Winchester Speedway Update

May 4th, 2008

Rain….the story of the night at Winchester for the second week. The difference? This week despite almost a night long sprinkle and an extended rain delay during the Semi-Late main event all four events went off as scheduled. With the Cumberland/Winchester Clash for the Semi-Lates taking precedent, and along with the Late Models, Pure Stocks, and 4-Cylinders a fabulous night of racing was to be held.

LATE MODELS:

Tommy Armel, annual competitor for the Late Model championship has had several good runs this year, including a second behind Stuhler at Hagerstown during the Shootout event a few weekends ago, has of yet not collected a checkered flag on the season. He started up front in his dazzling black fifteen car, alongside was the pepsi blue 99 of Mike Hardy, it was Armel who took the lead like a shot from the green. Behind Gerald Davis, of Delray, WV, began a torrid race with Mike Hardy that would end up with him in the second scoring slot and Wes Bonebrake in tow in third. Gerald Davis was looking for his second consecutive at Winchester, but would be felled in lapped traffic. After struggling with the lapped machine of Berryville’s Greg Elrod, the two would make hard contact on the frontstretch coming to a stop joined together at the entrance to turn one. Elrod would return but retire several laps later, Davis was done for the night. Tommy Armel continued his fast pace and held a big lead over Mike Hardy, behind the lead duo a duel was shaping up between Hagerstown’s Wes Bonebrake, Stephen City’s Allen Brannon, and Winchester’s Bo Feathers who was driving the Preston Dietz D1 for the first time this season at Winchester. Occupying three separate lines the three drivers battle all over the track for position. Meanwhile it was Tommy Armel putting his first win in the bank collecting the checkers over Mike Hardy, it was Brannon at the line for third, with Feathers, and Bonebrake rounding out the top five. Heat races for the 27 Late Models went to Bob Gordon, Johnathan DeHaven, and Gerald Davis.

Heat 1: Bob Gordon, Wesley Bonebrake, Moe Harden, Shane Coffey, Chuck Clise, Greg Elrod, Tony Crim, Lewis Hudson DNS: Bubby Tharp Jr. Heat 2: Johnathan DeHaven, Tommy Armel, Allen Brannon, Bo Feathers, Brian Tavenner, Kris Eaton, Brad Omps, Bob Williams DNS: Scott Sweeney Heat 3: Gerald Davis, Mike Hardy, Jared Powell, Denny Bonebrake, Matt Hardy, Walter Crouch, Herk Armel, Jimmy Richards, Mitch Miller

FINISHING ORDER(25 laps) 1 15 Tommy Armel 2 99 Mike Hardy 3 30 Allen Brannon 4 D1 Bo Feathers 5 5B Wesley Bonebrake 6 24 Shane Coffey 7 13D Johnathan DeHaven 8 2* Jared Powell 9 37F Denny Bonebrake 10 01 Moe Harden 11 52 Kris Eaton 12 31 Bob Gordon 13 01H Matt Hardy 14 93 Tony Crim 15 92 Walter Crouch 16 37 Brian Tavenner 17 5C Chuck Cliser 18 8 Greg Elrod(DNF) 19 28 Gerald Davis(DNF) 20 5 Brad Omps(DNF) 21 95 Mitch Miller(DNF) 22 1 Bubby Tharp, Jr(DNF) 23 13 Jimmy Richards(DNF) 24 500 Herk Armel(DNF)

SEMI-LATE MODELS

If one had to pick one word to describe Allen Brannon’s season thus far, it would have to be domination. It doesn’t matter where he starts, he is always up front at the end and usually in victory lane. If anyone was expecting different it wasn’t to happen tonight, even with The Allegany County Speedway sending some representatives in to compete with the Winchester drivers in the Cumberland/Winchester Clash it was definitely no night to be the rest of the field. Doug Hardy took the jump at the green, but it wasn’t long before Allen Brannon was knocking at the door, and off the yellow machine went from that point, at lap 15 though it would appear that we would be coming back to finish this event as the night long sprinkles finally precipitated into a full out shower, brining the race to a halt and the cars pitside. But with winds pretty stiff the short shower did not have an effect on the track and soon the cars would see the green again, but once again no one had anything for the Lester Nichols prepared, Allen Brannon driven machine as Brannon collected his third win of the short season. Doug Hardy would take second, Sean Dawson, Brian Buckler, and Kris Holliday rounded out the top five. Heats for the 19 cars went to Kris Holliday and Dan Zechman.

