By Bob Reed

KERENS, WV -May 3, 2008- From his inside pole starting position Steve Shaver, Vienna, WV. piloting his Shaver Motorsports/Cosgrove Racing Team, Malcuit powered, Victory Circle Chassis LM led all 50 laps at the Elkins Speedway to capture his first ever Independent Racing Series LM Feature which was worth $5000.

Shaver stated after the race that he had been staying close to home so far this year and had not raced much in 2008. “I have been preparing this new Victory Circle Chassis by Billy Moyer plus with the high cost of fuel have been staying close to home.”

Shaver and Tim Dohm led the 25 car field to the green with Shaver getting the jump on Dohm and leading the first lap over Dohm, 3rd starting Robbie Blair, 6th starting Duane Chamberlain, fast qualifier and 4th starting Mike Knight and 9th starting Joe Loudin. Shaver and Dohm were in a close fight for the lead for the first couple laps as 2nd quick qualifier and 5th starter Butch McGill slowed going down the back straight on lap 3 and stopped in turn 3 bringing out the first caution of the night. McGill was the first casualty of the night as he went pitside and did not return.

At this point Shaver led Dohm, Blair, Chamberlain, Loudin, Knight, Chuck Harper, Paul Wilmoth Jr, Booper Bare and Doug Horton. On the restart Jared Hawkins spun in turn 4 bringing out the 2nd caution and once again bunching the field.

On the 2nd attempt at a start the field was again stopped but this time with a red flag. Going into turn 3 Chuck Harper and Paul Wilmoth Jr touched with Harper turning in front of the field. When this happened, Devon Friese, Jacob Hawkins, Charlie George, Billy Holbert and Dave Hess made significant contact and stopped while several others had to take evasive action. Friese drove off with a flat right rear and much body damage and never returned. George and Hawkins were towed off. Hess and Harper drove pitside and returned while Holbert returned to the action. The officials put Wilmoth to the tail for making contact with Harper.

This was the 3rd and final caution of the night.

When the green flew Shaver, Dohm and Blair began checking out on the field. Shaver caught the rear of the field and began lapping cars on lap 15. At the checkered only 13 cars were on the lead lap. Dohm pressured Shaver often but never could make the pass for the lead. Blair began coming on strong in the final 10 laps or so and passed Dohm on lap 47 for 2nd and was pressuring Shaver at the checkered. Mike Balzano started 16th and worked by Joe Loudin in turn 4 on the final lap for 4th.

At the checkered Shaver over Blair by less than a car length with a couple cars back to Dohm then several cars back to Balzano and Loudin who were side by side at the checkered. Heats to Chamberlain, Harper, Steve Wilmoth and Dohm while brothers Jake and Jared Hawkins won the 2 B Mains. Shaver won the dash. Knight was the quick qualifier @ 14.642.

Notes: Shaver’s Victory Circle Chassis is owned by Shaver Motorsports and is sponsored by Drywall Systems Inc, United Bank, Lakeview Estates, Malcuit Engines, Sunoco Race Fuels, Penske Racing Shocks, Hyperco, Bert Transmissions, Poske Performance and Mason Racin.

Notes: The 25 car field was made up from 4 from each of the 4 heats, 3 from each of the 2 B-Mains, 2 IRS Provisionals ( Rick Aukland & Andy Bond) and 1 Track Provisional (Billy Holbert). 17 cars were running after 50 laps with 13 on the lead lap. Hard charger of the race was Balzano who started 16th and finished 4th, a gain of 12 spots. 39 cars from 7 states ( IN, MD, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV) took time.

Notes: Joe Loudin was the best finishing local as he ran 4th almost the entire distance and finished 5th as he lost a spot on the final lap. Tim Senic also had a good run as he started 21st and finished 10th, a gain of 11 spots. Chuck Harper who went to the tail after being involved in the final caution on lap 3 came back to finish a fine 13th.

Notes: Charlie George again had bad luck this week as he was involved in the lap 3 wreck a tore up his second car in two weeks of action at the track. Dusty Hamrick had fuel pump problems during qualifications and scratched for the night.

