Daily Press Releases

3/6/03

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HAGERSTOWN TO HOST MODIFIEDS NEXT THREE WEEKS

MARCH 23: 1:00 P.M. - Octoberfest Qualifier: Sm Block Modified & Late Models 30 Laps Each

HAGERSTOWN, MD - With the first three programs on the schedule falling victim to the weather, Promoter Frank Plessinger is hoping that all the cold weather and snow is a thing of the past. The Hagerstown Speedway is hoping to finally kick-off the 2003 season on Sunday afternoon, March 16^th with the big block modifieds and the late models in a double header program paying $2,000 to the winner of each 30-lap feature. In addition to the prize money, the winners will also receive a guaranteed starting spot in the Octoberfest 250. Race time is 1 P.M. with gates opening at 11 A.M.

The following week, it will be the small block modifieds joining the late models and the Modified Lites in a triple feature event. The late models and small block modifieds 30-lap feature will pay $2,000 to the winner with an Octoberfest guaranteed starting spot going to the small block modified feature winner. Race time is 1 P.M.

Then Hagerstown will switch to Saturday nights on March 29^th as the Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series invades the half-mile clay oval. Joining the top modified drivers in the country will be the ITSI late models. The 100-lap modified feature will pay $6,000 to the winner.

The first race of the year for the late model sportsman and the pure stocks is set for Saturday, Fan Appreciation Night, April 5^th.

The Hagerstown Speedway is located on U.S. Route 40, adjacent to the Gateway Seafood Restaurant, six miles west of Hagerstown, MD. The Gateway Seafood Restaurant is the official restaurant of the Hagerstown Speedway where drivers and fans meet after the races. For addition information, contact the speedway office at (301) 582-0640 or checkout the Internet at www.hagerstownspeedway.com.

SUNDAY’S MARCH 9^TH PROGRAM CANCELED AT HAGERSTOWN

MARCH 23: 1:00 P.M. - Octoberfest Qualifier: Sm Block Modified & Late Models 30 Laps Each

HAGERSTOWN, MD - While the cold temperatures have eased a little, freezing temperatures in the 20's at night and rain over the weekend has kept track officials from preparing the speedway for Sunday’s twice-postponed opener. With 4-6 inches of snow still on the ground and more in places where snow had drifted, the track surface is nearly impossible to get in shape by Sunday. More rain this morning hasn’t help matters any and with more precipitation in the forecast for Saturday, Promoter Frank Plessinger decided to cancel Sunday’s triple-header program of ITSI late models, Hoosier Tires/Mid-Atlantic late model sportsman and Ernie’s Salvage Yard pure stocks.

The Hagerstown Speedway is hoping that the last weekend of winter will bring spring temperatures warm enough to get the first program of 2003 into the record books. Now scheduled for Sunday, March 16^th is the Octoberfest Qualifier for the big block modifieds and the ITSI late models. The double feature program will pay $2,000 to the winner of each 30-lap main event. Race time is 1 P.M. with gates opening at 11 A.M.

The first race of the year for the late model sportsman and the pure stocks will now be Saturday, Fan Appreciation Night, April 5^th.

The Hagerstown Speedway is located on U.S. Route 40 six miles west of Hagerstown, MD. For addition information, contact the speedway office at (301) 582-0640 or checkout the Internet at www.hagerstownspeedway.com.

The Pirate Raids Columbus Speedway !

The 2003 Columbus Speedway Weekly Racing Series got underway in grand style with a familiar site at Johnny Stokes’ high banked speedway extraordinaire as a Weekly Racing Series record 171 race cars filled the Columbus Speedway pits. The weather was overcast providing some light mist and drizzle during the evening but nevertheless spirits were high and the racing was fabulous with battles for the lead being the order of the evening.

Steve Russell may not have been the favorite to take the win at Columbus this Saturday night. He may not have even been the second favorite. But when the time came to put up or shut up, the "Pontotoc Pirate" put up, and shut up the rest of the field.

34 Super Late Models took time during midsouthracing.com Pole Qualifying for the "Golden Triangle 30" presented by Boland Performance, with none coming close to "The Kosciusko Kamikaze" Anthony Rushing's daredevil, eye-opening 13.95-second blast around the rim of the high-banked speed plant. Shelbyville , Tennessee ’s Jay Brinkley, whose primary machine went sour before making a lap on his first attempt to qualify, brought out his backup car, tagged the line, and came up with a 14:30 , the best that anyone not driving car #70 1/2 could muster. Luck was apparently on Rushing's side on this evening, as he drew the "0" inversion pill for a heads-up start.

Rushing and Brinkley went door-to-door on the start, with Brinkley on the outside and Rushing right below for the first several laps of the race with nether racer backing off in an all out battle for the lead. A couple of spots back, the "WeirWolf" Tombo Callahan raced side-by-side with Ronny Lee Hollingsworth on the masterfully prepped red clay. Steve Russell rode quietly in third behind the maniacal battle for the lead.

After a caution for Hollingsworth, Rushing began to check out on the field, with Brinkley giving chase. Tombo Callahan and Scott Dedwylder would soon begin to challenge Russell for third while further back in the field B-main transfer David Earl Gentry began to pick cars off and climb toward the front.

Rushing's good luck ran out on lap 25, as he slowed in turn 4 with a flat left front tire. Brinkley inherited the lead and it seemed to all that he would go on to win and collect a total of $2000 in purse and contingency money - but the race was not over yet. Russell dove low on a lap 28 restart, and Brinkley put his foot in the throttle, blasting down the front stretch in the lead and it was “on.” Russell and Callahan jumped in to make it three-wide in turns 1 and 2, and Russell pulled alongside Brinkley on the backstretch. Brinkley attacked the rim viciously in turn three, and Russell powered into the lead on the bottom, with Callahan on his bumper. Scott Dedwylder, having the best view in the house, methodically moved up from twelfth finding the bottom to his liking at times along with the cushion and stuck his nose in the lead packs business as well as the Vossburg hot-shoe was pawing the ground.

