2007 Natural Bridge Speedway

October 9, 2007

Booper Bare Thrills Huge Crowd At Home Track By Grabbing Checkers In Sunoco Fall Classic Super Late Model Show At Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway

Rockbridge County native and regional star race car driver Booper Bare has been to dozens of tracks of all varieties during his distinguished career.

Last Saturday night provided not only a homecoming for Bare to the track where he watched his father compete for years before cutting his own racing teeth on Rockbridge County dirt, but also the largest check awarded to a Natural Bridge Speedway winner this season.

Performing before an overflow crowd of dirt track racing enthusiasts, Bare powered his No. 00 machine to the quick qualifying time among the 31 chasing the $5,000 purse that would go to the survivor of the 31-car field entered in the second annual Sunoco Fall Classic Super Late Model competition. He dominated his qualifying heat, winning the 10-lapper by more than three seconds.
Bare qualified for the front row in the Super Late Model feature by finishing second in the six-lap dash for heat winners. Other heat winners competing in the dash were Rick Williams, who earned the pole with his win in the dash, past NBS Late Model regular-season point champion David Bennett of Covington and the winner of last year’s inaugural Sunoco Fall Class Super Late Model feature, Bo Feathers of Winchester.

Bare surged past Williams and burst to the lead on the first circuit of the 50-lap championship feature and was never seriously threatened, even during restarts following caution periods. Williams ran second for the first 15 laps before Feathers worked his way into position behind leader Bare.

From lap 21 through lap 40, the top five remained, respectively, Bare, Weathers, Williams, Gerald Davis and Jimmy Bernhisel. On lap 42, Williams fell back a couple of spots, allowing Davis and Bernhisel to gain another position. Closing fast was DJ Myers, who slipped into the fifth position for the final five laps.

Bare crossed the finish line three seconds before runner-up Feathers, who finished another two seconds ahead of third-place Davis. Bernhisel and Myers, respectively completed the top five.

Bare posted the fastest lap during the feature when he circled the 3/8-mile dirt oval in 15.979 seconds. A clip of 85.612 mph. His quick qualifying winning lap was completed in 15.544 seconds, an average of 88.008 mph.

Late Model pilot Mark Parks of Forest had been very patient this season while hoping to earn a trip to Natural Bridge Speedway’s Victory Lane.

When his opportunity to grab the checkers arrived during the 50-lap Steel Head Late Model 50-lap feature at last Saturday’s Sunoco Fall Classic, parks did not let it pass him by.

Earning the pole with wins in his heat and then the heat winner’s dash, Parks led flag-to-flag in earning the $1,250 winner’s share of the purse.

Another NBS Late Model regular, Fincastle’s Mike Ayers, posted the quick qualifying lap of 16.140 seconds (84.753 mph). Ayers ran second from lap four through lap 27 before starting to fade, eventually posting a sixth-place finish in the 24-car field.
Buchanan’s David Watts started fourth and moved into second on lap 27 and held the position to the checkers. Kristian Looney finished third. Neil Murray, a former NBS Sportsman point champion, ran fourth, and Madison Heights’s Ricky Almond finished a strong fifth.

Street Stock pilots provided fans with a great race on the first night of the two-night show. JR Overstreet won the pole for the 25-lap Street Stock feature and appeared headed for an easy victory as he grabbed the lead when the green dropped and led convincingly exiting lap 23 when his machine suddenly slowed and stopped.. Overstreet’s misfortune opened the door for David Brogan, who has won the Natural bridge Speedway Street Stock point championship for five consecutive seasons. Brogan rolled into second on lap eight and was ready to seize the point on the white flag lap as Overstreet faltered. Lexington’s troy Fitzgerald rolled home in second place. Danny Bryant ran third. Gary Argenbright and Lester Lyons finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 2007 NBS Street Stock finale.

Mike Bryant of Amherst led flag-to-flag in winning the Sunoco Fall Classic 25-lap Pure Stock feature contested last Saturday night. Buena Vista’s Ronnie Martin Jr. was the runner-up in the Pure Stock finale. Finishing third was Will Slagle while Gerald Hostetter and Todd Garrett finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Racing will commence again next April.

October 2, 2007

Natural Bridge Speedway will play host to the second annual Sunoco Fall Classic this weekend. The two-day event will feature both Super Late Model and Steel Block Late Model competition.

The Super Late Model championship feature, which was won by Winchester racing icon Bo Feathers last year, will pay $5,000 to its winner. Feathers will return to pursue another winner’s check. Local Super Late Model veteran Booper Bare of Rockbridge Baths will also be in the large field of experienced drivers who push engines producing as much as 850 horsepower to their maximum performance. The Steel Block feature winner will pocket $1,250.

Gates will open both Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m. with drivers meeting at 5:30 p.m. Hot laps on the 3/8-mile oval will commence both days at 6 p.m. A special Street Stock feature will take place Friday night as will Late Model qualifying and other preliminary events. Monetary bonus awards available to competitors have been posted on the speedway’s Web site at www.nbspeedway.com, along with admission, concession and facilities information for spectators.

Barger Hangs on For Third Straight Title Wolfe Wins Late Model Title Again 5 Straight Street Stock Titles For Brogan Mayberry Makes It 3 In A Row in Pure Stock Rookie Taylor Wins Any Car Crown

For the second consecutive season, Buena Vista’s Chris Barger made things interesting in his pursuit of locking up the Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman division point championship at Natural Bridge Speedway.

Last Saturday night he entered the season finale with what appeared to be a commanding 17-point lead over second-place Mike Bryant of Shipman. However, with 18 cars taking the green, Bryant was still mathematically alive. Barger appeared to be in no trouble as he took the lead on lap three and held it until Terry Dame seized the point on lap 12. Disaster struck on the following lap for the young Buena Vista wheel man as mechanical troubles forced him to the pits and consigned him to his lowest finish of the season.

Bryant took advantage and took the lead on lap 13 and held it until the checkers waved. Barger finished 14th, but was able to claim his third straight Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman title by a slim three points over the veteran Bryant. Ken Nelson Jr. finished second with Shad Cooper placing third. Randy Gardner claimed fourth and Covington veteran Steve Bennett started 17th and finished fifth in his only appearance of the season.

For the second consecutive season, Buena Vista’s Chris Barger made things interesting in his pursuit of locking up the Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman division point championship at Natural Bridge Speedway.

Last year, Barger’s car was unable to take the green, and he borrowed the ride of Gladstone’s Ricky Wells to run the minimum number of circuits necessary to cement his second consecutive championship.
Last Saturday night he entered the season finale with what appeared to be a commanding 17-point lead over second-place Mike Bryant of Shipman. However, with 18 cars taking the green, Bryant was still mathematically alive. Barger appeared to be in no trouble as he took the lead on lap three and held it until Terry Dame seized the point on lap 12. Disaster struck on the following lap for the young Buena Vista wheel man as mechanical troubles forced him to the pits and consigned him to his lowest finish of the season.

