The July 13 racing weekend kicks off with a spectator drag pre race show around the
high-banked ring-of-fire. Dubbed Fast N Furious Night at the Races, perhaps the drag racers left a little furious behind on the track that is always fast.
The headline event might have been the 40 lap Dominion Stock race, but the Virginia Racers
entered the evening with the closest points battle, as Chase Johnson and Dan Rogers entered
the race separated by only six points. Challengers Conner Weddell, Mike Ganoe, and Peyton
Lee are all race-winning contenders too, and were looking to make up ground.
It is a story as old as time, but the youth movement vs veteran racer storyline in the VA Racer
division was on full display in the first of Twin 35-lap races. Conner Weddell started the race
from P1 looking to continue his hot streak and get his third victory of the year.
The green flag waved and as Weddell pulled away to the lead, Lee, Ganoe, and Johnson were
the running order behind him until Christian Kesterman and Josh Blankenship brought out the
caution on lap 11.
A restart saw a great battle between C-Weed and the #82 of Mike Ganoe. As Ganoe was
clearing for the lead, Weddell didn't relent with an attempted crossover that resulted in some
heavy contact. Ganoe would hold on and continue to lead until another caution would fly a few
laps later.
Ganoe would again fight Weddell for the lead while JD Eversole passed Johnson for 4th and
then passed Lee for 3rd. Late in the race it was a hard charging Eversole and an aggressive
Weddell who caught Ganoe and tried everything to get by. With a handful of laps Weddell would deliver a shot to Ganoe coming out of Turn 2 on the backstretch; the #82 was sidewinding like a pissed off rattlesnake but he straightened it out ahead of Weddell. Ganoe’s defensive driving showed the veteran’s talent as he was able to hold off and get his second checked flag of the season.
“Them young boys are rough on me,” said the near-60 year old driver from Louisa, Virginia. “I
gotta catch my breath.”
In race two Chase Johnson used the bumper of Kesterman to get the lead, while Peyton Lee led
Eversole around Kesterman. On a restart Lee would get his shot at the lead when the two raced
side-by-side for a handful of laps. Lee got his first win last racing weekend, and he could sniff
another.
A caution came out with 19 to-go and Lee was scored as the leader. He led the restart while
Eversole battled Johnson for 2nd. While these battles happened, Ganoe was carving his way
through the field quietly. He was able to pass Eversole before Dan Rogers’ engine blew with
nine laps remaining.
The restart saw a three lap shootout and Lee pulled away with Conner Weddell in 2nd. Ganoe
saw the checkered flag making contact with Chase Johnson in what was a photo finish for third.
In Bugsy Auto repair Victory Lane, Peyton Lee mentioned how last week's win gave him the
confidence to close this race out.
“The late caution scared me, but I knew they were gonna have to take it from me,” said Lee. “I
wasn’t gonna let that happen because now I’m on a roll.”
The UCARS also saw Twin racing action with a duo of 20-lap runs. Kason Howe saw both ends
of the racing spectrum: he had a low point in race one by wrecking twice and retiring the car, but in race two he rallied and led every lap en route to his first career win.
Carter Weedon kicked off the night with his third win of the season after surviving an early
Wendi Kelly accident at the front of the field that took out some competitors early.
“I’d say that’s a heck of a show for the fans,” said Weedon. “I don’t know what happened in front
of me; all I knew was that there was a lot of smoke in front of me and then I’m in third and then
leading.”
The 40-lap Dominion Stock race almost saw Todd Ruggles dominate; he passed Jacob Wood
early and started to run away with it. However, Mike Lowe knew needed a long run, and he got
it; in the closing laps, the #88 was able to catch the #07 and after a little contact, Lowe took the
lead with 2 to-go thus winning the race.
Keith Riley dominated the Mini Stocks event while perhaps the most furious part of Fast N
Furious Night came after Josh Fowler dumped Mike Carte on the last lap in the VA Modifieds
race.
“I didn't mean to get him that hard,” said an apologetic Fowler. “I tried to time it perfectly - that’s not what I wanted to do.”
Next week The VA Racers, VA Modifieds, Legends, Bandos, and Mini Cups will be on track for
BBQ Cook-Off Race night. Kids get in free thanks to Storm Racing. BBQ Cook-Off contest starts at 5pm, while the green flag flies at 7pm. https://drevents.ticketstobuy.com/event/210
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