In companion action Vic Vandergrift won his 3rd Miller’s Used Cars AMRA Modified feature in a row by again leading all 15 laps for the win. This week his car got real tight near the end and he almost lost the lead first to Dave Defibaugh on the white flag lap and then to Louie Krushansky on the final lap. Vandergrift held on, but barely, to edge Krushansky with Jason Defibaugh 3rd, Tom Sigler 4th and Mike Murphy 5th.

In PS action Dusty Swecker won his first of the year by leading all 15 laps. 4th starting Swecker jumped to the lead on the first lap while the winner from the first two weeks Spec Yokum spun out on lap 2 and went to the tail. He could never fight back and finished 5th. At the checkered Swecker led Brian Blake, Brandon Kerr, Dustin Isner and Yokum. Heats to Yokum and Blake.

RESULTS

BUDWEISER LM – IRS Feature – Steve Shaver, Vienna, WV; Robbie Blair, Titusville, Pa; Tim Dohm, Cross Lanes, WV; Mike Balzano, WV; Joe Loudin, Buckhannon, WV; Mike Knight, Ripley, NY; Duane Chamberlain, Richmond, IN; Booper Bare, Rockbridge Baths, VA; Doug Horton, Bruceton Mills, WV; Tim Senic, Elkins, WV; Eddie Carrier Jr, Salt Rock, WV; Jared Hawkins, Fairmont, WV; Chuck Harper, Beverly, WV; Steve Wilmoth, Clarksburg, WV; Billy Holbert, Fairmont, WV; Rick Aukland, Zanesville, OH; Andy Bond, Coolville, OH; Bob Gordon, Keyser, WV; Jimmy McCloud, Elkins, WV; Paul Wilmoth Jr, Clarksburg, WV; Devin Friese, Chambersburg, PA; Charlie George, Elkins, WV; Jake Hawkins, Fairmont, WV; Dave Hess Jr, Waterford, PA; Butch McGill, West Union, WV.

Dash – Shaver, Dohm, Blair, Knight, McGill.

Ht 1 – Chamberlain, Loudin, Knight, Blair, Hess, Senic, Cody Parker, Chuck Clise, Rick Bond, Rick Williams.

Ht 2 – Harper, Wilmoth Jr, McGill, Friese, Jake Hawkins, Holbert, Bond, Shawn Poling, Aukland, L.C. Powers.

Ht 3 – Steve Wilmoth, Bare, Shaver, George, Jared Hawkins, Bo Feathers, Gordon, John Over, Anthony Arbogast. DNS - Brad Harris.

Ht 4 – Dohm, Horton, Carrier Jr, Balzano, McCloud, Kevin Keene, Kris Southern, Brad Hudson Jr, DNS - Dusty Hamrick.

B Main #1 – Jake Hawkins, Hess Jr, Senic, Bond, Parker, Holbert, Bond, Powers, Clise, Poling. DNS – Aukland, Ricky Williams.

B Main #2 – Jared Hawkins, Gordon, McCloud, Feathers, Keene, Over, Arbogast, Southern, Hudson Jr. DNS - Harris, Hamrick.

MILLER’S USED CARS AMRA MODIFIEDS

Feature – Vic Vandergrift, Louie Krushansky, Jason Defibaugh, Tom Sigler, Mike Murphy, Dave Defibaugh, Andre Layfield.

PURE STOCKS

Feature – Dusty Swecker, Brian Blake, Brandon Kerr, Dustin Isner, Spec Yokum, Teresa Vaughn, Kenny Vest, John Ford, John Isner, Eugene Smith, Dennis Graham, Tom Maxwell, Johnny Singleton. DNS – Ricky Vest.

Ht 1 – Yokum, Swecker, Singleton, Vaughn, Smith, Maxwell, John Isner.

Ht 2 – Blake, Kerr, Ricky Vest, Dustin Isner, Graham, Ford, Kenny Vest.



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