Justin Carroll sweeps under the checkered flag to score the Late Model Stock victory in the first of two features Saturday night at Ace Speedway. Photo courtesy Moonshine Capital Promotions
ALTAMAHAW, NC – Justin Carroll took advantage of some late race restarts to score his first career victory in the first of two Late Model twin races at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, NC on Friday night. In the second race, it was the R.D. Smith show as he was able to take advantage of fresher tires to go from worst to first to score the win.
An all-star field of Late Models, consisting of former champions from all over the region, put on a thrilling exhibition for the fans in the first Late Model Stock Car feature. The race started with Dylan Ward and R.D. Smith on the front row but it was Justin Carroll who made noise early, moving to the second position in the second lap of the race.
The top-three drivers ran nose-to-tail for much of the race. A race-changing caution came out on lap 25 when Smith spun off the front bumper of Jason York. Johnny Cash was also involved in the incident. On the restart, Carroll got to the inside of Ward to take the lead and went on to score his first career victory while Dylan Ward, Mack Little, Jason York and Kyle Dudley all battled behind him.
“It’s a big confidence booster,” Carroll said. “Racing guys around here like R.D. Smith, these guys are good. He’s won three races in a row that I’ve been here and plenty more. It feels good beating those guys. This is our third or fourth race here and we’ve been getting this car dialed in. I can’t thank Dave Dunlap, my parents and my sponsors enough and Charlie Long enough. These guys have a lot of laps around here and I just can’t be happier with my crew for getting this thing dialed in for my first victory.”
The top six cars were inverted in the second race putting Cash and Dudley on the front row. Cash took the early lead but, on the second lap, he got loose in the apex of turns one and two and Dudley got in to him, causing heavy damage to both racecars. Mike Bledsole was also involved and forced to retire from the race. On the ensuing restart, Mack Little took the lead on a holeshot.
While the leaders were racing hard, all eyes were on Smith, who started last in the feature, was working his way to the front. On lap 24, Smith took over the second position. A couple laps later, the caution would come out for an incident with Justin Carroll and Dylan Ward. That gave Smith the opportunity he needed. A few laps after the restart, Smith got around Little to take the lead and score the win.
“We just tried to bide our time in the first race and got turned around trying to be patient,” Smith said. “Next race, we ran a little bit harder and we were able to get to the front. The car was really good. I’ve got to thank the guys for fixing it between races. It was fun racing with Mack and Justin there. Mack always runs hard and he was on it tonight in that second race. It was a hard fought victory in a short race. We’re used to longer races and showing more patience. It was a lot of fun racing these guys and had a lot of fun out here tonight.”
Little, who finished second, said he wished the race had gone green to the end, hoping he could’ve held off Smith who had 20-lap fresher tires after dropping out of the first race following a spin. Carroll finished third with York and Ward rounding out the top five.
The Moonshine Modifieds also had a doubleheader on Saturday night. The first race featured a thrilling duel between Jimmy Humblet and Gary Young, Jr. Young took the lead on the initial start. Humblet took the lead back on the fourth lap. After a mid-race caution, the two once again raced hard for the lead and the win with Humblet eventually prevailing over Young and Eldon Zacek.
Following the victory, Humblet dedicated his win to crew member Eddie Shockey. Shockey was injured earlier in the afternoon and had to be transported to a nearby hospital.
“All day long, we’ve worked extremely hard,” Humblet said. “We tore the whole nose off the car in the first practice. We had to rebuild the entire drag link, tie-rods. We did all that and sat on the pole. A crew member gets his arm hurt today, blew his elbow out. He’s in the hospital having all that rebuilt. Without a doubt, this race is dedicated to Eddie Shockey. I’m proud to be running out here with these guys.”
Humblet’s fortunes changed in the second race when he was forced to retire on the ninth lap of the race. With his main competition now sidelined, Young cruised en route his first win of the year. Zacek finished in second while Joe Scarbrough, who celebrated his 45th birthday on Saturday, finished in third.
“I’ve finished second every single race this season,” Young remarked. “Victory lane has eluded me all year long and it feels really good to be back. That’s why I did a burnout for (the fans).”
Gary Ledbetter took the lead on the fifth lap of the Street Stock feature and never looked back. The race served as a prelude to second round of the Mid-Atlantic Street Stock Championship, which will be held at Ace Speedway on Friday night, August 22. Charles Hutto finished in second and Ryan Pencek rounded out the podium finishers.
“I’d like to thank my crew and my wife,” Ledbetter commented. “We were in Orlando at five o’clock this morning and flew all the way back. I talked my wife in to leaving for vacation a little bit early. The car was real good. We’re getting ready for next Friday. Hopefully we’ll be just as good.”
