By Rick Anges

Brunswick, Ga. A blistering afternoon Georgia Sun greeted the fifty-three teams of the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series as they rolled into the Golden Isles Speedway for race number seven of the 2008 season. The Golden Isles crew had the track all packed in and ready to go for the anticipated 6:30 hot lap session. Mother Nature had other ideas though as a late afternoon thunderstorm crashed through the area dumping massive amounts of the wet stuff. The rain lasted several hours postponing the start of the racing action until just after 9pm.

With the lateness of the start teams were given a one lap shot at qualifying. The field was separated into five groups. Ivedent Lloyd was no surprise taking fast time out of group number one but the Zeigler Racing Engines fast time award went to the driver of the Bobby Labonte Foundation driver Jason Fitzgerald out of group number four.

Three from each of the five heat races, three from each of the B-Mains, two from the Golden Isles Dash, two series provisionals and two track provisionals would make up the thirty car field for the fifty lap $3,000 to win feature event.

Ivedent Lloyd was the winner in Heat #1 followed by Shan Smith and Adam Bedenbaugh. Heat #2 saw Josh Peacock take the win with Keith Nosbisch (points leader going into the race) in the second spot third was Richard Ferry. Local favorite Michael Lloyd won Heat #3 after battling hard with Mark Whitener. Lloyd had rubbed the right rear of Whitener early in the race. The sheet metal began rubbing on Whiteners car and with two laps to go Whiteners bid for the win ended with a flat tire. Second across the stripe was Buddy Geiger, third Joe Kump. “The Judge” Jeff Fortner held off fast qualifier Jason Fitzgerald for the Heat #4 win Jackie Nosbisch took the final transfer spot of the heat. The final heat winner was Tyler Ivey. Second went to Ocala and Eastbay winner “The Locomotive” Johnny Collins and Darrel Padgett was third.

The three B-Mains could have been a feature race in themselves as each had a star studded line up. The Zeigler Racing Engines B-Main winner to move on to the feature was Jimmy Waldrop, National Late Model series regular Clay Bedenbaugh was second and third East Alabama winner Mark Whitener in the former Johnny Collins ride. Tommys Towing B-Main winners were NLMS point’s leader Brandon Cameron, Bill Howard and Chuck Chitty. The third B-Main was sponsored by United Land Clearing with Jay Johnson scoring the win; Rich Pratt ran a solid second and third was the opening race winner at Ocala Shane Williams.

The final chance for two drivers to make the A-Main was the Golden Isles Dash. An extra $1,000 was put into Dash by Ray Miller of the National Late Model Series. Other contingency sponsors for the Dash included Southern Style Motorsports, ScotBilt Homes of Waycross, the Lloyd family of GIS and Race Car Engineering of Lakeland, Fl. Twenty-one cars would start the dash and when the mud was finished slinging Steven Whitener would win with Wayne Shugart taking the final spot. Whitener would have his problems in the A-Main flipping his car in turn two. He was able to walk away but his ride was done for the night putting him thirtieth on the night. Whitener would take home the RicksDarkRoom.com Hard Luck Award.

Series provisonals were Roger Crouse and Billy Costello with the track spots going to Kent Corbin and Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. Bubba would finish twenty-first in the thirty-car feature.

The five Heat winners drew pills in the pits for the starting line up. Josh Peacock who is battling for the Pace American UDLMCS 2008 Rookie of the Year title would sit on the pole with Michael Lloyd on the outside. Peacock would have his problems taking the twentieth spot but was still Pace American – Southern Style Motorsports Rookie Finisher. The second row had Michael Lloyd on the inside and “The Judge” Jeff Fortner in fourth. Fortner also had his problems and would fall back to a twenty-fifth spot finish. Tyler Ivey drew the fifth pill but a broken ball joint ended what had been looked like a goodnight for Ivey putting him back to the twenty-sixth spot. All five of the drivers were given “the Challenge” of going to the rear of the field for a chance of an extra $2,000 to win. Once again no one took the challenge.


The green flag flew in the early morning hours with the fans on their feet. Michael Lloyd used and outside move and moved into the top spot. After leading the early stages Lloyd would have his handsful with Ivedent Lloyd. The duo went at for several laps swapping paint until the Professor was able to find the sweet spot on the track and take the lead.

