NEWS ARTICLES
NEWS ARTICLES
Grady H. Thornton
Birmingham, Alabama (0ctober 26). Exhausted. Battered. Bruised. Weary. Jubilant. Triumphant. Justin South of Gardendale had all those feelings after winning the World Classic 200 Birmingham International Raceway Sunday afternoon. South did not just win the event: he did it like no other racer in the history of the annual short track race. The last 5/8-mile trip around the 200-lap contest had South on two wheels, scaling the backstretch wall close enough to the advertising billboards for his exhaust to burn the lettering on the signs, and going under the checkered flag backwards and sideways, crashing into a top contending car.
The World Classic triad conclusion to the 2008 racing season, the 95th year of continuous activity at the track, would determine whether Ken McFarland of Hoover, a veteran with a 70-point lead in points race or South, a bold young challenger would wear the BSS crown. South flipped the script and finished ahead of McFarland to win the race, but the Mac won the championship.
It was an emotional win for the South team for reasons other than the last lap crash. "We have worked our butts off…words can’t describe how hard it has been doing our day jobs and doing this after work. My daddy, my granddaddy, my crew and me. Daddy has taken our loans so we could race. For me, it’s personal (to win this race)," South said.
The 125-mile grind was paced by 2007 winner Dennis Reno, Jr., who set the fastest qualifying time of 20.416 seconds/110.207 mph. The straight up start put Reno on the pole. As the field came around for the first lap, Gary Nix made it three-deep on the front straight, splitting Reno and Josh Hamner. Nix was leading when the cars came back around with Clint Folsom, McFarland, and previous BSS winner John Tyler Bolen trailing close behind the lead trio. The first of ten cautions came as a result of a hard sideswipe between the Chases, Knox and Oliver. Oliver was off the pace and dropping low when Knox came by and the cars collided. Knox’s car was out for the day, adding to a long list of unfortunate race incidents not his fault.
The 21st lap restart saw South and Bolen swapping positions on the track. South, the tenth place starter, was able to run lower on the track than anybody else. Hamner, driving the Wholesale Controls/AIR/Reuse Chevy, had taken over second running position on the seventh lap and took the lead from Nix on the 25th lap. The next lap, however, Hamner was collected in a fourth turn pile up triggered by Sandy Howton’s spinout. Six cars were either hit or spun out, with Hamner’s car having no apparent damage. McFarland was running fourth behind Folsom, Nix and Hamner when the incident occurred and inherited the lead for one lap. The race was red flagged for cleanup. Race officials determined some of the cars in the melee, specifically Hamner, Andy Antinoro, and Blake Ferguson, spun to avoid the wreck and did so after the caution came out. Those cars were therefore returned to their previous racing positions.
Folsom now trailed behind Hamner in second, with South, McFarland, and Antinoro following. South took the lead for the first time on lap 35. Folsom, running his best race of the year, challenged and took the lead on the 47th lap. He had the point until the 103rd lap when he pitted under caution. South assumed the lead and held it nine laps. Folsom resumed the lead on 113. A round of pit stops put McFarland in fourth running position and South in fifth. South kicked in the afterburners and was in second on the 121st lap and passed Folsom on the next circuit.
The next few laps were pretty much a sleeper. Hamner’s car had tightened up so badly that he went from third place in qualifying to being lapped on lap 144. South had over a 100-yard lead over second running Folsom as the laps counted down. A debris caution came out on the 147th lap. A restart five laps later set up a 48-lap sprint to the finish. South retained the lead, with McFarland, Chase Oliver, Bolen, Antinoro, and Folsom, in that order, on the lead lap. Then the gremlins came from the spirit world and began to reek havoc on the race.
Hamner was caught on the tail end of the lap and tried to get his lap back after a 171st lap restart. He jumped the start, however, and was instructed to drop back in line. His ever-tightening car would not allow him to make up the distance. Oliver and Folsom bumped and Folsom’s fender was on the right front tire. Bolen rammed Folsom’s rear deck, taking Folsom out. Bolen. Moments later Bolen was up on the fourth turn wall. A 20-lap shoot out was brewing when the 10th and final caution period ended, allowing the 181st lap restart.
With South leading and McFarland behind him, the heat was on between the two gifted drivers. McFarland dropped low in turn three, then fell back. They were side-by-side as McFarland again dipped low and bobbled in number four of the 186th lap. McFarland was running a groove lower, but could not muster the might to surpass. At lap 194 both cars came out or the fourth turn slideways, with Mac falling back to South’s bumper. On the197th lap Mac had a nose under South at the line. With two to go, South had a lead of inches. On the white flag lap the cars were side by side. On the backstretch South got a nudge, sending him up onto the back straight wall. He came down with fury and stayed in the gas. Coming off turn four on the ragged edge, South got into McFarland. The cars jammed together, forming a V-shaped wedge as each nailed the other. In smoke and ripping sheet metal the cars roared to the line sideways and spinning backwards, both cars still full throttle. It was South by a fender, a rear fender ironically, crossing the line first with McFarland’s car in the front seat. The World Classic had literally grinded to a halt. In the smoke and destruction, both drivers emerged from his respective car, paced sternly toward each other, hesitated…. and shook hands. Fans hade witnessed a finish neither time nor age would erase.
Oliver came through the smoke in third, his best finish of the BSS season. Bolen’s ride on top of the wall was not too damaging, allowing him to return to the race and finish fourth. Hamner finished fifth one lop down.
A crash in an earlier BSS race this year demoralized and burdened the South team. South and his crew worked feverishly to reassemble a good car, getting help from John Boy Williamson. Ironically, Williamson calls the shots on McFarland’s team as Crew Chief.
South’s winning car was built on a Hamke Chassis, powered by Hamner Performance, and girded with a Five Star Racing Body. His sponsor is Alabama Brick Delivery. The race’s highest finishing rookie was Chase Oliver. The winner of the Victory Circle Communications Hard Charger Award was South, whose poor qualifying attempt had him fifth row outside. The Sonic Clutches Winner’s Bonus went to South and the Sonic Clutches Fifth Place Bonus went to Josh Hamner.
OFFICIAL FINISHING ORDER OF WORLD CLASSIC 200 WITH STATUS AT END OF RACE IF NOT RUNNING 1. Justin South; 2. Ken McFarland; 3. Chase Oliver; 4. John Bolen; 5. Josh Hamner; 6. Josh Belter; 7. Blake Ferguson; 8. Roger Cain; 9. Clint Folsom, wreck; 10. Andy Antinoro, wreck; 11. Lee Hansard, wreck; 12. Michael Scoby, torsion bar; 13. Chris Serio, drive shaft; 14. Dennis Reno, Jr., oil leak; 15. Chase Knox, wreck; 16. Gary Nix, wreck; 17. Sandy Howton, wreck; 18. Justin Caton, wreck in qualifying; 19. Brian Castleberry, DNQ.
In addition to the Late Model 200-lapper, the Open Wheel Modified division was on hand to decide the division title. The championship event belonged to Trussville’s Dustin Knowles in every way. He was the fastest qualifier, led all 50 laps, won the race and won the division title. Knowles, a senior at Jacksonville State University, took his Haselton Company/Express Oil Change Number 2 Trussville/Brindley Construction Chevrolet-powered car to the win with little competition from the field. Gary Nix was second, Jarod Land third, Rickey Holland fourth, Frankie Martin fifth, Rocky Rogers sixth, Nick Martin seventh, Johnny Brazier eighth, and Billy Melvin fifth.
RANDOM NOTES ON THE WORLD CLASSIC 200 WEEKEND. The last 20 laps of the WC 200 were as exciting as I have ever seen at BIR. I regret two good race cars got smashed up. The best race overall to me was Saturday’s Mini-Modified feature with Jonathan Goolsby and Chase Spradlin dueling for several laps…The daring first lap move by Gary Nix in the WC 200 was a first in the Birmingham Super Series. He went between Tink Reno and Josh Hamner making a three-wide, front stretch run on the first lap. He took the lead just after the flagstand. It was also the first time a BSS race has been started straight up without an inversion to some degree…Reno has finished every race he entered at BIR since 2005, except for the WC 200 and the Neil Bonnett Memorial…Did you notice the new pit road strategy? Pit road is not always immediately open when a caution period starts. Zack the flagman waved the blue and yellow move over flag during the caution when pit road was open…Speaking of pit stops, did you see Roger Cain exit his car on the front stretch during the 180th lap red flag and run under the grandstand? His pit stop was more natural in nature than taking on fuel or tires…Speaking of the cautions, did you run out of fingers and toes? BSS rules require that anytime a caution period comes out, any laps over five consecutive caution laps not be counted. Once the green flag was thrown to start the race Sunday, the cars actually drove 230 laps…Drivers were puzzled at the drivers’ meeting when BIR brass Joey Sims instructed them to disconnect the tachometers in the BSS and OWM divisions. No hint was given as to the purpose of the procedure…A BIR racing icon passed away in the days just prior to the WC 200. Lyndal Amick, better known as Roundman, was a mainstay around BIR for years in the1960’s and 1970’s…My picks for the drivers who turned in notable performances this weekend: Jonathan Goolsby, Josh Belter, Clint Folsom, Randy Dodd, Jr., Chase Spradlin, and Jarod Land…Fifteen drivers were recognized at the Saturday and Sunday Drivers Meeting for being present at every race in 2008. They were: Shawn Kyzer, Jimmy Roberts, Jacob Wyatt, Jonathan Goolsby, Rusty Alverson, Joseph Freeman, Daniel Hubbard, Chuck Mann, Jeremy Gwin, Justin South, Gary Nix, Blake Ferguson, Chase Knox, Roger Cain, and Dustin Knowles…One of my favorite sights in the BIR pit area is Jeremy Gwin and his wife, Jessika. They are usually holding hands and occasionally sneak in a kiss. Married people are not supposed to act like that…It was good to see Cashier Margaret Kirkpatrick back on the job. Also, good to see David Ray of Huntsville, crew chief on the John Tyler Bolen team. David has cancer that required a part of his nose to be removed recently. Unfortunately, cancer is suspected in his cheek bones as well and he will be in surgery at Vanderbilt two days after the All American 400 in Nashville. Dennis Reno, Sr., will be having surgery Friday, October 31st, his eighth surgery this year. I spoke with all three and they are in good spirits. David seems to have a rough row to hoe as he faces reconstructive surgery in the months to come…Quotes of the weekend: When seen eating pizza and drinking a Diet Coke, Rocky Rogers, spotting for John Bolen, said, "I can eat all I want. They cancel each other out." Also, Joe McFarland, father of Ken McFarland: "It was a legitimate call" after seeing the Brighthouse video of the infamous last lap crash. BIR officials in the scoring tower had indicated Justin South was inches ahead at the finish, but most observers were unable to see clearly. Some of Ken’s fans were not satisfied until the McFarland patriarch cleared it up for them…I have enjoyed every minute of BIR/2008. I am honored and humbled by my association with the fans, the drivers, the crews, the families, and the staff. By the time most of you will have read this, I will be recovering from spinal surgery at University Hospital. The discomfort has not been pleasant, but I wanted to wait until the racing season to go in. If you have read this far into this week’s report, you understand why. Race hard, pray hard. May God bless you all.---Grady
SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE CLASSIC: CHAMPS CROWNED
By Grady H. Thornton
Birmingham, AL (October 25). For five Birmingham International Raceway competitors, Saturday was a defining night in their racing career. Shawn Kyzer, Rusty Alverson, Joseph Freeman, Roddy Moore, and Kevin Higgins each won their respective division’s championship at BIR. Very few race drivers can make that claim.
The 2008 season was completed in feature races in each of the five support divisions. Michael Scoby of Dora won the 25-lap Sportsman feature in his Lightning McQueen replica car. He started on the pole via setting the fastest qualifying time from the night before. He led all 25 laps to win his fourth feature race of the year. Roger Cain was second, Shawn Kyzer third, defending division champion Jimmy Roberts fourth, and Josh Ross fifth. Kyzer won the division title after taking the Rookie title in 2007.
Joel Falls was the strongest car in the 30-lap Street Stock race. Falls’ Jefferson County Auto Parts Oldsmobile led all 30 laps to take the feature race win. He was followed by Josh Belter, Richard Patino, Marty Bean, Rusty Alverson, Stan McClure, Tim Sims, and Steve Allen.
The Jimmy’s Muffler Shop/Jeff Hubbard’s Auto Repair-sponsored team with driver Jarrod Washington at the wheel celebrated their eighth feature win of 2008 in the Renegade division. The drama was taking place a few positions back as Joseph Freeman of Centerville dueled with Daniel Hubbard for the championship. Freeman entered the race six points ahead. Hubbard finished second, but Freeman‘s third place finish gave him the division title. Randall Sexton was fourth, with Roger E. Wood, Sr., fifth. Following the top five were next tier of Tommy Bolden, Jimmy Beasley, Roger Wood, Jr., Leonard Bradley, and Michael Scoby.
The Mini-Modified feature was perhaps the most exciting race of the whole weekend. The duel that developed between Hueytown’s Jonathan Goolsby and Chase Spradlin began when second place Randy Dodd, Jr., was passed by Spradlin on the 11th lap. It was bumper-to-bumper and door-to-door until the end of the 40-lap race. Goolsby was able to keep his James Morris Wrecker/Goolsby Customs Toyota ahead, sometimes only by inches at times, to take the win. Spradlin was runner-up, with Dodd, Jacob Wyatt, and Justin Bonnett making the top five. Lee Streetman, Eddie Dodd, Jr., Frankie Spradlin, Roger E. Wood, Sr., Phillip Norton, Jeremy Williams, Hunter Spivey (the fastest qualifier), Keith Wright, and Bubba Youngblood made out the finishing order.
In the Mini-Stock 30-lap feature, the assumed winner, Roger Wood, Jr., was disqualified in the tech line. This moved Mike Collins into the Winner’s Circle. Jeremy Gwin was second, Tim Golden third, Roger E. Wood, Sr., fourth, and Floyd Brown fifth. Chuck Mann was next, with Kevin Higgins, the division champion in seventh. Cindy McClure, Charles Beasley, Joseph Goolsby (first race ever), and David Passmore, Jr., made up the rest of the finishing order
NEIL BONNETT MEMORIAL GOES TO BOLEN
By Grady H. Thornton
Birmingham, AL (October 4). It was only fitting that the annual Neil Bonnett Memorial 100 at Birmingham International Raceway was won in a car built by a company formerly known as Neil Bonnett Race Cars. It was also fitting that the team winning the 100-lap Birmingham Super Series Late Model Challenge Race # 7 was that of a family who was good friends with the Hueytown racer who died of injuries sustained in a practice session at Daytona in 1994. John Tyler Bolen of Parish, Alabama, won the Neil Bonnett 100 by taking the lead from Gary Nix with 12 laps to go.
The Bolen team had to break out a backup car for this race after the 14th lap crash in the Teddy Bear 100 two weeks earlier. Anight’s practice session, the Bolen team found trouble in the rear end of the backup car. They switched out the broken rear end for a new one Saturday morning at Frankie and Augie Grill’s shop. Although not the preferred car to run for 100 laps at BIR, Bolen backed the Grand American Race Cars Chevrolet Monte Carlo off the trailer as the fastest car in the field. Bolen set the fastest qualifying time of 20.138 seconds/111.729 mph and drew an eight-car inversion. He lined up behind defending BSS champion Gary Sanford, Jr., on the fourth row. When the green flag was dropped disaster was less than half a lap away as front row sitter Andy Antinoro got all out of control on the backstretch. Racecars were spinning like the teacups on the amusement ride at Disneyland. At least eight cars were collected. Seven came back out bruised and battered. Only Corinth, MS, racer Mark Singleton was unable to re-enter the race. fter Friday
The starting lineup was dramatically altered as current BSS points leader Ken McFarland now started on the point and led the first lap. Nix, who got moved up in the starting order, overtook McFarland and assumed the lead by the next time around. It was the first of a long run at the front for Nix, whose setup had never been as good. By the seventh lap Nix had a straightaway on second running McFarland.
On the 17th lap Sanford was trying to get a position from Dennis Reno, Jr., on the backstretch. Sanford went deep under Reno and when the cars bumped Sanford’s car went spinning and hitting solid objects and was seriously damaged. A red flag was called immediately for clean up. Sanford came out of his car and sprinted toward Reno’s car as the field stopped on the backstretch. Sanford leaped on the hood of the Reno car, and standing on the hood, angrily castigated Reno for the wreck. Reno remained in the car as Sanford was escorted to his pit stall.
Sanford’s car was toast for the evening. The race resumed with Nix still out front. Rookie contender Chase Oliver broke out and was running in the top five when a 28th lap caution was called. Reno pitted with heating problems. He had taken to the grass in the first lap melee and in so doing bent and stopped up the airflow duct in the fPolice then escorted Sanford out of the pit area. After five laps of caution Nix once again to pull away from the field with Bolen now running second and Oliver moving into third behind Bolen. At the half-way point, Nix was a good 120 yards ahead of Bolen, who had 50 yards on Oliver, who had 15 yards on Justin South, who had a straightaway on McFarland. At the 60th lap, Nix had half a lap on second place. The third caution on lap 64 came out when Blake Ferguson’s car stalled on the track. This bunching up of the cars would not bode well for Nix. The 68th lap restart saw Nix’s dominance fading as his car did not build up real estate ahead of the rest of the field. Bolen was staying in striking distance.
On the 74th lap Oliver scrapped the fourth turn wall while running in a strong third position. The fourth and final caution was called for laps 75 through 78 for debris cleanup. When green flag racing resumed, itront end of the car. While pitted, Sanford approached him again. Birmingham was obvious Nix was off the pace. Bolen no longer grew smaller in the rearview mirror, but stayed close to the leader. On the 88th circuit, Bolen brought his car along side that of Nix, then passed the leader on the front stretch. He then began to stretch out his lead as Nix had been able to do in the early stages. Danny Bagwell, who had maintained a top five position the whole race, moved into second position for the final ten laps. The Nix car grew looser and looser as the race wound down and he began to fall back.
"We had a car capable of running hard all the race," Bolen said after the race. His team took a more or less scientific approach to the race and studied previous races. "We looked at the statistics and there are usually three or four cautions at Birmingham. We decided to wait to race him (Nix) on the last caution. The car was really good and stable. I’d like to thank Frankie and Augie Grill, they keep the car up for us. Also, David Ray and the crew who gave me a good car."
At the completion of the 62.5-mile race, Bolen was firmly in control, with Bagwell, South, Nix and Clint Folsom following. Lee Hansard, Oliver, Ferguson, Justin Caton, and Brandon Hall were the top ten finishers.
Bolen’s Grand American Race Cars-built Chevrolet is powered by a Volunteer Racing Engines power plant and has an ARP body. Sponsors for the team are Gateway Gaming and 2B Amusements. Clint Folsom was the recipient of the Fel-Pro Hard Charger Award and the Sonic Racing Clutches Fifth Place Finisher Award. The Victory Circle Racing Communications Highest Finishing Rookie Award went to Chase Oliver.
SUPPORT DIVISIONS ALSO HONOR BONNETT
In support division racing, Gary Nix fared somewhat better. In the Open Wheel Modified division, Wesley Stephens was the fastest qualifier with a time of 21.034 seconds/106.969 mph. A six-car inversion put Nix’s Gober Racing entry on the front row for the start. After the third restart due to crashes and spinouts, the race got off to a start with Nix in the lead. That is where he stayed throughout the 25-lap event. Fastest qualifier Stephens’ car was slammed into the wall when a tire blew out. Johnny Brazier picked up some speed and was drawing close to the front. At the finish it was Nix by a fender over Brazier. Danny Bagwell was third, Dustin Knowles fourth, Greg Powers fifth, Wayne Hill sixth, Brandon Curren seventh, Jimmy Schutt eighth, Nick Martin ninth, and Darrell Brown tenth. Nathan Davis, Rickey Holland, Walter Cartledge, and Stephens made up the rest of the finishing order.
In Sportsman action, division points leader Shawn Kyzer earned his second feature win of the year. Kyzer’s Short Kutz Chevrolet led the 15-lap race wire-to-wire. His toughest competition came from Michael Scoby, who finished second. Roger Cain was third, defending division champion Jimmy Roberts fourth, and Josh Ross was fifth.
Veteran Burt Belter drove a Woods Brothers Racing look-alike Mercury, much like that of the late Neil Bonnett, to a feature win in the Street Stock division. Marty Bean led the first half, with Joel Falls, Stan McClure, and Belter all within inches of each other. On the ninth lap, Belter saw an opening and passed Bean on the backstretch for the lead. Joel Falls finished second, Richard Patino was third, Bean fourth, division points leader Rusty Alverson fifth, Tim Sims sixth, and Stan McClure seventh. Belter repeated his win from the night before.
Jarrod Washington of Tuscaloosa won the Renegade feature, repeating his win from the night before. The Dodge at his command and sporting the sponsorship of Jimmy’s Muffler Shop and West Coast Customs, held off Randall Sexton, Daniel Hubbard, Joseph Freeman, and Leonard Bradley for the win. Kenneth Quattlebaum, Jimmy Beasley, Michael Scoby, and Tommy Belden made up the finishing order.
The front row starting position for Mike Collins allowed him to vault into the lead at the drop of the green flag and lead the entire Mini-Stock race. The Trussville racer held off Jeremy Gwin, Eddie Dodd, Chuck Mann, David Passmore, Jr., Charlie Beasley, Floyd Brown, Robert Fucich, and Cindy McClure to take the win.
Roddy Moore repeated his previous evening’s win in the Mini-Modified division. The Tim Burke Collision Center/Jimmy’s Hot Dogs Ford Mustang started deep in the pack and picked up two positions per lap until he took the lead on the fifth lap. Jonathan Goolsby came from the rear also to take second place at the finish, with Lee Streetman, Hunter Spivey, Will Collins, Justin Bonnett, Bobby Youngblood, Jacob Wyatt, and Roger Wood, Sr., following.
