The 2nd Annual Chris Breeden Memorial Hangover 100 took place on January 1st, and despite the cold weather and rain early in the afternoon, the drivers, crew, and fans still made it out to the track, and track officials worked long and hard to make sure the track was racy! The program was delayed by just over an hour due to the track being so soft, but the action was just as furious. Several drivers had difficulty negotiating the speedway, but by the time Limited Late Model Qualifying came around, several drivers got a handle on it, but nobody got as good a handle on it as Brad Hall, who laid down an untouchable lap of 13.696 which demolished the old track record of 13.926 set by David Crabtree on July 14th, 2011, and even bested Hall’s previous best time of 13.859 on an open tire back on October 7th, 2011. Hall would go on to lead flag-to-flag in the victory. Heath Alvey would claim the win in the B-Main with Rusty Ballenger making the final transfer spot. Robbie Sands claimed the win in Classic, while Brian Dinkins and Scott Atkins claimed wins in the Mini-Stock and Thunder & Lightning divisions, respectfully.
Next up on the schedule is an open practice on February 25th! The 2011 Awards Ceremony is still being planned, and final details will be released soon!
Limited Late Model – B-Main
Some heavy hitters had trouble in the heats, others just needed a few adjustments, and they’re ready to flex their muscles..GREEN FLAG!! Rusty Ballenger and Cory Hedgecock lead the field into turn 1, Jason Manley in 3rd, powers around Ballenger into turn 3. Hedgecock leads, Manley in 2nd, Ballenger 3rd, Heath Alvey, Tim Weaver, Mark Sturgill your next 3. Manley showing some smoke off 4, 2 laps are complete. Now Manley charges for the lead, takes it into turn 3, but first caution flies here on lap 2 as Kevin Gentry loses a driveshaft in 1.
Green back in the air, Hedgecock powers into 1 with Manley and Ballenger in tow. Alvey in the 4th spot with a mirror full of Weaver, with Sturgill and Ryan King following suit. Hedgecock hanging onto his machine as he clicks off lap 4, with Manley closing in for the lead as he shows some smoke in 3. Ballenger in 3rd, now Sturgill pulls inside Weaver as Hedgecock has a handling issue developing on his machine but he’s still in command. 7 laps down, but now Weaver slows in 3, so caution flies here on lap 7.
Green flag back in the air, Hedgecock powers away once again, but that mirror is full of Manley in the 2nd spot, now Alvey powers around Ballenger as they sail off 2. Alvey looking racy, top 2 transfer, now only 5 laps remain. Hedgecock in control, Manley in 2nd, Alvey in 3rd. Alvey on the inside, give Alvey the 2nd spot, but now Manley tags Alvey, Manley goes around first, Alvey goes around in 2, caution here on lap 11.
Green flag back in the air, once again Hedgecock powers away with the lead, Alvey in 2nd, Ballenger in 3rd as the laps tick down. Sturgill in the 4th spot, now Hedgecock breaks in turn 2, give the lead to Alvey. Ballenger in 2nd, Sturgill in 3rd, but checkers fly, Alvey wins the B-Main, Ballenger in 2nd and that’ll be the transfers. Unfortunately, everyone else loads up for the night!
Classic
Adam Engel and Robbie Sands lead the field into turn 1, R. Sands goes high in 1, almost loses it but holds command. Engel in 2nd, Bart Baxter, Marvin Ray, Philip Sands in tow. 3 laps down in this 20 lap feature, racing all over the place. R. Sands in the lead, Engel in 2nd, Baxter in 3rd, Ray, P. Sands, Logan Dukes in tow. Baxter now looks inside for a moment for the 2nd spot, falls back in line off 4 here on lap 6. Lap traffic may come into play soon as R. Sands catches up to slower traffic. Engel still in the 2nd spot, with Baxter and Ray close behind. Halfway done with this one, R. Sands still in control over Engel and Baxter. 15 laps down, still no change in the top 5. Checkers in the air, R. Sands takes the win, Engel in 2nd, Baxter takes 3rd!
Mini-Stock
Green flag in the air for the Mini-Stock, John Stout and Brian Dinkins your front row, they head into turn 1 with Dinkins getting a great jump. Keith Sands looks inside Stout as Rocky McNabb starts to pick his way up through the field after some ignition issues up to this point in the night. Now Donavon Muse slows in the groove and OH MY, David Singleton plows through Muse, never even lifted, maybe never seen it or was too late to lift, either way, the rear tires of the D. Singleton machine were at least 4’ off the track. All drivers are OK but there’s a bunch of torn up cars as several others got involved. Josh Ellis also with some damage, as well as McNabb. Ellis will continue.
Dinkins, Stout, K. Sands your top 3 as the green flag flies. Anthony Singleton powers around James Mitchell for the spot off 2. Dinkins pulling away as the laps click off, but now caution flies for debris in turn 1 here on lap 3.
Green flag back in the air once again. Dinkins still in command as 5 laps are complete. Stout in 2nd, now Shane Taylor has trouble on the backstretch, pulls off in 3. Mitchell on the inside and powers around Mike Townsend, but Mitchell is a lap down so it’s not for position. Dinkins weaves his way through lap traffic, now Nick Perry loses a driveshaft in turn 1, caution flies here on lap 10.