Heat 1: Kris Holliday, Brian Buckler, Sam Crouch, Sean Dawson, Mark Jones, Travis Stickley, Bubby Tharp Jr., Robbie Holmes, Don Woodruff, Mitch Miller Heat 2: Dan Zechman, Allen Brannon, Matt Sponaugle, Doug Hardy, Bryan Wright, Jimmy Richards, Leon Lloyd, Scott Sweeney, CJ Brown

FINISHING ORDER(30 laps) 1 11 Allen Brannon 2 00 Doug Hardy 3 06 Sean Dawson 4 2 Brian Buckler 5 88 Kris Holliday 6 62 Mark Jones 7 8 Matt Sponaugle 8 14W Bryan Wright 9 66 Don Woodruff 10 13 Jimmy Richards 11 11B C.J. Brown 12 01 Leon Lloyd(DNF) 13 95 Mitch Miller(DNF) 14 88Z Dan Zechman(DNF) 15 97 Robbie Holmes(DNF) 16 32 Travis Stickley(DNF) 17 92 Sam Crouch(DNF) 18 1 Bubby Tharp, Jr.(DNF) 19 44S Scott Sweeney(DNF)

PURE STOCKS

After two consecutive weeks of first time winners, it was a past winner who would return to victory lane on this night. Taking the lead from the green from Mike Carter was Buddy Wilson. Wilson would assert his lead over Mike Carter as the race ran along. Carter seemed to have a hold on second with Bryan Kerns in tow, but Kerns was able to work himself into second and began to chase down the leader. Several cautions would come out in the waning laps of the 15 lap Pure Stock feature. Each time the green came out Bryan Kerns would pull alongside Wilson on the outside, time and time again the move was attempted but Wilson’s horsepower carried him back into the lead off every corner. And that was all Wilson needed as he took his first checkers of the season, Carter held on for third, most recent winner James Gray, Jr. was fourth, and Mike Rose the winner the week prior to Gray was fifth. Heats for the 22 cars went to Mike Corbin(debuting his new ride in the Saffelle 42*) and James Gray, Jr.

Heat 1: Mike Corbin, Mike Rose, David Kaiser, Bryan Kerns, Michael Carter, Tony Stoneberger, Greg Willingham, Ricky Henry, Zack Reid, Ray Priest, Brandon Gither Heat 2: James Gray Jr., Matt Kerns, Donnie Kenney, Mike Bennett, Andy Atkins, Buddy Wilson, Chris Grady, Eddie McClellan, Jimmy Parrill, Eric Johnson, Tom Quappro

FINISHING ORDER(15 laps) 1 27 Buddy Wilson 2 83 Bryan Kerns 3 15 Michael Carter 4 29 James Gray, Jr. 5 64 Mike Rose 6 33 Donnie Kenney 7 42* Mike Corbin 8 12 Tony Stoneberger 9 1* Matt Kerns 10 31A Andy Atkins 11 88P Ray Priest 12 0K David Kaiser 13 170 Eddie McClellan 14 9 Ricky Henry 15 35 Tom Quappro 16 25 Chris Grady(DNF) 17 23W Greg Willingham(DNF) 18 1M Mike Bennett(DNF) 19 4 Zack Reid(DNF) 20 1J Eric Johnson(DNF) 21 37 Jimmy Parrill(DNS) 22 00 Brandon Gither(DNS)

4-CYLINDERS

Its been first timer fever in the Pure Stock division this year, but its been Tommy Whitt and Delmas Moreland running things in the 4-Cylinders as they have been the only winners in the young season. This race though would feature a new winner on the season, Chuck Johnson and Butch Mayo ran up front early, Allen Whitt, Jr the brother of Tommy Whitt, was looking for his first win, and he was able to take second from Mayo early, and then moved in on Chuck Johnson, the two would engage for several laps for the lead, literally door handle to door handle in the corners. The fastest car on the track seemed to be Allen’s brother Tommy as he was quite apparently making a charge through the field. Meanwhile up front Allen was finally able to fully wrestle the lead from Johnson as the race continued caution free. Chuck was unable to close back the distance, and Tommy Whitt’s charge would end just short of a top five as he would take joy in the fact that his brother would take his first career checkered over Johnson, Mayo would take third, Stacy Crider and Randy Linaburg would round out the top five. Heats for the 21 cars went to Tommy Whitt and Billy Sonner.

Heat 1: Tommy Whitt, Butch Mayo, Dickie Tharp, Chuck Johnson, Rodney Hoffman, Lester Riley, Matt Harshman, Graham Smith, Dave Grim, Greg Keister Heat 2: Billy Sonner, Allen Whitt Jr., Stacy Crider, Richard Hawkins, Randy Linaburg, Shawn Sturtz, Jeff Koller, Delmas Moreland, Mark Digges, Bobby Burton, Paul Thornley

FINISHING ORDER(15 laps) 1 33 Allen Whitt, Jr. 2 82S Chuck Johnson 3 15M Butch Mayo 4 91X Stacy Crider 5 17 Randy Linaburg 6 74 Tommy Whitt 7 51 Rodney Hoffman 8 3 Dickie Tharp 9 00 Billy Sonner 10 5 Lester Riley 11 38s Mark Digges 12 12C Delmas Moreland 13 21C Jeff Koller 14 79 Paul Thornley 15 1 Greg Keister 16 47 Matt Harshman 17 88 Shawn Sturtz 18 46 Graham Smith 19 23 Bobby Burton(DNF) 20 20 Richard Hawkins(DNF) 21 22 Dave Grim(DNF)