OFFICIAL FINISH IN THE NEIL BONNETT MEMORIAL 100 1. John Tyler Bolen; 2. Danny Bagwell; 3. Justin South; 4. Gary Nix; 5. Clint Folsom; 6. Lee Hansard; 7. Chase Oliver; 8. Blake Ferguson; 9. Justin Caton; 10. Brandon Hall; 11. Keith Cahela; (The top 11 finished the race) 12. Justin Cruise, handling; 13. Ken McFarland, rear end; 14. Andy Antinoro, (wreck) ; 15. Dennis Reno, Jr., overheating; 16. Chase Knox, wreck damage; 17. Gary Sanford, Jr. (wreck); 18. Josh Belter, (ignition); 18. Mark Singleton, (wreck).
FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER STRIKES AS LOCAL DIVISIONS ROLL OUT
Birmingham, AL (October 3). Friday night’s first half of the annual Neil Bonnett Memorial weekend proved to play a major roll in how the points races are shaping up in the local divisions. All feature races were double points races and were hotly contested.
In Sportsman action, Michael Scoby led the race from flag to flag. The Lightening McQueen look alike car of Scoby had the field covered with only second place finisher Roger Cain coming close to being a serious challenger. Shawn Kyzer was third, Jimmy Roberts fourth, Josh Ross fifth, and Joel Falls sixth.
Burt Belter of Calera won the Street Stock feature by also leading the entire race of 20 laps. The Howton Machine/Belter Motorsports Mercury held off runner up Joel Falls, with Stan McClure, Tim Sims, Rusty Alverson, and Richard Patino following.
Roddy Moore padded his points lead by winning the feature in the Mini-Modified division, but it did not come easy. Moore started the Rozar’s Auto Paint Supply/Chris Z’s Ford Mustang in 12th position. He was up to third running position when he pitted under caution on the 10th lap. A spark plug wire had come off. He returned to the track and worked his way back to the front again. On the 26th lap he took the lead and lead for the rest of the 30-lap event. Hunter Spivey of Decatur, making his first run at BIR, was second after leading laps 13 through 25. Lee Streetman was third, Will Collins fourth, and Jacob Wyatt fifth. The rest of the field was Phillip Norton, Jason Day, Frankie Spradlin, Roger Wood, Sr., Jonathan Goolsby, Chris Knight, Chase Spradlin, and Justin Bonnett.
Jarrod Washington won the Renegade feature, adding to his win column. The Dodge Boy held off Randall Sexton, Tommy Belden, Michael Scoby, Joseph Freeman, Kenneth Quattlebaum, and Daniel Hubbard.
Division points leader Kevin Higgins won the Mini Stock feature. The City of Tarrant Police Officer piloted his Honda to the win over Eddie Dodd, Jr., Jeremy Gwin, David Passmore, Jr., and Floyd Brown. In positions six through ten were Chuck Mann, Robert Fucich, Cindy McClure, Phillip Amick, and Tyler Adams.
A special non-points race for drivers in the Mini-Stock division was held at the end of the evening. To be eligible, the driver had to be a non-winner this year. David Passmore, Jr., and Jeremy Gwin put on a great show, with Passmore, reported to be 12 years old, taking the checkered flag and his first win at BIR.
RANDOM NOTES ON THE ANNUAL NEIL BONNETT MEMORIAL 100 (The comments and observations reported here are those of the writer and should not be intended to reflect the opinions of BIR, Inc., Joey Sims, Ray Tennyson, Brian Crocker or any agent thereof and may or may not be influenced by the cooler temperatures, the high gasoline prices, the dark side of the moon, the wizard of Oz, the Wall Street bailout, and fatigue.) It seemed like everybody had a story to tell about Neil Bonnett at the race weekend in his honored memory. Johnny Bolen, the 100-lapper winner’s dad, was almost overcome with emotion as he tried to describe how he felt about his son winning the race. The Bolens were good friends with the Bonnetts. Clint Folsom in the BSS race revealed he won the first BIR race in which Neil was a competitor back in the day. Jarrod Washington and his dad, diehard Dodge Boys, did some research and discovered a 1968 Dodge Charger driven by Neil had gold painted wheels. The Washingtons painted Jarrod’s Dodge’s wheels gold for the race in his Bonnett’s memory. Roddy Moore spoke fondly of Neil. For my part, I have had the privilege of working with the all members of the Alabama Gang in some capacity. I have respect and affection for all of them, but of all the racers who "made it", Neil was more one of us than anybody. I will always cherish the memory of his allegiance to his fans, the common person…Stan McClure won the Demolition Derby, an event that seemed to last longer than any like it in the past. The competitors kept on banging on each other for several minutes…There are very few things about stock car racing that I do not like. The kind of incident on the 17th lap of the BSS 100-lapper is one of those things, however. The incident involving Gary Sanford, Jr., and Dennis Reno, Jr., was disturbing to me. I had a choice to make. I could write the matter as an objective motorsports journalist or I could write up the story as a friend of both talented racers. I could have done some investigative journalism, dug up details, and reported it with all the "stuff" that goes along with the incident. Instead, my personal feelings of being friends of both kept the report squeaky clean. I will acknowledge my discomfort with the matter and admit I may have failed my Reporting 101 class. I chose, however, not to rub salt into wounds and took the easy way out. I hope the issue is resolved between the two racers who happen to be related by marriage. Reno is married to Sanford’s sister, Allison. Thanksgiving dinner will be interesting…Drivers of note this weekend: Chase Oliver drove better than I’ve ever seen him do. Up in the top five until a brush with the wall dropped him back to seventh at the finish. It is thrilling to watch Marty Bean drive a race car. Fans in the grandstand had a great view of his on-the-edge action coming out of turn four. And Darrell Brown came back in an Open Wheel. It was good to see him…Thirteen of the 19 BSS starters had won some kind of race previously at BIR…Drivers seen watching the races: Chris Serio, Kenny Hogan and Brian "Whoop" McBrayer…Thanks again to all the drivers and owners who fielded more than one car or drove more than one car: Stan and Cindy McClure, Belter Motorsports, Wesley Stephens, Danny Bagwell and the Florida team that brought two cars, and Michael Scoby. By the way Scoby is not pronounced as in Scooby Doo. The "O" is long and rhymes with Koby as in Bryant. Scoby is Scottish for "a man with many tattoos." Not really, not about the tatts, anyway…Mr. Gober, who owns the Open Wheel Mod driven by Gary Nix, is 83 years old and keeps the car up. I think it is a good thing to give senior citizens something to do to keep them off the streets…Cashier Margaret Kirkpatick continues to recover from serious illness, Mr. Gober hopes to get a final clearance from the doctor saying his cancer is gone, Mr. Melvin, Billy’s dad and Charlie’s granddad, is at home gaining strength to have another cancer surgery, and former BIR racer Grady Humphryes, had a massive heart attack last week. No other information was available at press time. BIR extends condolences to the family of John Boy Wilkinson, who received word his mother had died just before qualifying for the Neil Bonnett Memorial 100...Thanks again to the family of the late Neil Bonnett for allowing us the opportunity to honor his memory…Race hard, pray hard. May God bless our nation and our sport.
RENO TAKES TEDDY BEAR AT BIR
Grady H. Thornton, Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama (September 21). Dennis Reno, Jr., had the perfect car and drove the perfect race to win the Teddy Bear 100 Benefiting Children’s Hospital at Birmingham International Raceway Sunday afternoon. It was the sixth installment of the 2008 Birmingham Super Series Late Model Challenge and Reno’s first win at the famed 5/8-mile paved oval since taking home the win in last year’s World Classic.
BSS points leader Ken McFarland of Hoover once again turned in the fastest qualifying time with a best run of 20.353 seconds/110.548 seconds. That was his team’s good news, the bad news was that he drew an eight-car inversion start. This would become a factor in the outcome of the race before 15 laps would be completed.
Rookies Chase Knox and Josh Belter occupied the front row on the pace laps. Belter got the jump and took the lead as the race started. Reno followed from his second row starting spot as cars bunched up behind the lead duo. A cluster of race cars behind Belter--Reno, Gary Nix, Knox, John Bolen, and McFarland--were all challenging for the lead as if it were the final lap. Reno took the inside groove and passed Belter for the lead on the sixth lap. Knox made it around Nix and was running good in third position. The cars were too fast to be running that close. A few taps to the rear bumper of Knox’s car on the back stretch and going into turns three and four sent him spinning. Bolen was collected as he and Knox spun in turn four. McFarland came upon the melee and looked as if he would make it through unscathed when his car took a blow on the right side.
A five-lap caution beginning with lap 15 allowed cleanup time for the safety crew and patch up time for the cars. Both Knox and Bolen eventually returned to the track but had to retire early. Suspension damage was evident in the handling of McFarland’s car. Although he returned to the race and finished on the lead lap, he was never in contention for the win after the damage to the car.
Reno resumed the lead and re-established his dominance as Nix and later Justin South ran in second position. Chase Oliver spun out to bring out the second caution on the 38th lap. With the tires cooled and the field lined up, Reno once again set the pace. With half of the 100 laps in the books, Reno held a 40-yard lead over South, with Nix 100 yards behind South. Belter, McFarland, Chris Serio, Keith Cahela, Scott Dunn, Roger Cain, and Andy Antinoro composed the top ten position order at that point. Within a few laps Reno was way out front with half a lap separating his car and that of the seventh place car. The third caution came out on lap 64 when Cain spun out.
"On each restart the car was tight," Reno said. "After that it was perfect." A fourth caution period started on the 85th lap when a debris clean up was necessary. Once again, Reno pulled out to a comfortable lead. The rest of the race was all about Reno as he led South, Belter, Serio, and Scott Dunn to the finish. McFarland, Blake Ferguson, Antinoro, Brandon Parker, and Mark Singleton, in that order, were the other top ten finishers. The top five was a career best at BIR for Dunn.
"For some reason that car won’t qualify good," Reno said after the race. "But when it picked up, it was awesome." The car was consistent once dialed in. Reno took the lead on the sixth lap with an unofficial lap time of 21.05 seconds. On the 90th lap he was lapping at 21.24 seconds. The winning car was the same one in which he won the November, 2007 World Classic. Reno listed his sponsors as Alabama Oil and Gas Recovery, Five Star Racing Bodies, Extreme Suspension Technology, RPM, Royal Tees, and Swift Springs.
Chris Serio earned the Hard Charger Award, advancing from 14th starting position to a fourth place finish. Josh Belter earned the Highest Finishing Rookie Award. The six DNF’s were Roger Cain (mechanical), Chase Knox (wreck), Gary Nix (water in oil), Chase Oliver (wreck), John Bolen (wreck) and Sandy Howton (engine).
OFFICIAL FINISHING ORDER, TEDDY BEAR 100 BENEFITING CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
1. Dennis Reno, Jr.; 2. Justin South; 3. Josh Belter; 4. Chris Serio; 5. Scott Dunn; 6. Ken McFarland; 7. Blake Ferguson; 8. Andy Antinoro; 9. Brandon Parker; 10. Mark Singleton; 11. Clint Folsom; 12. Keith Cahela; 13. Bobby Castleberry; 14. Roger Cain; 15. Chase Knox; 16. Gary Nix; 17. Chase Oliver; 18. John Bolen; 19. Sandy Howton
The Teddy Bear 100 was a joint effort by BIR, the Harley Owners Group (HOG), and Children’s Hospital. HOG sponsors an annual event in which they raise money to buy teddy bears for sick and injured children at Children’s Hospital. Racers took up money in the pits and in the grandstand. Kimberly Dickinson and Jennifer Deneke represented Children’s and received donations totaling $1,510.00 from BIR fans.
SUPPORT DIVISIONS REPORT
Seven support divisions contributed to the success of the Teddy Bear 100 weekend. Dustin Knowles won the 25-lap Open Wheel Modified feature after posting the fastest qualifying time of 21.265 seconds/105.807 mph. Knowles, a Jacksonville State University senior from Trussville, powered his Haselton Company/Brindley Construction/Express Oil Change #2 Trussville car to lead the race wire-to-wire. He was followed by Jared Land, Gary Nix, Johnny Brazier, Greg Powers, Wayne Hill, Rickey Holland, Jason Miller, and Marlin Gunter.
History was made in the Super Trucks race when Brittney Finley became the first woman to win a major event at BIR. Finley missed the fastest qualifying time of 23.624 seconds set by Wesley Davis by just .02 seconds. She took the lead of the race at the start, however, and led all 25 laps. Jeff Thompson was closing in in the final laps, but could not get around her. Thompson’s 20th lap spinout sealed the win for Finley in that no other driver could get close. It was her first win since taking over the duties of driving the racing trucks. Davis was second, Jamie Cook was third, Thompson fourth, Chris Wagner fifth, and Dale Langston sixth.
Roger Cain of Sterrett won the Sportsman feature by finishing second. Assumed winner Paul Jean was disqualified for a restart infraction. BIR rules stipulate a race can be started in a lower gear, with the driver shifting up at the drop of the green. However, restarts have to be in high gear. Jean, not a regular at BIR, started in third gear on a 16th lap restart. He was black flagged three laps, then no longer scored. Cain’s Renaissance Electric/Jerry Bradford Chevrolet was awarded the win. Shawn Kyzer was second, Jeff Powers third, Jimmy Roberts fourth, Josh Ross fifth, Joel Falls sixth, Michael Scoby seventh, and G.A. Sherer (DNS).
In the Street Stock feature, Joel Falls took his Jefferson County Auto Parts/Pit Stop Lounge Oldsmobile to his third consecutive win. Stan McClure was smoking tires to finish second, with Richard Patino in third, Roger Cain fourth, Tim Sims in fifth, and Rusty Alverson in sixth. Alverson was involved in a hard third turn crash that sent him to the hospital to be checked out. He was released and returned to the track later to pick up his car.
Roddy Moore padded his points lead in the Mini Modified division by winning another feature. Moore’s Ron Burke Collision/ Chris Z’s/Rozar’s Auto Paint Ford Mustang started ninth and was leading on the fourth lap. Chris Knight posted his best finish of the year in second, with Jeremy Williams, Lee Streetman, and Jacob Wyatt following. Justin Bonnett was sixth, Frankie Spradlin seventh, followed by Nick Bridier, Ashley Bridgmon, Jonathan Goolsby, Chase Spradlin, and Phillip Norton.
Jarrod Washington won the Renegade feature in his West Coast Customs/Jimmy’s Muffler Shop Dodge. He was followed by Daniel "Real Deal" Hubbard, Josh Phillips, Roger Wood, Jr., Jason Richardson and Tommy Bolden.
Chris Wagner from Huntsville won the Mini-Stock feature, his first win a BIR. Eddie Dodd, Jr., was second, followed by points leader Kevin Higgins, Chuck Mann and Jeremy Gwin. Floyd Brown, David Passmore, Robert Fucich, Tim Uptain, Mike Collins, and Cindy McClure finished in that order behind them. Roger E. Wood, Sr., was disqualified for shifting gears on a restart.
RANDOM NOTES ON THE TEDDY BEAR 100 (The comments and observations here are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the view of BIR management.) Thanks to everybody in the donation of over $1,500.00 to purchase teddy bears for kids at Children’s Hospital. Thanks also to Dennis Reno, Jr., Justin South, Chris Serio, Ken McFarland, and Brandon Parker for visiting with the kids at the hospital Friday. The stories the drivers related at Drivers Meeting were moving…The Harley Owners Group (HOG) is to be commended for their annual Children’s Hospital Drive. Any motorcycle owner, Harley or not, can join…The BIR coverage by Bright House is a huge success. Check your local listings. The DVD’s of the races sold out and more will be made. Check at the souvenir stand in the pit area…Thanks to all the drivers and/or car owners who brought two or more cars or drove in two or more races: Roger Cain, the Belter team, Stan and Cindy McClure, Gary Nix, Chris Wagner, Joel Falls, Paul Jean, Roger Wood, Sr. and Jr., and anyone else…CHIX RULE: Brittany Finley’s Super Truck win was exciting. We announced that the last time a woman won a race at BIR was in the seventy’s. I think those were heat races. Brittany, I think, is the first woman to win a major division feature event. Ashley Bridgmon, age 12, a seventh grader at Brookwood Middle School, moved up from gocarts to Mini Mods and finished on the lead lap. Cindy McClure was back in the Mini Stock division. I’d say over half the HOG crowd were women riders. The times, they are a changing…Quote of the day #1: Senior Pit Steward Jeff Riley to Rusty Alverson, who was initially refusing to go the hospital after his hard crash, "Rusty, get your (posterior) up on that stretcher and let ‘em take you to the hospital and check you our." Rusty got on the stretcher and went for a checkup. Quote # 2: A very thin race driver on friends’ efforts to fatten him up, "They tell me to get married and I’ll gain weight. I’ve been married three times and it didn’t help!"…On the mend: Front Gate cashier Margaret Kirkpatrick is at UAB West with numerous health problems. Mr. Melvin, Billy’s dad and Charlie’s granddad, at St. Vincent’s East in treatment for colon cancer. Mr. Gober on Gary Nix’s Open Wheel team, has gotten a good report in his recovery from cancer…The BIR family extends it’s sympathy to the family of Laney A’na Brigman, age 27. Her father, Paul Brigman, was a racer at BIR a few years back…Race hard, pray hard. God bless you.
JOHN TAKES BIG ONE IN BHAM: IRON MAN GOES TO JASPER
By Grady H. Thornton
Birmingham, AL (August 22). With Race # 5 of the 2008 Birmingham Super Series Late Model Challenge in the books, John Tyler Bolen of Jasper has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Bolen, at the wheel of the Gateway Gaming/2 B Amusements Chevrolet, strong-armed his way to the front and carried the torch in the Iron Man 100 at Birmingham International Raceway Friday evening. It was the first career BIR win for the ASA Late Model Series regular.
Bolen’s shining new Volunteer Performance Engines/Grand American Race Cars ride touched racing surface for the first time ever the night before in a test/tune session. That was followed by a 20.305 seconds/110.810 mph fastest qualifying run Friday that started him fourth row outside in an eight-car inversion. Chris Serio got the race off to a quick start by taking the green and the lead. Justin South went inside after the lead in the first few laps, but dropped back into second, the spot he would hold through the 22nd lap. Meanwhile, Dennis "Tink" Reno, Jr., began a charge forward, with Bolen tucked in behind. Bolen passed Reno on the 19th lap and began his run to the front. The next lap he picked off rookie Josh Belter. On the 23rd lap he went around Gary Nix and South. Serio’s lead would last through the first quarter of the laps, with Bolen powering to a one car length lead the next time around.
It was speculated Bolen’s charge from eighth to first had used up rubber. It as a part of Bolen’s plan, however. "We actually paced ourselves and tucked in behind Tink early on. When we realized our car was a little faster, I went on around him. The car worked good running low. I have to give credit to Gary Sanford, J., for that," Bolen explained. Sanford has defied tradition and gravity by establishing the fact that a car can run fast and low at BIR.
The long green condition period of 55 laps, a record in BSS history, allowed Bolen to establish as much as a 60-yard lead over Reno in second running position and Serio in third. The first caution came out on the 56th lap when sixth running Belter, who had run as high as third, got squirrelly and went into and up on the fourth turn wall. Belter’s car came up just short of turning over, but was damaged beyond quick repair for the evening. The top five of Bolen, Reno, Serio, Chase Knox, and Brandon Parker stayed out during the caution. The 61st lap restart was pretty much predictable, with the Parker and Knox trading places.
The second caution and final caution came out on lap 78 when Knox looped it coming off four. A return to green on lap 83 gave a 17-lap run to the finish. The only significant move in the final laps was South picking up two spots to get in behind Reno. In some respects, the show was over early as Bolen never had to sweat the lead. Reno came home second, getting as close as 30 yards to the leader. South, Serio, and Parker were the top five finishers.
"It’s nice to be back home, it’s fun," Bolen said, reflecting on his ASA schedule. "Racing here and growing up here has helped me a lot. They say if you can win here, you can win anywhere. It’s a pretty tough track, so racing here has helped me everywhere."
Bolen also earned the Hard Charger Award, advancing his starting position of eighth to finishing position of first. Brandon Parker’s fifth place finish earned him the Highest Finishing Rookie Honor.
OFFICIAL FINISH, BSS #5, IRONMAN 100 1. John Tyler Bolen; 2. Dennis Reno, Jr.; 3. Justin South;
4. Chris Serio; 5. Brandon Parker; 6. Mark Singleton; 7. Chase Oliver; 8. Chase Knox; 9. Blake Ferguson; 10. Keith Cah
For perhaps the first time in BIR history, the seven support divisions at BIR ran all seven feature races, 111 laps, without a caution period. Add that to two first-timers and a lot of give and take and the local Ironmen from the Steel City contributed a lot of spark to the first ever Family Night at BIR.
Trussville’s Dustin Knowles, a senior at Jacksonville State University, claimed his second career win in the Open Wheel Modified 25-lap feature. Jarod Land of Fayetteville, TN, in his second start at BIR, made it a rocket start by blasting from his front row inside starting position to the lead on the drop of the green. By the time the cars had made the initial circuit, however, Knowles was leading and would hold that lead until the checkered fell. With representatives from his recently acquired sponsor, Haselden Company Incorporated, visiting from Louisiana, Knowles laid down a straightaway between his Stickers Graphics/Express Oil-Trussville ela; 11. Justin Caton; 12. Steven Davis; 13. Gary Nix; 14. Josh Belter.
IRONMAN SUPPORT DIVISIONS PUT PETAL TO THE METAL
Chevrolet and the second place car. At the end of the grind, Land landed a respectable runner up spot, with fastest qualifier Gary Nix (21.201seconds/106.127 mph) finishing third. In fourth was Rocky Rogers, Nathan Davis fifth, followed by Greg Powers, Wayne Hill, and Ricky Holland.
Laissez les bon temps rouler. That is French for, "Where da women at?" Not really. It means "Let the good times roll" and that is what Jeff Thompson and his Cajun Steamer Bar & Grill Super Truck crew did in their romp to the win in their feature race. Thompson took the lead at the start and never looked back. It was his second career and second consecutive win at BIR. Chris Serio was second and Wesley Davis was third.
It has been stated may times by this writer that Shawn Kyzer is the best BIR regular who has yet to visit Victory Lane. That designation came to a happy and emotional end in the Limit Sportsman feature when the Parrish, AL, young lion clawed his way around division defending champion Jimmy Roberts on the second lap to take and never give up the lead. Kyzer’s Short Cutz-sponsored Old School Malibu was first over veterans Jeff Powers, Roger Cain, Joel , and Norman Cates in fifth.