Dinkins still in command, Stout in 2nd, K. Sands in 3rd with a mirror full of Sam Burgess, A. Singleton, and Jeromy Collins. Caution flies here on lap 13.
Green flag back in the air, Stout quickly looks inside but he’s not stout enough yet but he’ll stay glued to the rear bumper off 2. Dinkins in the lead, Stout closes in slightly, time limit has expired, so white flag flies. Checkers in the air, Dinkins the winner, Stout in 2nd, and 3rd goes to Burgess.
Thunder & Lightning
Barry Duncan and Gary Blanken lead the field off 4, GREEN FLAG! Blanken off turn 2 with the lead, Scott Atkins in 2nd, Duncan back to 3rd, now Brandon Jarnigan all over Walter Sims for the 4th spot as Sims powers inside Duncan for 3rd in 3. Duncan bobbles, he’ll lose 2 more spots as Clyde Overholt gets around, now Sims breaks, and now Travis Reno breaks and slows to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the caution.
Green flag in the air, S. Atkins the leader, Jarnigan in 2nd, now Overholt takes the 2nd spot. 3rd is Jarnigan. Overholt looking outside on S. Atkins in 1, battle for the lead off 2. S. Atkins back to 2nd, Jarnigan in 3rd, Duncan and Austin Atkins in the 5th spot. Jarnigan now slows, flat right-rear on the Jarnigan machine. Overholt well in command, as he’s now to a straightaway lead over S. Atkins. Checkers in the air, Overholt with the win, S. Atkins in 2nd, and 3rd goes to Duncan. Following post-race inspection on the scales, Overholt was found, again, to have soft tires after being DQed from the heat race. S. Atkins claims the win, Duncan comes home 2nd with A. Atkins rounding out the top 3.
Limited Late Model – A-Main
Brad Hall and Gusty Christenberry in the front row,, GREEN FLAG!! Now Brad Seagle sails into turn 1 and rolls his machine on it’s top. Track officials had to deal with spilled fuel by way of lighting it up under the red flag. Seagle was ok, but just about went through the tanks in the middle of 1 and 2!
Green flag back in the air, Hall and Christenberry lead the parade off 4! Hall powers off turn 2 with the lead, Christenberry in 2nd, Steve Smith in 3rd, action all over the place now as a lap is on the board. Hall, Christenberry, Smith, Josh Henry, and Scott Sexton showing the way around this speedway, but the action behind is picking up. 4 laps are complete. Sexton on the inside Henry for the spot off 4, falls in line in 1, Josh Collins behind him holding off Brad Lowe and Walker Arthur as they come off 4. Lapped traffic already a factor as Hall closes in on the tail of the field. Caution now flies here on lap 7 as Jason Welshan slows to a stall in 4.
Green flag back in the air one more time, still looking for lap 40. Hall the leader, Christenberry in 2nd, here comes Smith as he’s closing in on Christenberry, the 2 touch off 4, now Sexton looks outside Smith, Henry looks inside Sexton, but now Collins goes around in turn 4 off the front bumper of Lowe here on lap 8.
Green flag back in the air, Hall still showing the way over Christenberry and Smith. Sexton in the 4th spot. Now 13 laps are complete. Henry right behind Sexton, now Sexton closes in on Smith, as Arthur makes his way around Lowe, now Lowe comes back for the spot, as we see Ballenger slow off turn 4, he’ll pull off in 2, we stay green, now caution flies here on lap 18.
Green flag back in the air one more time for this stellar field of late models. Hall still in command as 20 laps are complete, Smith now in the 2nd spot, Henry in 3rd with Lowe and Arthur rounding out the top 5. Hall pulling away from the field, he is our new track record holder, and now caution flies in turn 4 as Heath Alvey goes around here on lap 22.
Green flag in the air one more time. Hall again powers away with the lead, Smith in 2nd, Henry in 3rd, Lowe in 4th and he’s got a mirror full of Arthur off 2. Henry looks inside Smith as Smith bobbles in 4, but now Henry loses touch off 2 as Lowe closes in. 3-way battle for the 2nd spot shaping up, make that 4 now as Arthur closes in. Hall in the lead, Smith in 2nd, Henry 3rd, Lowe 4th and Arthur 5th. Arthur bobbles in 2 and he’ll fall off the battle. Now 29 laps are complete. Smith bobbles again in 4, Henry closes up, Lowe also on the rear bumper of Henry, as Arthur is closing in but Estes goes around in turn 4 to bring out caution here on lap 30.
Green flag back in the air, Arthur closes in on Lowe for the spot, falls back off the bumper off 4. Hall in command, Smith in 2nd, Henry 3rd, Lowe 4th, Arthur 5th. A new 6th place man in Mack McCarter as he’s closing in on Arthur with his brother Pierce McCarter in tow. 5 laps remain in this one. Hall in command, Smith has 2nd, battle rages for 3rd as Henry has it but Lowe wants it. Lowe closing slightly on the entry to the corners, now as the white flag flies. Checkers in the air, Hall picks up the win, Smith in 2nd, Henry 3rd, 4th Lowe, and 5th will be Arthur!
Fast Qualifier: #47-Brad Hall – 13.696 – NEW TRACK RECORD