Beckley Waits Out Mother Nature
5 min read
May 10, 2014- Mother Nature tried to stop last night’s racing, but we waited her out and got a great show in! The night started with a bang with now new track owner Rick Strattis announcing that that he and his family had bought the track and that the drivers and fans would ALWAYS have a place to race! That’s right fans and race teams! Strattis and his family now own Beckley Motor Speedway!
Even with all the rain the Maxwell’s did an awesome job preparing the track. Chuck and Jeff put a lot of hard work into prepping the track and in the end it payed off. Even with all the rain the track surface was smooth and very racey!
Headlining our Mother’s Day Weekend event were our Super Late Models. This weekend the class was up to 8 cars! Wayne Hughes once again set the fast time blazing around the track at a 13.269 and picking up the $100 for fast time. The first late model heat race was a barn burner between Wayne Hughes and Kennie Compton. Kennie took the early lead in heat one with Wayne falling back. Then about half way through Kennie slipped up and Wayne was back on him. Wayne drove it in hard on the low side and would take the Heat 1 win. Heat 2 was dominated by Ricky Williams. As the feature approached everyone was anxious to see what would happen. The guys rolled out onto the track and the engines were roaring. Going into turn one it got wild! With Wayne falling back to forth and Tre Martin moving past Jeff Lilly from his 6th place starting spot. Ricky Williams took the early lead. Ricky lead the race until lap 15 battling Kennie Compton. Then Kennie overtook him in turns one and two and it was off to the races. Meadows and Hughes also battled hard for 3rd. At the end Kennie Compton would pick up the win with Ricky Williams running 2nd. Wayne Hughes took 3rd with Chris Meadows running a close 4th. The top 5 was wrapped up by Tre Martin. The race went caution free and only took 6 minutes and thirty-six seconds to run!
The Open Wheel Modifieds brought a strong car count of 14 cars. Tate Hughes took the fast time at a 14.525. The heat races went to Tate Hughes and Steve Stover. The feature was caution marred. The event only ran 11 laps before reaching it’s time limit. Two cautions in turn 1 on the start start damaged many of the cars. Once the race got going Steve Stover took the early lead. It looked like his race to win. Late in the race Michael Moore came on strong from the back after causing the caution. Michael Moore got Stover on the last lap for the feature win. Stover brought home 2nd followed by Tate Hughes, Joe Cox and Jacob Shafer rounding out the top 5.
The Crate cars had one stacked field last night with 10 cars in attendance. Ricky Williams set fast time at a 14.483. The heat races were won by Eddie Hambrick and Tyler Cox. In the feature Kennie Compton who started way back in 6th place went to quick work. Working his way through the field. By lap 8 he had worked his way all the way to the lead and never looked back. Following Kennie was Rick Williams and Christ Meadows took 3rd from his 7th place starting position. Tyler Cox and Eddie Hambrick rounded out the top 5.
The Outlaw Street Car class also went up from 4 cars in week one to 6 in week two. Freddie Mooney has his 6M car on a rail in the heat race and won it. The Outlaw heat race went caution free just like the Super Late Models. Kenny Meadows took to the early lead and never looked back as he picked up the win. Freddie Mooney took 2nd after a hard fought battle with David Ferreira who took 3rd. Rounding out the top 5 were Daniel Lowe and and Kevin Fitzwater who had a battle of their own.
The street stocks brought 22 cars out. The heats were won by George Pierce, Bradley Richardson, and Robert Richardson. The B-Main was won by Arnold Lambert. The feature was caution filled and the driver’s only got to run 11 of their laps before the caution and checkered flag were finally throw together. The Green Team continued their dominance, but with Brad Richardson winning this time and Robert Richardson running second. 3rd went to Ranse Cline and Greg Pierce and took 4th. All the way from 15th place Brandon Williams brought home a top 5.
The hornets had 6 cars in attendance for racing action. Brandon Adkins won the heat race. The feature went caution free. DJ Critchley won the feature followed by Brandon Adkins. The rest of the top 5 went to Jesse Raynes, Blake Ellis, and Wade Skaggs.
Congratulations to Wayne Hughes, Ricky Williams, and Tate Hughes on picking up the $100 for the fast times in qualifying. The Hughes boys have really dominated qualifying this year so far. Out of 4 qualifying sessions they have been in they have two poles and two 2nds. We’ll all have to see if they can continue it this weekend!
The Mother’s Day Special Powder Puff race had 4 cars enter. 1 1/2 Tiffany Richardson won it, but she is a regular driver of the hornet class. Of the rest of the ladies who do not usually race Lucy Fitzwater took her husbands 1K around the track faster then the rest. After the race she was really excited and said it was her first time ever in a car. Following Lucy was Chelsie Hall who brought out and early caution and Jennifer Seanze who spun out on the last lap coming to the checkered flag. All in all probably the best Powder Puff in a long time! Thanks for the show ladies!
Thanks to all the fans, drivers, and teams who supported Beckley Motor Speedway! We couldn’t do it with out all of you! We can’t express how much we appreciate each and everyone of you!
Remember this Friday May 16th the Gold Rush! $2,000 to win and $200 to start. With $200 to the fast time from Allen and Sons Construction. Also their will be a kid’s Gold Rush at intermission with 3 lucky kids winning bikes courtesy of Hanover Contracting!
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