By Kimberly Foushee
ORANGE COUNTY SPEEDWAY


ROUGEMONT, NC – An unannounced fireworks show by Mother Nature
brought an early end to a Late Model Stock Car race after 62 of its
scheduled 200 laps last Saturday night at Orange County Speedway.

David Triplett, Jr., of Timberlake, NC, was declared winner
and got a full award of $3,500 for his first 2008 victory here. He was fastest qualifier and led every lap.

Officials had just completed a planned show of patriotic music and
fireworks during a delay for light rain showers when a thunderstorm and heavy rain washed over the three-eighths mile asphalt track.
Speedway promoter Vance Agee said the Late Model Stock Car main event of the Strutmasters 330 was declared official “because we had completed more than half (192) of the night’s scheduled 330 laps of racing.”

The rainy ending was bittersweet relief for Triplett, who had led several races here this year without winning.

“I hate it rained, but I guess we’ll take it,” said Triplett, a firefighter when not racing. “I’ve had so much bad luck this year, I guess I was due.”

Craig Moore of Rougemont, NC, finished second in his debut for car owner Sandy Stigall. Leigh Caruthers of Raleigh, NC, was third, with defending track champion Terry Dease of Oxford, NC, fourth.

Stacy Puryear of South Boston, VA, finished fifth and remained leader of the track’s TAG-OUT Late Model standings. Dease moved to second, 22 points behind.

Justin Snow of Danville, VA, won a 50-lap Limited Sportsman
race in which Jeb Burton began his stock car racing career by finishing fifth.

Snow got the pole position in a drawing and led every lap. “The car just took off so well on restarts and it was hard to beat,” said Snow, winner here for the second time this year.

Burton, the 17-year-old son of former Daytona 500 winner Ward
Burton of South Boston, VA, said he was anxious to get going. “I think my dad might have been a little more nervous than I was,” said Burton.

“Once the green flag waved, I was feeling okay. The car got really tight on me, but it was a good way to start.”

Daryl Carver of Prospect Hill, NC, finished sixth and managed
to stay on top of Limited Sportsman standings. Title contenders Tripp Massengill of Creedmoor, NC and Brian Cole of Roxboro, NC were sidelined in a wreck. Massengill was running second when he spun on the backstretch at lap 33 and Cole hit him in the melee.

Eddie Capps of Sutherlin, VA, took his fourth victory in five
starts in a 35-lap Grand Stock race. Ray Ellington, Jr., of Madison
Heights, VA, finished fourth and became leader of division standings.

Keith Langston of Pittsboro, NC, increased his Pure Stock
division points lead with a 20-lap victory.

The 50/50 raffle sponsored by the Halifax ROTC was won by ticket # 5016663 was not collected. Please bring your ticket by the office to receive your winnings.

Racing resumes here Saturday night, July 19th, with the Summer
Sizzler 350. Officials expect more than 50 Super Late Model entries from all over the country for a 200-lap race for the Pro All Stars Series national tour. Local drivers will have 150 laps for the TAG-OUT Late Model Stock Cars.

Late Model
Stock Car, 62 laps

1) David Triplett, Jr., Timberlake, NC; 2) Craig Moore,
Rougemont, NC; 3) Leigh Caruthers, Raleigh, NC; 4) Terry Dease, Oxford, NC; 5) Stacy Puryear, South Boston, VA; 6) Ryan Gray, Raleigh, NC; 7) Barry Beggarly, Pelham, NC; 8) Brad Kurth, Kernersville, NC; 9) Michael Rouse, Wilson, NC; 10) Ronald Hill, Rougemont, NC 11) Chad Kendrick, Durham, NC; 12) Kenny Forbes, Bullock, NC; 13) Matt Lofton, Roxboro, NC

Limited
Sportsman Division, 50 laps

1) Justin Snow, Danville, VA; 2) Kenny Bowes, Danville, VA; 3)
Donald Brace, Apex, NC; 4) Bruce Anderson, South Boston, VA; 5) Jeb Burton, South Boston, VA; 6) Daryl Carver, Prospect Hill, NC; 7) Chris Denny, Timberlake, NC; 8) Chazz Anderson, Chatsworth, CA; 9) Chris Elliott, Oxford, NC; 10) Roger Ellis, Durham, NC 11) Will Riley, Cedar Grove, NC; 12) Tripp Massengill, Creedmoor, NC; 13)
Brian Cole, Roxboro, NC; 14) Paul Bryant, Potecasi, NC; 15) Jerry Hinesley, Durham, NC; 16) Brandon Baker, Durham, NC

Grand Stock Division, 35 laps

1) Eddie Capps, Sutherlin, VA; 2) Michael Hatley, Chapel Hill, NC; 3) Lee Anderson, Gladys, VA; 4) Ray Ellington Jr., Madison Heights, VA; 5) C.B. Elliott, South Boston, VA; 6) Brent Evans, Stem, NC; 7) James Myers, Danville, VA; 8) Cory Purnell, Yanceyville, NC; 9) Michael Smith, Cedar Grove, NC; 10) Keith Edwards, Pendleton, NC

Pure Stock Division, 20 laps

1)Keith Langston, Pittsboro, NC; 2) Casey Pope, Durham, NC; 3) Tony
Lassiter, Creedmoor, NC; 4) Ken Phipps, Durham, NC; 5) Melissa Daniels, South Boston, VA; 6) Tony Ivey, Durham, NC; 7) Thomas Penny, Durham, NC

(END)





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