From Randy Pettitt


ROUGEMONT, NC –August 2, 2008- Jimmy Lang charged to victory in the Renegade 125 for the American Speed Association’s Southern Late Model tour and left rival Colt James fuming mad in the process last Saturday night at Orange County Speedway.

It was the fourth victory of the year for the Bluffton, SC, resident as he padded a lead in the ASA’s Southern division standings. Rookies David Odell and Dustin Dunn finished second and third respectively and veteran Jeremy Gerstner was fourth.

James’ Ford dominated the first half of the race as Lang’s Chevrolet worked from seventh starting position to second. Just after the halfway point, the two began racing side-by-side for the lead and eventually tangled near the start/finish line. James’ car rode along the outside wall for several yards.

“I gave him (Lang) plenty of room on the bottom groove and he just came up the track and used me for the wall,” said Texas native James, the only other winner in the series this year. “It messed up the right side of my car and I eventually had a tire go flat.” Lang was defiant in his victory ceremony. “I came here to race and he (James) can cry about it if he wants to,” said Lang. “The nose of my car was up there beside his and he didn’t give me any room. I was there and I wasn’t going to back out of it.” James angrily shouted at Lang’s crew when he parked his damaged car with 23 laps left. “He (Lang) has been blackflagged so many times this year, I am surprised they still let him race in this series,” said James.

Lang’s lap at 14.101 seconds led qualifying trials for a 17-car field on the three-eighths mile banked asphalt track.

Seventh-fastest Ryan Blaney of High Point, NC, inherited the pole position in a drawing that inverted the field. The 14-year-old son of Dave Blaney got a poor start and slid back to fifth place quickly. He was sidelined in a ninth-lap crash with Cody Smith.

Bruce Anderson won a 50-lap race for Orange County’s Limited Sportsman division and got a rear-view mirror full of action behind him. “Every time I looked up at the scoreboard during the cautions, there was somebody different up there,” said the South Boston resident following his third 2008 victory here.

“There were some pretty good battles going on behind me.” Points leader Donald Brace of Apex, NC, avoided several wrecks and finished second, stretching his division lead to eight points over Daryl Carver of Prospect Hill, NC. “I was just lucky really,” said Brace, “and managed to stay out of trouble.” Carver rebounded from two early skirmishes and finished third. “I ran into a couple of guys and some people ran into me, too,” said Carver. “I really needed this finish to stay in the points deal.” Defending Limited Sportsman champion Brian Cole had a rough night on the way to sixth place. The Roxboro resident, fastest in qualifying trials, sustained heavy damage in a 27th-lap crash and was swept up in another wreck at lap 47.

Fastest qualifier Eddie Capps of Sutherlin, VA, scored his fifth victory of the season in a 35-lap Grand Stock race. Third finisher Wayne Ellington Jr. of Madison Heights, VA, increased his lead in Trailers of the East Coast division standings.

Fourth finisher Mike Jones of South Boston, VA, inherited victory in a 20-lap Pure Stock race. Race Director Terry Deals said several cars were not in compliance with a camber rule for the division. It ended a victory streak at three for points leader Keith Langston, who wound up sixth in a revised order.

Daryl Gwyn of Reidsville, NC, took the checkered flag as the Modified division winner in a 25-lap race for vintage Southern Ground Pounders. Robert Isley’s Modified finished second and third-finisher Gary Lloyd was the Sportsman class winner.


Renegade 125 ASA South Tour 1) Jimmy Lang, Bluffton, SC, 125 laps; 2) David Odell, Lawrenceville, GA, 125; 3) Dustin Dunn, Jupiter, FL, 125; 4) Jeremy Gerstner, Wesley Chapel, FL, 125; 5) Blake Lehr, Clearwater, FL, 125; 6) Justin Larson, Clearwater, FL, 125; 7) Chad Pierce, Orlando, FL, 125; 8) Casey Caudill, Deland, FL, 125; 9) Brandon Johnson, Longwood, FL, 125; 10) John Gerstner, Eustis, FL, 125 11) Colt James, Buda, TX, 102; 12) Jessica Murphy, Graceland, FL, 102; 13) Will Hannah, Newnan, GA, 88; 14) Eric Wallace, Jasper, GA, 17; 15) Cody Smith, LaVernia, TX, 9; 16) Ryan Blaney, High Point, NC, 9; 17) Alec Caril, (hometown, n/a), 3 Limited Sportsman Division, 50 laps 1) Bruce Anderson, South Boston, VA; 2) Donald Brace, Apex, NC; 3) Daryl Carver, Pospect Hill, NC; 4) Jay Crawford, Rougemont, NC; 5) Chris Denny, Timberlake, NC; 6) Brian Cole, Roxboro, NC; 7) Jerry Hinesley, Durham, NC; 8) Wally Latta, Durham, NC; 9) Will Riley, Cedar Grove, NC; 10) Chris Elliott, Oxford, NC 11) Tripp Massengill, Creedmoor, NC; 12) Jeb Burton, South Boston, VA Grand Stock Division, 35 laps 1) Eddie Capps, Sutherlin, VA; 2) C.B. Elliott, South Boston, VA; 3) Wayne Ellington, Jr., Madison Heights, VA; 4) James Myers, Danville, VA; 5) Lizzy Smith, Fuquay-Varina, NC; 6) Lee Anderson, Gladys, VA; 7) Cory Purnell, Yanceyville, NC; 8) Tommy Chandler, Durham, NC; 9) Michael Smith, Cedar Grove, NC Pure Stock Division, 20 laps 1) Mike Jones, South Boston, VA; 2) Tony Ivey, Durham, NC; 3) Michael Penny, Durham, NC; 4) Bruce Chisholm, Hurdle Mills, NC; 5) Casey Pope, Durham, NC; 6) Keith Langston, Pittsboro, NC; 7) Tony Lassiter, Creedmoor, NC; 8) Thomas Penny, Durham, NC (end)



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