Steve Bennett’s son, David, completed his Spencer Home Center Late Model championship reign in style by capturing the checkers in the final 35-lap Late Model feature of the campaign. Covington’s Gerald Wolfe Jr. captured the Spencer Home Center late Model division 2007 point title, marking his third such feat in the last five seasons. In Saturday’s finale, Millboro’s Timmy Simmons followed Bennett to the finish. Mike Ayers completed his impressive season with a third-place run. Finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, were Louie Littlepage Jr. and Jared Almarode.

David Brogan of Fincastle laid claim to his fifth consecutive Street Stock title by virtue of his fourth-place finish in the division’s final 25-lap feature of the year. Buchanan’s Danny Bryant made his second trip to Victory Lane in the season’s final three weeks. Lexington’s Troy Fitzgerald, who held the division point lead much of the season, finished a strong second in the season’s final feature. Venerable veterans Tom Guthrie and Lester Lyons finished third and fifth, respectively.

Spout Spring veteran Rick Mayberry had already locked up his third consecutive MG’s World Photography Pure Stock title, which was fortunate as Mayberry struggled to finish 16th in the 21-car field due to mechanical troubles. Ronnie Martin Jr. secured second place in the 2007 point tussle by winning his third MG’s World Photography Pure Stock feature of the year. Gerald Hostetter finished second while Jennings Vest made his best run of the season, finishing third. Mike Bryant and Todd Garrett finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Lexington’s Derrick Ayers capped off the 2007 NBS campaign with his second win in the Conrock Any Car division. Michael Taylor, who had previously locked up the Conrock Any Car class title prior to the last race, finished second in the 15-car field to accent his season-long excellence. Howard Hall ran third. Chris Nicely and David Renalds ran fourth and fifth, respectively.
Lewis Lawhorn won a special 15-lap U-Car feature.

Missy Gayhart took the final checkers of the season, winning the Powder Puff feature.

The second annual Sunoco Fall Classic, which will feature Super Late Model and Steel Head Block Late Model machines will take place Friday and Saturday at NBS. Gates open on both days at 2 p.m. with hot laps scheduled to begin both days at 6 p.m.
David Brogan of Fincastle laid claim to his fifth consecutive Street Stock title by virtue of his fourth-place finish in the division’s final 25-lap feature of the year. Buchanan’s Danny Bryant made his second trip to Victory Lane in the season’s final three weeks. Lexington’s Troy Fitzgerald, who held the division point lead much of the season, finished a strong second in the season’s final feature. Venerable veterans Tom Guthrie and Lester Lyons finished third and fifth, respectively.

Missy Gayhart took the final checkers of the season, winning the Powder Puff feature.

September 25, 2007

Front Row Start Provides Five Winning Tickets at Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway

Natural Bridge Speedway took a break from the norm last Saturday night, and it paid off for those drivers able to negotiate a single trip around the 3/8-mile dirt oval quickly and cleanly.

For the penultimate show of the 2007 season, drivers in all five classes took qualifying laps, and each feature’s starting grid was assigned in the exact order in which the drivers qualified. That turned out to be a boon for those qualifying first or second as each race was won by a driver starting on the front row.

For Street Stock veteran David Brogan, however, starting in row four turned out OK. What looked a long shot possibility at winning his fifth consecutive division point title not so long ago looks more possible after Saturday’s 25-lap feature. Gary Argenbright ripped off the quick qualifying lap and led flag-to-flag to win his fourth 2007 Street Stock feature with Brogan finishing second. Troy Fitzgerald, who led the Street Stock point battle much of the season had another bad luck night as his car broke early in the feature, dooming him to an 11th-place finish. J.R. Overstreet ran third flag-to-flag. Danny Bryant yo-yoed through the running order before coming home fourth. Venerable Tom Guthrie of Lynchburg completed the top five.

If he averts total disaster in the final regular-season racing night this coming Saturday, Spout Spring driver Ricky Mayberry appeared to lock up his third consecutive MG’s World Photography Pure Stock point crown. Mayberry started on the outside of the first row in last week’s 30-lapper, took the lead on lap one and led the rest of the way. Toby Stalnaker had one of his best nights of the season as he recorded the quick qualifying time and started on the pole. Though he lost the lead to Mayberry on the initial lap, he stayed in second for all 30 laps, matching his best previous finish of the season. Mike Bryant of Amherst finished third, followed to the finish by Buchanan drivers Brian Rhodes and Gerald Hostetter, respectively.

Mimicking Mayberry, Millboro’s Timmy Simmons started on the outside of the front row in the 35-lap Spencer Home Center Late Model feature, but took the lead on lap one from pole sitter Mike Ayers. Simmons led the rest of way to earn his third 2007 trip to Victory Lane. Shawsville’s Damien Wilson finished second in but his third 2007 NBS start. Ayers came home third. Larry Ramsey and Bobby Thompson finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Chris Barger earned win number 12 in last Saturday’s 25-lap Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman feature. The young Buena Vista wheel man made a strong move toward his third consecutive division point championship with his flag-to-flag victory. Clifton Mays finished second. Veteran Tim Stalnaker ran third. Shipman’s Mike Bryant, the current point runner-up, lost more ground to Barger with his fourth-place showing. Gladstone’s Ricky Wells completed the top five.

Michael Taylor took the green on the pole and led flag-to-flag to claim his ninth Conrock Any Car class win of the season, locking up the division point title with one race remaining. Lexington’s Derrick Ayers started third and finished second. Howard Hall started second and finished third. James Campbell and Franny Robinson finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

The final regular-season show will take place Saturday night with the Sunoco Fall Classic Super Late Model Show to fill the speedway the following Friday and Saturday. A Powder Puff feature will highlight the final regular-season Saturday night of racing. Gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps scheduled to commence at 6:30 p.m.

September 20, 2007

Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway Attracts Unusual Spectators For Saturday Show As Barger, Ramsey, Bryant, Hall And Mayberry Take Checkers

Word must have traveled far and near about the 40-lap Lee’s Auto Repair and Tire Sales Sportsman feature scheduled for last Saturday night on the 3/8-mile banked dirt oval at Natural Bridge Speedway last Saturday night.

