By Gary Daughtrey

HAMPTON, Va. -July 12, 2008- Nick Smith moved out front on the 142nd circuit and cruised to his second victory of the season in the Hampton Heat 200 for the Crossroads Fuel Service Late Model Stock Cars, the featured event of Saturday evening’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program at Langley Speedway.

Points leader Danny Edwards Jr. claimed the SunTrust Bank Pole Award during Friday evening time trials, qualifying at 88.604 mph. C.E. Falk was second-quickest and shared the front row with Edwards. Greg Edwards and Smith made up the second row, while Paul DeBolt and Davin Scites, driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports team, started from Row 3.

As Saturday’s race got under way, Falk remained on Danny Edwards Jr.’s flank. Edwards nosed ahead to lead lap 1, but Falk battled back and edged out front at the end of lap 2. Their duel was cut short when Bobby Spivey spun in Turn 2 on lap 3 to bring out the first caution flag.

On the restart, Danny Edwards Jr. quickly forged a one-length lead over Falk, stretching it to two lengths on the backstretch. Falk, meanwhile, was busy with Greg Edwards and Smith, who were both looking to move up.

The running order at the front remained the same until lap 27 when Smith nabbed third place from Greg Edwards with an outside pass. At the head of the field, Falk had drawn to within three lengths of Danny Edwards Jr. as the leader dealt with lapped traffic.

The second and third yellow flags slowed the proceedings at laps 30 and 36. That third caution resulted in the race’s first two retirees as Duane Shreeves and Eddie Johnson were sidelined for the night.

Back under green, Danny Edwards Jr. opened a slim margin, while Smith zeroed in on Falk for the runner-up position. As Falk and Smith tussled, Edwards gradually increased his advantage to four lengths and showed the way at lap 50 to bag a $200 bonus from Back Alley Bikes.

Caution #4 appeared on lap 68 when fifth-place DeBolt went around off Turn 2. The flagman continued to get a workout as the fifth and sixth yellow flags flew on laps 75 and 80.

Returning to green at lap 84, Falk skated a bit loose on the restart and Danny Edwards Jr. opened a three-length lead. Two laps later, Smith overtook Falk for the second spot, quickly driving away.

The seventh caution flag appeared on lap 97 when Wesley Falk spun off Turn 2 and collected Rick Gdovic, Ross Clements and Matt Waltz.

Circulating slowly around the .395-mile oval, the field reached the halfway mark and was brought to the pits for a planned break. As the leader at the midpoint, Danny Edwards Jr. banked another $200 bonus — this one from the Hampton Courtyard by Marriott.

The top 10 at lap 100: Danny Edwards Jr., Smith, Falk, Greg Edwards, Mark Wertz, Scites, Gary Weeks, Anthony Warren, Doug Godsey and Dean Shiflett.

The second half of the event got off to a rocky start as ninth-place Godsey and 10th-place Shiflett tangled at the end of the backstretch, collecting 11th-place DeBolt. Godsey and DeBolt were unable to continue, while Shiflett was directed to the rear of the field.

On the ensuing restart, Danny Edwards Jr. again eked out a narrow lead over Smith. Two car-lengths separated Smith and third-place Falk.

Behind the lead trio, the battle for fifth heated up on lap 113 as Scites drove to the outside of Wertz in Turn 4. He edged ahead at the end of lap 114 and cleared Wertz on lap 117.

At lap 125, Danny Edwards Jr. and Smith were still running nose-to-tail. Falk, however, had fallen more than half a straightaway behind.

The leaders dodged a major bullet on lap 135 when Matt Midgett spun in their path in Turn 4 to bring out the ninth yellow flag.

As the race resumed, Smith continued to pressure Danny Edwards Jr. for the top spot. His efforts finally paid off on lap 141 as he worked a fender alongside the leader off Turn 4, taking the lead in Turn 1 on the following circuit. Within a handful of laps, he had opened a two-length advantage.

The 10th, and final, caution flag was unfurled on lap 150 for a two-car altercation in Turn 2. As the leader at lap 150, Smith picked up a $200 bonus from Chili’s of Hampton.

Back under green, the front six — Smith, Danny Edwards Jr., Falk, Greg Edwards, Scites and Wertz — bolted in bumper-to-bumper formation. Falk took a quick peek to the inside of Danny Edwards Jr. in Turn 4, but was rebuffed. Meanwhile, Smith began to ease away, soon gaining a three-length edge.

On lap 157, Scites went after Greg Edwards for fourth, ducking underneath him in Turn 4. The two went door-to-door until lap 160 when Edwards regained control of the position.

By lap 170, Smith had widened his lead to half a straightaway over Danny Edwards Jr. The gap only grew larger on lap 172 when Edwards was trapped by slower traffic, allowing Smith to pad his margin.

At the finish, Smith was the winner by a whopping 5.181 seconds — better than a straightaway — over Danny Edwards Jr. Greg Edwards was third, having slipped by Falk on lap 186. Falk was fourth and Scites completed the top five.

Sixth place went to Wertz, followed by Warren, Weeks and Aaron Adams, the final driver on the lead lap. Shiflett was 10th, a lap down, in the official finishing order.

