Boy...heading to Danville was not looking good.......we went through some rain and felt it would be very shaky getting the races in today...........glad we were wrong...
We got there pretty early and sit and watched the cars pull in.
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.........at around three I headed to the pit area...
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At the pit gate I ran into Craig Conyer and his wife Katie and their 1 year old son Gabe... what a charmer he is...
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Also saw Team #22 getting their tickets
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Was really nice to see some drivers that I had not seen in a while....I got some updated pictures of Tim Reynolds, Ed Roley, and Wes McClara....and Jeff Leka...
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I ran into Shelby Miles and got some pictures and finished his interview...
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I also ran into Jammie Wilson who had his little guy Chase with him... Jammie told me he was taking the year off... has been in racing 17 years and wanted some time with his son.... great call Jammie...
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Saw Rodney Gould, Greg Short's crew chief...Was nice to see him again...was giving me info on the Charleston race... told me Chad Evans had won saturday night.... way to go Chad..
Saw Steve Arpin there but not get a chance to talk with him..... heard later that night his dad had a heart attack.... so very sad... sending him my thoughts and prayers....
I went over to Team #22's and talked with the guys a while and then headed to Team #7r's to wish Kent Robinson a Happy 21st Birthday and talk with his mom Becky, dad JB and sister Bethany..
I then went over and talked with Pam Leka.........that is when I found out that Justin was going to race his Kidz Mod......... I did not realize they were there..... those cars look just like the modifieds..
I had to find JUstin so I could interview him......he is such a great kid...
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Justin introduced me to the rest of the Kidz Mods boys : Billy Pierce, Kyle Hammer, and Zac Bunten
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They told me that Kali Fuqua was there also .......so I went looking for her
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Make sure you watch for their interviews.... they were so cute....
I also got interviews with Devin Gilpin who is 17....with Jeb Friedman who is 27....and Jeff Curl who is 29...
NOw for the racing...........
There were 67 modifieds that came out to qualify..
It was hard to hear the announcer so not real sure about the times so will not put them on..I know that Jared Landers was 15.151.....Jeff Leka was 15.163 ..Chad Kinder was 15.277....and Steve Arpin was 15.343...
There were seven heats.....top two go to feature........3 consi's and a B Main
In heat one on start the 4, 32 and 6b tangeled....total restart...Danny Schwartz got out to the lead and never looked back with Josh Ferguson 2nd......Shelby Miles just missed making the feature and has to settle for a consi along with Friedman, Hensen, Conyer, Schwengel, Baldwin and #42
Heat two went off without a hitch...Arpin who started on front row outside crossed the finish line first with Denny Schwartz who started third crossed over second.......Landers and Cook 3rd and 4th and going to a consi along with Losh, Ransom, Burnside, Haga, Hastings and Wagner
Heat three the #1 of Sandage brings out a caution.....a second caution comes out for debrie on the track.... the 292a pulls off the track.......Jeff Leka gets into the lead and never looks back..the #18 of Huddleston held on to the 2nd spot til almost end of heat and the #62 of Shuman got around him...Huddleston to the consi along with #0, Burton, Reynolds, Moore, Rivers and Sandage..
Heat four ran pretty smooth with Rob Fuqua and Gilpin running a good race for that first spot with Fuqua winning out.......crossing 3rd and going to a consi was Weaver and following him was Kiger, Roley, May, Ryan Cary, Short, #7 and Hines...
Heat five also ran smooth with Kinder taking the lead and not looking back...John Demoss took an impressive 2nd and on to A Main......going to the consi is Spatola, Guss,jr, Laster, Roger Cary, Milburn, McClara, #10 and #37
Heat six Gabe Menser who started outside front row took the win with Eric Bruce who started pole finished second...on to consi is Wheatley, Curl,#461, Shain, #29 and Stedinger...
Heat seven a caution came out on the checkered flag lap for the #42 of Wenger....he pulled off..
Kent Robinson who started pole got out to lead and never looked back..Chad Evans crossed 2nd..consi is Lakey, Pohlman, Hancock, K Hastings and Warner..
top three from each consi goes on to feature.......
Consi one Landers wins with Lakey second and Pohlman third, Curl fourth
Consi two there was a jump start and then a caution for debrie on the track...
Weaver got out to the lead right away.....the #18 of Huddleston held on to 2nd for a while and then was passed by Cook and Hensen...........the #128 of Stedinger took 5th and Hancock took 6th
In consi three there was a caution for the #29 who stopped on the track avoiding the #24 car who had got sideways on the track....
the #29 hit the tire in turn four...no caution...#29 goes off track...
caution comes out for the #97 of Arby Burton who spins in turn two....
Spatola takes the checker with Kiger, Wheatley, Reynolds, Roley, Conyer, Guss,jr
In the B Main the #128 of Wes Stedinger won... he had the choice of taking $500 or going on to the Main Event...........his car owner had him go to the feature....
