Keith Smith Captures Mod Squad Spectacular

By Chuck Greenslate
Keith Smith captured the annual Keaton’s Collision Center Mod Squad Spectacular, and Delmas Conley’s luck finally changed in the Late Models. Meanwhile, history was made for the second straight week in the Sport Mods with Emily Jordan becoming the first female to win multiple PRP features.
Nearly 100 race teams were on the scene Saturday night with 49 Modified drivers hoping to claim PRP’s Mod Squad Spectacular, which paid $3,000 to win. R.W. Rental and Supply Modified drivers came from Tennessee, Indiana, North Carolina, as well as Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
The feature event was a dandy with great racing throughout the field. Up front, Indiana driver Devin Gilpin led the first 19 laps of the 30-lap feature before Keith Smith of Stanton, KY took the lead.
Smith held on to take the win holding off Jake Hawkins and Gilpin. That trio raced hard throughout the duration of the race, especially late. Jeremy Rayburn and Shon Flanary rounded out the top five. Craig Christian, Jody Puckett, Adam Jordan, Michael Paul Howard, and Scott Lemaster made up the rest of the top 10.
Christian advanced seven positions in the feature to be named the Markwest Ranger Pipeline Hard Charger. Ironically, he also drove from dead last to first en route to winning one of the two Modified B-Mains.
In the Giovanni’s Pizza Late Model Division, things finally went veteran racer Delmas Conley’s way. At 74 years of age, Conley has been running as fast at PRP this season as he has for a long while. He’s been a contender in nearly every race, but over the last month he’s been plagued with bad luck every week.
His radiator cap came off one week. On another night he was leading and got together with a lapped car which was exiting the track. It has just been one thing after another, but Conley was not to be denied this past weekend.
While Conley wound up winning by a considerable margin, it took a little while for him to get to the front. He started on the outside of row one and faded back to third. Polesitter Shannon Thornsberry appeared to be the class of the field early on, but Conley got by him with 15 laps remaining and never looked back.
For the second week in a row Nick Bocook placed second. Robbie Lewis, Kenny Christy, and Josh Bocook made up the rest of the top five with Thornsberry, Kenny Howell, Dennis Little, Kirk Phillips, and Ron Hinds rounding out the top 10.
Emily Jordan returned to winner’s circle in the Sport Mod Division. The young woman from South Webster added to her points lead, as she led every lap of the A-Main. While Jordan became the first female to win two PRP features, she wasn’t the only female up front Saturday night.
Coal Grove’s Brianna Robinson placed second. The 17-year-old stayed within striking distance of Jordan throughout the entire race.
With Jordan and Robinson finishing first and second, PRP fans witnessed yet another first in the Sport Mods. Saturday’s Sport A-Main marked the first time two women had finished in the top two spots.
Making up the rest of the top 10 were Brian Sammons, Jr., Billy Baldridge, Derek Richmond, Mitchell Fields, Cody Gifford, Jimmy Spillman, Harley Martin, and Phil Kouns.
Portsmouth Raceway Park will be off this coming week but will return to action on Saturday, August 20th for the 22nd annual running of the Fred Dillow Memorial featuring Giovanni’s Pizza Late Models, R.W. Rental and Supply Modifieds, O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Lates, as well as M & M Inflatables Bombers. Gates will open at 4 p.m. with racing at approximately 7:30.