With bonus awards thrown in, Smith earned over $15,000 for the victory. The event was presented by the City of Hampton as part of their 400th anniversary celebration, which will culminate in 2010.

In Victory Lane after the race, an exhausted, but elated, Smith commented on his team’s efforts: “It was a great race tonight. First of all, I’ve gotta thank the guys behind me — Bobby Creech, who came all the way down from Richmond, the car builder; Charlie High, for sticking with me all week, getting this motor right. It’s just a great, great time for me. I’m so happy to be able to bring this 15 grand home for my team. To actually finish for us a race is a big goal this year. I’ve gotta give a big thanks to the City of Hampton, too, for putting this on for us tonight. I’m glad to bring it home.”

Asked about any halftime adjustments that may have picked him up for the final 100 laps, Smith noted, “We really didn’t change nothing halfway. We put two tires on, checked everything and went right back out racing. The first half, I told ‘em, I said, ‘The car’s good enough. I don’t really know of anything to change. If it’s anything, it’s just a tick loose off.’ Danny, I know he was a little bit loose coming off. I just stuck with it the second half and brought it home. The car was hooked up. What can I say? When it’s there, it’s there and she was definitely there tonight.”

In the evening’s other feature events:

Charlie Barclay started on the pole, at 74.933 mph, and sailed to his fifth victory of the year in a caution-free 25-lapper for the Med Express Urgent Care Super Trucks.

While Barclay leaped into the lead at the beginning of the event, his front-row colleague, Tommy Nixon, gave way to Hugo Belfiore, Robbie Davis and Brad Adams, falling to fifth on the opening circuit.

Heading into Turn 1 on lap 2, Belfiore drifted wide and was passed by Davis, Adams, Nixon and Troy Turnage. The shuffling continued on lap 3 as Nixon swiped third from Adams. In the meantime, at the front, Barclay had motored away by five lengths.

Nearing the halfway point, Davis and Nixon, the second- and third-place runners, found themselves mired in traffic. Barclay took advantage of their plight, extending his lead to over half a straightaway.

Heading for the finish, Barclay encountered some lapped traffic of his own. Rather than push the issue, the leader simply gave up a few truck-lengths from his hefty margin and eased his way to the checkers.

At the stripe, Barclay was the winner by 0.883-second — about four lengths — over Davis. Nixon was third, followed by Adams and Belfiore.

Matt Hockaday led from start to finish to post his fourth win of the season in the 25-lap E-Z Auto of Newport News UCAR feature.

Hockaday qualified on the pole, at 70.264 mph, and shared the front row with Randy Prillaman. Mike Joyner and Robbie Salas started in Row 2, while Allen Dail rounded out the top five on the grid.

The initial start went awry when three cars tangled in Turn 1 to bring out the first caution flag.

Finally under way, Hockaday powered into the lead. Joyner moved up to second, followed by Dail, as Prillaman dropped to fourth. Meanwhile, Dusty Connor, the winner of the two previous races, was off the pace. He would retire after just 10 laps, finishing 26th.

On lap 4, Dail scooted past Joyner to take the second spot. Prillaman tagged along and grabbed third. Greg Pass moved up to fourth, passing Joyner on lap 6. He gave up that spot on the next circuit, though, as Renno Marchetti IV advanced.

At lap 11, Hockaday enjoyed a five-car-length advantage over Dail. That nearly went out the window on lap 13, however, when Hockaday made contact with a lapped car off Turn 4, allowing Dail to close to within a car-length. Hockaday quickly righted the ship, though.

Marchetti picked up the third spot on lap 17, slipping under Prillaman in Turn 1 and clearing him off Turn 4.

The second caution flag waved on lap 21. Setting the lineup, Hockaday was the leader, followed by Dail, Marchetti, Prillaman and Joyner.

On the restart, second-place Dail failed to come up to speed immediately and Marchetti shot to his outside. Dail eventually got going and fought off Marchetti’s bid. The momentary lapse, however, allowed Hockaday to dash off to a five-length lead.

The last of the race’s three caution flags flew on lap 23 when Chris Hildebrand smacked the outside wall in Turn 1. The timing of the yellow was unfortunate for Prillaman, who was in the process of passing Marchetti for third.

Under green for a three-lap sprint to the finish, Hockaday opened a one-length edge, while Marchetti pushed Dail down the frontstretch. Through Turns 1 and 2, Dail gained some separation and began to close on the leader.

On lap 24, Prillaman overtook Marchetti for third and left the door open for Joyner, who grabbed fourth.

At the finish, Hockaday held on to win by a car-length — 0.239-second, to be precise — over Dail. Prillaman was third, followed by Joyner and Marchetti.

James Williams qualified on the pole, at 81.164 mph, and led all the way for his first win in the evening’s opening event, the 30-lap Standard Welding Pro 6 feature.

Casey Sipe started alongside Williams on the front row and briefly challenged for the lead on lap 1 before settling into second place. On lap 3, Sipe drifted wide in Turn 4 and left an open lane for Warren Smigo, who ducked to his inside. Before their battle could play out, though, the first caution appeared on lap 4 as Wesley Harris spun in Turn 2.

