by BJ Cavin- VSP Media
BARBERVILLE, FL- Saturday night’s action at Volusia Speedway Park marked the final weekend of racing action in 2010, and what better way to end the year than with the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series Fall Nationals as they brought in some of the finest dirt late model racers in the region. And in addition to top notch late model racing, VSP race fans were treated to an encore, non points feature from the Taylor Racing Products Sportsman Division, the Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants Thunder Stocks, and the 4 Cylinder Challengers.
All Photos Courtesy of JimJonesPhoto.com
After a tough night of wrestling their way around the cramped and tricky 3/8ths mile at Ocala Speedway on Friday night, the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series made a 50 mile trek through the Ocala National Forest to take on the south’s fastest half mile at Volusia Speedway Park on Saturday. The wide open atmosphere at VSP certainly suited Darrell Padgett, whose Roush-Yates powered machine blistered the clay with a 17.450 lap to become the Koury Powered Fast Qualifier. Friday’s winner at Ocala, Tyler Ivey, fell just short of the impressive numbers in qualifying that Padgett set, notching a best lap of 17.453. However, thanks to a random drawing for the top six positions done by some lucky young race fans, Ivey found himself on the front row while Padgett started fourth.Inside of Ivey and leading the starting grid to the green flag was John Kellum, who had reeled in Mark Whitener to score a last lap victory at the Scott Thompson Memorial at the UDLMCS event at VSP, but it was Ivey who took early control and looked to be just as untouchable as he had been on Friday, at least at the outset. A second row starting position had young Christian Augspurger impressing the fans in the top five for the first 20 laps or so until Ivedent Lloyd and Darrell Padgett slid past on the bottom of turns one and two. Meanwhile, Volusia’s own Donnie Chappell was out to prove that he deserved to be running with the big dogs, fighting his way from his fifth starting position to third place.
A lap 20 caution bunched the field up again and changed the complexion of the top five spots on the grid, as on the restart Tyler Ivey failed to leave a determined John Kellum in his dust as he had done before. Kellum repeatedly used the inside groove to move under Ivey but was just short of momentum and power to complete the pass and seal the deal. And while Kellum and Ivey battled it out lap after lap, a literal freight train was forming on the high side as the track blackened up and racers searched for some bite at the topside cushion. Mark Whitener was one of the early risers to the top side where he worked his way into the top 5 before others caught onto his plan.
Again the top ten had stretched itself completely around Volusia’s half mile before Ivedent Lloyd’s flat right rear tire sent him to the rear, slowed things down, and bunched up the competitors on lap 43. That caution set up the final seven lap dash to the checkers, and motivated some front running racers to show their cards a lap or so before they had planned to do so. The restart saw Ivey jump out in front, while John Kellum faltered slightly and was almost overtaken by Donnie Chappell. Christian Augspurger quickly jumped from 8th place to 5th in just two laps, and Mark Whitener made a final surge to gain his way to the 5th spot in the final laps.
Tyler Ivey may not have been as dominant as he had been the night before at Ocala, but he had enough to hold off Kellum and pull the double and get his second win in two nights of racing. John Kellum celebrated his birthday with a second place finish, and Donnie Chappell notched the third spot, proving that his efforts in 2010 have made him the most improved racer at Volusia Speedway Park. Matt Hartley posted a strong night of racing, climbing 6 spots to finish in fourth place, and Mark Whitener at least somewhat atoned for a terrible night at Ocala by wrapping up the top five, which helped him to hold onto his top spot in the UDLMCS points battle.
Aaron Barsness claimed the Taylor Racing Products Sportsman Division Championship for 2010 at Volusia Speedway Park, and spent the early laps of their feature event battling with Stanton Mills, who established himself as the man to beat late in the racing season. But contact on lap 4 would send Barsness to the pits and end his outing, while Josh Byrd took advantage on the restart to get past Mills and lead the race. Mills regained the lead later as Byrd found misfortune and was relegated to the rear, and Shane Williams was still in the top three and making every effort to catch the leader, that left Blaise Hetsnecker in the second spot and in position to challenge Mills for supremacy. Hetznecker has been close to winning races before, and Saturday was looking like the night that he would overcome his gremlins and finish what he began as he passed Mills and repeatedly held off everyone through repeated restarts until the final circuits unfolded. Hetznecker went too high and banged off of the turn two barrier, then slipped back into the field while Josh Byrd used those same final laps to take advantage of Hetznecker’s misfortune, complete his climb back through the field, and regain the third spot behind Williams.
