finished second, but then protested Monday’s engine, and track officials found unapproved modifications to his exhaust manifold handing the victory to Bare and relegating Monday to an 18th place finish.
Powers was second with Tim Robinson of Marion third, Luke Golding of Mount Airy fourth and Gary Rudolph of Fries completing the top five. Rounding out the top 10 in the City Cab of Marion Pro-Mini Division was Brandon Farris of Marion, Andy Jolliffe of Chilhowie, Jerry Dillow of Bluefield, W.Va., Steve Skeen of Abingdon and Danny Bland of Abingdon.
Racing continues this Saturday night, Aug. 4, with the Alliance Tractor Tailer Training Center 200 featuring the third leg of the Exit 54 Exxon Road to the Nationals, a $2,000 to WIN FASTRAK Series race for the Exit 54 Exxon Late Models and racing in these divisions: England Automotive Super Street, City Cab Pro-Mini, Open Wheel Modifieds, Hornets and U-Cars. Also don’t forget about Ladies Night at Wythe Raceway with the first 3,000 ladies being admitted free on August 18. For more information, please visit http://www.WytheRaceWay.com or call (276) 228-5235.

Race results from July 28:

Dirt Late Model
Finish Car No Driver, Hometown
1 22 Kenny Peeples, Jr., Rural Retreat
2 54 Jason Lawrence, Pilot
3 94 Randy Taylor, Troutdale
4 5 Chase McCormick, Dobson, NC
5 6 David Watts Buchanan
6 33 Bret Dysart Southern Pines, NC
7 77 Scott Agee Christiansburg
8 50 Van Lester Dandridge, TN
9 11 Jackie Cook Radford
10 88 Harry Cadmus Lenoir City, TN
11 98 Jerry King Ivanhoe
12 16T Ron Thomas Rock Hill, SC
13 01 Jason Moncus Mount Airy, NC
14 19w Jason Walls Walnut Cove, NC
15 16B Daniel Baggerly, Rural Retreat
16 7 Clinton Cook Radford
17 54B Brandon Umberger, Rural Retreat
18 99 David Wikle, Dublin DNS

Super Street
Finish Car No Driver, Hometown
1 40 Keith Griffitts, Sugar Grove
2 5 Brian Coake, Max Meadows
3 49 Michael Hedrick, Wytheville
4 80 Mike Keith, Rural Retreat
5 6 Jimmy Tate, Wytheville
6 03 Daniel Moss, Elk Creek
7 83 Sammy Lawrence, Barren Springs
8 99 Teddy Tate, Rural Retreat
9 19 Steven Quillen, Marion
10 3 Eddie Bentley, Sugar Grove
11 98 Larry Dowell, Atkins
12 04 Will Ferguson, Wytheville
13 88 Michael Deskins, Tazewell

UCar
Finish Car No Driver, Hometown
1 29 Jake Eaton, Bland
2 07 Josh Forest, Mt Airy, NC
3 77 Leon McMahan, Marion
4 6 Travis Lefler, Rural Retreat
5 16W Tim Widener, Marion
6 B1 Donald Wilson, Rural Retreat
7 11 Dale Keyes, Sugar Grove
8 8 Rob Favre, Willis
9 09 Duke Bare, Meadowview
10 16 Kevin Gentry, Chilhowie

Dirt Modified
Finish Car No Driver, Hometown
1 81 Roby Orr Glade Spring
2 09 Duke Bare Meadowview
3 28 R K Dix Rural Retreat
4 11 Troy Loomis Sherills Ford, NC
5 B4 Mike Johnson, Marion
6 51 Willie Gibson Abingdon
7 08 Ron Lawson Austinville
8 1 Gator Cornett, Sugar Grove
9 16 Taylor Hayes, Marion

Hornet
Finish Car No Driver, Hometown
1 12 Cody Umberger, Rural Retreat
2 27 Trevor Cregger, Christiansburg
3 1 Cole Dutton Chilhowie
4 22 Jay Cox, Rural Retreat
5 B1 Dakota Wilson, Rural Retreat
6 77 Michelle McMahan, Marion
7 16W Morgan Widener, Marion
8 11 Jon Keyes, Sugar Grove
9 21 Clark Cooper Rural Retreat
10 09 Pie Short, Abingdon

Pro Mini
Finish Car No Driver, Hometown
1 09 Duke Bare Meadowview
2 8P Jason Powers, Marion
3 10 Tim Robinson , Marion
4 70 Luke Golding Mount Airy, NC
5 33 Gary Rudolph, Fries
6 11 Brandon Farris, Marion
7 25 Andy Jolliffe Chilhowie
8 8 Jerry Dillow Bluefield
9 R10 Steve Skeen Abingdon
10 X9 Danny Bland Glade Spring
11 9 Chris Martin Marion
12 89 Dustin Dowell, Atkins
13 1 Gator Cornett, Sugar Grove
14 28W Zach Eaton Max Meadows
15 2 Randy Kincer,Rural Retreat
16 03 J.R. Davis Wytheville
17 22 Billy Cline Marion
18 3 Doug Monday, Max Meadows
19 28 Jimmy Buchanan, Wytheville