Callahan would hold on to the second spot and then attempt to take the point from Russell on the final lap, but the familiar red #72 would rocket off of "the zone" right past the flag stand to take the first victory of the 2003 Columbus Speedway Weekly Racing Series. Russell driving his Brown Engineering powered TNT Grand Prix picked up not only the $1500 winner's share, but also would earn $100 in contingency from Brown Engineering for winning with a Brown powerplant and a $200 bonus from Hoosier for using Hoosier tires on all four corners for a nice $1,800 payday for a “regular” show. Callahan, Brinkley, Dedwylder, and burgeoning talent Josh Fuller of Marion rounded out the top five.

Mississippi Modified action was fast and furious right from the start with a field of 40 of the Mid-South’s Modified pilots on hand as Greg Camponova unleashed some fiery mayhem as he flipped his flaming machine in turn one as the field took the green flag. After the restart, the field would rage a three and four wide war, with Ben Stephens, Brian Rickman, and Shay Knight doing early battle for the lead. Eric Hickerson and Regan , Tennessee ’s Jason Sullivan began to blast through the field to the front and by the time Rickman's engine let go as the race wound to a close, the duo from the back of the pack was knocking on the leader's door. Stephens of Hattiesburg held on for the win, also earning contingency money for being a first-time winner at Columbus taking home a handsome $900 payday for a “regular” show at Columbus Speedway. Sullivan up from seventh and Hickerson from eighth had strong podium finishes with second year modified pilot Shay Knight fourth, and Humboldt, Tennessee’s Shane Harris rounding out the top five in the barn burner of an event.

Bobby Nickoles of Columbus would take the first Pro Street feature of the year after his most formidable challenger Frank Cox's night ended with a blazing inferno under the hood of his familiar #00 machine. Nickoles went flag to flag but challenger were all over his bumper throughout the highly entertaining event with Mike Langford and Mike Shaw going toe to toe in the early stages in the event for the point. Attrition came into play late in the event as Nickoles would stroll to the checkers the final two laps. Rounding out the top three were Robert Jennings and Bryan Brock moving up after a couple of cards did not pass post race inspection. Completing the top five were Steve Turner and David Minor.

Young gun TK King won an amazing albeit attrition-filled Street Stock event which featured the usual spectacular racing up front from start to finish with a stellar 40-car field on hand. King won his first ever Street Stock feature on the last WRS event of the 2002 season and won the first event of the 2003 season making a statement that the New Hope second generation racer will be reckoned with along with many other in the extremely balance division. Early race leader Harold Trimm had his hands full with King and Chad Nickoles doing the Columbus “Cha Cha” in a three way dance for the point. Trimm would break on lap 6 and leave the final battle to Nickoles and King David McGary joining the battle. At the stripe it was King with Nickoles on tow and McGary claiming third. Lee Ray finished fourth and David Honeycutt battled up to fifth after starting eleventh.

Buddy Glover of Sulligent took the Mini Stock win with a last-lap pass in turn two over the nineteen car field. Glover battled in close quarters with Michael Pendley who showed the way for the entire event except for the final portion of the white flag lap as with Glover taking the win in the exciting event with Pendley second. Jena , Alabama ’s Robert Sanders led the import posse behind the Ford Mustangs with a fine third place effort with Aaron Peay and Lynn Bowie rounding out the top five.

Joe & Rose Weeks held off a right rearview mirror full of Cadillac to beat Keith & Kevin Monohan to the checkered flag in the wild-'n'-crazy Two-Person Cruisers. The Brad Fortner team finished third with hard chargers Tommy Barton and Brian Jaynes making the move from fourteenth up to fourth with Jeremy Glasgow and Buddy Glover completing the top five.

Lynn Walker was able to get the Pro 4 feature win with Russell Haliman and Steve Lowe completing the top three finishers.

NEXT WEEK - Friday and Saturday night (March 7-8) - The 2nd Annual Rebel Challenge! The Rebel Challenge main event will be a $8,000 to win 50 lap Super Late Model Championship plus all local divisions in action. Races start Friday night at 8:00pm and Saturday night at 7:00pm . Information can be found on the Columbus Speedway homepage hosted at www.midsouthracing.com. For more event information please contact the Columbus Speedway hotline at 662-241-5004 or contact Johnny Stokes at 662-574-2572.

Columbus Speedway Fast Finish:

"Boland Performance Golden Triangle 30"
SUPER LATE MODELS
1. 72 Steve Russell
2. 20 Tombo Callahan
3. 10 Jay Brinkley

MODIFIEDS
1. 34 Ben Stephens
2. 72 Jason Sullivan
3. 98 Eric Hickerson

PRO STREET
1. B11 Bobby Nickoles
2. 11 Robert Jennings
3. 4 Bryan Brock

STREET STOCK
1. 6 TK King
2. 11 Chad Nickoles
3. 76 David McGary

MINI STOCK
1. 48 Buddy Glover
2. 57 Michael Pendley
3. 3 Robert Sanders

CRUISERS
1. 11X Joe and Rose Weeks
2. 72 Keith and Kevin Monohan
3. 05 Brad Fortner/Sudduth
 
 

PRO 4
1. 6 Lynn Walker
2. 28 Russell Haliman
3. 11 Steve Lowe

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