201 Speedway Aug. 3rd. “Carrier Jr collects $5000.00 Hatfield McCoy Late Model Checkers at 201 Speedway in front of record Crowd”. Months of anticipation ended Sat. night with the first running of the Hatfield McCoy Feuding 50 Late Model feature at one of Kentucky’s longest running dirt tracks. The30 year old racing facility just north of Paintsville welcomed race fans as early as three o clock as the parking area on top of what once was a reclaimed strip mine quickly filled with fans from the area as well as neighboring states in what would be the largest crowd of spectators ever recorded at the 201 Speedway. Salt Rock West Virginia’s Eddie Carrier Jr made the fastest Late Model qualifying circuit around the newly surfaced red clay surface of 201, setting fast time in the Carl Grover motorsports, 2013 rocket chassis with a best lap of 13.050 picking up an additional $100.00 courtesy of Mountain comprensive healthcare. Four Late Model heat races would take the top four to the A Main Feature, with Carrier Jr taking the checkers in heat one, Isom’s Stephen Breeding taking his “Trane Heat Pumps”, Southern Steel #5 to the second heat race win. Former track record holder Zach Dohm of West Virginia scored the win in the 3rd Late Model Heat, and Wheelersburg Ohio driver R.J. Conley picked up the final heat race win in the Conley Trucking Entry. Only two would be taken out of the 15 lap B main and when the checkers hit the air it would be one of the most familiar #’s in the area as Prestonsburg Trucking owner/operater Paul Harris bested a good field of local and regional drivers earning his starting position the 50 lap A Main for the Twin Bridge Auto Parts, Merrion Brothers monuments sponsored #10. Track provisional’s want to the #9 of Willard’s Terry Hicks, and Brandon Fouts. Carrier Jr started the 50 lap main event from the inside pole, flanked to the inside by the #5 of Stephen Breeding. The start saw the field quickly stack up three wide six rows deep in the field as an early two wide battle developed for second behind Carrier with the #17 of Zach Dohm cutting a line to the inside of Breeding in the corners finally completing the pass then looking to run down Eddie Jr. Breeding set his #5 up to the outside of turn four opening a Lane for R.J. Conley’s #71C as he and Breeding rounded the track wheel to wheel on the opening laps and the advantage to Breeding. A blanket would cover the front two of Carrier Jr, and Dohm with Zach using a solid run off the fourth turn to draw right up to the rear buber of Eddie Jr Breeding would loose the 3rd spot behind the leaders when Wooten Ky’s D.J. Wells dove his #11 to the inside of Breeding in turn two and despite Stephen making a run back at him D.J. completed the pass by the flag stand on the next time by. Lap 12 put the caution out for only the second time, setting up a re start which saw the front runners stack up three wide for second with Dohm running the bottom groove, D.J. Wells in the middle and Conley three lanes up Conley made a strong run through turn three drawing right up to the rear bumper of Wells, then taking his car to the outside of four on the next lap and overtaking Well’s third spot by the start finish line then going after Dohms’s second position. With Carrier Jr controlling the point, Dohm’s second spot faced the challenge of Conley with R.J. getting his fastest run at the entrance of turn three then setting up to the outside lane of turn four to draw side by side with Zach all the way by the flag stand and through one and two and down the back stretch. Lap 17 had Conley’s #71 staying in the throttle a little longer than Dohm off turn four and powering to the runner up spot. Over the next two circuits, Conley continued to find the tall side of turn four to be the quicker way to the front stretch, then on lap 19 Conley’s line less than a foot off the turn four wall propelled the Wheelersburg ohio driver past Carrier Jr for the lead. Eddie Jr would challenge Conley to the inside of the corners keeping with a couple of feet of the new leader. Racing for 3rd again saw wheel to wheel action when Dustin Linville also set his #D8 to the higher side of the racetrack and after chasing Dohm for several laps would complete the pass for 3rd. Up front it remained close between Conley and Carrier Jr. Eddie was quicker at the entrance of turn three, but Conley’s run up against the outside wall in turn four kept him on the point as the field saw the half way sign from long time flagman Bucky Tackett. Carrier Jr remained committed to the inside of the corners with a completely different line, just a foor or so off the turn four wall for Conley. As they stayed under the green, Conley managed to put some distance between he and Carrier Jr, as Eddie fell into the challenge of Linville. Lap 29 saw Carrier Jr get one of the best runs of the night off of turn two, reeling back in the