The month of July has been very busy at Pulaski County Motorsports Park. It continued this past weekend as over 1,000 people came to the racetrack for Fan Appreciation Night.
Fans were treated to six different races – 195 laps across five different divisions. Seven drivers earned a trip to victory lane, the most of any race this season.
Kevin Canter picked up the first win of the evening as he led the Total Car Care Mod-4 division across the line. Tony Sarver Jr. was the only other competitor to lead any part of the 25-lap race. Gary Fitzgerald rebounded from an early spin to claim a second-place finish while Doodle Lang earned the final podium spot. Canter’s victory helped him extend his points lead in the championship standings.
The Price’s Body Shop Late Model Stock Cars then hit the track for their first 50-lap twin. Craig County’s Mike Looney won each of the previous five races this season, and he extended his streak to six on Saturday night. After starting at the rear of the field, the former Martinsville 300 winner worked his way to the front of the pack to claim the checkered flag. Kyle Dudley surrendered the lead with just a few laps remaining and ultimately brought it home in the second spot. Zeke Shell pieced together an impressive run; the Bluff City, Tenn. native started on the final row but fought his way up to the top three.
For the first time this season, the New River Valley welcomed the East Coast Flathead Racing Association to town. Six vintage Flathead Fords competed in a 20-lap dash for a chance to be crowned as either a sportsman or modified winner.
Johnny Johnson came across the line first to earn the overall win. The 82-year-old driver was the leader of the modified division while Wayne Lawson came across the line second to earn the top spot in the sportsman class.
As the sun began to set behind the mountains, it was the DCT Towing Super Streets that took to the track next. Tristan Barnes dominated the night as he laid down the fastest lap in qualifying and led all 30 laps to secure his third victory of the season. The points leader, Jimmy Mullins, finished second, continuing his streak of top-five finishes in all seven races this year. Ray Sowers piloted his machine up to third, notching his first podium finish as a recent addition to the Barnes’ race team.
The late models returned to the oval for their final race of the night. After settling for second in the opener, Dudley was able to get past Looney early in the nightcap. Despite Looney’s efforts to rattle the reigning track champion, Dudley was able to keep Looney behind him and pick up his first win of the season. Another strong run from Shell gave him his second podium finish of the night. He methodically ran down Karl Budzevski and took over the third spot with just a few laps remaining.
The Stock-6 Series closed out the night with a 20-lap feature. Darrell Allen made a strong jump from the outside of the first row and never looked back. While Allen claimed the victory, the remaining two podium spots went to Houston Miller and Caleb Sowers.
Action returns to the track this Thursday with Tony Stewart’s Superstar Racing Experience. The SRX series will feature a star-studded field that includes NASCAR Cup Series champions Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, Daytona 500 winner and current SRX points leader Ryan Newman as well as Indy 500 winners Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden. Thirteen of the world’s best drivers will bring “Thunder in the Mountains” for a national audience.
The sportsman division will open the night before the SRX series will take the green flag around 9:00 p.m. on ESPN.