Eddie Dodd, Jr., of Trussville overcame a five-position starting spot to win the 12Falls, and Roberts. Kyzer’s father, Thomas, was the division champion a few years ago.
Joel Falls, who stepped out of his Limited Sportsman and into his Street Stock, won the SS show. Also in an Old School car, an Olds Cut-dog sponsored by Jefferson County Auto Parts, Falls drifted by leader Richard Patino on the seventh lap and was the winner on the 15th lap. Roger Cain followed the Pleasant Grove racer and came in second in a Belter Brothers Ford, with Patino, points leader Rusty Alverson, and Matt Gaulden following.
In many respects, the Mini-Modified feature was the biggest show of the night. Points leader Roddy Moore’s success inspired a $200.00 bounty for any driver who could outrun him. Moore started on the rear, one spot behind Chase Spradlin. Ryan Price took the lead at the start and Moore was on his tail by the third lap, with Spadlin right behind him. The lead trio ran close, with Spradlin overtaking Moore on the seventh lap. On the 15th of 20 laps, the Mini-Stock feature. PoiSpradlin Motorsports Toyota made a daring move around Price, as the latter’s car sputtered out. Spradlin’s win had Moore behind him in second, Justin Bonnett in his best-yet finish at third, with Chris Knight and Jacob Wyatt in fourth and fifth. Lee Streetman, Frankie Spradlin, Price, and Jonathan Goolsby make out the rest of the finishing order.
The Dodge Boys are back, led by Jarod Washington Tuscaloosa. Washington’s fourth feature win in the BG Oils and Lubrication/Wix Filters/Gates Belts/ MAXCO Oil/ Mac Tools Dodge kept Roger Wood, Jr., in second, Joseph Freeman in third, Daniel Hubbard in fourth-lap nts leader Kevin Higgins was all over him for the last few laps, but could not get around. Higgins in second was followed by Mike Collins, Chuck Mann, Jeremy Gwin, Roger Wood, Sr., David Passmore, Jr., Charlie Beasley, Kyle Gragg, and Bret Anderson. Dodd’s Acura Intergra is sponsored by Wood Brothers Auto Sales, Posten’s Overhead Door, McKenna Auto Sales, and Healing Essentials.
The next BIR event will shift the setting to a Sunday afternoon, September 21. Birmingham Super Series Late Model Challenge race #6 will be the main event, with races in support divisions. A practice session on Saturday, September 22 will be available to the drivers. Call BIR at 205.781.BIR1 or visit the website at www.bir-raceway.com for further information.
laps of suppRANDOM NOTES ON THE IRONMAN 100 (The following views and observations are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of the management of BIR and may or may not be influenced by the age of the writer, back pain, Goody Powders, Hydrocodone, fatigue, pain from wearing dress shoes to the races, Hurricane Fay, presidential politics, and/or the Car of Tomorrow)….First, apologies for some goofups in previous stories. In the July 3rd report I stated Jim Parker was involved in a BSS crash. It was actually Jim’s son, Brandon, who is a 2008 BSS rookie candidate. Next was the August 9th report. I wrote Kevin Higgins won the Mini-Modified race when it should have been identified as the Mini-Stock race. Also in that same paragraph I stated Higgins led all 12 laps of the event. In fact, Jeremy Gwin was officially credited with leading the first lap. He had more lead distance than that, but due to restarts he got credit for the first lap. It may have been the first lap Gwin has led and BIR, but most likely will not be the last…Where were the titans of the BSS, points leader Ken McFarland and defending champion Gary Sanford? The Mac was in Bristol enjoying NASCAR as a fan and Sanford is recovering from extensive shoulder surgery. The surgery could keep Sanford out for the season…..Seen in the pits former BIR racers Jerry Goodwin, Chris Mullinax, Bill Foster, Buddy Hughen, and Mike Crawford….Are you watching delayed broadcasts of the races on Brighthouse cable? Do so. The DVD’s will be available soon….The Grand Marshall for the Ironman 100 was Brooke Allen, WBRC Fox-6 Traffic anchor. The Memphis-born journalist has a yearn to drive a race car, and got to drive the Jim Burke Toyota Camary pace car….With 111 ort division racing and the first 55 laps of the Iron Man, 166 laps were contested at BIR without a caution period. I’d say that qualifies as a miracle….The Georgia Asphalt Series pace car at BIR was brought over by Vince Whitmire and Allen Hastins of the GAS….If the blue number #25 BSS car driven by Blake Ferguson looked familiar, it was. Ferguson Racing purchased the car from Gary Sanford, Jr…..I have photographed wives, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, girlfriends, lady sponsors, Miss BIR, Miss Coors, and Hooters Girls in Victory Lane many times, but Friday’s cheerleaders were a first for me. The Oak Grove High School beauties with Chase Spradlin were his sister, Nikki, and his girlfriend, Melondy Glass. They left a football jamboree at half-time to watch Chase race….By the way, in what sport would you find three guys named "Chase" (Spradlin, Knox, and Oliver) in one event?…That really was Justin Bonnett in the Mini Modified, not daddy David. David cannot fit into the compact Honda….Special thanks to the drivers and/or owners who drove or fielded more than one car in the Iron Man show: Chris Serio, Joel Falls, Roger Cain, the Belter family, the Wood family, the Bolen family, Gary Nix, Will Blocksome, the Spradlin family and anybody else….Did you enjoy Family Night at BIR? The deal was for a limited number of tickets for two adult tickets, two children tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for $30.00.…Those at BIR received three blessings Friday: (1). Being in America, a country of unparalleled freedoms, (2). Being in Alabama and the South; (3). Being at a stock car race. Race hard, pray hard.
McFARLAND TURNS ON THE SWITCH IN POWER BIRD 100
BY GRADY H. THORNTON
Birmingham, AL (August 9). Even with an extra grand in the purse for any driver who could outrun him, the competition had nothing for Ken McFarland of Hoover as the veteran racer earned the win in the Power Bird 100 Presented by Alabama Power. A first lap brush with disaster at the Birmingham International Raceway event sent him to the pits for repair, but it was also an opportunity to Crew Chief JohnBoy Wilkinson to make adjustments to get the Mac back up front.
As is his custom, McFarland turned in the fastest qualifying time of 20.432 seconds/110.121 mph. A boxcar roll of the die put him starting third row outside. When the green flag flew so did the metal as several of the top runners were mixed up a massive spin-and-crash. McFarland came through the battlefield, but took a hit and minor damages. A trip to the pits and handiwork by his crew got him back out to start on the rear.
Johnny Brazier, in his first Birmingham Super Series start this year, took the lead and held it through the caution period that consumed laps five through nine. BSS regular Gary Nix then assumed the lead with Chris Serio coming into second on the 12th lap. McFarland had already begun his move from the back to the front, taking over sixth place on the second lap, fifth on the third lap, fourth on the tenth, and into third on the 12th.
The Nix-Serio-McFarland trio would lead the field until the next caution, which came out on lap 37. Nix and Serio stayed out while McFarland and 2007 BSS champion Gary Sanford, Jr., pitted. The crews worked some more magic and he once again McFarland entered the race near the rear. By the halfway mark of the 100-lap race, the running order was Nix, Serio, Brazier, McFarland, Sanford, Justin South, Chase Oliver, Keith Cahela, Jeff Morgan, and Justin Cruise.
On the 59th lap McFarland overtook Serio and set his sights on the leading car of Nix. A few laps of competitive heat and the number 14 of McFarland got around the number 41 of Nix. With a rejuvenated car from the pit stops, McFarland was on his way to his fourth of 2008. Brazier, winner of many 100-lppers at BIR, took over the second running spot on lap 64 and held it to the end. Sanford, who had been as far back as 11th, rebounded to finish third. Serio was fourth and Nix, who had led 53 laps, finished fifth.
In a standard post-race interview, McFarland gave credit to everybody except himself. "We took on some damage in that first lap wreck and pitted. We made adjustments that helped me run good on the bottom, better than I’ve ever been able to run. JohnBoy, he is a real racer. I do this for a hobby. He can’t stand to loose. He is dedicated and works hard on the car. He makes my job easier."
Cahela was sixth, Morgan seventh, South eighth, Chase Oliver ninth, and Justin Cruise tenth. Finishing positions eleven through fifteen were Andy Antinoro, Sandy Howton, Roger Cain, Blake Ferguson, and Chase Knox.
McFarland’s Ford Fusion-bodied, Hamner Racing Engines-powered racecar was built form a Grand American Race Cars chassis. City Auto Sales and Birmingham Auto Auction are the team’s primary sponsors. Because of his charge from the rear to the win, McFarland also earned the Victory Communications Hard Charger Award. Chase Oliver was the highest finishing rookie.
SUPPORT DIVISIONS TURN ON THE POWER
Dustin Knowles of Trussville, fresh off his first career win in the Open Wheel Modified division, was the fastest qualifier in that division’s time trials with a fast lap of 21.320 seconds/105.534 mph. He rolled a four for a second row outside berth. Gary Nix started the 25-lap affair on the point and dominated the race. Nix’s Gober Family/Jesus First/Nix Racing Tires team took their first win of the year over Knowles, Jared Land, Greg Powers, Ricky Holland, Wayne Hill, Brandon Curren, and Wesley Stephens.
The Super Trucks competed in their first BIR event of 2008, with Hoover’s Jeff Thompson taking his first BIR win. Thompson’s Cajun Steamer Bar and Grill entry trailed Jackie Curren for three laps before taking the lead. Once ahead, he held the front position for the rest of the 20 lap race. Curren maintained his second place running position and took a runner-up spot at the finish. Jamie Cook was third, Brittany Finley fourth, and Dale Langston fifth. Finley’s fourth was the highest finish for a woman in any race at BIR this century.
Roger Cain of Sterrett won the Sportsman 20-lap feature. Cain moved his Renaissance Electronics Chevrolet Monte Carlo into the lead on the sixth circuit and never lost it. He was dogged by Shawn Kyzer, the best BIR driver yet to win a race, who finished second. Joel Falls was third, Ryan Logan fourth, Jeff Powers fifth, Jimmy Roberts sixth, Michael Scooby seventh, and Josh Northcutt eighth.
The Street Stock feature belonged to Joel Falls of Pleasant Grove from the third lap, when he took the lead, to the finish of the 12-lap event. Falls was followed by Roger Belter, who brushed the wall and almost got upside down. Following Belter was early leader Richard Patino, Daniel Jacks, Rusty Alverson, and Matt Gaulden.
Roddy Moore of Hueytown started 11th in the Mini-Modified feature. He passed leader Lee Streetman for the lead on the fourth lap. With two laps to go, Chase Spradlin came off turn four side by side with the Chris Z’s/Rozar Auto Paint Supply/Jimmy’s Hot Dogs/Riverchase Collision Center Ford Mustang. Moor held him off at the end. Spradlin was close in second, Jonathan Goolsby in third, Streetman fourth, and Jacob Wyatt fifth. Following were Chris Knight, Frankie Spradlin, Justin Bonnett, newcomer Jeff Serio, previous winner Jeremy Williams, Kevin Bennett, and Phillip Norton.
Jared Washington began the year off great, then saw a series of misfortunes take him out of the Renegade races. Washington rebounded this time around, however, and took the feature win. Behind the Westside Customs/Jimmy’s Muffler Shop Dodge were Roger Wood, Jr., Joseph Freeman, Norman Cates, Jeremy Pate, and Daniel Hubbard.
Tarrant City policeman Kevin Higgins continued his winning streak in the Mini-Modified division by leading all 12 laps of his feature. Higgins, the division’s points leader, was followed by Mike Collins, Eddie Dodd, Jr., Jeremy Gwin, Chuck Mann, Robert Fucich, David Passmore, Jr., and Ashley Curren.
BIR’s next event will re reminiscent of the past days with a Friday night show on August 22nd. A special deal for families, A Family Four Pack for $30.00 includes two adult and two children tickets to the grandstands, with four hot dogs and four soft drinks.
SANFORD EMERGES AS WIZARD IN MAGIC CITY 200
By Grady H. Thornton, Birmingham, Alabama
Having won every Late Model race and pole at BIR this year, nobody was surprised when Ken McFarland of Hoover once again set the fastest qualifying time of 20.347 seconds/110.581 mph. A four-car inversion started him second row outside. Sanford and Dennis Reno, Jr., took the front row, with Reno jumping into the lead at the drop of the green flag. Sanford fell in behind with McFarland, rookie Brandon Parker, Gary Nix, Justin South, and Andy Antinoro following. Justin Caton’s wreck brought out the first caution on the eighth lap. Five laps of caution allowed a cooling of tires and it was racing again. At the quarter-mark of the 100-lap event, Reno led Sanford, McFarland, Jim Parker, Gary Nix, Justin South, Andy Antinoro, with Nathan Davis, Edwin Gurley, and Roger Cain, in that order, as the top ten cars. Sanford took the lead from Reno on lap 28.
A 35th lap caution came out when Blake Ferguson’s car spun coming off turn two and became lodged under the inside guard rail. The race was red-flagged after five caution laps when it became obvious the clean up would take a long time. For the previous few laps, Reno’s front suspension had gone crazy and McFarland moved into second. The cars were stretched out into a line by this point, with Nix’s car beginning to fade back. The caution period saw Reno duck into the pits for some emergency suspension work. This moved Parker into third.
At the halfway point, the top ten were Sanford, McFarland, Parker, South, Davis, Reno, Cain, Nix, Josh Belter, and Justin Cruise. McFarland had been set to pounce and appeared to begin efforts in earnest with three-quarters of the race down. He made challenges on almost each lap. He could catch the tail end of Sanford’s car in the turns, but Sanford, especially coming off number two, was a rocket on the straights.
Sanford and his crew had the power and the handling dialed in to perfection. Jim Parker ran with the front duo far ahead of the field until a brush with the backstretch wall sent him careening into the third turn wall head first, than backwards. His stellar rookie run was over for the night. In the closing laps, Sanford’s Volunteer Performance Engines/Port City chassis/ 5 Star Racing Bodies combination was too much to overcome. Car owner Michael Murphy was quick to point out Sanford had done almost all the work on the car himself. Sanford finished first with McFarland in second, Reno rebounding from trouble for third, South in fourth, and Cain in fifth.
Josh Belter was the highest finishing rookie with a sixth place finish. Davis was seventh, Cruise eighth, Parker ninth, and Chase Knox tenth. Positions eleven through fifteen were Nix, Antinoro, Ferguson, Edwin Gurley, and Caton. Cruise was awarded the Victory Communications Hard Charger Award.
The Magic City 100 was the major part of the Magic City 200 race event. McFarland maintained his points lead in the Birmingham Super Series points chase. The Magic City 100 was the third event in the series.
Dustin Knowles of Trussville won his first ever Open Wheel Modified race in that division’s 25 lapper. Rocky Rogers set the fastest qualifying time of 21.500 seconds/104.651 mph. A six-car inversion put him on the third row of the starting field. Gary Nix took the lead at the start with Knowles behind him. On the second lap Wesley Stephens was challenging Roger Wood, Jr., for the lead when he and Wesley Stephens made contact coming off the second turn. Wood’s car veered sharply to the right, going up on the wall and flipped. A broken right tie rod on Stephens’ car may have been the culprit. Wood was disturbed, and threw his helmet at Stephens’ car, breaking the windshield. Neither driver was injured, but both cars were sidelined. Meanwhile, Knowles took over the lead on the seventh lap, and a jubilant scene took place in Victory Lane. Stickers Graphics, Express Oil Change #2 Trussville, Haselden Company, Brindley Construction, and Shelby Concrete were in BIR’s Victory Lane for the first time as Knowles’ team sponsors. Gary Nix was second, Rogers third, Nick Martin fourth, Nathan Davis fifth, with Wood, Stephens, and Wayne Hill following.
Michael Scoby won the Sportsman feature in a real life replica of the cartoon car, Lightning McQueen. Scoby led the race wire-to-wire in a car that also serves as a babysitter for his 22-month old son, Austin. Shawn Kyzer was second with Jimmy Roberts following. Scoby said his son will make gestures indicating he wants in the race car when it is parked at home. He said the baby will get angry if the steering wheel is not attached while he plays in the driver’s seat.
The Belter Motorsports Ford won the Street Stock division, but not with the usual driver at the wheel. Josh Belter’s uncle, Burt Belter, led Joel Falls and Rusty Alverson to the line.
In the Renegade feature, Roger Wood, Sr., took the win in a Lincoln Continental. The Wood Brothers Auto Sales/Motorvation Motorsports team won over Daniel Hubbard and Joseph Freeman.
Mimi-Modified standout Roddy Moore was first over the line in that division’s feature, but a measurement at the tech shed showed his frame rail height to be too low. That moved Jeremy Williams into his first feature win at BIR. Williams had fallen in behind Moore’s leading car on the seventh lap of the 20-lap event. The official finish was Williams as the winner, followed by Ryan Price, Chase Spradlin, Jonathan Goolsby, Chris Knight, Lee Streetman, Jacob Wyatt, and Frankie Spradlin.
In a race car driven by at least four previous winners, Mike Collins won the Mini-Stock division’s feature. Collins led the race from start to finish. Eddie Dodd, Jr., was second, followed by Chuck Mann, Kevin Higgins, Robert Fucich, and Jeremy Gwin
WEDNESDAY RACES IN SUPPORT DIVISIONS START
MAGIC CITY 200 EVENT
By Grady Thornton
In the Sportsman division, defending division champion Jimmy Roberts of Avondale used his front row starting position to take the lead on the first lap and lead all 15-laps of the event. Roberts’ Continental Realty/Buffalo Electric Chevrolet held off challenges by Shawn Kyzer, the runner up, Michael Scoby, and Jeff Powers.
In the Street Stock division, Josh Belter took time off working on preparing his Late Model for the following night’s Magic City 100 to compete in and win the Street Stock feature. Belter’s Howton’s Machine Shop Ford was followed by Rusty Alverson, who led the first 13 laps of the 15-lap race. Richard Patino was third.
Roger Wood, Sr., was first across the line in the Renegade division, but was booted to the back of the line at the tech line. His car was disqualified for weight infractions. This moved Daniel “Real Deal” Hubbard into the Winner’s Circle. The College Tire/Real Deal Exteriors Chrysler was declared the winner with Joseph Freeman and Jared Washington following.
In the Mini-Modified 20-lap feature, Roddy Moore extended his winning streak by winning the race. Johathan Goolsby led the first seven laps before Moore’s Chris Z’s/Jimmy’s Hot Dogs/Riverchase Collision Center Ford Mustang came from the last starting position to take the lead the next time around. Ryan Price was second, Chase Spradlin third, Chris Knight fourth, Lee Strickland fifth, Jeremy Williams sixth, Jacob Wyatt seventh, Frankie Spradlin eighth, Goolsby ninth, Kevin Bennett tenth (DNS), and Justin Bonnett eleventh (DNS).
In the Mini Stock feature, Eddie Dodd, Jr., led 14.9 laps of the 15-lap race, but got caught up in lapped traffic coming off turn four for the checkered. Kevin Higgins, who had started seventh in the field, was in the right place to take over the lead headed for the checkered flag. It was Higgins’ second consecutive win in his rookie year. Dodd was second, Chuck Mann third, Mike Collins fourth, Jeremy Gwin fifth, Robert Fucich sixth, and Drew Bowman fifth.
GRADY H. THORNTON
“We had a good car, “ the winner declared. “The car was really turning good. If a car is set up to turn good and easy, you can get off the corners faster. We work hard in getting the car to go through the turns.” Through the corners, off the turns, and down the straights McFarland was off the chain.
For the third consecutive long race at BIR in 2008, McFarland was the fastest qualifier, leader of the most laps, and the winner. His qualifying time of 20.369-seconds/110.461 mph) was the fastest of the eight (8) cars that clocked under 21 seconds. A roll of “5” on the die put him inside rookie Brandon Parker and behind John Bolen and Gary Nix. The front row had Chris Serio on the point flanked by rookie Josh Belter. The race was green flagged by Lauren Wallace, the youngster who is seen in a go-cart on the Geico television ads. Serio hit the afterburners and launched into the lead with Bolen in tow. Bolen and Belter swapped ground a few times until Bolen took the second spot.
On the ninth lap Serio slipped up high in turn two and Bolen made his move to the lead. The first quarter of the race Bolen was a man unto himself, keeping Nix at bay and stretching their lead to over 50 yards. McFarland had taken third running position on the same lap as Bolen’s pass. Gary Sanford, Jr., who started eighth, followed with Parker, Belter, Justin South, Keith Cahela, Serio, and Clint Folsom comprising the top ten. The first of four cautions came out when Pat Cruise spun in turn four on the 27th lap. Cruise, Serio with an ill-handling car, and open-wheel ace “Mad” Max Papis pitted. Later it would be reported Serio’s car would not handle. Between he and his weekend team partner, Papis, they would have three flats, taking both cars out of contention. The 32nd lap restart gave Nix an opportunity to make a run for the lead, showing again he used a good restart strategy. Two laps later when Cruise’s team could not get the car restarted and he was dangerously close to the fast lane, another caution period was flagged.
Action resumed with Bolen leading, but bobbling on the 37th lap restart. McFarland snatched runner-up spot from Nix, setting up his take over of the lead. McFarland applied the pressure, running a bit over a groove lower than Bolen’s leading car. McFarland used that low groove to take the lead on the 41st lap. On the first lap of the second half of the event, 2007 BSS champion Sanford took over third position behind Bolen and leader McFarland. On lap 57 the third caution period was on when Folsom hit the second turn wall in the same spot he hit in the Early BIRd 125 in February. With the clean up completed, the race was resumed without Folsom on the 62nd lap.
While McFarland casually lead the pack, duels developed behind him. Sanford could reign in Bolen around the track, but lost ground coming off the second turn each lap. A fourth turn melee involving the cars of Serio, Justin Cruise, P. Cruise, and Matt Swartz initially looked dramatic. Momentarily after they were blocking the track, however, they all rolled off and made it to the pits or the back of the line. When McFarland carried the race to a hurried win under the white flag, Blake Ferguson made a bid for third place coming out of turn two. ARCA driver Justin South and Ferguson tangled, taking Ferguson from a potential third to a spun out 12th as the checkered were thrown for McFarland. Coming across the line behind him were Bolen, Sanford, South, and Belter. Cahela, Chase Knox, Serio, Mark Singleton, and Papis made up the top ten finishers list.