Back under green, Williams quickly forged a two-length lead over Sipe, while four more car-lengths separated Sipe from third-place Smigo. Three more laps were completed before the second, and final, caution flag waved as Lindsay Bryant and David Phelps tangled in Turn 1.

On the restart, Williams jumped out to a three-length lead, only to see Sipe narrow the gap on the backstretch. As the laps clicked off, though, Williams’ advantage grew, while Sipe fell into the clutches of Smigo.

On lap 14, Smigo drove under Sipe in Turn 1 and pulled alongside, nosing ahead at the stripe. Smigo cleared Sipe in Turns 1 and 2 on lap 15, but faced a half-straightaway deficit to Williams.

Over the second half of the event, Williams held a firm grip on the top spot, allowing Smigo to trim only a car-length or two from his lead. Meanwhile, Sipe continued to slip back, giving way to D.J. Watson on lap 20.

At the checkers, Williams, making just his second series start, was the winner by six car-lengths. Smigo was the runner-up, followed by Watson. J.B. Sipe bypassed Casey Sipe in Turns 3 and 4 on the last lap to take fourth place, leaving Casey Sipe in fifth.

RESULTS

Saturday, July 12, 2008

CROSSROADS FUEL SERVICE
LATE MODEL STOCK CARS
"Hampton Heat 200"
Fin. Pos. (Car #) Driver; Laps Compl.
1. (21) Nick Smith; 200
2. (26) Danny Edwards Jr.; 200
3. (84) Greg Edwards; 200
4. (40) C.E. Falk; 200
5. (86) Davin Scites; 200
6. (55) Mark Wertz; 200
7. (31) Anthony Warren; 200
8. (20) Gary Weeks; 200
9. (6) Aaron Adams; 200
10. (06) Dean Shiflett; 199
11. (90) Terry Carroll; 199
12. (01) Jeff Shiflett; 199
13. (97) Matt Midgett; 197
14. (44) Robbie Babb; 197
15. (12) Ross Clements; 197
16. (9) Mike Rudy; 195
17. (4) Matt Waltz; 189
18. (48) Shawn Balluzzo; 159
19. (05) Doug Godsey; 100
20. (34) Paul DeBolt; 100
21. (64) Rick Gdovic; 97
22. (41) Wesley Falk; 96
23. (67) Bobby Spivey; 94
24. (57) Eddie Johnson; 37
25. (38) Duane Shreeves; 37
Pole: D. Edwards - 88.604 mph.

MED EXPRESS URGENT CARE
SUPER TRUCKS - 25 laps
Fin. Pos. (Truck #) Driver; Laps Compl.
1. (33) Charlie Barclay; 25
2. (17) Robbie Davis; 25
3. (8) Tommy Nixon; 25
4. (51) Brad Adams; 25
5. (15) Hugo Belfiore; 25
6. (90) Troy Turnage; 25
7. (21) Rick Potter; 25
8. (18) Cory Millard; 24
9. (14) Debbie Biesecker; 24
10. (20) Buck Munger; 24
11. (7) Lloyd Holbrook; 23
12. (00) Aaron Baker; 23
13. (2) Chase McAdams; 8
Pole: Barclay - 74.933 mph.

E-Z AUTO OF NEWPORT NEWS UCARS - 25 laps
Fin. Pos. (Car #) Driver; Laps Compl.
1. (68) Matt Hockaday; 25
2. (89) Allen Dail; 25
3. (26) Randy Prillaman; 25
4. (20) Mike Joyner; 25
5. (01) Renno Marchetti IV; 25
6. (75) Greg Pass; 25
7. (25) Robbie Salas; 25
8. (57) Ben Zoellner; 25
9. (77) Andy Graham; 25
10. (12) Paul Hogge; 25
11. (00) Trey Taylor; 25
12. (1) Johnny Pereira; 25
13. (29) Matt Bond; 25
14. (22) Bill Eaker; 25
15. (69) Chris Hildebrand; 25
16. (3) John Reardon; 25
17. (82) Sammy Gaita; 25
18. (04) Doug Patrick; 24
19. (42) John Gonsalves; 24
20. (34) Thomas Nance; 24
21. (11) Jason Aukland; 20
22. (2) Michael Waters; 20
23. (24) Lauren Edgerton; 20
24. (15) Dillon Leland; 18
25. (88) Ron Shumate; 10
26. (14) Dusty Connor; 10
27. (19) Caitlin Antes; 0
Pole: Hockaday - 70.264 mph.

STANDARD WELDING PRO 6 - 30 laps
Fin. Pos. (Car #) Driver; Laps Compl.
1. (20) James Williams; 30
2. (41) Warren Smigo; 30
3. (8) D.J. Watson; 30
4. (14) J.B. Sipe; 30
5. (23) Casey Sipe; 30
6. (45) David Phelps; 30
7. (7) Matt Settlage; 30
8. (6) Bobby Hall; 30
9. (81) Lindsay Bryant; 29
10. (48) Wesley Harris; 3
Pole: Williams - 81.164 mph.

Have an opinion on this story? E-MAIL KARNAC to send a letter to the editor!