A large throng of spectators sat high above the front stretch and back stretch with several more crowding the seating areas overlooking each of the track’s four turns. With the season winding down, the 40-lapper could swing the division point battle abruptly in any of several directions.
Buena Vista pilot Chris Barger led Shipman veteran Mike Bryant by nine points as he continued in pursuit of his third consecutive Sportsman crown. Natural Bridge veteran wheel man Tim Stalnaker took the lead on lap one and led the first 15 laps before yielding the lead to Barger.
During a caution in the first quarter of the race, fans could be heard to say loundly “Oh my dear,” which might have caused other fans trekking to the concession stands with their backs to the track to wheel around, expecting to see the remnants of a wreck or to see one of their favorite driver’s being towed from the track with fatal damage.

But what was said and heard last Saturday night at NBS was actually “Oh my …deer!” You know, the Bambi-type of deer. It looked as though four or five area deer had heard about the ongoing action over at the speedway and had made their way closer and closer to the action.
With the caution having slowed action to a crawl, one adventurous visitor could withstand temptation any longer, and the lone deer bolted up and on to the track in the area of turn four. As the runaway, four-legged intruder approached the finish line, perhaps she realized that she had left her scoring transponder at home. Just shy of the finish line, the animal soared into the air, clearing the outside wall and landing in full gallop on the narrow grass strip between the track wall and the spectator fence. As her friends circled the track well outside the fence, the adventuress continued her drag race down the front stretch before disappearing in turn four and joining her fellow interlopers for a gallop into the darkness.
Barger’s 11th win of the season, which increased his point lead over Bryant to 13 with two starts left, followed after the deerly departure. Stalnaker finished second, and previous week’s winner Clifton Mays rolled home third. Bryant finished fourth after starting on the pole, and Ken Nelson, Jr. completed the top five finishers in the Lee’s Auto Repair and Tire Sales 40-lap feature. Barger was also the quick qualifier, running a qualifying lap at 79.424 mph.

Larry Ramsey started on the pole in the Spencer Home Center Late Model 35-lap feature, and his view never changed as he led flag-to-flag to notch his second win of the season. Fincastle veteran Mike Ayers finished second. Point leader Gerald Wolfe, Jr. was the Spencer Home Center quick qualifier with a lap run at 85.415 mph. He finished third in the 35-lap feature. Timmy Simmons and David Watts finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Buchanan’s Danny Bryant made his first 2007 trip to Victory lane after his victory in the 25-lap Street Stock feature. JR Overstreet led laps three through 15 before his car broke, and Bryant charged to the point and led to the checkers. After starting seventh, Troy Fitzgerald moved through traffic and finished second behind Bryant. Finishing third was Gary Argenbright. David Brogan finished fourth and holds a tenuous eight-point lead over Fitzgerald with two races remaining. Brogan is seeking his fifth consecutive Street Stock title. Earl Brooks completed the top five.
Ricky Mayberry started eighth in the 16-car MG’s World Photography Pure Stock field. The two-time defending class champion, holding a large point lead as he seeks a title three-peat, took seven laps to move from fifth to the lead. Jamie Wright finished a strong second, just beating third-place Ronnie Martin to the finish. Lexington’s Coray Brown finished fourth with Evergreen’s Todd Garrett completing the top 5.
After running well all season, Howard Hall led flag-to-flag in the 20-lap Conrock Any car feature to earn his first trip to Victory Lane. David Renalds posted a strong second-place finish. Lexington’s Chris Nicely finished third. Derrick Ayers and Conrock Any Car point leader Michael Taylor finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

A MG’s World Photography 30-lap Pure Stock feature will highlight the penultimate show of the 2007 campaign this Saturday. Gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

September 12, 2007

Vet Brooks Snags Street Stock Win; Vess Wins Late Model
Mays and Bryant Earn First ’07 Wins; Renalds Wins Fifth As
Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway Season Leaves Turn Four

With the 2007 dirt track racing season at Natural Bridge Speedway poised to straighten its wheels and burst from turn four into its final run down the backstretch toward its finish, loyal competitors and fans turned out last Saturday for the second of five September NBS regular-season show.

Two veteran drivers who had been threatening to break through for their first wins of the 2007 campaign finally did so. Lee’s Auto Repair and Tire Sales Sportsman driver Clifton Mays started on the pole and led flag-to-flag to garner his first win of the year. Amherst’s Michael Bryant broke a two-year victory drought as he overcame 10th-place slot in the starting grid and roared to his first MG’s World Photography Pure Stock feature win since June 11, 2005.

Though no drivers have mathematically clinched a 2007 point title, there are two – Ricky Mayberry, who holds a 38-point lead over runner-up Ronnie Martin, Jr. and Any Car leader Michael Taylor who has a 47-point lead over runner-up David Renalds – who look to have matters under control in their respective division. Only three points separate drivers currently standing second, third and fourth in the Conrock Any Car division. The three other class championships will most certainly be determined in the final three starts.

Street Stock veteran, David Brogan of Fincastle, holds a tenuous 10-point edge over Troy Fitzgerald with three starts remaining. Defending Spencer Home Center point king Gerald Wolfe Jr. has a 12-point lead over current runner-up David Bennett. Buena Vista’s Chris Barger, seeking his third consecutive point title, holds a nine-point edge over runner-up Mike Bryant of Shipman with Tim Stalnaker standing seven behind Bryant in third.

The Street Stock pilots were featured last week as 15machines qualified and took the green flag for their extended run of the campaign, 135-lapper that provided several quick turns in fortunes for a few drivers. It was a big night for 55-year-old veteran Earl Brooks, who has cut back to a limited schedule after years for dragging his trailer hither and yon in pursuit of dirt track excitement. Brooks easily won the quick qualifying time as he was lone driver to complete a qualifying circuit in under 19 seconds and speed of 72.805 was one of only two to top the 70 mph mark and clipped the second-place qualifier over 1.5 mph. His luck was not so good when he drew a No. 5 pill for the inversion, but as any veteran racer will remind you, it’s not over until it’s over.

The inversion put Lexington’s Troy Fitzgerald, who had lost the points lead he had held all season after being disqualified after the previous race, started on the pole and pulled away quickly. A spin sent him to the rear of the 15-car field, and it looked as though his luck would appear to head south. Gary Argenbright took the point on the second lap and appeared to have the field covered – and did – until he lost the handle on his No. 27 machine and spun out in turn four, yielding the lead to the wily Brooks on lap 30, who had patiently moved from fifth to second. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald patiently wheeled his way from outside the top 10 to fifth position on lap. He, too, picked up a position with Argenbright’s spin and moved in behind second -place Danny Bryant, who ran in the top three for the entire race. Fitzgerald finished second, passing Bryant for the slot on the white flag circuit. Argenbright rallied back to finish fourth, and point leader Brogan posted a fifth-place run.

