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Conley Clinches K-C Late Models
Pinkerton Picks-up Modified Win/Adams Absolute in Reno Hobby Stockers
CHILLICOTHE, OHIO-A large crowd, sparked predominantly by "Carload Night" saw Late Model Hall of Famer and defending track champion Delmas Conley, Wheelersburg, Ohio school the youngsters by picking up his fourth K-C Raceway win of the year in the AMRA Late Models at Jeff and Vicki Schrader's K-C Raceway Saturday night. Dave "Fireball" Pinkerton, Chillicothe, claimed the AMRA Modified main over a fine crop of cars and the "Dominator" Jamey Adams captured an exciting Dan Reno Hobby Stock main.
In a thrilling Hobby Stock main event, two former champions, Tommy Mossbarger and Bruce Gray, Jr. paced the field to starter Daryl Owen's green flag. Mossbarger controlled the first three laps with Gray in tow, but quickly a storming Brandon Thompson took over second from Gray and began to work on Mossbarger.
On lap five Thompson, a two-time winner last season, stoked the coals to take the lead for the next seven circuits. By this time, one could have thrown a blanket over the top six cars. Thompson was on the point with Mossbarger, Gray, Adams, Brandon Mather and Jim Hildebrand all well within his clutches.
On the tenth circuit Adams took over second and began to run down Thompson. Adams rifled by Thompson on the high side, then a Thompson slide job retook the lead only to have Adams again charge to the front. At the start of lap 13 Thompson again took the lead, but a spin reverted back to lap twelve, placing Adams back on top.
Numerous adjectives, all of a positive nature, could describe Adams. But most of all 'winner' is the most revealing. Adams held off Thompson on a trio of restarts and raced to what was reported as his seventh straight win of the year. Prior to the races, the track announced that a Bounty was on Adams in the amount of $42, his car number for each week he wins. Whoever can beat Adams will collect the bounty now set at $84 (42 +42) next weekend.
Thompson and Mossbarger continued great seasons with top three finishes. Mike Brust finished strong with a top five, while Mather continued another strong evening ahead of two K-C chargers Jack Martin and Butch Eblin. Keith Dubois and Jim Hildebrand recovered from an early race collision with blasts of the tail and into the top ten. Mather was the hard charger in a 13th to 5th place run.
Behind Adams in the top ten were Thompson, Mossbarger, Brust, Mather, Martin, Butch Eblin, Dubois, Patrick Park, and Jim Hildebrand.
Mike Wilson, Circleville, Ohio started the night with quick time and led nearly all of his heat race, only to have racing legend Delmas Conley pull off the late race win. It was déjà -vu for Wilson in the feature. Wilson looked to be on a rail for the first 16 laps and was well out in front of the field. Wilson's lead was eclipsed on lap 12 as a caution waved, but the Circleville flyer jammed her into high gear for a great restart. Shannon Roese rode in the wake much of the time from his outside pole start, but Chad Smith and Conley picked off the most recent hard-charger Roese for second and third. Smith began reeling in Wilson, gaining turf each and every lap with Conley on his rear quarters.
Racin' Jason Perry, Kevin Wagner, and early contenders Russ Frohnapfel and Dean Boyd dueled for position in the lead pack, and Tony Roush made some headway after losing a driver shaft in his heat. Both Frohnapfel and Roush later were sidelined, ending potentially good runs.
As Smith fought to catch Wilson, Conley tried all his expertise to get by Smith. Smith closed the door on Conley as Conley dove low, and hard-on-the-binders as the two cars touched. Smith was whistled for the no-stop infraction and went to the tail, where he began a kamikaze blitz back to the front.
Conley gunned down Wilson on the 16th marker and never looked back as the tires on the Conley Trucking Rocket appeared to kick in. Many fans were on their feet cheering for a Chad Smith comeback, but time ran out on the gas-man's run. Meanwhile, Kevin Wagner, always a good runner at K-C, got faster as the race went along. The driver of the #33 finished a healthy third, while Smith won a last lap battle with Racin' Jason Perry for fourth.
Pete Brunton, who suffered mechanical woes early this season, shook the bad-luck tag to finish 6th and earn hard-charger honors after starting 14th. Randy Wynett and two welcome guests Nick Latham and Carl Dillow battled hard into the top ten along with Tommy Bigham.
At the finish it was Conley, Wilson, Wagner, Smith, Perry, Brunton, Wynett, Latham, Dillow, and Tommy Bigham.
The drama-filled AMRA Modified main was a nail-biter as well. Nearly every fan in attendance stayed until the final checkered flag, captured for the third time this year by Dave "Fireball" Pinkerton. Heat winners Jeremy Rayburn and Pinkerton paced the field to the initial start. Rayburn was set back a row for a jumping violation, sparking a charge that kept everyone on edge later in the race.