leader, Conley as the two veteran Late Model drivers again set up another wheel to wheel battle for the lead with Linville right there a couple of feet back making it a three way battle for the $5000 Late Model checkers. Carrier Jr was able to pull ahead of Conley in the middle and off of turn two, but again R.J.’s high run through three and four put him back out front with 10 laps to go. With the race staying under the green, they entered lap traffic by lap 34 with Conley and the leaders having to pick lanes to maintain the momentum and protect their position while Conley and Carrier Jr often stayed side by side even in the traffic. After a fierce battle for the lead between Conley and Carrier Jr, lap Conley’s run into turns three and four would cost him the lead as he had to catch his car after getting into the loose clay in the middle of turn four, while Carrier Jr took advantage powering to the inside to re take the lead. Carrier Jr. extended his advantage over the next several laps, running the outside line off turns two and four with Conley getting pressure from Linville until Dustin took a strong run into turn one getting to the back bumper of Conley who ended upturned around in the middle of the corner. Officials charged the late race caution to Linville forcing him to the rear of the field with only a handful of laps to go. The final restart had Carrier Jr on point followed by Conley, Dohm, and Josh McGuire. Eddie would pull away ahead of a three way battle between, Dohm to the bottom lane, McGuire in the middle and Conley making it three wide for the runner up spot running the outside line. McGuire was the fastest off the fourth turn with Dohm to his inside and Conley to the outside. When the $5000 Hatfield McCoy Feuding 50 checkers hit the air, it would be the “Salt Rock Express” Eddie Carrier Jr. taking the win by half a straight a way in the Carl Grover Moterspoorts, “Engines Inc.”, “Blue Ridge Machinery & Tools”, “Hoosier Race tires”, “B.P. Fuels” “Integra Race Shocks” sponsored 2013 Rocket Chassis. Closest race would be for the runner up spot with Conley in second on the white flag lap, Dohm, McGuire and Conley within a couple of feet of each other. McGuire would power through the middle of the pack, pulling ahead off the final turn to score the runner up finish in the “H.C.I Drilling” DJ’s Kitchen Korner G.C.P race engine powered JMR Chassis, followed by Wheelersburg Ohio’s R.J. Conley, and Charleston West Virginia’s Zach Dohm. Open Wheel modified feature had Salyersville’s Scott Lemaster to the outside of Barboursville Ky’s Tommy Bailey and on the start of the 20 lap feature Bailey went to the front with lemaster trying to open a lane to the inside of the first set of corners as the #21 of Jim Barnett made it a three way battle to the outside of Lemaster . By the 5th circuit Lemaster used a solid run off the 2nd corner to draw right up to the numbers on bailey’s door, but Tommy kept a smooth line through the turns holding back the charge of Lemaster after the two waged a wheel to wheel race down the backstretch with the advantage remaining with Bailey. Lap four had the #A1 of Minnie Ky’s Allen Turner rolling his machine in the center of turn four, yet Turner was able to emerge from his ride and walk away from a scary barrel Roll. Lemaster continued to keep the charge on Bailey with a faster run into turns one and two, yet Bailey’s line off the corners would keep the Barboursville Ky driver in control of the point and see Bailey lead every lap of the feature enroute to the feature win in the Vic Hill racing engine powered, Berneil Racing G & M Oil Co. Tommy’s Auto Repair, Lighting chassis. Salyersville’s Scott Lemaster finished a car length back for the runner up spot in the “Jenny Wiley Liquors, Giovanni’s of Prestonsburg sponsored machine followed by UK Registered Nurse, Jim Barnett and Mudcreek’s Ervin Vance. Final feature of the night had Veteran driver Jim Lemaster of Falcon score the Bomber feature win in the Greg Howard owned, “Dexter’s Grocery”, Dyer’s Barber Shop” of Salyersville”, Nappa Auto Parts of Salyersville & West Liberty” sponsored 84 Monte Carlo followed across the stipe by Ryan Robertson, and Chris Blanton making a one two three Magoffin county finish. Track owner Jarrod Breeding and everyone at the 201 speedway would like to sincerely express their appreciation in making the first annual Hatfield McCoy Feuding 50 such a huge success with a record number of fans/drivers from seven states filling the 30 year old reclaimed strip mine turned dirt track. It was announced Sat. night that next year the Hatfield McCoy event will pay $7500.00 to the winner. This Sat. night 201 will host double features making up for the rained out event from two weeks ago. Full field run downs from racing at 201 plus the complete Late Model feature can be found by visiting the 201 Speedway page on face book.