In addition to winning the Davey Allison Memorial 100, McFarland also received the FEL-PRO Winner’s Bonus and Sonic Clutches Bonus. The FEL-PRO Highest Finishing Rookie Bonus went to Josh Belter. The Victory Communications Hard Charger Award went to Chase Knox. The Sonic Clutches Fifth Place Bonus went to Belter.
McFarland came up through the ranks of the Legends Series at the local tracks. He first drove a Late Model at BIR in 1998, and was recognized as Rookie of the Year. In 1999 he won the Late Model championship. In the Davey Allison Memorial 100, Birmingham Auto Auction, and City Auto Sales sponsored McFarland. The car is a Frankie Grill Grand American Race Cars chassis with a Hamner Performance Racing Chevrolet engine. The sheet metal is that of a Ford Fusion.
OFFICIAL DAVEY ALLISON 100 FINISH, STARTING POSITION, AND STATUS AT END OF RACE--1. Ken McFarland, (5), running; 2. John Bolen, (3), running; 3. Gary Sanford, Jr., (8), running; 4. Justin South, (9), running; 5. Josh Belter, (2), running; 6. Keith Cahela, (12), running; 7. Chase Knox, (15), running; 8. Chris Serio, (1), running; 9. Mark Singleton, (11), running; 10. Max Papis, (13), running; 11. Brandon Parker, (5), running; 12. Blake Ferguson, (10), running; 13. Matt Swartz, (18), running; 14. Pat Cruise, (14), running; 15. Gary Nix, (5), suspension; 16. Justin Cruise, (16), tie rod; 17. Shannon Dodson, (17), rear end/drive shaft; 18. Clint Folsom, (7), wreck.
Roger Cain had to overtake a strong car to win the 20-lap Limited Sportsman feature. Shawn Kyzer jumped into the lead from his second row starting position and would go on to lead almost half of the race. Cain snaked his Renaissance Electronics Chevrolet Monte Carlo up to the front and took the lead on the 10th lap, the position he would maintain on into the Winner’s Circle. Kyzer held his second spot, followed by Joel Falls, Jimmy Roberts, Rusty Alverson, and Cody Browning. It was Cain’s fourth consecutive feature win.
Roddy Moore of Hueytown won the Mini-Modified 20-lapper in the Mini Modified feature. Carrying carried the sponsorship of Chris Z’s and Jimmy’s Hot Dogs all the way to victory, Moore’s third consecutive win. Lee Streetman, an early leader, was second, followed by Chris Knight, Jacob Wyatt, Roger Wood, Jr., Charlie Melvin, Jonathan Goolsby, and Justin Bonnett. Kevin Bennett was a DNS.
After winning the Mini-Stock (formerly BUZZZ division) feature two years ago, won the Renegade feature, his first win in that division. Amick wrestled with points leader Jarrod Washington in the first five laps before taking the lead for the remainder of the 12-lap event. Amick’s Gray Ghost Lincoln Continental, sponsored by Jimmy’s Muffler Shop and Amick Auto Sales, kept Washington in second place at the end. Daniel Hubbard and Joseph Freeman followed.
A very popular first occurred when Eddie Dodd, Jr., won the Mini-Stock feature. Dodd has been a runner-up many times in the four-cylinder divisions, but it was at this point he took his first BIR win. The Trussville racer was followed by Kevin Higgins, Chris Cole, Jeremy Gwin, Chuck Mann, and Robert Fucich.
Grady H. Thornton, Birmingham, Alabama
After his qualifying run, McFarland rolled a five-car inversion putting rookie Brandon Parker and Chris Serio on the front row. Serio took the lead at the start with Parker, Josh Belter, Gary Nix, and Billy Melvin following. McFarland eased his way through the traffic and was nipping at Serio’s rear bumper by the sixth lap. At the quarter mark, McFarland, Nix, and Serio were a full straightaway ahead of the rest of the field and begun to lap the ailing cars bringing up the rear.
The first caution did not come out until the 50th lap when Chase Knox scraped the outside wall. The race was behind McFarland in the third quarter of the race as Justin South, who had run as high as fourth, began to challenge Serio for third. After a few laps of hugging the inside groove, South was beside Serio. Crossing the stripe on the 82nd lap South slipped ahead, only to relinquish the position back to Serio on the next round. Two more laps of dicing, and South passed Serio again. Entering the third turn on the 89th lap, however, the race ended for South and could have for Serio. With South holding a lead of only a few feet, Serio got into him on at the entrance to the turn. Serio spun to the grass and South smashed into the wall.
South’s red-hot emotion was evident in his posturing as Serio came around on the next caution lap. South’s car was put on a rollback as the race was red-flagged for clean up. The six-lap shoot out to the end of the race gave Nix an opportunity to make a run for the lead, but McFarland shut the door and went on to win the race. Nix was second, Serio third, Parker fourth, and Chase Oliver fifth.
McFarland acknowledged many things went his way, but commented about the right combination of take off power and handling. After thanking all the crewmembers, he commented, “I had good speed coming off the corners.”
BIR newcomer Matt Swartz finished a commendable sixth, Tyler Caton seventh, South eighth, Belter ninth, and Chase Knox tenth. In the second tier were Blake Ferguson, Shannon Dodson, Melvin, and Justin Cruise. The Victory Circle Racing Communications Highest Finishing Rookie Award went to Brandon Parker. The Sonic Racing Clutches Fifth Place Finisher Award went to Chase Oliver. Oliver also earned the Fel-Pro Gaskets Hard Charger Award, going from a 10th place start to a fifth place finish. McFarland is two-for-two in 2008, having won the Early BIRd 100 in February.
The Steel City 100 was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 5th. The widespread thundershowers in the area forced the one-day delay to Sunday.
McFarland’s car was sponsored by City Auto Sales, Birmingham Auto Auction, and Passmore Automotive. The Grand American Race Cars chassis is powered by Hamner Performance Racing Engines under a Ford Fusion skin.
Roger Cain of Sterrett also repeated as a winner. Cain wrestled on track with leader Joel Falls before taking the lead on the eighth of 15 laps in the Sportsman feature. The Jerry Bradford-owned Renaissance Electronics Chevrolet Monte Carlo went on the finish comfortably ahead of Falls, defending champion Jimmy Roberts, Shawn Kyzer, and rookie Cody Browning.
The Dodge Boys are back and their victory was back to back with the Early BIRd race as well. Jarrod Washington of Tuscaloosa started his Jimmy’s Muffler Shop/West Coast Customs Dodge way back in the field at the start of the 15-lap Renegade feature. A three way battle developed as Tommy “T-Bone” Bolden led the first three laps, yielding to Phillip Amick on the fourth lap. Amick’s Lincoln Continental held the point through the eighth lap when Washington took over the lead and went on to the win. Amick, the 2006 Mini-Stock champion, moved into the Mini-Modified division last year and into the Renegade division in 2008. He claimed the runner-up position with rookie Joseph Freeman, Bolden, Daniel “Real Deal” Hubbard, and Leonard Bradley following.
Roddy Moore was the winner in the Mini-Modified 20-lap feature and the only race winner on the Steel City that was not also on the Early BIRd winners list. Moore’s Tim Burke Body Shop/Jimmy’s Hot Dogs/Chris Z’s Mustang passed leader Eddie Dodd, Jr., on the fourth lap and built up a significant lead as the other cars diced for position behind him. Rookie Randy Dodd got as high as second, his best performance at BIR to date. Jonathan Goolsby started in the back and came up to second at the finish. Ryan Price was third, Lee Streetman, the winner of the Early BIRd, finished fourth, and Jacob Wyatt, a graduate from the Mini-Stock division, was fifth. In positions six through ten were Rookie Charlie Melvin, Jared James, E. Dodd, R. Dodd, and Kevin Bennett.
Rookie Kevin Higgins took the lead at the start of the 15-lap Mini-Stock, formerly the BUZZZ division, feature. His car looked hard to handle in the turns, however, and Early
BIRd winner Mike Collins of Trussville began to make his challenges. Coming off the fourth turn of the seventh lap Collins executed a flawless slingshot move when the Higgins car went up the track. Collins’ Auto Credit Connection/Credit Services/CEC Inc. Acura went on to the win over Higgins, Chuck Mann, John Blackwell, Robert Fucich, Jeremy Gwin, and Bryan Church.
One of the biggest weekends ever at BIR will be the Davey Allison Memorial on April 25th and 26th. In addition to the second BSS 100-lapper and races in the Open Wheel Modified, Mini-Modified, Limited Sportsman, Renegade, and Mini-Stock divisions, BIR will welcome home the legendary Bobby Allison and Larry McReynolds. The histories of both these racing giants include formative years at BIR. Allison and Reynolds will be available for autographs before the races. Watch www.bir-raceway.com for forthcoming details.
RANDOM NOTES ON THE STEEL CITY 100 (The comments and opinions below are those of the writer and should not be considered to represent those of the BIR management team.) Although Ken McFarland had the field covered and Gary Nix drove one of his best BSS races yet, my vote on Best In Show: Brandon Parker. This rookie took an old reworked GARC chassis, a Performance Specialties engine, and a good attitude to the best finishing rookie spot of fourth place. He was one of only four driver to make the full 100 grind. Just like many other racers in our area, he has room for a dedicated sponsor in front of that number “1” on the doors. He’s a good kid, willing to learn from others, and patient, not to mention having Augie and Frankie Grill to mentor him….Best Support Division Racer still seeking his first first: Shawn Kyzer….Only driver banned from Huntsville Motor Speedway for life: Daniel “Real Deal” Hubbard. The Deal told me he was banned due to remarks he made in Victory Lane after winning the Renegade feature Saturday night. Any truth to this, Nephew?….Did Shannon Dodson’s #54 color scheme look familiar? It is the car previously raced by Kyle Roberts, who was in the stands Sunday….BIR is instituting a different start/restart procedure this year. The cars must be in high gear at each start and restart. It is an effort to reduce the number of wrecked cars….In addition to winning his umpteenth Mini-Modified race, Roddy Moore and team got a wonderful visit and blessing. T. J. Hopkins, the adult son of Roddy’s wife, Renee, visited in a motorized wheel chair. T.J. was in a horrendous highway crash in Robertsdale in about 2006. He came close to death and was paralyzed from the injuries. After the race the team settled down to eat. T.J. asked Renee to put a chicken finger in his impaired hand. For the first time in almost two years he was able to feed himself. Stop reading this right now and thank God for all your blessings and for this step in the healing process for T.J…..Blake Ferguson, driver of the 07 BSS car, is NOT the son of the late Tree Ferguson, who won a Bomber championship at BIR in the late ’70’s or early ’80’s. Tree was his uncle….Good to see B.J. Parker at BIR. He was looking as good as he is able to. That ain’t much, but good to see him anyway….Prayers go to BIR announcer Steve West and his dad. Steve’s dad is battling bone cancer. Until next time, race hard, pray hard.
McFARLAND FEATHERS NEST WITH CASH
Birmingham, AL (February 24). The fourteenth annual EARLY BIRd 125 for Super Late Models at Birmingham (AL) International Raceway is in the books and Ken McFarland of Hueytown took home the victory. It was the second EARLY BIRd win for the personable McFarland, who has a host of extended length race wins at BIR to his credit.
McFarland was the fastest qualifier by a hair in the Saturday night qualifying and started outside front in a two-car inversion with Dennis “Tink” Reno, Jr., inside. Flagman Mike “The World Famous Ivo” Estes dropped the rag and Reno bobbled just slightly coming turn four. McFarland slipped out front and led the first lap. By the second time around McFarland and Reno were nose to tail with a 50-yard lead over Josh Hamner, Donnie Wilson and Chris Whorton. On the sixth lap Reno got a run on McFarland and took over the lead. Also on the sixth lap Wilson was black flagged with oily smoke coming out of the Oklahoman’s car. His day was over on the seventh lap.
While Reno and McFarland added distance far from the maddening crowd, 2007 EARLY BIRd Champion Jeff Fultz advanced from eighth place to fifth on the eighth lap. He passed Whorton for fourth position on the 22nd lap. Hamner, fighting a too-tight setup, got a run on McFarland and was running second by the 25th lap.
The first caution would come out on the 39th lap when an oily track required cleanup. That was followed on the restart by another caution when Gary Nix got into Clint Folsom, with the latter backing into the third turn wall. McFarland pitted on lap 41 and Crew Chief Johnboy Wilkinson loosened the car up. It worked. McFarland came out of the pits in seventh track position and was up to third behind Hamner and leader Reno. On the 60th lap McFarland got under Hamner and took over the second spot.
Beginning the second half of the race, it was Reno and McFarland nose to tail 50 yards ahead of Hamner, who was 70 yards ahead of Whorton, Fultz, Chris Serio, and Nix. The third caution came out on the 65th lap when Lee Hansard’s car stalled in the third turn. Most front-runners hit the pits with the 70th lap restart lineup being Reno, McFarland, Whorton, Serio, Hamner, Fultz, and Nix. Within five laps McFarland was within one car length of Reno. The next few laps the front duo were side by side, with Reno maintaining a slight lead. On the 81st lap McFarland made his move inside Reno on the backstretch and took the lead. Once again, McFarland and Reno pulled way ahead of the field. The fourth caution brought the front-runners in again, this time McFarland’s crew bolted on their two allotted tires (six-tire rule).
The 109th lap restart was led by Nix, who had taken on tires earlier, McFarland, whose crew got him back out of the pits ahead of Hamner, Fultz, Reno, Whorton, and Serio. Fresh rubber took McFarland back to the front, where he comfortably held the challengers at bay. At end of the 125th circuit, McFarland took checkered flag. Hamner fought off the ill effects of a tight car to take second, with Reno third, Whorton fourth, and Serio fifth.
Discussing the work it took to get to the lead, McFarland explained the tightness of the car was a problem. “It was tight, too tight. It wouldn’t go left. Johnboy got the car to go fast. We made adjustments on the first pit stop, and took on tires the second time.”
Referring to his son’s car’s problems, Crew Chief, engine builder, and driver’s father, Jeff Hamner, said he thought, in retrospect, they had let a tight car use up the tires too quickly. Dennis Reno, Sr., said his son and driver suffered when the car’s rear end began to give out in the closing laps.
McFarland’s car was sponsored by the family’s businesses, City Auto Sales and Birmingham Auto Auction. It is a Frankie Grill/GARC chassis powered by a Hamner Racing Engines power plant.
OFFICIAL EARLY BIRd 125 FINISH 1. Ken McFarland; 2. Josh Hamner; 3. Dennis Reno, Jr.; 4. Chris Whorton; 5; Chris Serio; 6. Gary Nix; 7. Jeff Fultz; 8. Billy Melvin;
9. Lee Hansard; 10. Clint Folsom; 11. Heath Hindman; 12. Donnie Wilson; 13. Andy Antinoro (DNS).
SUPPORT DIVISONS ADD VARIETY, ACTION TO THE EARLY BIRd
A name well-known in BIR racing took his biggest race win yet. Roger Wood, Jr., won the 30-lap Open Wheel Modified feature. He also set the fastest qualifying time and led the race wire to wire. It was his first BIR win in the division although he has numerous wins in what was formerly known as the BUZZZ division. Wood had as a much as a half-lap lead over the closest car at one time. Finishing second was Rocky Rogers, Wayne Hill in third, Greg Powers in fourth, Roy Cantrell in fifth, followed by Jr.. Seymore, Bo Wilkinson and Brett Jean.
Another Roger, this one Roger Cain of Shelby County, won the newly configured Limited Sportsman division. Cain’s Renaissance Electric Chevrolet Monte Carlo started front row inside. Joel Falls started outside and gave Cain a run for his money with a few challenges, but could not get around. The finish was Cain, Falls, Shawn Kyzer, Johnny Otto, Richard Patino, Steve Niven, Matt Gaulden, Paul Jean, and Marty Bean. The champions of the two divisions that were combined to create this class, the Street Stock and Sportsman, faired poorly. Defending Sportsman champion Jimmy Roberts was the first out with mechanical failure, possibly rear end. Street Stock champion Dennis Freeman’s car lost oil pressure and was the second car out.
Perhaps the closest and most exciting race of the day was the Mini-Modified 30-lap feature. Just before the green flag fell, start, Moore and Nick Martin got together, damaging Moore’s right rear quarter panel. When the race began, the metal was shaving off rubber. Smoke began to emit from his Ford Mustang and immediately upon receiving the black flag on the sixth lap, the right rear tire popped, sending him spinning into the first turn wall. On the restart, Lee Streetman followed Martin for two laps, took the lead, and the two raced side by side and nose to tail the rest of the race. Streetman took the feature win, his first since 1995. Martin was a close second, Neal Self third, rookie Charlie Melvin fourth, and Randy Dodd, Jr., fifth. Jonathan Goolsby was sixth and Moore was seventh. Kevin Bennett was a DNS.
Rookie Jarred Washington of Tuscaloosa ran a take-no-prisoners approach to the Renegade 20-lap feature, and won his first BIR feature in only his second feature start. The Jimmy’s Muffler Shop/West Coast Customs Dodge Intrepid at his command led the race flag-to-flag. He was followed by Mike Martin, Danny Aaron, Tommy Bolden, Joseph Freeman, and X Aaron.
In division formerly known as the BUZZZ class, now christened the Mini-Stock division, Chuck Mann was dusting the track in his Honda for the first half of the 21-lap feature. Mike Collins began to close the ranks when Mann had to trailer the car with mechanical failure. Collins, driving for the Auto Credit Connection team, took over the lead and won the event. Teenager Jacob Wyatt was the runnerup, Floyd Brown third, Jeremy Gwin fourth, and Rex Cromer, Jr., fifth. Following were Robert Fucich, Kyle Gragg, Charlie Beasley, Tim Uptain, Dustin Knowles, Mann, Kevin Huggins, and Daniel Wallace.
SATURDAY’S COLD BLAST SET THE FIELDS FOR SUNDAY’S BIRd
Roger Cain won the first Limited Sportsman feature while Joel Falls won the second. This gave them the front row in Sunday’s feature, with Cain inside and Falls outside.
Veteran Roddy Moore won the Mini-Modified qualifier for the pole spot in Sunday’s feature, while Jarred Washington won his second-ever BIR heat in the Renegade division.
Probably the two most celebrated wins were in the Mini-Stock division. Jacob Wyatt won the first pushing his Ford Probe to the limit. Wyatt won the EARLY BIRd event in this division last year. Chuck “Chuckie” Mann, who has turned wrenches and changed tires for dozens of racers, brought his M-S car out to BIR and won the second heat. He was joined in Victory Lane by several drivers he had helped, including eventual EARLY BIRd winner Ken McFarlan
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2007 season
Grady H. Thornton, Center Point, Alabama
Birmingham, AL (November 11). All the clichés applied: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over”, “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings”, “The third time is the charm” and so forth. In the case of the season finale for the Birmingham Super Series Late Model Challenge at Birmingham International Raceway, the fat lady was a somewhat slim Dennis “Tink” Reno, Jr., who sailed through turmoil to claim the Magic City 200 by Wright Track LLC Sunday, his third win in three consecutive races. The “ain’t over” was victory in the war, not the battle, for Gary Sanford, Jr.
It seemed that Sanford lost and regained the BSS title several times as the 200-lap contest took unexpected turns. In the end, the was the little train that could, with Sanford posting a record three BSS wins, taking a track position penalty in the last five green laps of the title-deciding race, but persevering to win the 2007 BSS championship title.
Reno spent the first 190 laps hanging on in what he initially described as a second place car. Fate dealt some serious blows to some top contenders, but Reno raced unscathed in the event that was stretched just over 200 laps to get a green flag finish.
BSS points leader Gary Sanford, Jr., entered the race as fastest qualifier with a run of 20.691 sec/
108.742 mph from the previous night’s time trials. A two-car inversion put Ken McFarland inside Sanford on the front row. Sanford jumped into the lead at the start with two caution periods taking up six of the first eight laps. When the race went green on the ninth lap, Sanford was gone. He built up as much as a 60-yard lead while the field diced it up behind him, even though the car sounded as if he was running about ¾-throttle. Rookie contender Jeff Letson kept a second place spot for much of the early running.
As Letson began to ease up, Andy Antinoro took second spot on the 18th lap, bringing Josh Belter with him for third. McFarland, always a threat to win at BIR, was falling back as far as sixth place. At the quarter mark of 50 laps, the running order was Sanford on cruise control 70 yards ahead of second position Belter, Letson, Antinoro, Reno, McFarland, and Lee Hansard. A debris caution on the 66th lap was a stroke of luck for McFarland, whose right rear tire was going down quickly. He pitted for rubber and came out in 10th running position when the race resumed on the 71st lap, then began a charge through the field. While Sanford re-established his lead, McFarland came up to fifth on the 74th lap. On the 82nd lap he was third behind Belter. Reno was running sixth at that point. On the 97th lap McFarland passed Belter for second and set his sights on Sanford.
On the 100th lap Sanford led McFarland, Belter, Letson, Reno, Antinoro and Hansard as the only cars on the lead lap. The fourth caution came out on lap 135 when Chase Knox’s car stalled on the track. On the next lap, still under caution, the top five cars, Sanford, Belter, McFarland, Reno, and Letson pitted, giving Hansard his first lead lap ever at BIR. McFarland was first out of the pits, with Sanford, Letson, Belter, Reno, and Antinoro following. The race returned to green on lap 140, and Sanford returned to his trademark and as-of-yet-unduplicated low groove charge. He stayed close on McFarland and side-by-side briefly before taking back the lead lap 151.
Sanford commanded the point until the sixth caution came out when Roger Cain got backwards on the backstretch. Cain had overcame an earlier problem of a broken distributor on the second caution on lap five. On the restart Sanford was dead in the water as Reno and Letson split the track, passing him on either side. Reno led a lap for the first time of the day on the 196th circuit. Sanford fell to the back of the field with a flat that caused a spin. Another caution, with new rubber, and he was back out. Unfortunately, in the excitement, nobody thought to gas up his car. His car sputtered out of the pit and stalled just short of the backstretch pit entrance. Gas and ether got him restarted and back in the field.