Though the track was slick from all the rain the racing was still top notch with cars going three and four wide all over the track. Jason Fitzgerald would come from ninth with Johnny Collins from tenth to join in the fray for the second spot held by Michael Lloyd. The trio would swap the spot several times throughout the action packed feature.

Fitzgerald would finally take the position and set his sites on the Professor. Lloyd was slicing and dicing his way through lapped traffic while Fitzgerald was closing in. A late race caution would have helped him but Lloyd would hold him off at just before 4 am and become the first three-time winner for the UDLMCS in ’08. Fitzgerald would bring the Bobby Labonte foundation home second, third was the “Locomotive” Johnny Collins. Michael Lloyd cross the stripe fourth and from the eleventh in a great run was Adam Bedenbaugh.

“I have to give it to Frankie Lloyd and his crew for getting track back after the rain it was really fast” said Lloyd in the winner’s circle. Fitzgerald who was the “Real Racin’USA” runner up said, “ It’s just fun running side by side with these guys”.

“That was a great race,” said Ray Miller of the NLMS, ”I’m looking forward to having the co-race with UDLMCS at Volusia.”

The next race will be the Scott Thompson Memorial at Volusia Speedway Park with a 50 lap $3,800 to win race. For more info check out www.uniteddirtlatemodels.com . and once again the race will be brought to you LIVE by Real Racin’USA on www.realracinusa.com

RACE RESULTS
Heat races top three make the feature.

Heat Race #1 top five:
1. Ivedent Lloyd
2. Shan Smith
3. Adam Bedenbaugh
4. Jimmy Waldrop
5. Wayne Shugart

Heat Race #2 top five:
1. Josh Peacock
2. Keith Nosbisch
3. Richard Ferry
4. Ryan Van Sickle
5. Andy Schell

Heat Race #3 top five:
1. Michael Lloyd
2. Buddy Geiger
3. Joe Kump
4. Kyle Van Sickle
5. Russell Brown, Jr.

Heat Race #4 top five:
1. Jeff Fortner
2. Jason Fitzgerald
3. Jackie Nosbisch
4. Dillon Wood
5. Brindon Cameron

Heat Race #5 top five:
1. Tyler Ivey
2. Johnny Collins
3. Darrell Padgett
4. Jay Johnson
5. Shane WIlliams


B-Mains (top three are in the race)

B-main #1
1. Jimmy Waldrop
2. Clay Bedenbaugh
3. Mark Whitener
4. Ryan Van Sickle
5. Wayne Shugart

B-main #2
1. Brindon Cameron
2. Bill Howard
3. Matt Hartley Chuck Chitty
4. Steve Whitener
5. Earl Boyette

B-Main #3
1. Jay Johnson
2. Rich Pratt
3. Shane Williams
4. Justin Choquette
5. Roger Crouse

Last Chance Race...top two are in the race
1. Steve Whitener
2. Wayne Shugart

Awards:
Rick's Dark Room.com Hard Luck Award: Steve Whitener

Real Racin USA.com Runner Up Award: Jeff Fitzgerald

Pace American & Southern Style Motorsports Rookie of the Race: Josh Peacock

Central Sheds & Trailers & Southern Style Motorsports Hard Charger: (Tie) Roger Crouse & Shane Williams

Official Finish:
1. Ivedent Lloyd (heat winner)
2. Jason Fitzgerald
3. Johnny Collins
4. Michael Lloyd (heat winner)
5. Adam Bedenbaugh
6. Shan Smith
7. Mark Whitener
8. Shane Williams
9. Jackie Nosbisch
10. Buddy Geiger
11. Roger Crouse
12. Richard Ferry
13. Brandon Cameron
14. Clay Bedenbaugh
15. Bill Howard
16. Kent Corbin
17. Chuck Chitty
18. Billy Costello
19. Keith Nosbisch
20. Josh Peacock (heat winner)
21. Bubba Clem
22. Wayne Shugart
23. Jimmy Waldrop
24. Rich Pratt
25. Jeff Fortner (heat winner)
26. Tyler Ivey (heat winner)
27. Jay Johnson
28. Darrell Padgett
29. Joe Kump
30. Steve Whitener




















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