Reed Vess led all but one of the 35-lap Spencer Home Center Late Model feature, allowing him to present his mother with a winner’s trophy on her birthday, after his daughter had already been one of the night’s two 50-50 winners. Covington’s Bennett scrambled through the field from his seventh starting slot and actually took the lead for a brief portion of lap 30 before Vess powered by to regain the point on his way to the checkers. Point leader Wolfe took no foolish chances, ruing second for the first 22 laps before yielding the position to Bennett. Wolfe finished third. Mike Ayers’, fresh off his big 50-lap win the week before finished fourth and held that slot for 34 of the feature’s 35 trips around the 3/8-mile dirt oval. Quick qualifier David Watts finished fifth.
Mays dominated Saturday’s Lee’s Auto repair and Tire Sales 35-lap Sportsman feature, leading flag-to-flag, earning his first trip to Victory Lane this season. Ken Nelson Jr. started fifth, but settled into second behind Mays for the final 20 laps to earn second. Point leader Barger started eighth and made several nifty moves to pick through traffic on his way to a third-place finish. Stalnaker stayed alive in the point battle with his fourth-place run, as did Shipman veteran Bryant with his fifth-place finish. Much should be decided when the Sportsman pilots extend their machine’s in this Saturday’s Lee’s Auto Repair and Tire Sales 40-lap Sportsman feature.
Amherst’s Mike Bryant put on a show for the fans in the MG’s World Photography 25-lap Pure Stock feature. The No.29 car started tenth in the 15-car grid, but Bryant picked up six slots on the first lap, moved to third on laps five through 10. He took the lead on lap 14 and never looked back on his way to Victory Lane. Ronnie Martin Jr. also overcame a start deep in the grid and moved from 13th at the start to second on lap 14, where he remained until the finish. Buchanan’s Gerald Hostetter ran second the first 12 laps before Martin took the slot. Hostetter then held third for the rest of the feature. Point leader and defending Pure Stock champ Ricky Mayberry and Evergreen’s Todd Garrett finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Ironically, Mayberry, Garrett and Hostetter also finished in the top in Bryant’s last Pure Stock win in June 2005.
Renalds earned his fifth win of the season and his second in his last three starts in the Conrock Any Car 20-lap feature, which was slowed time and again by cautions. Renalds started 10th, but worked quickly, passing two cars on lap five to take the lead, which he held to the checkers despite numerous restarts. Derrick Ayers ran second. Point leader Taylor finished third, Howard Hall and pole sitter Jimmie Cunningham finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Heading in the final three weeks, Taylor has a bib points lead in the Any Car division, but Renalds stands second with 552; defending class champ Mike E. Bryant, who suffered mechanical problems last week and finished 12th, stand third in the point battle with 551 while Ayers is fourth with 549.

Gates open Saturday at 4 p.m. with hot laps scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

September 4, 2007

Mike Ayers Cashes In Big In 50-Lap Late Model Bonanza Barger Wins 10th; Mayberry Adds To Pure Stock Point Lead Overstreet, Renalds, Taylor Also Take Trips To Victory Lane Three Starts Remain In Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway Season

Four of Saturday night’s six feature winners at Natural Bridge Speedway found the front row to be an advantageous place to take the green flag. The other two victors displayed uncanny ability to work their way to the front of a large pack of competitors after starting near the rear of their respective fields.

Fincastle’s Mike Ayers was a man who was in the right place at the right time as he posted the quickest qualifying lap, then started on the front row and led all 50 laps to take home a big check as the victor in the Spencer Home Center Late Model 50-lap, $1,000-to-win feature that had been postponed due to heavy rains that cancelled the previous show.
Fans were treated to another treat as the Conrock Any Car pilots competed in a pair of 15-lap features. Dave Renalds now has a quartet of 2007 winner’s trophies on his mantle as he started on the pole and led the 15-car field flag-to-flag to grab the checkers. Current point leader Michael Taylor won the second Any Car feature and put himself in good position to take home the division point title in his rookie year at NBS.

Chris Barger became the first NBS driver to reach double figures in victories, winning his 10th Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman feature. Barger still clings to a narrow seven-point lead over Shipman veteran Mike Bryant, who finished second Saturday night.
Troy Fitzgerald’s Street Stock point championship hopes took a severe hit when what appeared to be his eighth feature win of the season was erased when he was disqualified after post-race inspection. The driver of the No. 17 entered the night with a 13-point advantage over David Brogan, who is seeking his fifth consecutive Street stock point title, but it turned into a 13-point deficit as a result of the disqualification.. JR Overstreet finished second on the track, but was subsequently awarded his second win of the campaign.

Spout Spring’s Ricky Mayberry continued to zero in on a third consecutive point championship in the MG’s World Photography Pure Stock class, extending his margin over Ronnie Martin Jr. to 40 markers with three regular-season race dates remaining. Mayberry started 10th in the 18-car field, but worked his way through the mass to claim his eighth win of the season.
Ayers has spent most of the season chasing point leader Gerald Wolfe Jr. and runner-up David Bennett both on the track and in the point heap. Saturday night, though, the Fincastle wheel man came up huge and led all 50 laps in the Spencer Home Center Late Model $1,000-to-win feature. Ayers also took quick qualifying honors with a lap of 16.033 for an average covering the NBS dirt oval at 85.324 mph. His good fortune continued when he pulled No. 2 for the inversion, which allowed him to start on the outside of the front row alongside Bennett, who started on the pole after posting the second quickest qualifying lap.

Ayers never looked back and cruised to the checkers just ahead of runner-up Reed Vess of Millboro, who started sixth and then glided past Waynesboro’s Joey Leavell to assume second on lap 27. Leavell finished third. Bennett encountered early troubles and faded back to eighth for 10 laps before rallying to fourth place on lap 29, a position he held for the final 21 trips around the 3/8-mile oval. Joe Jenkins finished fifth. Point leader Wolfe ran sixth, reducing his lead over Bennett to 13 tallies with three starts remaining.
Renalds started on the pole and led throughout the first of the Conrock Twin 15 Any Car features, fighting off a fierce white-flag lap challenge from Chris Nicely, who almost caught the victor at the checkers. Defending division point champion Mike Bryant also closed with a rush to finish third. Kenny Sloan and Brandon Link finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 15-car field. Only 11 Any Car pilots took the green in the Conrock 15-lap nightcap. Derrick Ayers started on the pole and led the first 13 laps before Taylor, who started on the outside of the front row, took the lead and grabbed the checkers for the eighth time, building his substantial 2007 point lead even further. Howard Hall followed Ayers to the line for third place. Roseland’s James Campbell finished fourth with Renalds completing the top five finishers.