Chad Ricker survived a bounty challenge to score his second consecutive victory in the U-CAR division. Ricker started on the pole and led wire-to-wire in the race. Ben Walker finished in second and Rodney Howell finished third.
“We always like to put on a good show,” Ricker said. “I’d like to thank all the fans who came out tonight. You’re the reason we do this down here so I appreciate everyone’s support. We had a good run. The car’s still dialed in. We made a couple changes but I think it was on a rail tonight.”
The bounty on Ricker will be increased for the next U-CAR race. Ricker said he welcomes the challenge and hopes it will bring more cars out.
Barry Wilson had mechanical problems in the Mini Stock feature which sidelined him, allowing Michael Tucker to cruise to victory lane in that race over Mike Herron and Matt Slusher. Wilson went right back out in the Street ModZ feature taking that car to victory lane over Andrew Amos and Michael Simacek. John Barrow scored the overall win in the East Coast Flathead Ford Racing Association feature in his Vintage Modified over Johnny Johnson while James Rogers scored the victory in the Vintage Sportsman class.
Moonshine Capital Promotions will be back at Ace Speedway on Sunday, August 31 for the Labor Day Classic. The Late Models, Moonshine Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Street Stocks, U-CARs and Street ModZ will all be back in action for that race. The Labor Day Classic will also feature the return of the Mini Cup division, which had the night off on Saturday, as well as the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club.
The Labor Day Classic will be part of a Labor Day Tripleheader Weekend at Ace Speedway as there will be racing on Friday night, August 29 for Ace Speedway’s regular divisions and on Monday, September 1 with the KOMA Unwind Modified Madness Series.
Ace Speedway – Altamahaw, NC
Race Results – Aug. 16, 2014
Late Model Stock Race 1
1. #57 Justin Carroll
2. #7W Dylan Ward
3. #76 Mack Little
4. #14 Jason York
5. #51 Kyle Dudley
6. #30 Johnny Cash
7. #11 Brian Sutphin
8. #26 Karl Budzevski
9. #7 Mike Bledsole
10. #16 R.D. Smith
Late Model Stock Race 2
1. #16 R.D. Smith
2. #76 Mack Little
3. #57 Justin Carroll
4. #14 Jason York
5. #7 Dylan Ward
6. #11 Brian Sutphon
7. #26 Karl Budzevski
8. #30 Johnny Cash
9. #51 Kyle Dudley
10. #7 Mike Bledsole
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Moonshine Modifieds Race 1
1. #11 Jimmy Humblet
2. #45 Gary Young, Jr.
3. #53 Eldon Zacek
4. #12 Roy Cook
5. #34 Josh Nichols
6. #44 Robby Baab
7. #93 Joe Scarbroug
8. #38 Michael Johnson
9. #7 Lauren Edgerton
10. #10 Chris Humblet
Moonshine Modifieds Race 2
1. #45 Gary Young, Jr.
2. #53 Eldon Zacek
3. #93 Joe Scarbrough
4. #12 Roy Cook
5. #38 Michael Johnson
6. #44 Robby Baab
7. #7 Lauren Edgerton
8. #10 Chris Humblet
9. #11 Jimmy Humblet
10. #34 Josh Nichols
Street Stocks
1. #32 Gary Ledbetter
2. #0 Charles Hutto
3. #2 Ryan Pencek
4. #6 Jeff Melton
5. #17 Jeremy Clay
6. #71 Jason Warsing
7. #00 Todd Bradburry
8. #46 Dillon Crouch
9. #71a Adam Welch
10. #23 Larry Isenhower
11. #11 Danny Bush
U-Car
1. #31 Chad Ricker
2. #18 Ben Walker
3. #1 Rodney Howell
4. #02 Brian Hatch
5. #74 Michael Foster
6. #39 Kevin Boose, Jr.
East Coast Flatheads
1. #55 John Barrow (Overall Winner)
2. #16 Johnny Johnson
3. #6 James Rogers (Sportsman winner)
4. #45 Wayne Lawson
5. #19 Jerry Tuttle
6. #4 Dean Fulp
7. #T1 Connie Wallace
Mini Stocks
1. #16 Michael Tucker
2. #03 Mike Herron
3. #72 Matt Slusher
4. #31 Candace Tucker
5. #7 Barry Wilson
Street Modz
1. #7 Barry Wilson
2. #01 Andrew Amos
3. #5 Michael Simacek
4. #11 Ronnie Riggs
DQ: #2 Jody Smith
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