Just missing out was 2nd place of Jeff Curl and 3rd place of Tim Reynolds...
The feature was star studded... not a weak link in the line up.....
Kinder and Robinson was on the front row........Kinder only stayed in the lead for one maybe two laps and Kent Robinson made his way around him..............then Kinder lost ground to Danny Schwartz...you could tell Chad was struggling with his car....
the first caution comes out for Denny Schwartz who got into one of the tires..
during this caution a crash between the 2f of Ferguson and the #1 of Gilpin...Gilpin pulls off with a lot of sheet metal damage....
running order is Robinson..Da Schwartz, Arpin..Kinder...Fuqua..Leka..De Schwartz..Demoss..not sure why Schwartz did not have to go to tail for stopping on track..
Not sure how many laps were in before Danny Schwartz got around Robinson...maybe seven...
The running order stayed Schwartz, Robinson, Arpin Kinder, Fuqua, Schwartz, Leka, for about three laps when Denny Schwartz made his way up to 4th........about three more laps go by and then Denny takes Robinson.... after another lap or two Kinder gets around Robinson...
running order now is Da Schwartz, Arpin, De Schwartz, Kinder, Robinson, Fuqua, Leka, Demoss, Weaver, Landers, #1, Cook,Stedinger, Shuman, Evans, Kiger and Hensen
At half way mark it is Da Schwartz, Arpin..De Schwartz..Chad Kinder..John Demoss...Rob Fuqua..Jeff Leka...Jared Landers..Kent Robinson..Kevin Weaver
37 laps in it is Schwartz, Arpin, De Schwartz, Kinder, Demoss, Landers, Leka,Weaver,#1, Robinson, Cook, Stedinger,Shuman,Evans,Ferguson,Kiger,Hensen,Haga,Wheatley,Spatola
With 18 to go Landers is behind Kinder...........the #64 of Cook is all over Robinson...Robinson is squeezed between Cook and Ferguson... dont know how there was not an accident....
Seven laps to go Robinson, Hensen, Shuman, Evans, Ferguson all collide...Ferguson is off...
Landers gets around Demoss and Kinder.......
Finish: Danny Schwartz, Steve Arpin, Jared Landers, Denny Schwartz, Chad Kinder, John Demoss, Kevin Weaver, Jeff Leka, #1, Gary Cook ,jr,Chad Evans, Kent Robinson, Don Kiger, Randy Shuman, Mike Spatola, Jamey Hensen, Chuck Haga, and David Wheatley
The modified feature was over at 12:30 am......the show was really drug out over three intermissions and about that many pauses in between events..... there was sportsman, street stock, kidz mods and power pack races also...
The kidz mods show was really cute.... was glad to get to see the kids race.... I just think there were too many different classes for the night............
In the Kidz mods the winner was Billy Pierce with Justin Leka taking second and Zac Bunten third..Kali Fuqua crossed over fouth.......Kyle Hammer dns..
All in all the racing was good.........my only complaint was it was too drug out..but... that is a way to sell hotdogs.... and if you need to make money that is a way to do it...
The announcer was ok but did not name off the drivers very well... he would mention the winner and that was about it....
They gave away a lot of giveaways which i thought was great but wished they would have done it during intermissions and not while racing was going on...
I wont get into the payout being cut because that is between the drivers and the promoter... I do think however the guys would not be quite as upset if he had just stuck to saying he was cutting the payout and not saying that he would keep it the same if he drew enough cars and had a crowd.......in the drivers eyes there were plenty cars and a great crowd..........
I had a great night.......saw a lot of good racing........weather held out thank goodness...now I am ready to go racing again...............LETS GO RACING...
AND JUST TO ADD A NOTE:
Right now it is a real trying time for all.... I do hope that all of our local tracks make it.... Without our support they won't............... I also know that the drivers are in a bind too..... drivers do have to be more picky in where they go and how far they drive........the gas prices are going to eat us alive...
There just isn't a good solution..........the promoters have to have the cars to be able to pay the payouts and to pay for the upkeep of the track.........the promoters are going to have to cut the payouts if they don't get the cars.......
The drivers........they are going to have to stay closer to home and most will look for a money show to go to................but.........if the tracks don't honor the payouts the drivers are not going to trust them enough to go the extra mile to race at that track...........
Pit passes...gate passes are going up...........that means it is harder for a family to go racing...
I think it is Vermilion Co that does have a family pass for $30 where a family with kids can get in... I think that is great........... I about fell over this weekend when I saw a racecar driver buying a pitpass for his year old son.........that does not seem right !!!! I think if a driver is coming to the pits with his wife and family.........his children under twelve should not have to pay to get in.....jmo..........
Have I rambled on enough??? Dont answer that !!!!!!.........hope to see ya at the races soon...
cj