Barger became the first NBS driver in any class to claim his 10th win of the year by leading flag-to-flag to grab the checkers in the Lee’s Auto Repair 25-lap Sportsman feature. Still, Barger’s point lead over Bryant remains in single digits with three features remaining. Bryant started at the rear of the field and made a great run through traffic to apply pressure on Barger on the final lap. Tim Stalnaker finished third. Ricky Wells and Clifton Mays ran fourth and fifth, respectively.

Fitzgerald made a strong run in the 25-lap Street Stock feature and grabbed the lead on lap 11 from Tom Guthrie. Fitzgerald led the rest of the way, but his disqualification made on-track runner-up Overstreet, who had worked his way through traffic from his eighth starting slot, the victor. Guthrie finished second. Buchanan’s Danny Bryant ran third, and Brogan finished fourth to boost his hopes for a fifth consecutive Street Stock point title. Earl Brooks ran fifth in the 13-car field.

Martin started on the pole and held the point for the first 17 laps of the MG’s World Photography Pure Stock 25-lap feature. Mayberry moved into the top five of the 18-car field on lap seven, moved to third on lap 12 and took the runner-up spot behind Martin on lap 14 before making what proved to be the winning pass to the lead in turn two of lap 18. Martin held on to finish second. Evergreen’s Todd Garrett ran third for 22 laps and finished in that slot. Toby Stalnaker claimed fourth place, and Gerald Hostetter converted his 11th-place start into a fifth-place finish.

The 2007 season is midway through its turn four with three Saturday nights of regular-season racing remaining before the NBS year concludes with the Sunoco Fall Classic Late Model Show scheduled at NBS on Oct. 5 and 6.

Racing continues Saturday with the spotlight shining on a 35-lap Street Stock feature. There will also be a coloring contest for children. Gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.

August 21, 2007

Friday Night Brings Thrills At Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway Ramsey, Hostetter, Ayers Go Flag-To-Flag For First 2007 Wins
Argenbright and Dame Win, Too, As Any Cars Smoke The Track

A special Friday night dirt track racing show at Natural Bridge Speedway provided the large crowd in attendance with three winning drivers leading flag-to-flag to earn their initial 2007 trips to Victory Lane, a Street Stock feature that saw a potential big swing in the point battle end when a car spun while leading and a Sportsman feature that ended with a wild flurry of action.

Veteran Late Model driver Larry Ramsey spends almost all of his Saturday nights standing on the flag stand high above the NBS 3/8th-mile dirt track, Occasionally, the veteran driver comes off the perch where he coordinates the weekly racing at the track that he and his wife, Karey, purchased in April 2006, to fire up his orange No. 90 Late Model machine and run against those with whom he competed on a weekly basis for many years. Ramsey has won dozens of features at NBS and assorted other venues during his racing career, but he had won just one Spencer Home Center Late Model feature since the purchase of the track. That changed last Friday as Ramsey bolted to the lead and led flag-to-flag in dominant fashion to pick up his first win since July 21, 2006 at the track he owns had won five features in limited appearances during the 2004 season.

There must have been some story scheduled for the 11 o’clock news of maximum interest for the 12 drivers who lined up to take the green flag in the 20-lap Conrock Any Car feature. The previous best time of the season for completing 20 circuits of the dirt track was 11:17.331, a time posted by Brandon Link on July 28. Lexington’s Derrick Ayers, who finished two-tenths of a second behind Link in late July, smashed the track Any Car 20-lap standard by blazing the caution-free distance in an astonishing time of 6:51.331, besting Link’s previous record time by over four full minutes. Ayers’s win was his first of the 2007 season. Ironically, his last win came on the same July 2006 night that Ramsey had garnered his previous NBS checkered flag.

It had been a much longer time between treks to Victory Lane for Buchanan veteran Gerald Hostetter, who led the field flag-to-flag for all 30 laps to claim his first MG’s World Photography Pure Stock victory since his win in the August 2003 Ben Cross Memorial Pure Stock feature.

Four-time defending division champion David Brogan led the field for the first 18 trips around the dirt oval in the 25-lap Street Stock feature and appeared poised to move much closer to current class point leader Troy Fitzgerald, who had fallen back to seventh. However, Brogan spun out running high through turn four of lap 19 as Gary Argenbright tried to pass him for the lead, which he did as result of the Fincastle veteran’s misfortune.

Terry Dame led the first 11 laps of Friday’s 25-lap Sportsman feature after starting from the pole. Clifton Mays seized the lead on lap 12 and held it until spinning out in turn two of lap 17, giving the lead back to Dame. Mays once again powered his machine toward the front and was going for the lead when he spun out in turn four of the white flag lap, allowing Dame to collect his second win of the season. Buena Vista’s Chris Barger is in pursuit of his third consecutive Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman point crown, but his competition will not make it easy for Barger to three-peat. Entering the white flag lap, Shipman veteran ran fifth, but inched past Barger to finish second. Barger finished third and saw his point lead shrink from six to five. Tim Stalnaker and Randy Gardner finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Covington’s David Bennett posted the quick qualifying lap as the Spencer Home Center Late Model pilots vied for starting position. Bennett was the lone drive to crack the 16-second mark, cruising the oval in 15.717, averaging 87.04 miles per hour, just under two miles an hour quicker than qualifying runner-up Mike Ayers. Bennett drew a No. 4 inversion pill, which placed Ramsey, who qualified fourth, on the pole, and the Lexington veteran took full advantage of his good fortune. Ramsey and Ayers ran one-two for the first 15 laps before Bennett surged past Ayers to grab second on lap 16, setting up what promised to be an intriguing duel between Ramsey and Bennett. The latter, however, has been dogged by bad luck several times this season and did again when he suffered steering problems and rammed the turn two wall on lap 22, which sent the No. 14 machine to the pits for good.
Ayers regained second as Ramsey threatened to run away and hide from the remainder of the field. His final margin of victory in the Spencer Home Center Late Model feature was over four seconds. Gerald Wolfe, Jr. ran third until Mark Parks swiped the slot on the final circuit. The combination of Wolfe’s fourth-place run and the misfortune suffered by Bennett allowed the defending class champion to more than double his current point lead from seven to 15. Kyle Lear of Potomac, Md. finished fifth.
Conrock Any Car victor Derrick Ayers, Chris Nicely and Link ran one-two-three throughout the quickest Any Car feature in memory. Defending division champion Mike E. Bryant and David Renalds finished fourth and fifth, respectively in the caution-free 20-lap romp.