Bob Crace, Jr. and Pinkerton set the pace for the second start with the latter taking the lead and never looking back. But it wasn't easy. Crace challenged early, then diced it up with Jeremy Berwanger and Rayburn a close fourth. An unidentified spinning car, collected several other contenders between turns three and four. Casualties of the pile-up were defending champion Brian Whiteman and former champ Bud Frazier. Top runners Jeremy Berwanger, Kevin Delany, T.J. Harper, and Steven Duty also got caught up in the melee.
With Berwanger out, Crace, Jr. was again poised for a run in second with Rayburn nestled closely behind. Mark Kaetzel, Lonnie Kidd, and Mark Bailey were consistent all evening. Pinkerton built up a lead in lapped traffic, as Rayburn dove by Crace for second. As the laps ticked away, Rayburn consumed Pinkerton's huge lead and poised himself for a chance at the win.
Rayburn reeled in Pinkerton and was within two car lengths with three laps to go, then narrowed the gap even further.
A last lap caution set up a green-checkered finish just as Rayburn was ready to make his move. On the restart Crace--in third-- tangled with a lapped car and spiraled over the turn two embankment just as Rayburn set up Pinkerton for a possible challenge.
Rayburn's car expired before the next restart leaving Mark Kaetzel as the most likely contender to unseat Pinkerton. The drama never unfolded as the #8 Horizon/McDonald's car headed to victory lane. C.J. Ferguson, Brian Moore, Bill Thorla, Bob Hurst, Jr., and Patrick Hayes all endured with good runs into the top ten. Ferguson challenged Bailey for another rung up the ladder, but Lonnie Kidd--the race hard-charger sacked both for third in a 14th to 3rd run.
Rounding out the top ten were Pinkerton, Kaetzel, Kidd, Bailey, Ferguson, Moore, Thorla, Hurst, Jr., Hayes, and Rayburn.
K-C will not run next Saturday, but will host a Special Friday Night Spectacular dubbed "The Night the Stars Come Out". The feature event hosts both the O'Reilly All-Star Circuit of Champions Outlaw Sprint cars and powerful Late Models. Due to the Lucas Oil event being cancelled at another track, several Late Model stars from the series have indicated they will attend the K-C event along with a host of other big name drivers in both divisions. Hobby Stocks will be the support division.
Pinkerton Picks-up Modified Win/Adams Absolute in Reno Hobby Stockers
CHILLICOTHE, OHIO-A large crowd, sparked predominantly by "Carload Night" saw Late Model Hall of Famer and defending track champion Delmas Conley, Wheelersburg, Ohio school the youngsters by picking up his fourth K-C Raceway win of the year in the AMRA Late Models at Jeff and Vicki Schrader's K-C Raceway Saturday night. Dave "Fireball" Pinkerton, Chillicothe, claimed the AMRA Modified main over a fine crop of cars and the "Dominator" Jamey Adams captured an exciting Dan Reno Hobby Stock main.
In a thrilling Hobby Stock main event, two former champions, Tommy Mossbarger and Bruce Gray, Jr. paced the field to starter Daryl Owen's green flag. Mossbarger controlled the first three laps with Gray in tow, but quickly a storming Brandon Thompson took over second from Gray and began to work on Mossbarger.
On lap five Thompson, a two-time winner last season, stoked the coals to take the lead for the next seven circuits. By this time, one could have thrown a blanket over the top six cars. Thompson was on the point with Mossbarger, Gray, Adams, Brandon Mather and Jim Hildebrand all well within his clutches.
On the tenth circuit Adams took over second and began to run down Thompson. Adams rifled by Thompson on the high side, then a Thompson slide job retook the lead only to have Adams again charge to the front. At the start of lap 13 Thompson again took the lead, but a spin reverted back to lap twelve, placing Adams back on top.
Numerous adjectives, all of a positive nature, could describe Adams. But most of all 'winner' is the most revealing. Adams held off Thompson on a trio of restarts and raced to what was reported as his seventh straight win of the year. Prior to the races, the track announced that a Bounty was on Adams in the amount of $42, his car number for each week he wins. Whoever can beat Adams will collect the bounty now set at $84 (42 +42) next weekend.
Thompson and Mossbarger continued great seasons with top three finishes. Mike Brust finished strong with a top five, while Mather continued another strong evening ahead of two K-C chargers Jack Martin and Butch Eblin. Keith Dubois and Jim Hildebrand recovered from an early race collision with blasts of the tail and into the top ten. Mather was the hard charger in a 13th to 5th place run.
Behind Adams in the top ten were Thompson, Mossbarger, Brust, Mather, Martin, Butch Eblin, Dubois, Patrick Park, and Jim Hildebrand.
