May 2 Speedway Recap
Speedway
By CHARLIE BROWN, DELMAR, DE –
It was a great night of racing with near perfect track conditions on Saturday night at the Delaware International Speedway. “Bad” Brad Trice of Parsonsburg, Md. had gone winless all last season but on Saturday night he ended that streak by capturing the 25-lap NAPA Big Block main.
Heats were won by Beau Wilkins and Jordan Watson. In the feature Matt Hawkins got off to a great start with Bobby Watkins riding in second and Scott VanGorder in third. Trice had started in sixth but wasted no time climbing to third by lap three.
Beau Wilkins looked like a contender as he powered from eighth to fourth by lap eight and Shawn Ward held down fifth. Back to back cautions at the mid-point of the race found Trice up to second and on the back bumper of Hawkins. Hawkins was able to hold off Trice’s challenges until his engine started to go sour on lap 16. He would roll to a stop at the top of the fourth turn to bring out the yellow with eight to go.
Trice was now on top as Watkins got back by Wilkins for second. The caution would be out for a final time with four to go as defending point champion, Jordan Watson rolled to a stop. On the restart Trice pulled away as Watkins and Wilkins battled for second. Trice would take the win with Watkins holding off Wilkins for second. Fourth went to H.J. Bunting and VanGorder rounded out the top five.
“We struggled a lot last year but I think we have got our stuff together this year,” said Trice before thanking his crew and family.
The 20-lap S.R. Pete & Son Super Late Model Feature was a good one. Joe Warren would lead the first lap as the field went three wide in the battle for second with Andrew Mullins taking the spot followed by Herb Tunis and Staci Warrington. On lap five Warren began to slow and Mullins shot by into the lead. Ricky Elliott was on the move from ninth and already up to the fourth spot that had been occupied by Amanda Whaley.
Elliott got by Tunis for third at the halfway sign and began to reel in the leader Mullins. Elliott was the only car using the high groove and coming off the second turn on lap 12 he went around the outside of Mullins to take the lead. His advantage would be erased with just two laps to go as Donald Lingo, Jr. came to a stop in the third turn.
Elliott had no problem pulling away on the restart and he drove to his second consecutive win of the season. “The car was pretty good last week but I just couldn’t charge the corner,” said Elliott. “We made a couple of adjustments over the last two weeks with the rainout and I’m telling you, we made all the right adjustments.” Mullins stayed close to finish in the second spot with Tunis third. Rookie Dylan Evans scored another top five in fourth and Whaley rounded out the top five. Heats were won by Mullins and Warren.
In the five lap Shoot-Out between the winner of the NAPA Big Block Modified feature and the S.R. Pete and Son Super Late Model feature Brad Trice proved to be no match on that night for Elliott who led the entire distance for the win.
In the 15-lap AC Delco PSC Modified feature, 15 year old Carson Wright would start on the pole and set the early pace over Kevin Sockriter. The yellow was out on the second lap for a tangle in the first turn between Tyler Reed, Brian Hitz, Robbie Riley and Dwayne Crockett. The would turn out to be the only caution of the race.
Wright would control the restart with Joe Tracy getting by Jordn Justice for third. By lap seven Wright was comfortably out front and opening night winner Scott Hitchens was up to fifth. Wright was able to open a one and a half second advantage over Sockriter and drive to his first win of his young career in the division. Sockriter finished in second with Tracy, Justice and Hitchens rounding out the top five. Heats were won by Wright and Sockriter.
Two weeks ago, Jamie Eichholz led the Crate Model feature until a broken distributer cap ended his chances for his first career win in the division. History would not repeat itself on Saturday night as Eichholz started on the pole and never faltered in the caution free 15-lap main.
Tyler Reed and Sparky White would capture the heats but would start deep in the pack. Eichholz took off at the start with Billy Thompson and Alessa Young giving case from second and third. Steven Baker took the third spot on lap four with Reed climbing to fourth and White following in fifth. With the race staying green the order would not change the remainder of the distance and Eichholz would drive to his first career win.
In Mod Lite action James Hill and Jimmy Wills would capture the heats and start eighth and seventh in the 15-lap feature. Tim White grabbed the lead from Kirk Miles on the first lap with Jason Musser second and Hill flying on the outside and up to third. Wills got by Ryan Dryden for fourth by lap three.
Hill was up to second by lap six and took the lead from White at the halfway sign. The race would go caution free and Hill would pull away for his second straight win but his first with his smaller engine. White finished a solid second with Musser running a consistent race to finish in third. Fourth went to Wills and Nick Nash rounded out the top five.
In the Little Lincoln Vintage Cars 12-lap feature, Mel Joseph, Jr. jumped out to the lead at the drop of the green and never looked back. Two cautions kept John Stevenson within striking distance but he was not able to serious Joseph who was running Ford power for the first time in his Thunderbird. Kerry King, Sr. came from ninth spot to finish in third with David Archer fourth and Bunky White rounded out the top five.