Hostetter has finished in the MG’s World Photography Pure Stock top five in many features during his consistent career, but it had been four years since the Buchanan wheel man grabbed the checkers. Buena Vista’s Ronnie Martin, Jr. won the quick qualifying award, topping the 15-car field with a 20.343 qualifying roll around the oval. However, Martin started in the sixth position, the highest slot saved for the previous week’s winner. Hostetter started on the pole and held the lead throughout the caution-filled 30-lap feature. Natural Bridge Station’s Toby Stalnaker snaked past Lexington’s Fred Clark to snare second on lap four, and the duo ran two-three for the remainder of the event. Division point leader Ricky Mayberry, seeking his third consecutive Pure Stock point title rolled home in fourth, and Jamie Wright completed the top five.

For the second consecutive week, the Street Stock feature saw more changes than autumn leaves. Brogan started on the pole and appeared ready to claim his fourth win of the year, but his untimely spin on lap 19 changed things dramatically. Argenbright, who started fifth, claimed his third win. Keith Nelson’s bid to make it two successive Victory Lane visits ended with a runner-up finish. JR Overstreet finished third, and Fitzgerald, who appeared to be in position to lose a few points to Brogan, finished fourth. With Brogan posting an eighth-place finish, Fitzgerald’s current point lead grew from nine to 13. Lynchburg veteran Tom Guthrie completed the top five.

Fans of Spencer Home Center Late Model thunder will be treated to a 50-lap, $1,000-to-win feature on the final August 2007 Saturday night show. The gates will open at 4 p.m. with the first green flag scheduled to drop at 6:30 p.m.

August 13, 2007

Close Meant Close At Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway As Barger Wins Ninth And Wolfe Grabs 6th In LMS Nelson Seizes Opportunity In Street Stock 40-Lapper Renalds and Martin Hold Off Late Challenges To Win

Close finishes marked the dirt track racing action last Saturday night at Natural Bridge Speedway, but the winners in all five features added to their list of multiple wins this season.

Natural Bridge Speedway drivers and fans will head to the track this week on Friday, August 17 to show support for all area dirt track fans to attend Saturday night’s $5,000-to-win Late Model Summer National at Eastside Speedway in Waynesboro. Eastside will return the courtesy to allow fans to attend the Sunoco Fall Classic Super Late Model Show at NBS on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6.
For Friday night’s special show, which will be highlighted by a 30-lap MG’s World Photography Pure Stock feature, gates will open at 5 p.m. with the green flag scheduled to drop on hot laps at 6:30 p.m.

Keith Nelson had not posted a Street Stock triumph since the season’s first race on April 20, and with three circuits remaining in Saturday’s 40-lap, $400-to-win feature, the Madison Heights driver appeared on his way to a respectable third-place finish. No race is over until it’s over, however, and after the two cars leading the 15-car field got together on lap 37, Nelson found the point and soon made his second 2007 trip to Victory Lane.

Buena Vista’s Chris Barger leads drivers in all classes in victories after rolling to his ninth win in the 25-lap Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman feature. It was not without challenge as Barger held off Shipman’s Mike Bryant by 0.422 of a second. Covington veteran Gerald Wolfe, Jr. took the lead on lap 10 of the Spencer Home Center 35-lap Late Model feature and steadily pulled away from the rest of the Late Model field to grab the checkers for the sixth time this season.

Ronnie Martin, Jr. garnered his second MG’s World Photography Pure Stock 25-lap feature victory of the year. Though he led the 15-car field from flag-to-flag, the Buena Vista driver was forced to hold off the constant challenge of three other machines, each of which put pressure on the victor until the checkers waved. After starting fourth in the 20-lap Conrock Any Car feature, Dave Renalds moved to the front and grabbed the lead for good on lap nine and held on, barely beating defending class champion Mike E. Bryant to the checkers to secure his third win of the campaign.

Though Barger earned his ninth 2007 win, veteran Sportsman wheel man Bryant continued to keep the point pressure on the two-time Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman division point champion. Barger picked up two points on Bryant with his victory, but Bryant trails Barger by a mere six tallies as the point competition in all five classes heads into turn four of the 2007 season. Terry Dame had a strong run going, as he settled into second behind Barger on laps five through 14 until contact with Tim Stalnaker forced Dame to retire to the pits and allowed Bryant to move into second. Stalmaker went to the rear as a result of the caution, allowing Gladstone’s Ricky Wells to hold third, but only for one lap as he encountered troubles, too. Clifton Mays assumed the slot and finished third. Stalnaker came home in fourth with Wells finishing fifth.

Buchanan’s Danny Bryant posted the quick qualifying time of 18.551 as 15 drivers qualified for the 40-lap Street Stock feature, which saw other unusual developments in addition to Nelson claiming the win. JR Overstreet, who was leading, was spun out in turn two of lap 37 by Gary Argenbright, running second at the time, opening the door for Nelson’s victory. Overstreet and Argenbright were sent to the rear of the field for the restart, but 10 of the 15 cars that started the lengthy run were no longer running.
Included among the 10 disabled machines were those of current point leader Troy Fitzgerald, who was running fourth until forced from the race with mechanical problems on lap 26. Fitzgerald’s misfortune appeared to be a turn of good luck for Fincastle’s David Brogan, who started the race 11 points behind Fitzgerald. Brogan, who is seeking his fifth consecutive Street Stock point crown, suffered his own bad break when contact with the backside wall ended his night a few laps after Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald finished 12th while Brogan chalked up a 10th-place run, dropping Fitzgerald’s point lead to single digits at nine. Venerable veteran Tom Guthrie of Lynchburg posted his best finish of the season, following Nelson to the checkers. Overstreet finished third. Argenbright and Doug Mays finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

David Bennett blazed his No. 14 Late Model ride around the oval in 15.703, averaging 87.117 miles per hour. As the previous week’s winner, however, Bennett was placed sixth in the Spencer Home Center Late Model starting grid. After a five-car inversion, Millboro’s Timmy Simmons started on the pole and was in command of the feature , leading the first nine circuits before defending division point champion Wolfe passed the Millboro driver on the inside in turn four on lap 10. From that point, it was all Wolfe as he steadily increased his lead and beat runner-up Mark Parks to the checkers by 3.554 seconds. Fincastle’s Mike Ayers claimed third, and Bennett posted a fourth-place finish. Simmons completed the top five. With his victory, Wolfe extended his narrow point lead over Bennett to seven markers.

Winner Martin and runner-up Will Slagle ran one-two for the entire length of the 25-lap MG’s World Photography Pure Stock feature, but the race was no runaway as the first four finishers could have reached out and touched one another as they took the checkers. Current point leader and two-time defending class champion Ricky Mayberry, who started eighth in the 15-car field, took third on lap three and held it until Fred Clark pilfered the position on lap 22 and held it to the finish. Mayberry finished fourth, less than one-tenth of a second behind Clark. Lexington’s Coray Brown completed the Pure Stock top five.

