Date: Sunday July 20, 2008, 4:00 AM.
Further Info: Larry Thomas: lthomas@concordmotorsportpark.com (704) 782 4221

LOVE & CRUMP SPLIT CONCORD TWIN FEATURES

CONCORD, N.C. – Kevin Love of Midland, NC in the #88 A Plus Auto Salvage - Sogo Japanese Steakhouse 2006 Ford Fusion won the first of two Town & Country Ford Late Model Stock Car Features Saturday night at Concord Motorsport Park with Chuck Crump of Star, NC in the #8 R. L. Kellam Company 2008 Ford Fusion taking the second of the twin features during Tim Marburger Honda Night at the Races for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Other winners included Mike Terry of Charlotte, NC in the #23 J R D Earthworks - Truck Service of Charlotte - Maaco Paint & Body - Racing Electronics 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the J R D Earthworks Limited Late Model division; Charles Hutto of Monroe, NC in the #1 WIXE 1190 AM - Autotrader.com Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the Coca-Cola Pure Stocks; Chad Miller of Concord, NC in the #88 Auto Tech "DIRTY MO POSSE" Honda Prelude in the Tim Marburger Honda Fast & Furious Fours feature and Rusty Drye    of Rockwell, NC in the #84 Rimer Motors, Inc. Insurance Auto Auction "VIGILANTE” themed Dodge Diplomat in the Insurance Auto Auction Bootleggers Brigade.

The evening started with the first Late Model Stock Car feature with only six cars in the line up.  The eventual first-race winner was line up on the outside pole with Chuck Crump on the inside.  On the green flag all cars held position at speed for the entire first lap with all hitting in the line in the exact order they started, still two by two.  Three-time Late Model Champion Love finally closed the door and Crump challenged the whole 35-laps for the lead.  Without a caution, Love took the checkers with Crump second, Justin Hill of Concord third, Terry Brooks, Jr. of Concord fourth and Clint Almquist, originally of Blythe, California taking fifth.  Larry Benz of Harrisburg was sixth.

The second Late Model Stock car feature was held several events later, but we’ll pick it up here.  The full field was inverted for the second race and Larry Benz in the #4 Chevrolet held the point until a caution waved on lap 6 as Almquist’s mount came sideways off Turn Three.  On the restart terry Brooks, Jr. pushed to the point for three laps, Justin Hill took the lead on lap 9; Brooks back to the front on laps 10 through 12 and Crump taking the point at the end of lap 13.  Crump was able to pull away as Love and Brooks staged a side by side duel for several laps for the second position.  The trophy went to Crump with Love in second, Brooks third, then Benz, Almquist and Hill.  Hill had dropped back with mechanical ailments since lap 13.

The debate among the attendees was about which division put on the most exciting race of the evening.  The J R D Limited Late Models put on quite a show as Steve Ackerly from Medford, New York with the quick qualifying time in his #66 Town & Country Ford 2007 Ford Fusion and the draw put him on the outside row next to always-favored Jay Payne from Thomasville, NC in hi #08 2008 Ford Fusion.  Ackerly had stated in pre-race as he accepted his pole award that “The outside is fast here, let’s see if it is fast enough!”  On the green, Payne proved that the inside is pretty quick, too and took the lead at the end of lap 1.  Ackerly wasted no time in proving that his car was quick as well and the battle was on with Ackerly forging to the front on lap 5 on a restart.  The #66 held the lead until lap 38 when the two made contact in Turn Three in front of the entire field!  In the melee that followed, it looked like all dozen cars were involved.  As the competitors unpiled, David Miller in the #74 Ken Wells entry wound up with the lead, Mike Terry in second.  Payne and Ackerly pitted for repairs just before the red flag was displayed.  On the green-white-checkers restart, Miller went wide coming off Turn Three to the finish and Terry was able to slip by for the win.  Terry first, Miller second, Kenny Sigmon of Denver, NC in the #48 Chevrolet was third, with Ackely and Payne claiming fourth and fifth respectively.

The Coca -Cola Pure Stocks went almost without problems as only one caution flag flew during the 30-lap run when David Good took a spin in his #77.  Charles Hutto of Monroe claimed his fifth trophy of the season with Cooper Faasen, also from Monroe second, Jeff Melton (dropping out of Late Models to run Limited and Pure Stock) claiming third, Todd Bradburry fourth and Clinton Baker finishing fifth.

Chad Miller of Concord in his #88 Honda Dale, Jr. look-alike was a bumper-length winner in the Tim Marburger Honda Fast & Furious Fours feature.  Second place finisher Tracy Mullis of Indian Trail in the #55 Honda battled hammer and thong with Miller for the last few laps, each leading alternate laps towards the end.  Third went to a closely following Jake Simpson of Albemarle, fourth to Eric Kimrey of Norwood and fifth was Sean Simpson, Son of Jake.

Rusty Drye of Rockwell won a race-long, three-way battle with David Miller of Concord and Kirby Allen of Rimertown with Miller and Allen claiming second and third in order in the Insurance Auto Auction Bootlegger Brigade 25-lap race.  Matt Drye was fourth and David Hutchens fifth.

There is no racing Saturday July 26th as the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour unexpectedly cancelled the event this past Wednesday, just 10 days before the touring show was scheduled.  While we at Concord Motorsport Park offer our apologies, this was a decision by the ASA SAT and was not of our choosing.

The next event on the half-mile then is Saturday August 2nd as the Cabarrus Convention and Visitors Bureau presents the next round of the Whelen All-American Series.  Once again, there are twin 35-laps features for the Town & Country Ford Late Model Stock Cars, 40-laps for the J R D Earthworks Limited Late Models, 30-laps for the Coca-Cola Pure Stocks, 20-laps for the Tim Marburger Honda Fast &  Furious Fours and 25-laps for the Insurance Auto Auction Bootlegger Brigade.

Wednesday evening the United States Auto Club is again organizing their “Midweek Mayhem” on the quarter-mile track.  There are racing features for WKA go-karts, The USAC Ford Focus Midgets and the Stadium Stocks, a four-cylinder mini-stock division. 

Complete schedule and ticket prices are available at concordmotorsportpark.com.

Concord Motorsport Park is located on Highway 601 South of Concord.  For information call 704-782-4221 or visit the website at www.concordmotorsportpark.com

July 19, 2008 Results>>