Bandits @ County Line Press Release

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Official Press Release
April 25, 2011
Stephens City, VA – SSB Office
Written By: Mike Donald

The D & D Auto Recycling Steel Block Bandits are the Real Men of “Steel”, but the capacity crowd on hand at County Line Raceway watched local driver, Neal Sykes, “steal” the show in the Bandits 2011 season-opener Saturday evening in North Carolina.

Sykes, of Holly Springs, N.C., seemed content hanging in the top-five until he managed a pass on Rockbridge Baths, Va.’s Booper Bare for the lead on lap 33. Sykes then pulled away to claim victory in the 40-lap, $3,000 to win D & D Auto Recycling Steel Block Bandits feature event.

Sykes started sixth and did not appear to be the favorite to win as the capacity crowd watched Dustin Mitchell, Damon Kotke, Bare and Ray Tucker via for the top spot. Kotke, of Louisburg, N.C., grabbed the early lead and held it for the first 29 laps. However, the lead did not come easily as he was forced to hold off a hard-charging Mitchell, who kept the nose of his car at Kotke’s left-rear quarter panel for many laps. While this battle ensued, Greensboro, N.C.’s Tucker battled Bare fiercely for the third spot.

Near the halfway mark, Tucker retired from the event after succumbing to mechanical issues. Four laps later, Pine Level, N.C.’s Mitchell suffered a flat right-rear tire that temporarily forced him to the pit area. This allowed Bare and Sykes to mount a challenge on Kotke. Bare overtook Kotke for the lead on lap 30 as Sykes followed suit to move into the second spot. Bare held the lead for three laps until Sykes stormed to the lead on lap 33 and never looked back. As Sykes roared into the Ernie D’s Enterprises victory lane, Kotke slowed and retired from the event on lap 37.

Bare held on for second while a hard-charging Spencer Liggon, of Lucama, N.C., grabbed third. Winchester, Va.’s Bo Feathers finished fourth after moving up nicely from his fourteenth-starting position. Defending Steel Block Bandits point champion, Walker Arthur of Forest, Va., stormed from his twenty-third starting position to finish fifth. Arthur was forced to take a provisional starting spot after a crash in his heat race relegated him to the B-Main. His fifth-place finish in the B-Main was one spot shy of the transfer spot.

Matt Cosner, of Cumberland, Md., and Billy Beachler, of Franklin, W.Va., moved through the field nicely from their sixteen and eighteenth starting positions during the feature event. Cosner claimed sixth while Beachler took seventh. Mitchell recovered to take eighth-place honors. Travis Hair, of Fayetteville, N.C., took ninth while Bobby Bottoms, of Rocky Mount, N.C., rounded out the top-ten. Bottoms qualified for the feature event by winning the B-Main earlier in the evening.

Kristian Looney, of Bridgewater, Va., finished 11th. The 2009 SBB champion qualified for the feature event after a daring three-wide move on the last lap of the B-Main put him into a transfer spot. Glen Burnie MD's Bruce Kane followed Looney across the stripe in the feature to finish 12th.

Prior to the feature and B-Main, the Bandits competed in three heat races. Bare, Kotke and Mitchell were the winners of those eight-lap events.

This Saturday, April 30th, the D & D Auto Recycling Steel Block Bandits will travel to Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Md., to compete in the Greg Kerr Memorial, $4,100 to win event. This will mark the Bandits’ first-ever visit to the historic Maryland facility. Please check steelblockbandits.com and hagerstownspeedway.com for more information.

County Line Raceway A-Main finish.
1. Neal Sykes - Lazer Chassis Move of the Race (Lap 33)
2. Booper Bare – Market America Fast Time
3. Spencer Liggon
4. Bo Feathers – RJ Custom Homes Top Crew of the Race
5. Walker Arthur – Muddslinger Web Services Hard Charger (Started 23rd)
6. Matt Cosner – Glory Days Grill Young Bandit of the Race
7. Billy Beachler
8. Dustin Mitchell
9. Travis Hair
10. Bobby Bottoms
11. Kristian Looney
12. Bruce Kane
13. Rick Singleton
14. James Batten
15. Kyle Merkel
16. Damon Kotke
17. D.J. Troutman
18. Matt Howsare
19. Trevor Peoples
20. Ray Tucker
21. Christian Joyner
22. Joey Leavell
23. Britches Liles
24. R.E. Cubbage

The Crims Trailer Sales B-Main finish
1. Bobby Bottoms
2. Bruce Kane
3. Kristian Looney
4. Matt Howsare
5. Walker Arthur
6. Eddie Groome
7. R.E. Cubbage
8. Bryan Bernheisel
9. Rick Hulson
10. Don Woodruff
11. Austin Holcombe

The Cline Construction Heat Race #1 finish
1. Booper Bare
2. Ray Tucker
3. James Batten
4. Britches Liles
5. Rick Singleton
6. Matt Cosner
7. Bruce Kane
8. Matt Howsare
9. J.R. Overstreet
10. Walker Arthur
11. Mitch Miller

The Cline Construction Heat Race #2 finish
1. Damon Kotke
2. Christian Joyner
3. Spencer Liggon
4. Travis Hair
5. Bo Feathers
6. Kyle Merkel
7. Bobby Bottoms
8. Bryan Bernheisel
9. Eddie Groome
10. Don Woodruff

The Cline Construction Heat Race #3 finish
1. Dustin Mitchell
2. Neal Sykes
3. D.J. Troutman
4. Joey Leavell
5. Trevor Peoples
6. Billy Beachler
7. Rick Hulson
8. Kristian Looney
9. R.E. Cubbage

Special thanks to the following: Market America, D&D Auto Recycling, Ernie D’s Enterprises, Glory Days Grill, Cecil B. Arthur General Contractors, Bernheisel Race Components & Lazer Chassis, WRT & Cliff Dove Motorsports Photography, Revolution Band, Muddslinger Web Services, Walrus Signs & Embroidery, Hoosier Tires, Advanced Race Wear, Crims Trailer Sales, Area Auto Racing News, In the Pits Radio 106.7 The Fan, Go Fast Be Safe, Handy Dans Landscaping, Cline Construction, All About Doors, Merkel Rebar, ARC Race Cars, Cecil B. Arthur Bucking Bulls & Beef Farm and Omps Garage.

www.steelblockbandits.com