On the restart Sanford charged up and got under the rear end of Antinoro, sending him into the third turn wall. Race Director Joey Sims judged the action to be overly aggressive driving, and penalized Sanford by putting him at the tail end of the restart. The drama was not over. The extended caution laps at the end set up a green-white-checkered finish. With the white flag out, McFarland got into Letson hard in the third turn, sending them both against the wall. Reno was ahead of the melee, Belter snaked his way through the mess to take the runner-up spot, while Sanford advanced to third from the rear. The race--and the race for the championship--was over. McFarland limped around to take the fourth spot, with Hansard fifth. Antinoro was on the lead lap until the last lap, when he went one down, still giving him sixth place. Chris Serio was seventh, while Letson was credited with eighth. Justin Cruise was ninth, and Knox tenth. Cain, Gary Nix, and Blake Ferguson made out the finishing order.
Reno’s chevy was powered by a McGunegill Racing Engines power plant bolted onto a Port City Race Car chassis, cushioned by Penske Shocks, skinned with a Five Star Racing Body. Simpson Racing Products, Royal Tees, and RPM were also mentioned as primary team supporters.
While Reno’s win defined the moment, Sanford’s yearlong trek to the biggest title of his racing career defined the season. At the beginning of the year. little thought was given to the fledgling Michael Murphy/Imaging Business Machines team with a the whole car costing about what a good built engine would cost. Sanford’s Cinderella story year will be part of the folklore that makes BIR, well, BIR.
Birmingham, Alabama (November 11). Five support divisions of stock car warriors filled out the racing card with action aplenty in the Magic City 200 weekend at Birmingham (AL) International Raceway. Some season finale antics were expected and came to pass.
In the Sportsman division, Avondale’s Jimmy Roberts, the original “Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac” icon, earned his another win and took the division championship home as well. Roberts took the lead on the fifth lap, but was part of a three-wide trio including Joel Falls and Paul Jean at times. The three drivers came off turn four sideways within inches of each other until Roberts was able to get the Continental Realty/Buffalo Electric Chevrolet Monte Carlo out front to a comfortable lead. At the end of the 25-lap race, Roberts had won his 11th feature of 2007 and his first division championship ever. Falls was second, Jean third, Mark Ellenburg fourth, and Bobby Peoples fifth. Brett Jean, Michael Scoby, Shawn Kyzer, Steve Ferguson, and Daniel Jacks made up the rest of the top ten.
Scott Rice won seven races and the Mini Modified championship in 2006. The Curse of the Crown, however, had hung over his head throughout the 2007 season until Sunday. In a surprisingly quick Toyota sponsored by S & N Products, Rice took his first win of the year. Again, a great race broke out among three drivers, including Rice, Roddy Moore, and Eddie Dodd, Jr. Rice and champion apparent Rickey Holland started the race on the front row. Ryan Price trailed until Holland’s car, the back-up ride for Rice, lost an engine. Price ran second with Dodd and Moore dueling behind. When Price’s day was ended at the fourth turn concrete wall, the action intensified between Dodd and Moore. Rice stayed ahead of the race for second, with Dodd pulling off this best finish of the year in second. Moore kept his third spot, with Lee Streetman, and Michael McKay following. The finishing order after that was Kevin Bennett, Price, Jonathan Schroder, Holland, Jonathan Goolsby, and David Davis.
A great duel entertained fans in the Street Stock feature, but it ended unfortunately for the two racers.
Rookie Ryan Logan stepped up to the challenge, however, and took the win. Front row starters Brandon Hall and Marty Bean had won their first-ever BIR race two weeks earlier in qualifying heat races. Sunday they were back on the front row going for a first feature win. Both drivers ran the ragged edge. Hall, a rookie, had gotten qualifying advice from Bean, a veteran, the night before, and the race each of the first 20 laps was like a qualifying lap. On the way to lap 21 Gary Coggins had advanced to third and tapped Hall in the rear in turn three. All three cars spun, with Bean taking a hard hit. His day was over. Due to the time limit put on the race, the anticipated 30 laps became 22 with Logan leading the final two laps. It was the first ever BIR win for the Dora resident. Hall had pitted under the cleanup caution, and rallied for a second place finish, while Matt Gaulden, Coggins, Bean, Richard Patino, Jody Melton, and Robert Cribbs were listed as finishing in that order.
The Street Stock race was the first race in two years in which Dennis Freeman had not been a contestant. His car developed serious engine problems at the race two weeks prior to the Magic City 200 weekend, but he had the championship points wrapped up several weeks ago.
The Renegade feature was a chiller as the eventual division champion was battered around and almost lost the title in the last race. Rookie Tommy “T-Bone” Bolden had an extremely strong car and led the race wire to wire from the pole, taking his second-ever and second consecutive win for the ABC Towing/Freddie‘s Automotive Oldsmobile. During the race, however, points leader Charlie Melvin was plowed by a lapped car halfway through the race. Driver Michael Scoby acknowledged the incident to be “just racing”, while track officials trailered him for the race. Melvin, who had made it up to fourth running position, had to restart on the rear. Bolden, meanwhile, was wrestling with Jarrod Washington, who was in his third race ever. The race was shortened from 20 laps to 13 due to time, with Bolden leading Washington, Mike “Rerun” Martin, Danny Aaron, division title winner Melvin, Joseph Freeman, Larry Bradley, Mike Aaron, John Sullivan, and Leonard Bradley to the finish.
Roger Wood, Sr., was a repeat offender to the rest of the BUZZZ drivers when he won the 20lap feature and the division championship. Wood started up front alongside Mike Collins. Wood was gone with the wind at the drop of the green flag. Wood’s Walker Dynotune/Motorvation Motorsports team held off Collins to take the win. Kevin Higgins was third, followed by Floyd Brown, Will Collins, Roger Wood, Jr., R.C. Cromer, and Drew Bowman.
The Magic City 200 topped off the 2007 season at the second oldest track in the nation with heavy doses of three-wide, bumper-to-bumper, door-to-door metal slamming. The numerous rookies in all divisions picked up speed and confidence as the year wound down.
The 2008 season will be announced soon, with the first race event to be the annual Early Bird Race in late February. The Racer’s Auction will be in January. For more information call 205.781.2471 or visit the Website www.bir-raceway.com.
By Grady Thornton, Center Point, Alabama
Alabama 125 at Birmingham International Raceway Saturday evening. It was the fourth 2007 series win for the Macon, GA, speedster, who missed the series championship by just 29 points.
The Alabama 125 was the season finale for the Lexington, MI, based touring series. The crowning of Series Champion and Rookie of the Year, Jeff Choquette, concluded the evening. Entering the 78.125-mile event, three drivers, Choquette, Slocumb, and Brandon Johnson, all had a shot at the Overall title and Choquette and Johnson were vying for Rookie honors.
Bartow, FL, racer Travis Wilson, picked up his first ARP Bodies/Aluminum Racing Products Fast Qualifier Award with a trip around the relatively flat 5/8-mile oval at 20.074 sec/112.085 mph. He drew a seven-car inversion, putting Auckland, New Zealand native Michael Pickens on the pole. Pickens demonstrated mastery of the second-oldest continually operating track in the USA by holding the lead for over 80% of the 125 laps.
The first caution came out on the 20th lap when Bob Varney hit the number two wall hard, ending his first visit to BIR unpleasantly. A second caution was shown on lap 33 when Jimmy Lang hit the wall. Pickens made BIR look like easy pickings, with his jackrabbit starts working to his advantage. Slocumb made several challenges to Choquette, almost taking the second spot on lap 56. His car bobbled coming off the fourth corner and he fell back. Meanwhile, Pickens maintained his unchallenged lead. With three title-chasers in the top five, Johnson’s chances took a serious turn for the worse when his car appeared unstable. On the 62nd lap he spun out on the front stretch after having problems in turn four. This third caution sent him to the pits and to the rear of the field. The rest of the night was playing catch-up.
At the halfway point, lap 63, six Ford Fusions held the top six running positions. Led by Pickens, Choquette, Slocumb, Chris Fontaine, Michael Seeright, and John Wes Townley followed. On the 78th lap, Michael Seeright, while running a solid fourth, smacked the third turn wall. It was the end of what had been a good run for him. On the 83rd lap the fifth caution came out when Fontaine and Wilson got together in turn four. Wilson’s first career ARP Bodies Fast Qualifier Award put him way back in the start and then he wall put him further back. It would prove to be too much from which to recover to give the talented driver a top five finish.
Slocumb re-mounted his charge on the restart, took over second from Choquette, and set his sights on Pickens. An 85th lap caution bunched up the field as did the final caution when Gerstner got into the turn one wall. On the 93rd lap Slocumb was inside Pickens on the front stretch and side-by-side on the backstretch. Lapped traffic spoiled the takeover. On the 103 lap, Slocumb unseated Pickens from the lead. Choquette, knowing he had to finish eighth or better to seal his titles, seemed to make the wise decision to look at the Big Picture. He paced himself, stayed near the front, and relinquished his position and ran fourth.
When the 125th race lap and final lap of the 2007 ASALMS-Southern division was complete, Slocumb was the winner, with teammate John Wes Townley next, having moved into second in the closing laps. Pickens held on to finish third, with Choquette and Johnson following. Johnson had picked up 10 positions after his problems on lap 62. Rounding out the top ten were Fontaine, Brent Seeley, Wilson, Lang, and Jeremy Gerstner.
The route Slocumb took in winning the Alabama 125 was much like the one he took when he won the Crimson 125 at BIR on July 14th. In the earlier race, he took the lead from Johnson on the 100th lap. In the Alabama 125, he took the lead on the 103rd lap. Likewise, Choquette knew the series title would be greater for him than taking risks and going for the race win.
The next stop for the ASALMS--Southern division will be a post-season non-points race at Nashville’s Music City Motorplex November 2-3-4. For further information on the series and on that race, fans can go to www.asalatemodelssouth.com.
1. Beau Slocumb, 125; 2. John Wes Townley, 125; 3. Michael Pickens, 125; 4. Jeff Choquette, 125; 5. Brandon Johnson, 125; 6. Chris Fontaine, 125; 7. Brent Seeley, 125; 8. Travis Wilson, 125. 125;
9. Jimmy Lang, 125; 10. Jeremy Gerstner, 125; 11. Cody Smith, 125, 12. John Bolen, 123; 13. Jerrod Foley, 121; 14. Nick Glaze, 107; 15. Michael Seeright, 78 accident; 16. Brian Blum, 20, mechanical;
17. Bob Varney, 20, accident; 18. Dustin Knowles, 5, handling; 19. Kevin Ingram, 3, handling.
By Grady H. Thornton, Center Point, AL
Points leader Jimmy Roberts started the 20-lap Sportsman feature fourth row outside, but a first-lap incident shortened the distance to the front. Shawn Kyzer, Paul Jean, and Gary Roberson tied up in turn two, with Kyzer and Roberson getting trailered and Jean pitting. Roberts’ Buffalo Electric/Continental Realty Chevrolet Monte Carlo took the lead from Bobby Peebles on the sixth lap after the restart and led the rest of the race. Roberts was followed by the previous race’s winner, Joel Falls, Scooby, Jean, defending division champion Justin Cruise, Steve Ferguson, Peebles, Kyzer, and Roberson.
When it was time for the Mini-Modified drivers to have their time on the track, Roddy Moore’s Mustang prevailed. After having all the nickel and dime parts break in previous races, the Jimmy’s Hot Dogs ’stang at Moore’s command was the strongest horse in the herd. He took the lead from his second row starting spot and led all 20 laps. Points leader Rickey Holland, defending division champion Scott Rice, Lee Streetman, and Jonathan Schroder were the top five finishers. Behind them, in order of finish, were Eddie Dodd, Jr., Nick Martin, Michael McKay, Kevin Bennett, Jonathan Goolsby, and Ryan Price.
The Shelby Belcher American flag-painted Monte Carlo of Dennis Freeman was first across the line in the 20-lap Street Stock feature. Freeman’s fourth row inside starting position became second place running position by the third lap. Richard Patino led the first three laps until Freeman took over. Freeman padded his division points lead by winning over Matt Belter, Patino, Jody Melton, Rusty Alverson, Steve Niven, John Lawley, and Matt Gaulden.the draw, which put him on pole to start. He then kept his Freddie’s Automotive/Off the Wall Racing Team entry at the front, claiming his first BIR career victory. Bolden was followed by John Sullivan, points leader Charlie Melvin, newcomer Jarrod Washington, Mike Aaron, newcomer Joseph Freeman, and Larry Bradley. Mike “Re-run” Martin was thought to have finished second, but after a closer look at his car’s suspension parts, he was DQ’ed at the tech line.
The BUZZZ 12-lap feature also got off to a rough start when points leader Roger E. Wood, Sr., got drop-kicked in the rear on the start, tearing off his rear bumper and sending him through the grass. He recovered well enough to take the lead on the first lap and lead the whole race. He was followed by Mike Collins, Will Collins, Floyd Brown, Don Amick, Joseph Dodd, and Jimmy Hudson.
The next and final 2007 race event at BIR will be November 9th, 10th, and 11th, with the main event being the Magic City 200 for the Birmingham Super Series Late Model Challenge. BIR and BSS division champions and Rookie of the Year Awards will be determined. Call BIR at 205.781.BIR1 or visit the Website at www.bir-raceway.com for further information.
The Renegade 12-lap feature went to the dominant car driven by Tommy “T-Bone” Bolden. Bolden’s luck began with writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the management of BIR, the track officials, or MTM Motorsports. The views are solely those of the writer and may or may not be influenced by memory or lack thereof, hard living as a younger man, middle age, prescription medications, cold weather, hot weather, and/or fatigue. Accuracy in this section is attempted, but not assured.)
Congrats to T-Bone Bolden on his Renegade win at BIR. Bolden has been the hunt many times and had top five finishes, but this was his first win. Welcome also to Jimmy Hudson on his first time around the BIR oval in the #26 Buzzz car. Joseph Dodd has raced before, but just became the owner of the Roger E. Wood, Sr., Honda Prelude that has been dominant this year. At the World Classic, Jarrod Washington put a beautiful Dodge Intrepid in the Renegade race, his first time on the track. He picked up a fourth place finish Saturday. Also at the World Classic, BIR registered another third generation racer. Joseph Freeman made his debut. He is the son of Street Stock standout Dennis Freeman and the Grandson of Raymond Freeman, who previously raced at BIR. He finished sixth Saturday …Former BIR track champion and former NASCAR Cup driver Hut Stricklin, his wife, Pam, and son, Taylor, were in the pits Saturday night. Hut’s nephew, Rusty Alverson, brought a Ford Street Stocker out for the first time this year. The Stricklin’s daughter, Tabitha, went Galleria shopping with Aunt Diane. The credit card bills will probably remind Pam and Hut it would have been less expensive to bring her to the races. Taylor Stricklin, by the way, was the tallest man in the pits, about four inches taller than his dad…The greater BIR family mourns the deaths of three important men in our past. R.C. Hicks, who supervised the parking in the BIR parking lot for years, passed away recently. So did Joe Collins, who worked with NASCAR when BIR was a sanctioned track. Finally, Charlie Sentman, the owner of the racing auction company brought in each January by B.J. Parker, died recently. We appreciate their contributions to racing in our area and honor their memory…The comments in the Random Notes section on the ASALMS--Southern Division regarding women working in the pits in no way minimized the importance of the women who work at BIR. Deborah and Caye, the scorers, Kathy the lap keeper, Liz and Carolyn at the back gate, Joyce and Margaret at the front gate, and Tammy and Denise the Pacecar and 50/50 ticket sellers, help make the wheels turn…Anthony Cain, former BIR Street Stock racer, Street Stock Rookie of the Year, brother of Sportsman racer Roger Cain, and current crew member for Dennis “Tink” Reno, Jr., got married Saturday afternoon. Girlfriend April became wife April. Reno was Best Man…We began with T-Bone, we will close with T-Bone. He called his wife from the tech area to tell her about the win. I asked to speak to her. I told her, since he had his best finish when she was not there, we were wondering what she would charge to stay home next time. She did seem to think the joke was as funny as I meant it to be. So, to make amends to Mrs. T-Bone, we look forward to seeing you next time and we know you sacrifice a lot to put up with us boys being boys. Your presence would have been the most beautiful Trophy Girl we could have hoped for.
RENO TAKES THE LABOR DAY 100 IN BSSLMS EVENT
Birmingham, AL (September 1).
Dennis “Tink” Reno, Jr., has won many races and titles at Birmingham International Raceway, but taking the checkereds in a 100-lap event had eluded him until Saturday evening, when he won the Birmingham Super Series Late Model Challenge Labor Day 100. Reno took the lead on the 75th lap and held off early leader Jeff Letson in the final laps. What started off as a game of chase Letson became a race of surprises and disappointments.
Series points leader Gary Sanford, Jr., set the pace with a fastest qualifying run around the 5/8-mile paved oval of 20.938 MPH/107.46 mph. Letson was the only other driver to break into the 20’s with a 20.944 second time. Sanford’s roll of a three put him behind Chris Serio and Letson. Hard racing began immediately as Letson took the lead and laid down territory behind him. With less than 10 laps run he was 70 yards ahead. Rookie Josh Belter brought out the caution when his engine detonated going into turn one on the 22nd lap. A messy track necessitated a red flag condition while track from just past the flagstand to the first turn wall, where the Thunderbird rested, was cleaned up.
Letson returned the pace to a fast one on the restart. The battle was for second. Sanford was working on second-running Gary Nix and had taken the position when Roger Cain’s spinout brought out the second caution. Sanford had raced Nix and took the spot as the caution came out, but was put back to the last green flag lap position. Reno pitted for adjustments under this caution after keeping a top five running position since the beginning of the race. Reno had to work his way back up as the laps began to tick off in the second half of the race.
As Letson continued to lead, Sanford took Nix’s second spot on the 51st lap. On the next circuit Serio was going after Nix, but tapped Sanford. Both cars hit the wall. Reno came onto the scene full-bore and the wall took his right side and rearranged the suspension and flattened a tire. Reno missed the disabled cars, however, and came into the pit. The right front was flat; the lower control arm was bent like a pretzel. A flood of help descended on the Reno pit and the hammered out number X2 returned to the track. Sanford and Serio looked irreparably damaged. Sanford had two flat right side tires, and the only tires he had in the pits were the tires he ran for 100 laps two weeks earlier. The worn tires were wrenched on and he limped back out. Serio’s damage sidelined his car.
Serio was apologetic and remorseful about the incident, confessing it to be his fault, but completely unintentional. “I take the responsibility for it,“ he said.“I had a good car and I had to make a split second decision. I committed (to the pass of the car) and it was not the right judgment. I own up to it. My dad and them work all week and I go out and ruin it for them.“ Sanford stated afterwards, “I’m over it, you know. I wasn’t all that mad, just disappointed.”
The mid-race misfortune was not over, however. It was lap 52 and it was Letson, who has always comes to Birmingham with a strong car, whose luck was again running out. On the restart his car went spinning to the grass with a flat tire. A dash into the pits and new rubber kept him on the tail end of the lead lap at the restart of the restart. Nix assumed the lead while Letson and Sanford were stuck way back in traffic, some of it lapped traffic. On the 60th lap they broke through the logjam and had a clear track. Reno ran second to Nix and the duo was half a lap ahead.
Larry Speakman had taken over second on the 53rd lap, was overtaken by Reno on the 61st lap, and was running there on the 70th lap when he blew a tire as he headed down the backstretch. In the hardest hit of the race, he slammed into the third turn wall. He was examined and released at the track, but had bruises to remind him of the incident, probably for several days.
It was a great show for the next few laps as Reno and Nix diced it up. Reno took the lead on the 75th lap going inside Nix in turn one. Letson and Sanford had made their way back into the top three and running in that order behind Reno as the laps wound down. Letson mounted his final charges, getting a fender along side Reno at times and Sanford slowly shaving off distance between himself and Letson. Reno had the race won when the 100th lap was completed, with Letson, points leader Sanford, Nix, and Justin Cruise following.
Explaining his surge to the front, Reno talked about the line he drove. “When I was in the pack I couldn’t drive like I needed to because I didn’t have a clean track. Once I got around, I could run faster.” His outside groove duel with Letson in the final stages was testament to his assessment of where he could race the fastest.
In Victory Lane, Reno mentioned his wife, Angela, and their newborn son, Kason William Reno. “This is for him,” said proud poppa of new son. “I really didn’t want to be here tonight, I wanted to be with them.” When he called home to tell his wife of the win, Reno told her he would put this trophy in Kason’s room.
Pat Cruise was sixth, followed by Brandon Parker in his first Late Model race at BIR, Andy Antinoro, Tyler Caton, Chase Knox, Cain, Speakman, Serio, and Belter. In addition to the winning cash, Reno received the Tilton’s Winner’s Award. Letson led the most laps and wasthe Victory Circle Communications Highest Finishing Rookie. Rookie Justin Cruise earned the FelPro Performance Gaskets Communications Hard Charger Award. It was his best BSSLMS finish to date. Sanford retained his points lead in the series.
Jeff Letson typically brings two racecars to BIR, his Late Model and the Super Modified. In the SM, he posted the fastest time with a trip around the oval a 21.758 sec/103.41 MPH. That was good enough to lead the first five laps before division points leader Billy Melvin maneuvered his Posten’s Overhead Door/Associated Cooling and Heating Chevrolet into the lead. Roy Cantrell was second, Letson third, Dustin Knowles fourth, and Rocky Rogers fifth. Sixth through tenth were Greg Powers, Nick Martin, Brett Jean, Teddy Rhodes, and Roger Wood, Jr.
Paul Jean took the Super Trucks feature in his Lone Star Motorsports/Four Seasons Plant Farm entry. Gary Roberson, Jackie Curren, Bobby Knox, Sr., and Bobby Knox, Jr. were the rest of the top five. The race was halted on the 12th lap when the entire track lighting system went out. A minor electrical problem that caused the blackout was repaired and the race resumed.
Michael Scooby of Dora won his first-ever feature at BIR by leading the Sportsman feature flag to flag. The Kenny’s Recycling Chevrolet made an impressive run against regulars Joel Falls, Bobby Peebles, Jimmy Roberts, Booger Dawson, and Shawn Kyzer, who finished in that order behind him.