Mike Wilson, Circleville, Ohio started the night with quick time and led nearly all of his heat race, only to have racing legend Delmas Conley pull off the late race win. It was déjà -vu for Wilson in the feature. Wilson looked to be on a rail for the first 16 laps and was well out in front of the field. Wilson's lead was eclipsed on lap 12 as a caution waved, but the Circleville flyer jammed her into high gear for a great restart. Shannon Roese rode in the wake much of the time from his outside pole start, but Chad Smith and Conley picked off the most recent hard-charger Roese for second and third. Smith began reeling in Wilson, gaining turf each and every lap with Conley on his rear quarters.
Racin' Jason Perry, Kevin Wagner, and early contenders Russ Frohnapfel and Dean Boyd dueled for position in the lead pack, and Tony Roush made some headway after losing a driver shaft in his heat. Both Frohnapfel and Roush later were sidelined, ending potentially good runs.
As Smith fought to catch Wilson, Conley tried all his expertise to get by Smith. Smith closed the door on Conley as Conley dove low, and hard-on-the-binders as the two cars touched. Smith was whistled for the no-stop infraction and went to the tail, where he began a kamikaze blitz back to the front.
Conley gunned down Wilson on the 16th marker and never looked back as the tires on the Conley Trucking Rocket appeared to kick in. Many fans were on their feet cheering for a Chad Smith comeback, but time ran out on the gas-man's run. Meanwhile, Kevin Wagner, always a good runner at K-C, got faster as the race went along. The driver of the #33 finished a healthy third, while Smith won a last lap battle with Racin' Jason Perry for fourth.
Pete Brunton, who suffered mechanical woes early this season, shook the bad-luck tag to finish 6th and earn hard-charger honors after starting 14th. Randy Wynett and two welcome guests Nick Latham and Carl Dillow battled hard into the top ten along with Tommy Bigham.
At the finish it was Conley, Wilson, Wagner, Smith, Perry, Brunton, Wynett, Latham, Dillow, and Tommy Bigham.
The drama-filled AMRA Modified main was a nail-biter as well. Nearly every fan in attendance stayed until the final checkered flag, captured for the third time this year by Dave "Fireball" Pinkerton. Heat winners Jeremy Rayburn and Pinkerton paced the field to the initial start. Rayburn was set back a row for a jumping violation, sparking a charge that kept everyone on edge later in the race.
Bob Crace, Jr. and Pinkerton set the pace for the second start with the latter taking the lead and never looking back. But it wasn't easy. Crace challenged early, then diced it up with Jeremy Berwanger and Rayburn a close fourth. An unidentified spinning car, collected several other contenders between turns three and four. Casualties of the pile-up were defending champion Brian Whiteman and former champ Bud Frazier. Top runners Jeremy Berwanger, Kevin Delany, T.J. Harper, and Steven Duty also got caught up in the melee.
With Berwanger out, Crace, Jr. was again poised for a run in second with Rayburn nestled closely behind. Mark Kaetzel, Lonnie Kidd, and Mark Bailey were consistent all evening. Pinkerton built up a lead in lapped traffic, as Rayburn dove by Crace for second. As the laps ticked away, Rayburn consumed Pinkerton's huge lead and poised himself for a chance at the win.
Rayburn reeled in Pinkerton and was within two car lengths with three laps to go, then narrowed the gap even further.
A last lap caution set up a green-checkered finish just as Rayburn was ready to make his move. On the restart Crace--in third-- tangled with a lapped car and spiraled over the turn two embankment just as Rayburn set up Pinkerton for a possible challenge.
Rayburn's car expired before the next restart leaving Mark Kaetzel as the most likely contender to unseat Pinkerton. The drama never unfolded as the #8 Horizon/McDonald's car headed to victory lane. C.J. Ferguson, Brian Moore, Bill Thorla, Bob Hurst, Jr., and Patrick Hayes all endured with good runs into the top ten. Ferguson challenged Bailey for another rung up the ladder, but Lonnie Kidd--the race hard-charger sacked both for third in a 14th to 3rd run.
Rounding out the top ten were Pinkerton, Kaetzel, Kidd, Bailey, Ferguson, Moore, Thorla, Hurst, Jr., Hayes, and Rayburn.
K-C will not run next Saturday, but will host a Special Friday Night Spectacular dubbed "The Night the Stars Come Out". The feature event hosts both the O'Reilly All-Star Circuit of Champions Outlaw Sprint cars and powerful Late Models. Due to the Lucas Oil event being cancelled at another track, several Late Model stars from the series have indicated they will attend the K-C event along with a host of other big name drivers in both divisions. Hobby Stocks will be the support division.
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