Austin McDaniel Opens Hickory Season With LMS Win

Two time Hickory Motor Speedway track champion Austin McDaniel opened the 2015 season in victory lane after scoring the Late Model Stock win in Saturday night’s season opener. Photo by Sherri Stearns

Racing returned to Hickory Motor Speedway in Newton, NC, with Austin McDaniel coming out on top of a tight NASCAR Whelen All American Series Bojangles Late Model Stock feature.

After winning the pole, Josh Berry would set the early pace and continue to lead until around lap 50, when Payton Ryan would take the helm. Ryan and Berry would do battle for several laps until Berry spun, with Ryan assuming the lead.

After the caution Ryan would put some distance on the field, but challenges from McDaniel, Shane Lee and others kept Ryan within striking distance as Berry worked his way back through the field. With less than 10 to go, Berry would move back to the front while Ryan and McDaniel were preparing to settle it themselves.

With 6 laps to go, Berry would make it three wide and retake the lead but was sent spinning after contact with Ryan, sending both to the back of the field. Coming back to the restart McDaniel would lead the field along with Brayton Haws, Lee, and R.D. Smith. Contact between Lee and Haws would bring out yet another caution with Haws’ car sustaining damage, requiring a trip to pit road.

McDaniel would once again lead the field to the green for the final run to the checkers with Lee and Smith hot in tow. Smith would move around Lee for second and begin to challenge McDaniel for the win. With contact on the final corner of the last lap, McDaniel and Smith would race side-by-side with Smith taking the win.

McDaniel held on for second, with Lee in third, Matt Piercy in fourth and Berry in fifth.

In other action, the T-Mobile Limiteds were led to the green by Travis Byrd with Jeremy Pelfrey to his outside. Byrd would hold off numerous challenges and be the first to the checkers, bringing home his first win for 2015. There would be action throughout the pack as Sheflon Clay worked his way around Pelfrey for second with Pelfrey settling for third. Zach Bruenger finished fourth, while Mark Johnson finished fifth.

In the Street Stocks feature, Kevin Eby would claim the top qualifying spot and would have things going his way until Charlie Neill took the lead on lap 12. Neill would take the win with Eby in second , Marshall Sutton third , Mark Whitten fourth and Larry Mosher fifth.

The 4-Cylinders would be led by fast qualifier Eddie Gilbert. Randy Canipe would take the lead early drove away to take the win. Michael Tucker, Gilbert, Dennis Trivette and Rob Lewis rounded out the top five.

Kenneth Roberts brought the Wrench Rags Renegades to the green flag, with the Darren Dickinson and Blake Walker battling him fiercely for the top spot. A late caution would bunch the field, helping Shawn Hayes move into the fray after coming from seventh to fourth. On the restart, Walker would lead the field with Roberts to his outside and Dickinson in third . Contact between Hayes and Dickinson would bring out another caution, with Justin Austin getting caught up in the incident. The final restart would see Walker take the lead and pick up the win. Hayes would get by Roberts for second, with Steve Griffith in fourth and Kyle Divanna in fifth.

Action is slated to return to Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night, with racing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bojangles Late Models, the T-Mobile Limiteds, the Smokey’s Super Trucks the Street Stocks and Classic Sportsman.

For more info, visit HickoryMotorSpeedway.com.

Hickory Motor Speedway – Newton, NC
Race Results – March 7, 2015