Renalds made his third trip to Victory Lane with his win in the Conrock Any Car 20-lap feature. The Fairfield pilot started fourth, grabbed second on lap four and took command of the 13-car field by rolling to the lead on lap nine. Once again, though, it was not easy for a feature winner as defending class titlist Bryant closed with a rush, leaving Renalds glad the race was not a lap longer. Lexington’s Chris Nicely returned to form as he started deep in the field, but moved steadily through the field to finish third. Brandon Link and Derrick Ayers finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

August 7, 2007

Mayberry, Fitzgerald & Taylor Roll To Seventh Wins; Bennett Trails Wolfe By Three After Late Model Win; Bryant Trims Barger’s Sportsman Point Edge To Four As Season In Turn 3 At Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway

It was a night of lucky sevens for three victorious drivers last Saturday night at Natural Bridge Speedway. The other two visitors to Victory Lane each drew even closer to the current point leaders in their respective divisions.
Spencer Home Center Late Model pilot David Bennett led flag-to-flag in earning his fifth win of the season, matching the 2007 win total of defending division point champion Gerald Wolfe, Jr., who finished second. Wolfe maintained his point lead with his second-place run, but saw his margin over fellow Covington veteran Bennett reduced to a mere three points after the completion of 640 laps of Late Model thunder this season.

Shipman’s Mike Bryant also posted a flag-to-flag triumph in the Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman 25-lap feature. Buena Vista’s Chris Barger, seeking his third consecutive point championship, finished second and saw his point lead over Bryant fall to four.
MG’s World Photography Pure Stock winner Rick Mayberry garnered his seventh win of the campaign. The Spout Spring veteran, in search of his third consecutive Pure Stock point title, finished second on the track by less than half a second behind Fred Clark, who was making his first start of the year. Clark, however, was disqualified following the race, and Mayberry was awarded the win. Mayberry outlasted Coray Brown by .096 second, one of the narrowest margins separating two cars this season.
Lexington’s Troy Fitzgerald wheeled his No. 17 machine to its seventh Street Stock victory of the season. The victory increased Fitzgerald’s point edge over Fincastle veteran David Brogan, who is looking to record his fourth consecutive division point title, to nine. The Street Stock pilots will take the green flag this coming Saturday night for a special 40-lap feature with a major $400 payday earmarked for the victorious driver.

Michael Taylor continued to impress in his rookie season by completing the night’s trio of drivers wheeling their way to Victory Lane for the seventh time this season as his view never changed as he led the Conrock Any Car field flag-to-flag to win the division’s 20-lap feature. Taylor pushed his point lead to a commanding 42 tallies.

Veteran Pistol Pete Kingrea was the first to the checkers in his qualifying heat and then led the pack for the second time of the night, emerging victorious in the 19-car Virginia Sprint Series feature in the final VSS trip of the season to NBS. Billy Norfleet and Tom Humphries finished second and third, respectively.

Spencer Home Center Late Model driver Mike Ayers of Fincastle followed his win of the previous week by posting the quick qualifying time, completing the dirt track circuit in 16.789 seconds to become the lone driver to break the 17-second qualifying barrier. His win of the previous week, however, relegated Ayers to the sixth-place slot in the starting grid, which is the highest that any winner can start the next week. Bennett was the benefactor and started on the pole and jumped to the lead at the drop of the green. Millboro’s Timmy Simmons, who has had some strong runs lately, ran second for the first 30 laps of the 35-lap feature before being dogged by bad racing luck that dropped him quickly back in the pack. Wolfe, who had held the third slot the first 30 laps, moved into second and held the slot to the checkers. Ayers ran fifth for the first 30 laps. Ayers bolted to a third-place finish, moving up a slot on Simmons’ bad luck and then passing Concord’s Bobby Thompson for third on lap 31. Veteran Joe Jenkins moved from sixth to fourth in the final laps, passing Thompson, who completed the Late Model top five despite his late difficulties, on lap 34.
Bryant started on the pole in the Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman 25-lap feature, holding off Barger, who started sixth as the previous week’s winner, by 1.332 seconds to claim his second win of the year and pull within four markers of Barger in the current point heap. Barger moved to third by lap three and held that position through lap 22. On lap 23, Barger passed Ricky Wells, who had run second throughout before encountering difficulties with his machine, which curtailed his strong run. Natural Bridge’s Terry Dame ran fourth behind Barger for 19 laps and moved to third, where he finished, after Wells’s tough luck. Tim Stalnaker stayed third in the point battle, now seven points behind Barger, after recovering from a tough start. He finished fourth after running seventh as late as lap 11. Ken Nelson, Jr. claimed the fifth finishing slot.

Fitzgerald continued his recovery from mid-season mechanical maladies and grabbed the checkers for the seventh time in a thrilling 25-lap Street Stock feature, which saw less than three seconds separating the top five finishers. Fitzgerald started second, and then grabbed the lead on the initial lap. Victory for Fitzgerald, who led flag-to-flag, was far from easy as all the Street Stock pedal pushers displayed the best of their abilities and equipment. Earl Brooks, who crossed the stripe 1.499 behind the winner to claim second, ran third early before moving into second for good on lap 13. Brogan displayed the attributes of a champion, as he battled throughout after starting sixth as the previous winner. He ran third from lap seven to lap 15, but fell back to fourth on lap 16 before surging back into third for the final nine laps. Gary Argenbright finished fourth, less than two seconds behind Fitzgerald. Keith Nelson finished fifth, less than three ticks behind the victor.

The MG’s World Photography Pure Stock pilots bounced back in style from their unusual performance of the previous week, which saw just one car complete all 25 laps. Saturday the Pure Stock action brought the fans to their feet early in the 25-lap affair. Mayberry, the beneficiary of Clark’s disqualification, had to work all night long as he started deep in the 16-car field, lining up in the 14th slot. Evergreen’s Todd Garrett and Lexington’s Brown ran second and third, respectively, behind Clark on laps two through eight. Brown surged past Garrett to grab second on lap nine and held that runner-up slot behind Clark through lap 23. Mayberry did not enter the top five until grabbing fifth on lap 8, then passed Ronnie Martin, Jr. to take fourth, which he maintained until passing Garrett for third position on lap 17. On lap 24 he eked past Brown to grab what appeared to be a second-place finish, barely holding off Brown at the stripe. Mayberry, however, became the winner when Clark was DQ’d.

Taylor became the night’s fourth flag-to-flag winner, covering the Conrock Any Car by a margin of nearly two seconds over runner-up Jimmie Cunningham. Lexington’s Derrick Ayers continued his season of strong runs by posting a third-place finish. Defending division point champion Mike E. Bryant of Amherst finished fourth and faces long odds to defend his crown with Taylor extending his point lead to 42. Howard Hall finished fifth.

