FAIRLAWN, Va. – For the first time since the season-opening night in March, engines roared around Motor Mile Speedway for the Southern Ground Pounders night this past Saturday. The .416-mile track welcomed racers from six different divisions and hosted seven different races for the nearly 1,000 fans in attendance.
Craig County’s Mike Looney was back on the track for the first 50-lap twin for the Price’s Body Shop Late Model Stock Car Series. Following a sweep of the two races back in March, Looney proved once again why he’s a force to be reckoned with in the New River Valley.
Looney, who started at the tail end of the field, quickly fought his way through the pack and found himself in second behind defending track champion Kyle Dudley. Looney and Dudley continued to battle for nearly 15 laps before contact between the two gave Looney the advantage. Some noticeable damage on Dudley’s car affected his ability to get back to Looney but they both managed to secure the top two spots for the third race running. Polesitter Karl Budsevski led the first few laps of the race and managed to bring his car across the line third.
The final event of the evening was 50 laps for the late models and Looney dominated the race. He worked his way through the field and found himself alongside Dudley, who tried to dive to the inside and got loose and brought out the caution. That was enough for Looney to pull away on the ensuing restart and make it a perfect 4-for-4 start to the year.
Christiansburg,Va. native Derrick Lancaster finished with a season-best second place finish, his third podium finish in four races. Dudley managed to battle back after his spin and came across the line third, capping off his 140-lap night.
Racing returns to Motor Mile Speedway on Saturday, May 20 for the Super Cup Series Night presented by Shively Electric. There will be seven races across five divisions, and the green flag will drop at 7:00 p.m.