By: BRODY JONES
Special Correspondent for Inside Dirt Racing
The car count might have been down somewhat, but there was still plenty of exciting action at Wartburg Speedway on Saturday night, including a pair of first-time winners in the Sportsman and Thunder divisions.
Shane Bullock qualified on the pole of the $500-to-win Pony Stock feature with a 15.661 lap, eking out Joe Freels by three-thousandths of a second for pole honors. But the feature was all Freels as Bullock had to settle for second place with Ryan Wade, Marcus Thompson, and Dylan Duggan closing out the top five. The rest of the running order was Nathan Davis, Bradly Frost, Kenny Lemons, Brian Frost, and Taylon Overton.
Brad Adkisson and Ted Lowe led the field to the green flag of the Sportsman feature race, but it was Adkisson who took the early advantage and led the first seven laps. Lowe edged to the front for the next four laps before Adkisson took back the lead as Lowe dove under Adkisson, spinning both men out, but Lowe had a mechanical failure, ending his night. On the restart, Calvin Brown played the role of the spoiler getting out to a hole-shot on the restart and withstanding the challenge of the veteran Adkisson to pick up his first career win. Adkisson had to settle for second with Bo Willis in third. Lowe, Matthew Lloyd, and Darrick Dugger closed out the field.
Mike Weeks had the fast time in the Late Model division with a 13.078 lap and went wire-to-wire for the feature win. Dan Tipton, Tim Ladd, Dustin Stephens, and Jimmy York rounded out the top five. Closing out the field was Chuck Freels and Drew Kennedy.
Pete Wright and Westley Lester led the field to the green flag of the Super Street division as Wright went the distance for the win. Lester had to settle for second as Pat Lackey, Skylar Douglas, and Terry Duncan rounded out the top five.
Dwayne Wilkerson and Robert Russell started up front in the feature, but Wilkerson held off a hard-charging Robert Russell for the win. Stephen Potter and JJ Copeland rounded out the field with Barry Wilson unable to start the feature.
In the Front Wheel Drive feature, Todd Duncan and Cody Rector led the field to the green flag. Duncan led all but one lap in the feature, but it was the lap that counted the most as he came into turn three too fast and drifted into the wall as Cody Rector zoomed past for the feature win. Jacob Sharp, Ryan Maston, Chris Morrison, Casey Crane, and Duncan closed out the field.
Next week, Wartburg Speedway will be back in action with a regular weekly program and on August 5th, the 1st Annual Dylan Kennedy Memorial $4,037-to-win, 37-lap Steelhead Late Model race will take place at “The ‘Burg”, promising to bring a who’s who of the area’s best Steelhead Late Model drivers to the 3/10 mile bull-ring.
