Dominion crowned its last three champions Saturday night and the father son duo of Chris and Aaron Donnelly picked up wins in their features to cap of the season.
Chris Donnelly outlasted five cautions and a red flag situation to pick up his first win since last year in the Virginia Racer Late Model division. Zack Lightfoot picked up his second points championship in the class in three years. Lightfoot picked up the pole during qualifying and was able to start the race in the same spot. Logan Jones and Lightfoot ran nose to tail and side by side for the first half of the race, but during a restart with 18 to go, C. Donnelly and Clark made contact sending Clark around and his night would be done. C. Donnelly was able to survive the last caution and a red flag situation to hold off Lightfoot and Ray Terczak to take the checkered flag.
The tightest race of the night in points was in the Mini Stock division where Keith Riley held a two-point lead over Kris Kurtz. Riley qualified second and Kurtz third, but after the invert they were reversed. On the start Kurtz jumped out to the lead, but quickly fell back to third. For most of the race both Riley and Kurtz were chasing Daniel Bentley. Kurtz was slowly reeling in Riley on almost every lap until he was on Riley’s bumper. With two laps left, the pack came into turn three and Riley tried to go under Bentley for the pass, the two touched and both went around. Kurtz, who was running third also spun. Bentley and Kurtz were able to get refired and drive away, but Riley’s evening was done due to a steering issue. Jessie Yopp picked up the win followed by Cameron Ruggles and Bentley. Kurtz picked up the 2020 points Championship.
The Dominion Stock division also crowned their champion. Gary Burke came in with a 30-point lead over Bobby Curtis and took the pole in qualifying, with Curtis third. Following the invert, Burke would start sixth. Burke got caught up in one of the two cautions in the beginning of the race and had to come in to change a tire. When he went back out, he was a lap down to the field. However, Burke and his team kept digging and on the next caution, got the lucky dog award to put himself back on the lead lap. He made the most of it by coming back and finishing in the second position. Richard Powers picked up his second win of the year. After the race Burke said “I am glad it is over with, it has been a long drawn out deal. I would have liked to have won it better than getting wrecked out and have to come back from a lap down, to finish second, but finishing second is better than finishing last”.
The Late Model division ran a 75-lap and a 25-lap feature that saw Landon Pembelton win his first ever Late Model race in the 75-lap race. Last week he won the championship for the Challenge Series in the Virginia Racer Late model. When asked which was sweeter, Pembelton said “I really liked that championship, but this one was just as big”. Rounding out the top five were Eric Winslow, Eddie Johnson, Chase Burrow and Davey Callihan. In the 25-lap feature, Aaron Donnelly picked up his first ever Late Model win followed by Chae Burrow and Ryan Pittman.
Modifieds ran their last race of the year, and Callihan, pulling double duty, won his first race in the division to close out the year. Tony Fowler and Shannon Marano rounded out the top three.
The Clutches and Purses race that is run every year by women that are not regular race car drivers, saw Crystal Coates complete a three wide pass on the back stretch on the final lap to take the checkered flag. Kendall Eyerly and Liz Riley rounded out the top three.
Also, in action Saturday night were the Mini Cup division where Dean Johnson took the win followed by Fred Daniels and Johnny Shonk.
Father Son Get Wins on Championship Night
Dominion crowned its last three champions Saturday night and the father son duo of Chris and Aaron Donnelly picked up wins in their features to cap of the season.
Chris Donnelly outlasted five cautions and a red flag situation to pick up his first win since last year in the Virginia Racer Late Model division. Zack Lightfoot picked up his second points championship in the class in three years. Lightfoot picked up the pole during qualifying and was able to start the race in the same spot. Logan Jones and Lightfoot ran nose to tail and side by side for the first half of the race, but during a restart with 18 to go, C. Donnelly and Clark made contact sending Clark around and his night would be done. C. Donnelly was able to survive the last caution and a red flag situation to hold off Lightfoot and Ray Terczak to take the checkered flag.
The tightest race of the night in points was in the Mini Stock division where Keith Riley held a two-point lead over Kris Kurtz. Riley qualified second and Kurtz third, but after the invert they were reversed. On the start Kurtz jumped out to the lead, but quickly fell back to third. For most of the race both Riley and Kurtz were chasing Daniel Bentley. Kurtz was slowly reeling in Riley on almost every lap until he was on Riley’s bumper. With two laps left, the pack came into turn three and Riley tried to go under Bentley for the pass, the two touched and both went around. Kurtz, who was running third also spun. Bentley and Kurtz were able to get refired and drive away, but Riley’s evening was done due to a steering issue. Jessie Yopp picked up the win followed by Cameron Ruggles and Bentley. Kurtz picked up the 2020 points Championship.
The Dominion Stock division also crowned their champion. Gary Burke came in with a 30-point lead over Bobby Curtis and took the pole in qualifying, with Curtis third. Following the invert, Burke would start sixth. Burke got caught up in one of the two cautions in the beginning of the race and had to come in to change a tire. When he went back out, he was a lap down to the field. However, Burke and his team kept digging and on the next caution, got the lucky dog award to put himself back on the lead lap. He made the most of it by coming back and finishing in the second position. Richard Powers picked up his second win of the year. After the race Burke said “I am glad it is over with, it has been a long drawn out deal. I would have liked to have won it better than getting wrecked out and have to come back from a lap down, to finish second, but finishing second is better than finishing last”.
The Late Model division ran a 75-lap and a 25-lap feature that saw Landon Pembelton win his first ever Late Model race in the 75-lap race. Last week he won the championship for the Challenge Series in the Virginia Racer Late model. When asked which was sweeter, Pembelton said “I really liked that championship, but this one was just as big”. Rounding out the top five were Eric Winslow, Eddie Johnson, Chase Burrow and Davey Callihan. In the 25-lap feature, Aaron Donnelly picked up his first ever Late Model win followed by Chae Burrow and Ryan Pittman.
Modifieds ran their last race of the year, and Callihan, pulling double duty, won his first race in the division to close out the year. Tony Fowler and Shannon Marano rounded out the top three.
The Clutches and Purses race that is run every year by women that are not regular race car drivers, saw Crystal Coates complete a three wide pass on the back stretch on the final lap to take the checkered flag. Kendall Eyerly and Liz Riley rounded out the top three.
Also, in action Saturday night were the Mini Cup division where Dean Johnson took the win followed by Fred Daniels and Johnny Shonk.