Matt Belter became the fourth Belter in the history of BIR to win a feature race when he won the Street Stock event in the only Ford in the division, the Howton’s Machine/Rozar’s Auto Paint and Supply Torino. Belter took the lead from the front row and led each lap. Marty Bean, driving a car he just bought from driver David Morrow, was a close second, with points leader Dennis Freeman, Ryan Logan, Wendall Bails, Richard Patino, and Whit Goode following.
Points leader Ricky Holland won the Mini-Modified 15-lapper in the S&N Products Toyota sometimes driven by defending division champion Scott Rice. Lee Shipman was second, followed by Eddie Dodd, Jonathan Schroder, Rice, Ryan Price, David Davis, Frank Powell, and Kevin Bennett. Holland’s W column now has seven marks in it.
ScoobyDoo, T-Bone, ReRun, Mikey, Shark, and Real Deal. The Saturday morning cartoon line up? No, it was the finishing order in the Renegade division feature. As noted earlier, Michael Scooby’s first win at BIR was in the Sportsman feature. His second was in the Renegade feature, where the nicknames were as colorful as the cars. Mike Martin (ReRun) began the race by leading the first lap. Tommy Belden (T-Bone) took the lead on the second lap while ScoobyDoo worked his way up from sixth starting position. Belden drifted high and got into the loose stuff, giving Scooby the opening he needed on the 10th lap of the 12-lap race. The race was completed with Scooby winning again, Bolden in second , Martin in third, Mike Aaron in fourth, points leader Charlie Melvin in fifth and Daniel Hubbard in sixth.
Mike Collins of Trussville won his first 2007 BUZZZ feature. The ACC/Wood Brothers Auto Sales/CEC Inc., Saturn tood the lead from Will Collins on the third lap and held of points leader and division dominator Roger Wood, Sr., to take the win. Wood was second, W. Collins third, Josh Wood fourth, and Philip Amick fifth.
BIR’s next event will be the 20th annual World Classic September 13-14-15, paying $10,000.00 to win the Late Model 150-lapper. For more information call 205.781.BIR1 or visit www.bir-racing.com.
LOCAL DIVISIONS DRAW 52 CARS
Grady H. Thornton
Although there were no Alabama drivers in the ASALMS Crimson 125 Presented by FLF Racecars, the local boys showed up to do their thing. The lead local division was the Sportsman division, with Joel Falls taking his first win this year. Falls wrestled the lead away from Whit Goode, who was guest-driving the car normally driven by his brother-in-law, Gary Sanford, Jr. Goode handled the step-up good, but chose not to challenge as Falls led the rest of the race. Points leader Jimmy Roberts moved up six positions to finish second, with Roger Cain, Tristan Morgan in his first
Sportsman visit to BIR, and Shawn Kyzer following.
Goode returned to his Street Stock car in the next race and put on one of his best performances ever, winning the 20-lapper on the edge. Goode’s GSR Racing Chevy held off stiff challenges by Josh Belter and points leader Dennis Freeman for the win. Freeman took second after a last row start, with Belter, Daniel Jacks, and Joel Falls following.
In the Renegade division, Charlie Melvin proved summer can be exciting. The Paine Intermediate School student prepared to enter the fifth grade by winning the 12-lap event by over a straightaway. His grandparents, the Melvins, were on hand to see the 10-year old win for their first time. Daniel “Real Deal” Hubbard was second, Tommy “T-Bone” Belden third, Leonard Bradley fourth, and Ronnie Farris fifth.
Roddy Moore of Hueytown won his first Mini-Modified feature of the year, making it also the first division win for a Ford this year. Moore’s wire-to-wire run in the Chris Z’s/Riverchase Collision Center Mustang saw points leader Ricky Holland in second, Ryan Price third, Eddie Dodd Jr. fourth, and Buddy Hughens fifth.
There seems to be no stopping Roger E. Wood, Sr, in the BUZZZ division. The points leader came from 13th starting position to the lead by the sixth lap. He won his ninth race of the year over Will Collins, Mike Collins, Floyd Brown, and Phillip Amick.
The July 21st event at BIR has been cancelled due to a conflict in scheduling with the Alabama State Fair Authority. The next BIR event will be August 4th. Call BIR at 205.781.BIR1 or visit the webpage at www.bir-racing.com for more information.
RANDOM NOTES ON THE CRIMSON 125
by Grady H. Thornton
Pardon me for gushing, but the Crimson 125 was a monumental event for me. To begin with, ASA had never run in Alabama prior to BIR. BIR, as we know, is in it’s 94th year of racing. If you were there, it was another milestone in BIR’s legacy in the racing industry….
Sean Bass, Orlando, FL, was also part of history. His MOPAR Crate Motor-powered Dodge Charger was the ARP Bodies/Aluminum Racing Products Fast Qualifier Award winner, the first time for a Dodge to take the award in ASA history….
Speaking of Bass, an inverted start put him on the fifth row inside. That was just a little too much ground to make up to get to the point. He advanced to finish fourth….
The Crimson 125 had drivers from six states, but Alabama was not one of them….
Brandon Johnson led the first 99 laps. He had won the previous ASALMS race at New Smyna, FL, a 100-lap event, by leading all 100 ! laps. When he relinquished the lead to Slocumb on lap 100, he had led 199 consecutive laps of ASALMS racing in an UNSPONSORED race car….
The ASALMS races are green lap events. A hundred and a quarter circuits took one hour, 49 minutes, 44.012 seconds. No record of the true number of laps, including the cautions, was available….
There were 12 caution periods for wrecks, spins, and dry gas tanks. Four cars ran out of TORCO Racing Fuel in the closing laps, Dalton Zehr, Travis Wilson, Brian Blum, and Chris Fontaine….
The green flag requirement kept most cars on the lead lap. Of the 16 cars finishing, 15 were on the lead lap….
The Hoosier Racing Tires held up amazing well. ASALMS rules require the drivers to finish on the tires they started on unless they catch a flat….
The restarts were a little faster than BIR fans were accustomed to seeing. BIR typically restarts at about 30 mph, ASALMS looked like about 55-60 mph….
Most BIR observers stated this was the first race they had seen at BIR in which most of the drivers had never raced at BIR before. One possible previous race was the inaugural World Classic, held in July, 1978. Bartow, Florida, racer Rick Wilson was one of the drivers in that race, although he eventually raced at BIR and on what is now known as NASCAR Nextel Cup. Wilson was back for the Crimson 125 with his racer son Travis Wilson. On lap 75, the running order was Johnson, Choquette, Cope, Slocumb, Wilson, and Bass. Wilson was the oldest of the six-pack at 23 years old. Also coaching a young whipper-snapper was Florida short track standout Mike Cope, providing direction for son Travis Cope….
There was not much slicing and dicing until the end was in sight. Around lap 90 drivers began to make challenges….
ASALMS has a “three strikes and you are out rule”. Any driver who causes three caution periods is sent to the trailer. Nob! ody received that penalty in the Crimson 125.…
The series also uses rev limiters set at 6,300 rpm. A computer chip in the ignition keeps the engines from exceeding 6,300 and that was the chattering noise heard from some of the engines at full speed….
The lone Pontiac, that of Logan Dernoshek, was a front pack runner most of the race, but could not seem to get his car to stick. Coming off the fourth turn toward the 97th lap, he brushed the outside wall, blew a tire, and was collected into the wall further down the way….
Race teams from upper series view the ASALMS as a fertile recruiting ground. Wood Brothers Racing supports the team of John Wes Townley….
Slocumb’s Ford Fusion was sponsored by Zaxby’s Real Chicken, Lang Signs, Regions Bank, and Brothers Racing Team….
I personally want to thank the ASALMS Southern Division officials for allowing me to extend the Bibles For Racers Ministry my wife, Laura, and I started at BIR in 2000, to the competitors. I was fortunate to meet each starter and give them a copy of Pathway to Victory, a New International Version New Testament Bible with stories about racing personalities mixed with Scripture.
SANFORD’S DA MAN IN DA ‘HAM: TAKES
AMERICAN PRIDE 1OO BY BREAKING ALL THE RULES
Grady H. Thornton
Birmingham, AL (July 3). Gary Sanford, Jr., became the first repeat winner in the Birmingham Super Series Tuesday evening by winning the American Pride 100, the fourth event in the inaugural year of the series at Birmingham (AL) International Raceway. He defied virtually all the rules of racing probability, drawing a handful of Jokers and turning it into a Full House winning hand. The Michael Murphy/Imaging Business Machines Dodge-skinned GM Crate Motor-powered car performed flawlessly under Sanford’s command. To begin with, nobody is supposed to be able to run low at BIR. The low-banked, high groove track lends itself to such a high groove that lapped cars get the inside lane on restarts. Sanford’s made dash in the beginning laps was unheard of low for the 5/8-mile oval. Observers were certain he had used up his tires in the first quarter of the race. Sanford started third row inside. Fastest qualifier Josh Hamner (20.714 sec/108.622 mph) rolled a three-car inversion and started second row inside. Dennis “Tink” Reno, Jr., and Edwin Gurley shared the front row. Reno got the jump at the start and pulled Hamner along with him. The front two cars established a 50-yard lead over the third place car of then-BSS points leader Jeff Letson. Sanford settled back into sixth running position while the drama played out ahead of him. Hamner, tired of seeing Reno’s rear end, began his quest for the point. On lap 15 he was within inches of Reno at the line. Two laps later Hamner plunged into turn one ahead of Reno and took the lead. That lead stand for 13 laps. Sanford, meanwhile, was still wearing his poker face, not showing his hand on the track. He had been running a full two grooves lower than the competition, causing silent desperation in the hearts of his crew. Drivers are not supposed to do that in an extended -length race at BIR. Sanford then began picking off his prey one by one. Ken McFarland, a master of 100-lap contests at BIR, was the first to go. Sanford overtook him on lap 20, then Gurley on lap 21, and Letson on lap 23. Sanford had run down the lead pack. On the 24th lap, he set up to pass second running Reno, but lapped traffic foiled the plot. On the 25th lap Sanford went around Reno and was right behind the leading Hamner car. The top 10 running order at that point was Hamner, Sanford, Reno, Letson, McFarland, Gurley, Gary Nix, Tyler Townsend, Andy Lally, and Zack Taylor. Sanford again went into the bottom feeder mode and mounted a new challenge for the lead. Once again, lapped traffic ran between Sanford and the lead. On the 29th laps Sanford’s car bobbled just a little coming off the fourth turn, but another dive into the deep of the turns handed him the lead from Hamner on the 30th. The cars ran 45 laps of green flag racing before the first caution came out on the 46th. Gurley got squirrelly and looped it coming into the fourth turn. The three laps of cooling caution conditions gave the drivers and the cars a rest. On the restart, the action was fast and furious mores than in the early laps of the race. That fast restart was good for one lap. The engine Hamner has won races with for four years became a part of the Independence Day fireworks, spewing fluids, metal fragments, and smoke onto the racing surface. The clean up was extensive, so the race was halted under red flag conditions. The 55th lap restart once again seemed to re-energize the race. A diamond-shaped quartet of drivers, Sanford being the point, Reno and McFarland side by side, and Nix right behind them, increased the distance from the fourth to fifth place car. Nix was now the aggressor, also running low. McFarland slipped back into fourth while Reno and Nix assumed second and third running positions. McFarland was off the pace, the result of a leaking right rear tire. He lost two laps limping around the track, then another when he spun to the inside of turn four. The caution was coming out as his car rolled back onto the track and stalled. The oncoming traffic had little notice and when Brent Seeley entered the turn, McFarland was stopped on the track. Thanks to some split-second maneuvering, Seeley was able to reduce the impact with the stalled McFarland car, but not without serious car damage. It took two wreckers and a red flag to get Seeley’s car cleared. McFarland, meanwhile, had re-fired and went to his pit for new rubber. McFarland came back on the track three laps down, but stating ahead of Sanford. The race resumed on the 70th lap. Yet again, the cooling off period gave Nix some speed. Sanford passed McFarland, who was still laps down, on the73rd circuit, while Nix went around Reno on the 74th lap. Nix tried the inside in an attempt to get around Sanford, but it was Sanford who still mastered the inside. The final caution period came out on lap 87 when Letson’s car stalled on the track. The Huntsville driver who came into the race as points leader took a serious hit in the standings as this stall cost him precious laps. Nix returned to the low groove to take the point from Sanford in the final 10 laps, but the laps ran out. Sanford had defied racing logic by taking the extreme low groove and not using up his tires, and became the first two-timer in the BSS. Nix was a standout taking second, Reno third, 14-year old Tyler Townsend taking fourth in his first trip to BIR, and Andy Lally fifth, also his first time to race at BIR. Gurley, Taylor, and Bobby Reuse were sixth through eighth, all on the lead lap. Nick Glaze and Pat Cruise were ninth and tenth. In explaining the quick way he found around the track, Sanford responded, “We got beat the at the last race. What we were doing wasn’t working. I started looking for something different. I just committed to finding something different and I found a new spot on the race track and worked on the car to make it run in that groove.” The search for the answer was a soul searching one. “I did all I could to run with them where you are supposed to run. I had to do something else. I had a plan and committed to it and lived by it. The car would turn good, so that made it easy to run low.” Sanford’s creativity was evident. “Setting up the crate motor car is different. You have to do a complete rethinking of how to set the car up. I just threw everything out the window and started trying new things.” It worked. OFFICIAL FINISHING ORDER, BIRMINGHAM SUPER SERIES AMERICAN PRIDE 100. 1. Gary Sanford, Jr.; 2. Gary Nix; 3. Dennis “Tink” Reno, Jr.; 4. Tyler Townsend; 5. Andy Lally; 6. Edwin Gurley; 7. Zack Taylor; 8. Bobby Reuse; 9. Nick Glaze; 10. Pat Cruise; 11. Roger Cain; 12. Justin Cruise; 13. Jeff Letson; 14. Jackie Curren; 15. Chance Atkins; 16. Ken McFarland; 17. Brent Seeley; 18. Josh Hamner; 19. Chase Knox RANDOM NOTES ON THE AMERICAN PRIDE 100 Sanford became the first two-time winner in the BSS. His other finishes were second and fifth…. Andy Lally’s first trip to BIR ended with a fifth place finish; he won his division in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona this year; the day before the American Pride 100, the Dacula, GA, standout was testing a Porshe at Barber’s Motorsports Park in nearby Leeds…. While Gary Nix was the senior driver (age unreported) in the race, 14-year old Tyler Townsend of Longview, TX, qualified seventh and finished fourth on the lead lap….The race started with 19 cars and 15, or 79% of the cars finished. A typical 100-lapper at BIR sees 45%-55% of the cars finish….Brandy Malone, WBRC TV FOX 6 Good Day Alabama Traffic Reporter, was the Grand Marshall of the event. BIR sends a special thanks to FOX 6 staffer Suzanne Cornett for coordinating the appearance….In the race, there were two Juniors (Sanford and Reno), two Texans (Seeley and Tyler), two former Series winners (Sanford and Hamner), and two cousins (Justin and Pat Cruise)….The pouting little girl in Victory Lane was Gary and Jerri Sanford’s daughter, Hannah. Never mind daddy won the race, she was crying because she was awakened from a deep nap for photographs….Roger Cain was the highest finishing rookie….Sanford’s personal discipline was obvious. Already slightly built, he has lost 35-40 pounds and says he feels great….The other out of stater in addition to those listed above was Nick Glaze of Arkansas….The next BIR event will be the ASA Late Model Series on July 14th. The next BSS event will be August 18th with an August 4th show featuring a special event for Mini-Modified cars.
LOCALS HAVE PRIDE, TOO
Roy Cantrell’s qualifying attempt was a bust in the Super Modified division. He did not even post a time and started on the rear in the race. Twenty-five laps later he was the winner. A first lap melee on the front stretch collected the front six cars, including FQ Billy Melvin. All were able to re-enter the race, albeit limping in some cases. Cantrell, in his Precision Frame and Body/Mitchell Racing Engines car, led the first lap, yielded to Dustin Knowles on the second, and then led the rest of the race. Melvin came back from the first lap spin to second running position on the sixth lap, far behind Cantrell, who had the advantage of stretching out his lead. At the checkered flag, Melvin had closed in and was close, but second. Roger Wood was third, Steve Piper fourth, Brett Jean fifth, Marlin Gunter sixth, Nick Martin seventh, Knowles eighth, and Greg Powers ninth.
In the Sportsman 15-lap feature, there were three leaders and seven lead changes. Division heavy weight Jimmy Roberts emerged as the leader after a door-to-door duel with Jack Collier. Joe Odom led the first lap as Collier came from sixth starting position to lead the next two laps. Roberts then passed Collier and the two swapped the point until Collier fell out with two laps to go. Roberts claimed his eighth win for the Continental Realty/Buffalo Electric Race Team. Rookie Shawn Kyzer never fell out of the top three and was the runner up. Bobby Peebles, Courtney Parker, Odom, and Collier made up the finishing order.
In Street Stock action, Josh Belter became the only driver this year to pass Dennis Freeman when he was leading and go on to win the race. Freeman, the division points leader, started fourth row outside and took only two laps to catch leader Stan McClure. Belter, the lone Ford in the pack, also worked his way up from deep in the field. Freeman and Belter went head-to-head from laps 10-15. Freeman’s mastery of the extreme upper groove had kept him out front in most races this year, but Belter’s Howton Machine/Rozar’s Auto Paint Supply Grand Torino took the honors this time. Freeman kept his points lead with the second place finish. Whit Goode was third, McClure fourth, and Ryan Logan fifth. The rest of the top ten were Matt Gaulden, Richard Patino, Bobby Knox, Sr., David Morrow, and Robert Cribbs.
Twice this year rookie Ryan Price has won a Mini-Modified feature. Twice this year a car owner on another team lodged a protest. Twice this year Price left the track with the trophy and the protest money. Roddy Moore had a strong Mustang and led the first four laps of the four-cylinder division. The oil pan gasket blew out, however, and began to coat his right front tire with oil. He lost the lead to points leader Ricky Holland. Holland diced it up with Price for a few laps before Price took and kept the lead. The tentative finishing order was Price, Holland, Eddie Dodd, Scott Rice, and Buddy Hughens. After a two-hour teardown and inspection, that became the official top five. Fritz Fridley, Roddy Moore, Wayne Hill, Lee Streetman, and Jonathan Goolsby made the top ten, in that order.
In the Renegade 12-lap run, Daniel “Real Deal” Hubbard climbed the fence for the second time this year. Driving car 31, he had to wrestle with car 13 driven by Tommy “T-Bone” Belden for the win. Belden led the first half of the race as Hubbard worked his Real Deal Promotions/College Tire Chrysler through the field. Belden took an honorable second, his best finish this year. Mike Aaron was third, points leader Charlie Melvin fourth, Mike “Rerun” Martin fifth, Scooby sixth, Eugene Aaron seventh, and Larry Bradley eighth.
Points leader Roger E. Wood, Sr., started the BUZZZ feature in eighth position. He picked up a spot on the first lap, was running sixth on the third lap, fourth on the fourth, second on the seventh, took the lead on the 11th, and took the checkered on the 12th lap. In Victory Lane observing his seventh win this year, he acknowledged Motorvation Motorsports and Wood Brothers Auto Sales for supporting the Honda Prelude race team. Wood also thanked second place finisher Jimmy Hartley, who led some in the second half of the race and was all over him a the finish, for racing him clean. Hartley was followed by Mike Collins, Floyd Brown, and Adam Holt. Drew Bowman, Don Amick, Will Collins, Scott Shoemaker, and Phillip Amick completed the top ten.
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RANDOM NOTES ABOUT THE BIRMINGHAM STEEL DOGS 100
Jeff Letson came to BIR with two race cars capable of winning and left with two races cars in a box. His open wheel Pro Modified car was fastest qualifier for a 25-lap race. Letson’s car got hung up with the car of Dustin Knowles on the opening lap and smashed into the front stretch wall. He entered the BSS event as points leader, but crashed on the last lap...
Edwin Gurley had his best run in a 100-lap race in years. He qualified seventh, was in second on the first lap, stayed inthe top five all 100 laps, and finished third...
Of the 20 cars on hand, former BIR champion Ken McFarland had won more 100-lap events at BIR than any of the others. He could not quite get the car to handle in this one, howeverDennis Reno, Jr. was the only driver to break into the 20-second range. His draw of an eight-car inversion just put him too far back to catch up...
Reno’s brother and former crew member, Sgt. First Class Lance Reno, will leave for a six-month deployment to Iraq on Friday, June 15th. He has served in the United States Army in several of the world’s hot spots of war….
Chase Knox, son of former track champion Mark Knox, has been running a 15-year old race car for the past two race nights. He hit the wall in qualifying and did enough damage to keep the Chevrolet Lumina (Yes, Lumina) on the trailer for the night. He sat in a race car for the first time ever on Thursday, May 24th, when the car was brought out of mothballs for the May 26th BIR event….
The “illegal” description in relation to race winner Hamner: Mapquest lists the Mobile International Raceway office as being 279.04 miles from BIR. Hamner said he left Mobile at 4:15 PM and got to BIR at 7:55 PM, making the trip, estimated by Mapquest to take 4 hours, 14 minutes, in only 3 hours, 40 minutes. That is an average speed of just over 76 MPH. This means Hamner’s average speed getting to the track in a heavy duty pickup pulling an enclosed trailer loaded with a race car and equipment on public highways was faster than the average speed of the 100-lap race that was slowed by multiple cautions...
STEEL DOGS SHOW INCLUDESSUPPORT DIVISIONS
The running of the Dogs included feature races in six support divisions. Open Wheel Pro Mod points leader Billy Melvin of Trussville won the 25-lap race in that division. The first lap saw fastest qualifier Jeff Letson rearrange the molecular structure of the concrete wall along the front stretch. Letson’s inverted start put him near the rear of the starting field. Thinking the cars had cleared each other when he passed, his car and that of Dustin Knowles hung up and turned right. Letson was out of the race. Greg Powers led the first lap, with Melvin taking the lead the next time around. Melvin’s Associated Cooling and Heating/Posten’s Overhead Door Chevrolet finished far ahead of Powers, Nick Martin, Rocky Rogers, Roger Wood, Jr., Brett Jean, Knowles, and Letson.