A 40-lap, $400-to-win Street Stock feature will highlight this week’s show. Flying discs with driver autographs on them will be distributed on each side of the track, and the two fans holding those of the winner will receive prizes to be determined. The gates will open at 4 p.m. with the first green flag scheduled to wave at 6:30 p.m.

July 31, 2007

‘One Of Them Racin’ Deals’ Follows Another In Saturday’s Thrill-Filled Show At Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway

Any stock car racer who crawls through the driver’s side window and slides behind the wheel of a stock car hopes to make four left turns and floor their machines down two straight-aways on each lap with the goal of being the first to beat their fellow ground-bound pilots to the checkered flag.

Whether those competitors are lining up awaiting the start of the Daytona 500 or a 25-lapper at a local dirt track, it is only the fools among them who do not understand that the track giveth and the track taketh away. The fortune and heartbreak inherent any time a driver takes the green have perhaps best been summed up by seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty, who answered nearly every question aimed his way after a race, whether he had won or finished last, “Oh, heck, you know how it is; it’s just one of them racin’ deals.”

As is the case nearly every Saturday night from April through September at Natural Bridge Speedway, there were “racin’ deals” last Saturday the likes of which have often been seen before and will no doubt be seen again.
There were also “one of them racin’ deals” not likely to be seen again soon.

Defending Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman champion Chris Barger continued his pursuit of a third consecutive division point title by leading the final 38 laps of the 40-lap Sportsman feature. Fincastle Street Stock pilot David Brogan trimmed four points off the slim division point lead held by Lexington’s Troy Fitzgerald as he wheeled his black-and-white No. 3 machine to its third win of the season. Brogan is seeking his fifth consecutive Street Stock point championship. Spencer Home Center Late Model veteran Mike Ayers earned his first win of the year, leading the final 15 laps of the 35-lap feature, holding off hard-charging David Bennett of Covington by 0.208 seconds.

There was a very unusual “one of them racin deals” in the Conrock Any Car 20-lap feature. Brandon Link led all 20 laps to secure his second win of the year. But it was highly unusual for the Any Car racers to run an event caution-free with Link covering the distance in the extraordinary time of 11 minutes and 17.311 seconds, the fastest Any Car 20-lapper of the year by 2:38, beating Chris Nicely’s previous fastest finish of 13:49. Maybe it was the Full Buck moon that was to arrive the following night that mixed such racing witch’s brew, but Link’s rocket blast around the 3-8 mile oval barely held off Lexington’s Derrick Ayers, who ran second for all 20 laps, to be nipped by Link at the checkers by a scant 0.227 second.

One would have to believe that even The King himself would be hard-pressed to explain events as “just one of them racin’ deals” if none of the cars that took the green was still running at the checkers. The confusion of figuring out who finished first if nobody finished came close to reality in the MG’s World Photography 25-lap Pure Stock feature when nine machines were posted to the starting grid, but only one ride, the No. 10 machine of Buchanan’s Brian Rhodes completed all 25 laps in taking the checkers all alone to claim his first victory of the year.

Adding to the feature’s newsworthy novelty was that none of the other machines finished more than 19 laps, giving Rhodes a victory margin of six laps. No doubt any racing fan would have to think long and hard to recall “more than one of them racin’ deals.” Perhaps it was the same night’s arrival of the last installment in the adventures of the magical Harry Potter that produced such mystical events. Two cars did not make a lap. Another went to the pits with steering problems after nine laps. Transmission troubles limited Will Slagle to 15 laps. Lexington’s Coray Brown drove a borrowed car to replace his previously injured chariot, but was idled after 16 laps, but still recorded a fifth-place finish. Point leader and two-time MG’s World Photography point champion Ricky Mayberry of Spout Spring finished fourth, forced to the pits after completing 18 laps. Buchanan’s Gerald Hostetter nosed out Mayberry for third. Ronnie Martin, Jr. finished 19 laps and finished second even though his car burst into flames.
Even Richard Petty might have paused, removed his sunglasses, rubbed his brow and declared even before signing a single autograph, “What we had here was just eight of them racin’ deals” after the unusual Pure Stock outcome.

Tim Stalnaker nipped Barger by one-tenth of a second to earn quick qualifying honors for the Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman special 40-lap feature. However, the Natural Bridge veteran had to start fourth after drawing a No. 4 inversion pill. Fifth-place qualifier Clifton Mays started on the pole after the inversion and led the first two circuits. Barger started third and surged to the lead on lap three, a position he held until the checkers, beating Terry Dame to the finish by just over a second. Barger extended his point lead over Stalnaker, who finished third, to five tallies. Mays and Shipman’s Mike Bryant finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Bennett won quick qualifying honors in the Spencer Home Center Late Model class in convincing fashion with a lap of 16.443. Mark Parks completed his second-place qualifying lap in 17.142. Bennett, however, drew a No. 4 on the inversion and was relegated to fourth in the starting grid. Mike Ayers was put on the pole, but Millboro’s Timmy Simmons, who started on the outside of the front row, took the lead on the first circuit and held the point for the first 20 laps before starting to fade back. Ayers, who ran second for the first 20 laps, took the lead and led to the checkers to earn his first win of the season. Ayers was able to just hold off the charging Bennett, who finished two-tenths of a second behind the winner. Parks claimed third. Point leader Gerald Wolfe, Jr. finished fourth with Simmons rounding out the top five.

Brogan started on the outside of the first row in the 25-lap Street Stock feature and took the lead, which he never relinquished, before the first lap was completed. Fitzgerald was relegated to a sixth-place starting slot after winning the previous week, but moved quickly through the pack and was running second on lap 23 when contact with another machine cut a tire on Fitzgerald’s No. 17 machine. After hurriedly working to replace it, Fitzgerald returned and finished fourth. Earl Brooks finished just less than a second behind winner Brogan. Gary Argenbright and JR Overstreet finished third and fifth, respectively.
The top five finishers in the lightning-quick Conrock Any Car feature finished within three seconds of each other. Class point leader Michael Taylor edged out defending class point champion Mike E. Bryant for third place by half a second. David Renalds completed the top 5.

The Virginia Sprint Series will make its final visit to NBS this week. There will also be a full show in all five stock car racing divisions. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the green flag scheduled to drop on some more of “them racin’ deals” at 6:30 p.m.

July 24, 2007

Fitzgerald And Mayberry Win Sixth 2007 Features; Vess and Renalds Earn Second Wins Of Campaign While Dame Wins First At Natural Bridge (Va.) Speedway

Perhaps it