Lawrence, Arnold Take Home Twin Wins.......7/19/08
It was like a throw-back to the old days at the
Old Dominion Speedway. Many long-time fans will remember the exciting
35-lap features that were part of a fantastic night of high-powered short
track racing. Saturday night was no exception as the stars of the NASCAR /
Whelen All-American Series competed in not one, but two 35-lap features in
one evening at the famed 3/8 mile oval. After the dust had settled,
Willard Lawrence from Haymarket Va., driving a back-up car, picked up his
6th win of the season in the first event, and Michael Arnold from
Brandywine broke into the win column for the first time in 2008, taking
the checkers in the nightcap. 95 degree temperatures and high humidity
gripped the track, and qualifying showed it as track times were down a
bit. Lawrence was able to slip and slide his way around the track, taking
Quick Qualifier Award number 6 in his old reliable # 7 Chevy after his
primary Foster's Grille Pontiac developed rear-end problems in practice.
His quickest lap time was a 16.272, just ahead of last week's feature
winner Ray Terczak's Dulles Jet Center Chevy, who circled the speedway in
16.325 seconds. Arnold was third quickest in his EV AirTight Pontiac with
a 16.440 lap, followed by the H.O.Engen Chevy of Les Miranda with a 16.444
lap. Adam Brenner's Moe's Southwest Grille Ford (16.501) and Mike Southard
in the Try-It-Racing Chevy (16.617) rounded out the top 6. With the
inversion, Miranda wound up on the pole for the first event, with Arnold
to his outside. When the green flew, Miranda darted out in front, and led
the first 3 circuits, before Arnold took over for the next 3. Lawrence,
who had started third, took over on lap number 7 and never looked back,
taking the win some 2.228 seconds ahead of Terczak, who was closing at the
end, but ran out of laps. Arnold held on for third, while Southard,
Brenner, and Robert Bruce rounded out the top 6. In the second 35-lap
feature, and after the inversion, Arnold would start from the pole
alongside Southard. The green dropped and Arnold led the charge into turn
one. Southard held onto the second spot until lap 25 when he got hung out
in the outside groove, and was pushed back to the 4th spot by lap 32.
Lawrence, who had started from the 6th spot, finally broke free of traffic
after 25 laps, and was running Arnold's ill handling machine down by about
3/10's of a second a lap, but ran out of time and finished just .176
seconds behind him. Finishing third was Terczak, followed by Southard,
Brenner, and Bruce.
Roger Austin Jr. took over the lead on lap 9 with a
bold, three-wide pass coming out of turn 4, and took home his 4th win in
2008 in the 30-lap Finish Line Towing / INEX Legends feature. Kristin
Keyes started on the pole for the feature after the inversion, and led the
first 2 circuits before veteran Roger Austin Sr. took over the top spot on
lap 3. Austin Jr. was busy making his way up through the field, battling
with Matt Cannon and point leader David Polenz. Austin Sr. went high in
turn 4, Cannon went low, and Austin Jr. split the difference with the move
of the night, and took the top spot as the field completed lap 9. For a
while, it looked as if it would be an Austin 1-2 finish, but the elder
Austin faded, and finished a distant 5th. Austin would go on and take the
checkers 1.020 seconds ahead of John Jansen Jr. Polenz would cross the
stripe in third, followed by Cannon.
(NOTE: Fuel samples have been taken from the top
4 finishers and sent off for testing - as a result, the Legends finishing
order is UNOFFICIAL at this time)
Jeff Beamer picked up his first-ever
feature win in the 20-lap Victory Lane Graphix / Advanced Auto Care UCAR
feature. Beamer was able to hold off long-time friend and rival Billy
Ingle for the win on his birthday. Following Beamer and Ingle were point
leader Bryan Fox, followed by Albert Anderson and Greg Sites.
Davey
Callihan picked up his third feature win in the Mini Modified 30-lap
feature, holding off point leader Bobby Able at the end. Jason Darne would
finish third, followed by Scott Gore and Keith Riley. Next Saturday night,
the Late Models compete in a 75-lap event. Also on tap is a 30-lap feature
for the Legends, a 30-lap feature for the Mini Modifieds, and twin 15-lap
features for the UCARS. Practice begins at 2PM, qualifying is set for 5PM,
with racing action taking the green at 7PM.
Photos From 7/19/08:
Top Row:
Late Model Feature Winners:
Michael Arnold & Willard Lawrence
Bottom Row:
Roger Austin Jr. - Legends Winner
Davey Callihan - Mini Modified Winner
Jeff Beamer - UCAR Winner