In the Sportsman 15-lapper, Roger Cain of Sterrett ended the winning streak of points leader Jimmy Roberts. Cain handed car owner Jerry Bradford his first BIR win in the Renaissance Electronics/Millbrook Muffler/McGuire Auto Sales Chevrolet Monte Carlo by leading the race start to finish. Roberts was second, Joel Falls third, Shawn Kyzer fourth, Joe Odom fifth, Courtney Parker sixth, and Bobby Peebles seventh.
In StreetStock action, points leader Dennis Freeman of Centerville took only one lap to get from sixth starting position to the lead in the 15-lap event. Freeman’s Shelby Belcher Trucking Chevrolet held off a persistent Ryan Logan, who was in his fourth-ever race. Whit Goode was third, Matt Gaulden fourth, and David Morrow fifth. John Lawley was sixth, previous winner Josh Belter but dead motor this time around was seventh, and Joel Falls was fifth.
Mini Modified points leader Ricky Holland proved two things in winning that four-cylinder division feature. One, that he can drive--and win--with a broken hand and two, that he can win in anything he drives. Holland was offered the opportunity to drive the S & N Products primary car of defending division champion Scott Rice. He took the offer and won in the third different car this season. Ryan Price was second, Rice was third, Eddie Dodd was fourth, and Michael Mackey was fifth. Jonathan Goolsby, Roddy Moore, Fritz Fridley, Chase Spradlin, Jonathan Schroder, and Roger Wood, Jr. completed the finishing order.
Charlie Melvin, 10-yer son of OWM racer Billy Melvin, won his third Renegade feature in his debut year. The Paul’s Wholesale Auto/Wood Brothers Auto Sales Acura was handling good enough for the young Trussville fifth graderto go deeper into the turns than he had in the past. He passed for the lead on the 12th lap of the 15-lap event. Daniel Hubbard was second, Mike Aaron third, Mike Martin fourth, and Tommy Belden fifth.
Jimmy Hartley drove as if he were going to break the domination of Roger E. Wood, Sr. in the BUZZZ division. For 10 of the 12 laps he led the race, but Wood’s extremely nimble Honda Prelude came from eighth starting spot to take the lead with two laps to go. Wood took over the lead for the win, with Hartley taking second, Will Collins third, George Berry fourth, and Jeremy Price fifth. Dale Bates, Jr. was sixth, James Brockman seventh, Jeremy Marlow eighth, Philip Amick ninth, and Mike Collins tenth.
WOOD SR. SCHOOLS JR. IN RACING 101 & RENO RULES AT BIR.
BIR is highlighting each division on different race nights. Saturday’s featured division was the BUZZZ division, which contested an extended length 30-lap feature. Roger Wood, Jr. and Roger Wood, Sr. started side-by-side on the fourth row. The younger driver launched into the lead on the first lap, with dad catching up to second position on the second lap. Jr. led the first third of the race until Sr. made the crucial pass to take the lead. Once ahead, Wood, Sr. maintained his position and led the final 20 laps. Wood, Jr. was second place finisher, followed by Will Collins, Drew Bowman, and John Amick. Finishing behind them were Josh Henning. Tanner Bailey, and Blake Walker.
The last time Dennis Reno, Jr. raced at Birmingham (AL) International Raceway, he left dejected and defeated.
His car just would not act right. Saturday evening, however, the same driver in the same car had a new lease on life after winning the Late Model Feature event. Three weeks of tweaking, refining, and knuckle-busting made the difference for the Morris resident. The cooling of the day and the soft breeze made qualifying less grueling than the earlier practice sessions. Roger Cain celebrated his 35th birthday with the fastest qualifying lap he had ever turned, 20.924 seconds. That was good for a third fastest spot. Sanford clocked 20.836, but Reno rolled off the trailer as the fastest qualifier (20.627 seconds/109.08 mph). Starting outside front row with Sanford alongside, the race started. Sanford took the lead and control on the start. Reno tucked in behind the leader. After 10 laps, Reno appeared to be calculating his move. He began to reign in Sanford, got door-to-door, and took the lead as he passed the flagstand on the 13th lap. It became Reno’s show at that point. At the completion of the 30th circuit, Reno parked the McGunegill Engine Performance-powered Port City Chassis/Five Star Racing Bodies/Penske Racing Shocks car in Victory Lane for the first time in 2007. Sanford was second, Gary Nix third, Larry Speakman fourth, Roger Cain fifth, Eric Wallace sixth, and newcomer Chase Knox seventh.
In the Super Modified division, Roy Cantrell of Huntsville became the first driver in almost two years to actually outrun Billy Melvin. Things looked good for Cantrell from the beginning. Cantrell’s Precision Frame and Alignment car was the fastest qualifier at 21.775 seconds/103.329 mph. Melvin’s second fastest time and an inverted start put him on the inside front row. Melvin took the lead at the start with Cantrell close behind him. With only five laps left in the 25-lap race, Cantrell pulled off a pass and led the final fifth of the race. Melvin took second, an unfamiliar spot for him, with Dustin Knowles, Greg Powers, Nick Martin, and Brett Jean following.
Jimmy Roberts of Avondale, the Sportsman division points leader, reached a new milestone in his Continental Realty/Buffalo Electric Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Roberts won his sixth consecutive feature, the only driver of all the divisions to have done so in 2007. Roberts started third row outside in the 20-lap feature. Joel Falls took the lead at the wave of the green flag and set out for a good lead. Roberts, meanwhile, moved into fifth on the first lap, into fourth on the third lap, third on the third, and second on lap 7. He then had a lot of real estate to make up as Falls had been out front by himself. Under green flag conditions, Roberts chased down the leader, took the lead on the 16th lap and won the race. Falls kept his second position at the pay window, with defending division champion Justin Cruise, Bobby Peebles, Shawn Kyzer and Joe Odom following.
Most fans would agree the most exciting race of the evening was that won in the Street Stock division by Dennis Freeman of Centerville. Freeman started his Shelby Belcher Trucking Chevrolet on the front row and took the lead at the start of the race. The action was right behind him. Whit Goode came from the sixth starting position to second running position on the second lap. Josh Belter came from seventh starting position to third on the fourth lap. The two younger drivers lined up behind Freeman and were digging on the lead. Freeman is most likely the driver to have mastered the high groove better than anybody else at BIR this decade. He ran his high line, giving the challengers every inch they needed to race. Belter went inside Goode on the 12th lap and began a quest for the lead. He could get beside Freeman and even inch ahead in the corners, but Freeman used the upper groove to get a run on the straights and keep the lead. Neither Belter nor Goode could get a good grip, so Freeman led them, in that order to the finish of the 20-lap race. Joel Falls, Ryan Logan, David Morrow, and Jason Sanford completed the finishing order.
There were three leaders in the Mini Modified race, with division strong man Ricky Holland being the final and winning leader. Holland’s winning streak was broken at the previous race night in April when his engine broke. Returning with a newly reworked mill, the Birmingham Suzuki/Auto Recovery Specialist number 1x rebounded with finesse. Holland took the lead on the fifth lap and went on to win over Eddie Dodd, Chase Spradlin, Scott Rice, Jonathan Goolsby, Ryan Price, Philip Amick, and Lee Streetman.
Show and Tell will never be the same at Paine Intermediate School in Trussville. That is because one of the fourth grade students, Charlie Melvin, once again won the Renegade feature race. Melvin recovered from a first lap spinout to work his way up through the pack. Melvin’s Paul’s Auto Wholesale/Wood Brothers Auto Sales/Associated Cooling and Heating Acura ran easily through the turns as he chased down and passed veteran racers five times his age. He passed for the lead on the ninth lap, taking his second consecutive race win. Mike “Rerun” Martin was second, Leonard Bradley third, Mike Aaron fourth, Eugene Aaron fifth, and Tommy Belden sixth.
BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY 13TH ANNUAL DAVEY ALLISON MEMORIAL 100
APRIL 28TH, 2007 By Grady Thorton Birmingham, AL (April 28).
Chris Serio scrambled his way from way back in the starting field at Birmingham (AL) International Raceway Saturday evening, overcame odds and misfortune, and made better use of rubber than any racer. In doing so, he captured the biggest Late Model win of his 10-year racing career. Serio capped off an otherwise all-around bad day by winning the Davey Allison Memorial 100, the second 100-lap event in the recently debuted Birmingham Super Series of eight Late Model events at BIR. It had not been a good day for the Serio team from the time they woke up. The tire combination was reconfigured five times before a decent rollout could be discovered. An unfortunate incident on pit road occurred in practice in which Serio’s car struck and injured someone who was rushed to the hospital with significant but not life-threatening injuries. Starting from 13th position in the20-car field did not bode well for the aggressive young racer. His qualifying time of 21.461 seconds was over .6 seconds off the pole. Dennis Reno, Jr., had the inside front row from which to start the 62.5 mile contest while fastest qualifier (20.824 seconds/108.048 mph) Johnny Brazier of Hazel Green manned the outside spot in a two-qualifier inversion. Reno set the pace and took the lead with Jeff Letson following close in behind for second. The field had just completed the first lap when Justin Cruise got loose, spinning around in turn two. A quick restart kept Reno out front until the fifth circuit when Letson made his move to the front. By the 10th lap the top five runners, Letson, Reno, Brazier, Larry Speakman, and Gary Sanford, Jr. were in a train well ahead of the rest of the field. At the quarter mark Letson had a comfortable 30-yard lead, with Reno, Brazier, Speakman, and now Serio in the top five. Serio had maneuvered his Anthony’s Car Cleanup/Zoe’s Kitchen/Rick Davis Performance Engines Chevrolet out of his starting position dungeon into tenth running position on the seventh lap, into ninth on the tenth, eighth on lap 14, seventh on 16, sixth on 18, and fifth on 19, advancing his on-track position by about one spot every two laps. The silver lining was beginning to overcome the dark cloud that had hung over the ethnic Sicilian all day. “I was real timid at the beginning of the race,” the 24-year old Hoover speed jock admitted. He had never raced on American Racer tires before.As the race went on , he was gaining confidence in the way his car was working with his tires. “I got on the radio and told my dad, ‘These are great tires! I don’t think you can wear them out!’” While Letson dominated the front followed by Speakman, Brazier passed Reno for second position on the 27th lap and Speakman passed Reno on lap 28. Meanwhile Serio had advanced position again to take third on lap 30. Serio got around Speakman in the 38th lap, but a five-lap debris caution put him back in third place. Speakman, a former Southern All Star racing series champion, probably had more 100-lap races under his seat belt than any of the other drivers in the race. His driving style in the Allison Memorial reflected that maturity and skill. He had kept his position and protected his tires for the run at the end. “Early in the race I was trying not to slip my tires,” he said. “I tried not to go too hard into the corners, not to spin them when accelerating. I tried to drive like a cup of coffee was on the dash.” When the race went back to green on lap 43, it would be a 30 green flag run. Speakman immediately challenged Leston on the restart, looking as if he had the umph to take the lead. Letson, however, was still untouchable. During this long run, Letson would put as much as 40 yards between himself and Speakman, who now had Serio behind him in third. Speakman all day. “I was real timid at the beginning of the race,” the 24-year old Hoover speed jock admitted. He had never raced on American Racersuccumbed to Serio on the 57th lap when the 24-year old Italian wrestled away the position. Serio had made 70 yards under green flag racing and was at Letson’s rear bumper by lap 64. On lap 67 they came by the flag stand side by side, with Letson half a car ahead. On lap 68 it was a quarter-car length lead. On the 70th lap Serio made a backstretch pass that took him to the lead for the first time since being almost a half-lap behind in the early laps. It was somewhere in the midst of this long green flag grind that Serio began to realize he had a shot at winning. His spotter, fellow truck racer Paul Jean, gave him some important data. “When Paul told me ‘You’re on the same straightaway as the leaders,’ all I knew was that I could see Letson and Speakman ahead of me. I didn’t know they were leading.” Serio’s dad, Anthony , who sets up the Port City car, made some changes he did not tell his son about. “I might have been scared to death if I’d known about it,” the winner laughed. The 73rd lap caution came out when Pat Cruise and Chris Oliver spun out in the second turn. On the 77th lap restart, Speakman tried to take it three-wide as he and Letson challenged Serio. Serio slammed the door shut, however, and maintained his place at the point. The final caution came out on lap 85 when Justin Cruise smacked the second turn wall. The lap clock was stopped on the 89th lap in accordance with BSS regulations regarding the final laps of the race. On the 90th lap restart Letson tried Speakman to unseat the leader from his second running position, but fell back. The final ten laps saw a lot of dicing and slicing, but Serio held up. Speakman was the runner-up, with Letson, Reno, Sanford, Gary Nix, Keith Cahela, Josh Hamner, Scott Dunn, and Roger Cain, in that order, being the top ten finishers. There was a heaviness in Serio’s heart and spirit that was hard to deal with. The injury of another team’s member disturbed him greatly. “I really feel bad, words can’t express it. I apologized to him when he came back. Thatis why I dedicated the win to him (in Victory Lane). Him and Charlie Bradberry.” Serio’s competitive nature was softened as he spoke of Bradberry, whom he described as a good friend. “He was a great friend; we were the best of friends. I loved him dearly. I believe he was helping me in the race.” Serio also got the Hard Charger Award. His family’s twin businesses, Anthony’s Car Clean up and Anthony’s Paint and Body, are equal in supporting the team. Also on board are A Cut Above and drinkact.com. Serio expressed appreciation to Joey Sims and Ray Tennyson for putting the Birmingham Super Series together. Referring to the various engine combinations, he said, “RayRay and Joey have made it fair to everybody.“ Letson was the highest finishing rookie, and led the most laps. The rookie drivers, and their finishing places were Letson (3), Cain (10), Tyler Caton (13), and Justin Cruise (16). Other notes of interest: Edwin Gurley was in the best 100-lap race run of his career at BIR, running a consistent top five position. He got as high as fourth (lap 90) until a flat tire took him in. Josh Hamner, a former BIR ROY and 100-lap winner, never got near the top. The ill-performing car, however, took him from 19th starting position to eighth place finisher on the lead lap. Seventeen of the 20 starters had some kind of success at BIR in the past, either as race winner, division champion, or rookie title. Ten cars were on the lead lap at the end of the race. Seven cars failed to finish. Hal Goodson was first out with engine problems. Burt Belter also lost an engine. Brazier lost oil pressure. Billy Melvin had wheel bearing go out, Justin Cruise wrecked, Andy Antinoro’s car broke a rear end, and Gurley had a flat near the end of race. OFFICAL FINISHING ORDER, BIRMINGHAM SUPER SERIES RACE #2, DAVEY ALLISON MEMORIAL 100 1. Chris Serio; 2. Larry Speakman; 3. Jeff Letson; 4. Dennis Reno, Jr., 5. Gary Sanford, Jr.; 6. Gary Nix; 7. Keith Cahela; 8. Josh Hamner; 9. Scott Dunn; 10. Roger Cain; 11. Chase Oliver; 12. Pat Cruise; 13; Tyler Caton; 14. Edwin Gurley; 15. AndyAntinoro; 16. Justin Cruise; 17. Johnny Brazier; 18. Billy Melvin; 19. Burt Belter; 20. Hal Goodson.
In addition to the BSS 100-lapper, six support divisions contested feature events.
The Super Modified results went pretty much as expected: Billy Melvin of Trussville was the fastest qualifier (21.285 seconds/105.708 mph) and won the event after taking the lead on the third of 40 laps making up the event. Melvin’s Performance Specialties Racing Engines/Posten’s Overhead Door/Associated Cooling and Heating team has won all except one Super Modified race in 2006 and thus far into 2007. Roy Cantrell, Dustin Knowles, Nick Martin, Brett Jean, and Harry Rice followed him.
In Sportsman division action, Jimmy Roberts of Avondale won his fifth consecutive race, continuing the longest winning streak this season. Roberts trailed Joe Odom five laps before taking over and leading the rest of the 15-lap race. Roberts’ Continental Realty Chevrolet finished ahead of Odom, who posted his best BIR finish ever, Shawn Kyzer, Courtney Parker, Bobby Peebles, Jon Adamson, and Joel Falls.
Whit Goode of Maytown was the winnerin the Street Stock 15-lapper. Goode led the second half of the race with his dominant Negron Grocery/Ray Ludof Paint and Body Chevrolet. Behind Goode was Roddy Moore guest-driving in the Ford of Josh Belter, Wayne Hill, Dennis Freeman, and Joel Falls.
By far the most exciting finish was in the Mini Modified 15-lap race, in which Sylvan Springs Jonathan Goolsby earned his first BIR win the hard way: coming form third row starting position to three-wide at the finish line. Goolsby’s Customs and Collision/Auto Color/City Auto Parts Honda rode in third position while Wayne Hill led the first 13 laps. A caution period came out on the 13th lap, setting the stage of one of the best shootouts in BIR history. A side-by-side duel had been developing between Hill and Eddie Dodd, Jr., who inched ahead on the 13th lap restart. Goolsby, who had been running in third since the fourth lap was close on the lead duo, but there was no room to get through. When the one-to-go flag was waved, Goolsby was still in third position. Coming out of the fourth turn to take the checkered, Goolsby went as far down on the asphalt as he could get and was inside Dodd and Hill at the finish, getting there about half a foot before they did. Scoring ruled Goolsby the winner. Dodd was second, Hill third, Jonathan Schroeder fourth, and Fritz Fridley fifth.
In thehistory of the ancient kingdom of Judah, it is written that the people proclaimed Josiah as their king in 639 BC. He was eight years old. So what. BIR fans were equally supportive and delighted but not surprised when a 10-year old, Charlie Melvin, became the youngest racer in the 94-year history of the track to win a feature race. Trussville’s Melvin was running in fourth position on the first lap of the Renegade feature. He took the lead on the fifth lap, doing a little side-by-side give and take with veteran driver Mike Aaron . At the end of the 12 laps, the Paine Intermediate School fourth grader was in Victory Lane with his Wood Brothers Auto Sales/Paul’s Auto Wholesale/Associated Cooling and Heating Acura. Aaron was second, John Sullivan third, Mike Martin fourth, Tommy Belden fifth, followed by Leonard Bradley and Eugene Aaron. This win capped of a great evening for the Melvin family.
Racer Billy Melvin is the proud father of Charlie. It was the first time this century in which a whole family was in Victory Lane twice for two wins in one night.
Roger Wood, Jr., held off challenges from his dad to win his second BUZZZ division race in as many nights. Wood passed John Amick on the second lap and ledthe rest of the 12-lap race. Wood, Sr., moved into second position on the fifth lap and finished there. Will Collins was third, Amick fourth, and Jimmy Hartley fifth.
The next race event at BIR will be Saturday, May 12th. There will be a 30-lap BUZZ feature paying $300.00 to win. Races for the Late Model, Super Modified, Street Stock, Sportsman, Mini Modified, and Renegade divisions will also be held. For more information call BIR at 205.781.2471 or visit the Website at www.bir-raceway.com.
BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY DAVEY ALLSION MEMORIAL WEEKEND
NIGHT ONE APRIL 27,
2007 Birmingham, AL (April 27). By Grady Thorton
As a part of the two-day annual Davey Allison Memorial, Birmingham International Raceway hosted five support divisions Friday evening. While the Birmingham Super Series Late Models were allowed to test and tune, the local boys got to play in traffic. Repeat winners Jimmy Roberts and Roger Wood, Jr., shared the Winner’s Circle with 2007 newcomers Ryan Price, Josh Belter, and Mike Aaron.
In Sportsman action, Jimmy Roberts took his Buffalo Electric Chevrolet to his fourth consecutive win. Shawn Kyzer led the first two laps, lost the lead to Roberts on the third, regained it on the fourth and fifth, then relinquished it to Roberts for good on lap seven. Kyzer held on to the second spot for rest of the race. John Adamson was third, Bobby Peebles fourth, Joe Odom fifth, and Joel Falls fifth.
In the Street Stock 30-lap race, Josh Belter took his retro-look Ford to the win. The Howton’s Automotive Ford Grand Torino at Belter’s command handled as if on a rail and led the entirety of the race. Dennis Freeman came from sixth starting position to second position on the first lap and finished there. Braden Hall was credited with third, Matt Gaulden fourth, David Morrow fifth, and Steve Allen sixth.
The Mini Modified 30-lap feature was over quickly, but the winner was not declared until almost midnight. Nick Martin led the first lap, with Eddie Dodd taking the lead on the second lap. Newcomer Ryan Price took over on the third lap and held off three-time winner Ricky Holland through the 25th lap. Holland had engine failure, which took him out of contention and took away his prospect of winning his fourth consecutive race. Price was first across the line while Dodd advanced to second, where he finished. Scott Rice was third, Martin fourth, and Phillip Amick fifth. The complete rundown in this extended length feature, beginning with sixth, was Jonathan Goolsby, Ricky Holland, Roy Humber, Fritz Fridley, Scott Little, Lee Streetman, Blake Ferguson, and Jonathan Schroder. The tension came at the tech shed when legal protests were lodged against engine in Price‘s Toyota. BIR officials eventually ruled the car to legal to win.
Mike Aaron won the Renegade feature, taking the lead on the fifth of 15 laps. Mike “Rerun” Martin was second, Charlie Melvin third, Tommy Belden fourth, and John Sullivan fifth.
Roger Wood, Jr., of Trussville, led the BUZZ division 15-lapper from wire to wire. The Motorvations Motorsports car held off dad, Roger, Sr., who took second place. Mike Collins was third, Will Collins fourth, and Bo Burroughs fifth. John Amick was sixth, David Beck seventh, Jacob Wyatt eighth, and Tanner Bailey ninth.
OUTLAWS TAKE OVER BIRMINGHAM
BY GRADY H. THORNTON, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Brimingham, Alabama (March 31). With a noticeable degree of arrogance and a disrespect for tradition, the outlaws took over in Birmingham Saturday evening. No, the state legislature did not move into the state’s Magic City. The newly formed band of envelope-pushers, the AllStar Outlaw Late Models, made it’s debut at the historic 5/8-mile oval known as Birmingham International Raceway. The Huntsville-based circuit brought drivers mostly from the North, with Phil Bozell of Portage, Michigan, taking home the coveted title of winner at BIR.