But with Hetznacker tamed by his brush with the wall, no one had anything for Stanton Mills as he raced his way to victory. Shane Williams had hung around in the top three for the entire race, but settled for the second spot while Josh Byrd’s efforts resulted in a third place trophy. Chris Day also had a strong run, but could not keep himself in the top three, finally settling for a well deserved fourth place finish, and Kyle Chappell came on strong to make his way to the fifth place at the checkered flags.
John Thorpe led the Amsoil Thunder Stocks to the green flag on Saturday night but Luke Sadler quickly established himself as the frontrunner after a brief but exciting three wide battle for the lead that included Tom Hughes as well. Getting to the front is one thing, but remaining there is something else when the likes of Thorpe, Hughes, Philip Brown, and Mike Tovet, are all battling each other for the top five spots and gunning for the leader like a pack on the hunt. Contact between Thorpe and Brown would slow both of those competitors on lap 5, leaving the rest to chase Sadler who was certainly up to the task and held on for the win. Mike Tovet claimed the second spot with Tom Hughes following for third, while Randy Strehle and Ron Adams rounded out the top five finishers.
By the time that the 4 Cylinder Challengers hit the clay on Saturday night, they were left with a very black, and very slick, half mile circuit on which to race. Tony Laporta was unphased by the slick track and blasted his way to the front, then stretched his legs and left everyone else in his wake. Laporta’s impressive victory left a very quick Justin Dean to claim the second spot on a night when his car was working for him better than ever, and third place went to a hard charging Larry Langston who did everything he could to keep the top two at bay before finally faltering in the final laps. Denica Hetznacker posted a good run and finished fourth, while Sonny Espy claimed the fifth spot.
So with racing over and done at the south’s fastest half mile until 2011, all that is left is to crown champions give awards to deserving individuals for their accomplishments in 2010. That task will be undertaken on Saturday October 30th, at 6 PM, on the 2010 VSP Night of Champions. The season ending banquet will be held in facilities on site at Volusia Speedway Park and tickets can be purchased through the speedway office during regular business hours during the week, or by calling the speedway at 386-985-4402.
Volusia Speedway Park Results for 10/16/10
UDLMCS Fall Nationals (50 laps/$300 to win)
1- 47 Tyler Ivey
2- 41K John Kellum
3- 25 Donnie Chappell
4- 11 Matt Hartley
5- 58 Mark Whitener
6- 35 Christian Augspurger
7- 14 Keith Nosbisch
8- 46P Darrell Padgett
9- 21 Ivedent Lloyd
10- 0 Mike Nasworthy
11- 36D Dillon Buhr
12- J17 Joe Kump
13- 22 Perry Brown
14- 12 Jack Nosbisch
15- 98C Kent Corbin
16- RP1 Bug Rose
17- 07 David Clegg
18- 10 Winn Ingersoll
19- 41 Barry Sheffield
DNS- 17 Richard Ferry
DNS- 26 Dillon Wood
DNS- 32C Phillip Cobb
DNS- 99 Shan Smith
Taylor Racing Products Sportsman
1- 57S Stanton Mills
2- 18M Shane Williams
3- 42 Josh Byrd
4- 8 Chris Day
5- 66C Kyle Chappell
6- 17H Blaise Hetznecker
7- 1 Tony Sansome
8- 80 Paul Shead
9- 17K Marc Kinley
10- 61 Lisa O’Connor
11- 11C Corey Holley
12- 57 Heinz Haas
13- 95 Matt Mcgillivray
14- 7 Dalton Lanich
15- 11 Aaron Barsness
DNS- 2H Cory Hupp
Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants Thunder Stock
1- 15 Luke Sadler
2- 30 Mike Tovet
3- 29 Tom Hughes
4- 24 Randy Strehle
5- 118 Ron Adams
6- 6 Wally Douglass
7- B81 John Blackwelder
8- 22 Kelly Snyder
9- 65 Bobby Giles
10- 000 Jason Tovet
11- 13 Philip Brown
12- 23 Jim Nichols
13- 114 John Thorpe
14- 36 Austin Stamper
15- 03 Robert Shrunk
16- 00 Eddie Tovet
DNS- 05 Chris Lane
DNS- 4 Richard Calmes Jr.
DNS- 01 Johnny Westfall
4 Cylinder Challenger
1- 3T Tony Laporta
2- X Justin Dean
3- 49 Larry Langston
4- 16 Denica Hetznecker
5- 6E Sonny Espy
6- 51 Nathan Rhoades
7- 48X Harold Lewis
8- 7 Art Souther
9- 01 Daniel Wolf
10- 1.5 Hubert Jett
11- 1.4 Anthony Morris
12- 21 Robert Graham
13- 88 Steven Cox
DNS- 8 Sammy Dale
DNS- XX Jordan Myers