From Randy Pettitt

ROUGEMONT, NC – Local favorite Craig Moore won for the first time in his career and the Late Model Stock Car title chase tightened considerably in the Strutmasters 255 at Orange County Speedway Saturday night.

“I’ve been trying to win for four years and it’s been a long, hard go,” said Moore, a 30-year-old mechanic from Rougemont who pocketed $3000. “If it weren’t for my family and friends, I don’t know if I could have made it this far. This victory is for them.” Moore was the beneficiary of parts failures for TAG-OUT Late Model points leader Stacy Puryear and fastest qualifier David Triplett. Moore inherited the lead in the 108th lap when Triplett parked his car and stayed in front the rest of the way in the 150-lap main event.

Terry Dease of Oxford, defending Late Model champion, finished second and trimmed tenth-finishing Puryear’s division lead from 22 points to just six with four events left in the regular season here.

Triplett said he felt a vibration on his car and knew trouble was coming. “A couple of wheel studs broke and the wheel was going to come off,” said Triplett, who got a $500 bonus from Strutmasters for leading qualifying. He had to work his way through the field because of a track rule that allows the most recent Late Model winner to start no better than sixth.

South Boston car builder Puryear was the victim of a lower suspension part that failed and caused him to crash out of second place at lap 82. He drew the second starting position and quickly overtook pole starter Moore. Puryear led the first 57 laps before yielding to Triplett, who led the next 50 circuits “This really hurts,” said a stoic Puryear of his worst finish of the season. “We’ll fix it and come back strong next week.” Dease took no delight in Puryear’s misfortune. “I’ve had one bad race this year and now Stacy has one,” said Dease. “I hate that happened to him and I sure know how he feels.” Barry Beggarly of Pelham, one of the track’s winningest drivers, finished third after a spirited battle most of the race with Dease. “Terry and I were taking turns leading each other,” said the 58-year-old Beggarly. “He won the last battle and that’s the one that counts.” Brian Cole of Roxboro withstood Donald Brace’s late challenge and won a 50-lap Limited Sportsman race. It was the third victory of the season for Cole, who moved into second in standings, 12 behind Brace.

“My spotter (Horace Long) was yelling for me to stay low in the turns,” said Cole, defending Limited Sportsman champion. “I was definitely blocking a little those last few laps.” Apex resident Brace finished second and said he “really wanted to win, but I have to look at the big picture, too. I could catch Brian, but I couldn’t pull off the pass.” Keith Edwards of Pendleton scored an emotional victory in a 35-lap Grand Stock race. His wife Ann broke her back in a June car wreck and surgeons found cancer while operating.
“She kicked me out of the house and told me to go win one for her,” said Edwards. “This will be some good medicine for sure.” Eddie Capps of Sutherlin, VA, seemed headed to his sixth victory of the season here when he spun and slammed hard into the track’s third turn at lap 25. Edwards pulled alongside leader Michael Hatley in the ensuing restart and banged his way past a lap later.

“I pushed it so hard I ran into him (Hatley),” said Edwards of his first 2008 victory. “I had once chance and I had to take it.” Runner-up Hatley of Chapel Hill said he made Edwards earn it. “I wasn’t going to give him anything,” he said. “It was just good hard racing. Once he got by me, there was nothing I could do with him.” Points leader Keith Langston of Pittsboro inherited victory in a 20-lap Pure Stock race when leader Tony Lassiter of Creedmoor was penalized. It was Langston’s fifth victory of the year here.

Eventual runner-up Tony Ivey of Durham was in front when he missed a shift in a final restart. Officials said Lassiter was blackflagged for passing Ivey before they got back to the start/finish line.
Racing continues at Orange County Speedway this Saturday night, August 23, for the Dr. Pepper 305, a five-event program that starts at 7pm.

Late Model Stock Car, 150 laps 1) Craig Moore, Rougemont, NC; 2) Terry Dease, Oxford, NC; 3) Barry Beggarly, Pelham, NC; 4) Bentley Cecil, Efland, NC; 5) Kenny Forbes, Bullock, NC; 6) Leigh Caruthers, Raleigh, NC; 7) Ryan Gray, Raleigh, NC; 8) Will Riley, Cedar Grove, NC; 9) David Triplett, Jr., Timberlake, NC; 10) Stacy Puryear, South Boston, VA 11) Aaron Dudley, Winston-Salem, NC; 12) Mike Chambers, Timberlake, NC

Limited Sportsman Division, 50 laps 1) Brian Cole, Roxboro, NC; 2) Donald Brace, Apex, NC; 3) Tripp Massengill, Creedmoor, NC; 4) Daryl Carver, Prospect Hill, NC; 5) Chris Denny, Timberlake, NC; 6) Wally Latta, Durham, NC; 7) Will Riley, Cedar Grove, NC; 8) Jerry Hinesley, Durham, NC; 9) Scott Hitchens, Gumboro, DE; 10) Wesley Green, Andover, MA 11) Chad Pergersen, Timberlake, NC

Grand Stock, 35 laps 1) Keith Edwards, Pendleton, NC; 2) Steve Hatley, Chapel Hill, NC; 3) Cory Purnell, Yanceyville, NC; 4) Tommy Chandler, Durham, NC; 5) C.B. Elliott, South Boston, VA; 6) Ray Ellington, Madison Heights, VA; 7) James Myers, Danville, VA; 8) Michael Smith, Cedar Grove, NC; 9) Lizzy Smith, Fuquay-Varina, NC; 10) Chris Carroll, (hometown, n/a) 11) Eddie Capps, South Boston, VA

Pure Stock, 20 laps 1) Keith Langston, Pittsboro, NC; 2) Tony Ivey, Durham, NC; 3) Thomas Penny, Durham, NC; 4) Bruce Chisholm, Hurdle Mills, NC; 5) Casey Pope, Durham, NC; 6) Tony Lassiter, Creedmoor, NC; 7) Clint Hyler, Yanceyville, NC


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