The jubilant Bozell ran smooth as could be in his first visit to BIR. When asked how he adapted so quickly to the difficult track, he laughed and said, “We can thank the 41 car for that.” Bozell was referring to local driver Gary Nix of Adamsville, the event’s fastest qualifier and early leader in the race. The top runners had not figured out the quickest way around the track was the high groove. When Nix took the lead from Gary Wade Finley on the third lap and led until lap 32, the visiting drivers noticed. “We watched him. He should have not showed up until the race was ready to start. We were bottom feeders, trying to run low. We noticed he was the fastest.”
Harold Fair, Jr., started second row outside and stayed in the second spot while Bozell held down third. When Bozell was ready to make his move, he picked off Fair on the 31st lap, then Nix on the 32nd. A caution period came out on lap 35. With Bozell leading, Nix pitted on the 36th lap and Fair on the 37th. Neither of the two cars regained the edge they demonstrated in the early running. It was a Bozell cakewalk for the rest of the 100-lap race. At the end, it was Bozell taking another of the many wins in his career. Finley was the runnerup, with Chris Benson, Andy Bozell, Fair, and Nix following in that order.
Bozell’s car was powered by a Dave Irwin built engine setting in a Howe chassis Bozell and his teammates had reworked. The Bozell car carried the sponsors and support of Kalsee Credit Union, Sweet Manufacturing, Phil Bozell Fabricating, Bullet Speed Graphics, Harding’s Friendly Markets, and Awesome Racewear. Bozell runs in various Late Model events near his home in Michigan, particular at Kalamazoo and M-40 Raceway. He is also an occasional contender on the ARCA-REMAX Series. He won an ARCA event at the Milwaukee Mile last year. He summed up his appearance at BIR by realizing he had to make adjustments. “This track is the old rough beast. A driver has to save the tires in a race.”
In support divisions, the effort was to get the race in before the approaching rain washed out the event. The Sportsman feature handed itself to Jimmy Roberts for his third win of the year. Joel Falls was second, followed by Bobby Peebles. Peebles has returned to racing as a driver after decades of frame work for competitors all over the South. When Roberts won the race the weekend before, the BIR public address system had malfunctioned. This time the took the opportunity to thank his sponsors, Continental Realty and Buffalo Electric. He also took the opportunity to dub himself and the second and third place finishers as “The Over the Hill Gang” due to their being older than the other drivers.
Dennis Freeman of Centerville led the Street Stock 15-lap feature wire-to-wire, barely beating the rain that had been headed in from the west. Freeman’s Shelby Belcher Trucking Chevrolet had Josh Belter in a retro-look Ford Torino advancing as the race drew to an end. Belter kept his second place finish, with Marty Bean, Richard Patino, and Joel Falls making up the top five.
Ricky Holland took his third win in as many races, establishing his Birmingham Suzuki/Auto Recovery Specialists team as the dominant one in the Mini-Modified division. Holland held of a hard-charging teammate, Ryan Price, for the win. Jonathan Schroder, Scott Little, Scott Rice, and Jonathan Goolsby finished in that order.
Roger E. Wood, Sr., won BUZZZ division feature. He used a little fatherly discipline by keeping his son, Josh, on the low side and unable to pass when the young Wood moved into second position on the second lap. Wood won the 12-lap event over his son, Josh, who was home on military leave. Will Collins was third, Mike Collins fourth, and Bo Burroughs fifth. John Amick was sixth and Greg Lockhart was seventh.
The only victim of the weather was the Renegade division. By the time this last race rolled off the starting grid, the rain had moved in. The evening’s final race was cancelled.
The next stock car event at BIR is the annual two-day show, the Davey Allison Memorial on April 27-28. For more information, call 205.781.BIR1, or visit the website, www.bir-racing.com.
BIR LAUNCH OF BIRMINGHAM SUPER SERIES SUCCESSFUL
BY GRADY H. THORNTON, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Birmingham (March 24). The Birmingham Super Series, a grouping of eight (8) extended length stock car races to be held at Birmingham International Raceway, debuted Saturday evening. The reigning BIR track champion, Gary Sanford, Jr., of Maytown, demonstrated again why he is the reigning track champion by proving he was master of his domain for the entire 100 laps of the Steel City 100.
Sanford started his GM Crate Motor-powered Imaging Business Machines Dodge Charger on the inside, front row. Fastest qualifier Larry Speakman (20.832 seconds/108.006 mph) took the outside in the two-car inverted start. Racing fate was not to smile on Speakman this outing, however, as he never took the green flag. A malfunctioning clutch forced him into the pits and onto the trailer before the pace car came in.
Sanford ran like a car on a rail. By the 10th lap he had a 60-yard lead. The struggles were behind him. Jeff Letson, having started fifth place, worked his way into fourth running position on the 19th lap, then into third on the 24th lap. Sanford, meanwhile way out front, had stretched the lead out to 100 yards over second running Burt Belter.
At the half-way mark, it was Sanford leading by 60 yards, with Letson in second since lap 38. Andy Antinoro, Todd Mellot, and Belter were on the lead lap behind them. Each of the five caution periods provided an opportunity for somebody to catch Sanford on the restart. Nobody could do it. At the end of the first 100 lap event in the Birmingham Super Series, it was Sanford winning his first ever 100-lap event at BIR, followed by Letson, Belter, Edwin Gurley, 2006 BIR Rookie of the Year Tyler Caton and former BIR champ Dennis “Tink” Reno, Jr., was sixth.
“We just worked real hard over the Winter,” Sanford explained. “Everything came together real quick last year (2006). We got the car painted a week before the first race. It took us all year to get it together.” Sanford also showed up to race 30 pounds light. Not the car, but himself. He has put himself on a regiment of diet and exercise that has made him better physically and emotionally. Referring to how good it felt to race in good physical condition, Sanford said, “It’s gravy. I felt great. I could have run 200 or 300 more laps.”
Like Sanford, Reno has BIR championships in Street Stock and Late Model divisions. He was admittedly off the pace Saturday. “I’ve got to quit changing things,” he said dejectedly as he loaded up his pit equipment. “Then again, you don’t learn anything if you don’t try things.” Reno’s car was all over the track all night long. He never got higher than a very distant fourth running position. He was sixth when Sanford took the checkered flag.
Todd “Mississippi Mudcat” Mellot started 2007 off with a seventh place finish, staying on the lead lap until the last lap. Antinoro had several pitstops for racecar demons, and was able to salvage an eighth place finish. Rookies Justin Cruise and Roger Cain were the ninth and ten place finishers. Pat Cruise was the first out of the race for an eleventh place finish and Speakman was 12th.
Sanford praised his team, the new Birmingham Super Series, and his competition, especially Letson. “Jeff Letson is one of the hardest racing drivers I’ve ran against,” Sanford said. “I’ve run against him all over Alabama and Tennessee in Open Wheels. He is a good, clean racer. People are going to see him win at Birmingham.”
Sanford ran a seven-year old engine last year. He blew it up at Pensacola after the season. It was a good thing. The GM Crate Motor was high on power, low on cost. “I won a 100-lap race with a $5,000.00 motor. That’s the way racing needs to go.”
Part of the incentive package for racing the BSS is the race and end of the year awards posted by various concerns. Sanford not only led the most laps, he received a $100.00 gift certificate as race winner by Felpro. Letson was the Highest Finishing Rookie toward the Rookie of the Year title, plus he received $150.00 product certificate from Felpro.
The other 115 laps of racing for the remaining 70 race cars provided spice for the racing feast. Trussville’s Billy Melvin, the most successful racing at BIR in 2006, won the Super Modified feature in his usual manner. He was fastest qualifier (21.270 seconds/105.782 mph), led all 25 laps, and won the race. Melvin’s Associated Cooling and Heating/Posten’s Overhead Door Team finished comfortably ahead of rookies Wayne Hill and Dustin Knowles, Steve Piper, and Nick Martin. Randy Dean and Joseph Dodd were sixth and seventh, while Brett Jean and Roy Cantrell were DNS.
In the Sportsman division, Father Time himself, Jimmy Roberts, won the 20-lap feature after taking the lead on the fifth lap. Roberts, driving the Continental Realty Chevrolet Monte Carlo, had the race in a bag over Joel Falls, Bobby Peebles, Robbie Key, and Courtney Parker. Shawn Kyzer had a car that could win and led the first four laps before the wall jumped in front of him and ended the night. He was credited with sixth place and Teddy Rhodes was seventh.
The Pure Street division 20-lap feature was probably the most exciting race of the evening, ending up with Whit Goode taking a hard-fought win. Richard Patino led the first lap with second row inside starter Goode taking over on lap 2. Division tough guy Dennis Freeman started tenth in the field and was fifth when the cars completed the first lap. Goode had a commanding lead as Freeman worked his way into second on the seventh lap. This began a long run of side by side, position-swapping by Goode and Freeman. Defending division champion Billy Joe Austin, meanwhile, was removed from contention when a tire shredded. Freeman ran a lower than usual line to catch Goode and eventually nosed passed him on the 11th lap. The price he paid was his tires, however. Goode regained the lead two laps later, then Freeman led the 15th lap. Goode came back to the front on the 17th lap and was able to pull somewhat ahead of Freeman for the win. Marty Bean was third, Joel Falls third, and Patino fifth. Braden Hall was sixth, Daniel Jacks, seventh, Joey Cochran eighth, David Morrow ninth and Austin tenth.
In the Mini-Modified 20-lapper, Jonathan Schroder started on the front row and led the first two laps. Ricky Holland worked his Birmingham Suzuki car through the field from 12th starting spot to take the lead on lap three. The race belong to Holland from that point on. Former division champion Scott Little was second, with Schroder posting a third in his first visit to BIR. Defending champion Scott Rice was fourth, with Lee Streetman, Randy Dodd, Blake Ferguson, Phillip Amick, Jared James and Michael Mackay making up the top ten finishers.
A new television show featuring comedian Jeff Foxworthy pits the intellectual abilities of the average adult with the average fifth grader. The BIR version of that would be putting a fourth grader, Charlie Melvin, in a race car. In the Renegade division, Mike Martin won his first BIR feature in the 10-lap race by leading start to finish. Leonard Bradley was second, with 11-year old Melvin, a student at Paine Intermediate School in Trussville, finishing third. Tommy Belden, Eugene Aaron, and Mike Aaron were fourth, fifth and sixth. A military man home on leave borrowed his dad’s race car and won the 15-lap BUZZZ division feature. Josh Wood, a native of Trussville, drew a first place starting spot and led the race wire to wire. His dad, Roger E. Wood, was second, with Mike Collins, Will Collins, and Drew Bowman following.
EARLY BIRD’S SEVENTEENTH RUNNING GOES TO FULTZ AND FLEEMAN
BY GRADY H. THORNTON, BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
Birmingham, AL (February 25).
The 2007 version of the Early Bird race at Birmingham (AL) International Raceway split into two (2) 100-lap events for two (2) late model series. Jeff Fultz of Mooresville, NC, and Russell Fleeman of Daqula, GA, were the featured race winners. The twin 100’s and support divisions comprised 310 laps of track action to the delight of the fans.
Johnny Brazier of Lick Skillet, AL, posted the fastest time in Saturday’s qualifying session for Super Late Models at 20.014 sec/112.42 mph. A four-car inversion put 2006 winner Ken McFarland on the pole with Fultz outside, with Steven Davis inside second row. When the green flag was given, Fultz got a slight jump, but McFarland was leading when the cars came around to complete the first circuit. Fultz stayed on his tail for the first dozen laps until Jason Sanford rode the third turn wall to bring out the first of five caution periods.
McFarland had a good restart and held the lead another dozen laps until the second caution came out when Stanley Smith’s ruptured oil pressure line left a film of oil on the track. At the quarter mark the running order was McFarland, Fultz, Augie Grill, Davis, Josh Hamner, Hunter Robbins, Brazier, Keith Cahela, and Chris Serio. The race resumed on the 27th lap but a long green was not to be as Cahela’s flat tire and resultant smack into the wall brought out the third caution of the day on lap 32. Cahela limped back into the race, but was the pace for rest of the day.
The next 15 green flag laps stretched the field out with Fultz taking the turns with ease, slipping up to two car lengths of McFarland in the turns. The Mac, however, had the straightaway power to pull ahead six or more spaces. Grill lead the second wave of himself and Davis with Hamner and Robbins slightly behind. McFarland’s day at the front was about to come to an end. Tower officials noticed a wisp of smoke come of the rear end of his car as he entered the first turn of the 49th lap. That wisp was tire smoke and as he hit turn three, the right front tire came apart, sending the leader hard into the wall, almost going over onto it’s side. The race’s only red flag condition was called for clean up. McFarland was OK, but his back-to-back race championships would have to wait.
Fultz, who had been no slouch, was on the point when the race resumed at lap 52. “I found a groove that would allow me to get a run on him,” Fultz said later of his ability to keep McFarland in his sights. “But it would have been tough there at the end if he had been there.”
The final half of the race was marked by contested positions behind leader Fultz. Much like the scenario earlier, Grill seemed able to close in on Fultz in the turns while the leader commandeered the straights. Davis tried Grill several times, only to have to back off. On lap 68 Davis was inside Grill to his front quarter panel, but could not advance. On lap 78 Serio was putting pressure on Davis and got along side but Davis persevered and kept the spot.
The final 10 laps looked like a Dixie Two-Step Dance with Fultz taking it all in through his rearview mirror. Davis, Grill, and Serio were using up time and laps. Serio used up his tires and brushed the wall twice in the last five laps. Fultz had the most car at the end, taking his US Army Team to his first W at BIR. Davis was second with Grill crossing third, Brazier fourth and Allen Kurns next. After them were Heath Hindman, Teddy Musgrave, Jr., Robbins, Hamner, Marty Pierce, and Serio. All were on the lead lap except Serio, who went one (1) lap down due to the tire problems. There was drama awaiting the Grill team at the tech shed as Fultz basked in his well-deserved glory.
“The track is fun to drive, the kind of track that suits me,” Fultz said after the race. Although he had raced BIR only once before in an All Pro race a few years ago, he indicated he felt a close connection to the facility. “There is a lot of history here, especially my good buddy, Charlie Bradberry. I lost a good friend who ran well here.”
Grill had qualified in the top third of the field Saturday. Saturday night, however, he and his team took the car back to there shop, pulled the motor, and replaced it. They were reportedly concerned about potential problems noticed in practice. They did not notify the officials of the change, however. Third party sources reported Grill claimed such a change was not improper according to the rules. The officials held that, had the team reported the change, allowed them to tech the car, and then started on the rear, there would have been no problems. Grill was disqualified. It was an unpleasant follow up to the 2006 event, when he was assumed to have been a winner until the post-race inspection booted him.
Fultz is the set up man for Mark Martin’s Nextel Cup team in Mooresville. He also races regularly on the Hooter’s Cup circuit. Fultz drives a Hamke chasis powered by Volunteer Performance Racing Engines and is supported by Pro Shocks, Wearcrete Concrete, and had the BIR race support of local Veteran’s Oil.
The Early Bird Twin 100 for Super Late Models had five (5) cautions and one (1) red flag condition. The average speed in the 62.5-mile event was 84.784 mph. The best competition lap speed was turned by Steven Davis at 20.630 sec/109.064 mph. Fultz’ margin of victory was .681 second.
OFFICIAL FINISH WITH LAPS COMPLETED : 1. Jeff Fultz, 100; 2. Steven Davis, 100; 3. Johnny Bazier, 100; 4. Allen Karnes, 100; 5: Heath Hindman, 100; 6. Teddy Musgrave, Jr., 100; 7. Hunter Robbins, 100; 9. Josh Hamner, 100; 9. Marty Pierce, 100; 10. Chris Serio, 99; 11. Grant Enfinger, 99; 12. Larry Speakman, 98; 13. Keith Cahela, 84; 14. Ken McFarland, 48; 15. Travis Hearn, 44; 16. Andy Antinoro, 40; 17. Stanley Smith, 22; 18. Jason Sanford, 12. DQ: Augie Grill.
HISTORY MADE AS GEORGIA ASPHALT SERIES HAS FIRST CONTEST AT BIR
Race fans all over the South have enjoyed the Georgia Asphalt Series since it’s inception in 2004. Its popularity led to it’s branching outside Georgia more recently. The Early Bird Twin 100’s was a great time to come to the ‘Ham. The 60 pre-race entries yielded 23 great starting racecars for the series’ inaugural visit to BIR. GAS hotdog Russell Fleeman of Dequla, GA, took the event home and established BIR as one of the hottest venues for GAS.
Fleeman’s fastest qualifying speed in Saturday’s time trials was a little over quarter of a second faster than that of second fastest Jimmy Garmon. Bubba Pollard’s outside first row starting position was the launching ramp when he took the lead on the start of the 100-lap grind. He jumped to a half a car length ahead, then took a high line around the track. Hunter Robbins was the first casualty when he spun to the inside of the back stretch, hitting the wall hard. A restart pileup of several cars on the front stretch inflicted serious damage to the cars of Joey Senter, Scotty Ellis, Roger Delp, and Chad Braun. After emergency sheet metal surgery, Senter and Braun were able to re-enter the race. Pollard led lap 26, the same number as his car, then 2006 BIR Late Model Champion Gary Sanford, Jr. took over. Fleeman had begun his surge to the front and was in striking distance within a few laps of Sanford’s takeover.
Sanford began to lose ground and Fleeman‘s US Auto Sales/Port City Chassis Ford-powered Monte Carlo, dubbed “CONFUSION” by the team, seized the opportunity and took the lead on the 38th lap. Fleeman was anything but slow as he laid down as much as 50 yards between himself and the rest of the field. As the second half of the 100 laps got under way Jimmy Garmon picked up second position and Sanford’s leaking tire bogged him down. A duel developed with Garmon challenging Fleeman. The two ran side by side for some laps with Garmon being officially recorded as the leader of the 81st lap. Fleeman rebounded and retook the lead and went on to win by a margin of about 70 yards. Garmon was second, with David Elliott, Fredrick Moore, and Paul Kelly following. Rounding out the top ten were Michael Pope, Pollard, Taylor Satterfield, Scott Dunn, and Fowler.
“To be honest, I just played it conservative,” Fleeman responded when asked to reveal his race strategy. “I had to let my tires come in…it took 35 or 40 laps. I had a good car.” Fleeman and the crew worked hard to make the car good after Saturday’s practice. That was when Fleeman hit the wall and tore the right side off the car.
Fleeman did not get to race in 2006 due to obligations. He plans to run GAS for the full schedule in 2007.
OFFICIAL EARLY BIRD GAS 100 FINISH WITH LAPS COMPLETED: 1. Russell Fleeman, 100; 2. Jimmy Garmon, 100; 3. David Elliott, 100; 4. Fredrick Moore, 100; 5. Paul Kelly, 100; 6. Michael Pope, 100; 7. Bubba Pollard, 100; 8. Taylor Satterfield, 100; 9. Scott Dunn, 99; 10. Kyle Fowler, 98; 11. Kevin Stephens, 98; 12. Gary Sanford, Jr., 96; 13. Joey Senter, 95; 14. Matt Hawkins, 82; 15. Greg Motes, 81; 16. Chad Braun, 64; 17. Dennis Reno, 41; 18. Dakota Stoup, 37; 19. Shane Nalley, 37; 20. David Odell, 36; 21. Scotty Ellis, 6; 22. Roger Delp, 6; 23. Hunter Robbins, 5.
SUPPORT DIVISIONS PROVIDE ACTION APLENTY IN EARLY BIRD SHOW
There was more to the 2007 Early Bird Twin 100’s than the twin 100’s. Five local divisions provided another 110 laps of racing. Billy Melvin, the 2006 BIR Super Modified champion, won all his features in the regular season. He started 2007 out on the same foot by winning the 30-lap feature for that division.
Melvin was the fastest qualifier in Saturday’s timing with a fast lap of 21.120 seconds/106.534 mph yielded a four-car inversion. Same story, different race: Melvin took the lead on the start and led all 30 laps. Roy Cantrell came from seventh starting position to a second place finishing position. Wayne Hill was third, Roger Wood with steering problems fourth, and Steve Piper fifth. Dale Pugh was sixth, with Nick Anderson, Randy Dean, and Dustin Knowles following.
Jimmy Roberts started third row outside in the 20-lap Sportsman feature. He took the lead on the third lap and was a rocket after that. The car was hooked up superbly as he had no trouble taking the win. Joel Falls was second, Justin Cruise third, Robbie Key fourth, and Teddy Rhodes fifth.
The Pure Street Division 20-lapper was won by a car that had been sawed in half after the November World Classic. Dennis Freeman’s car was smashed into the wall in the November race. His Bibb County race team replaced the front snout, a job none of them had ever done. It worked. Very will, in fact. Freeman took the lead from 2006 division champ Billy Joe Austin on the third lap and led the remaining 17 laps. Whit Goode, who along with Freeman won Saturday’s qualifying races, was second. Falls was third, Austin fourth, and Billy Ammons fifth. Richard Patino, Wendall Bails, Braden Hall, and Joey Cochran followed.
Ricky Holland powered the win in the Mini Modified 20-lap feature. He went from third row to the lead on the first lap, earning his new Birmingham Suzuki/Auto Recovery Specialists team their inaugural win in their inaugural race. Nick Martin posted his best BIR win with a runner up finish, followed by Ricky Dodd, Blake Ferguson, Michael Mackay, and Eddie Dodd.
The BUZZZ division produced perhaps the biggest surprise of the day. In another first at BIR, the first five finishers became the first five disqualified cars. Sixteen-year old Jacob Wyatt of Oak Groove in west Jefferson County became the winner in his first-ever competition. Wyatt, a sophomore at Oak Grove High School, claimed his win hours after the race as BIR officials went over car after car. Wyatt, who plans to use his winnings to paint the primer gray Ford Probe which he and his family built on a shoestring budget. The revised finish moved George Berry into second, Greg Lockhart into third, Cody Windham into fourth, Tim Grace into fifth, and Jordan Roberson into sixth.
The historic Birmingham (AL) International Raceway to host two events on the 2007 ASALMS Southern Division Schedule including the 2007 Season Championships!
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