March 14,2016, Montgomery, Al: 2016 is shaping up to be the year of the Late Model as 37 Different Pro Late Model drivers rolled thru the gates to compete in the R.S. Trucking Spring Explosion 125 part of the “Show me the Money “Series presented by Blacksheep Woodlands.
The event was scheduled for Saturday March 12th but less than half way thru qualifying mother nature took control and washed out the evenings event. The racers returned Sunday morning to get their racing fix and the day was not a disappointment. Teams were given the option of re-qualifying or standing on the time that they ran on Saturday. When qualifying was completed Hayden, Alabama’s Augie Grill was your Budweiser fast time pole award winner. The Grand American race car / Hedman, Husler, Hedders sponsored driver posted a time of 19.082 just edging out the #18 of Casey Roderick at 19.106. 2 time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin was 3rd fastest at 19.150 Followed by 2 young guns 2015 Rookie of the year Luke Christain #2 and Chandler Smith rounding out the top 5.
Budweiser Fast Time Qualifying
- #112 Augie Grill 19.082
- # 18 Casey Roderick 19.106
- #114 Sterling Marlin 19.150
- #2 Luke Christain 19.199
- #26 Chandler Smith 19.201
- #9b Michael Bolden 19.252
- Christopher Tullis 19.257
- #43 Justin South 19.269
- #30 Bobby Knox Jr. 19.275
- #13 Bill Bethea III 19.364
- #X2 Dennis Reno 19.365
- #H2 Bret Holmes 19.367
- #10 R.S. Senter 19.375
- #1 Josh Adkins 19.388
- #4m Jordan McCallum 19.397
- #09 Daniel Bolden 19.439
- #10s Hunter Spivey 19.441
- #7d Cole Daffron 19.444
- #30m Fredrick Moore 19.488
- #33 Joe Bethea Jr. 19.490
- #51 Perry Patino 19.510
- #00 Branden Curren 19.539
- #23 Dalton Grindle 19.574
- #07 Blake Fergeson 19.616
- #22 Brandon Herbert 19.749
- #27 Austin Wood 19.758
- #50 Ty Roberts 19.769
- #28 James Oetel 20.192
- #21 Jason Furrow 20.202
- #9l Chris Landers 20.270
- #99 Ashley Lewis 20.558
- #59 Terry Myers 22.546
- #07 Taylor Stricklin No Time
- #181 Aiden Aldridge No Time
The top eight drivers were on the front stretch for the Spider Energy Drink redraw. Justin South #43 Started on the pole when the green flag dropped.
South took the point and held it thru lap 34 when #18 Casey Roderick in the Pit Boxes/ Ronnie Sanders car jumped out front. Lap 42 saw the #112 of grill move into the lead and looked solid. Roderick would not give up as he stayed on the bumper of Grill. the action started heating up as #18 made his move and took over the top spot. The racing was fast and furious as battles were being waged all over the speedway. Some of your big movers were #H2 Bret Holmes moving up from 12th to 4th, #50 Perry “P2” Patino from 21st to 3rd, #30 Fredrick Moore from 19th to 9th, #7 Cole Daffron from 18th to 7th, Ty Roberts from 27th to 14th, Taylor Stricklin #7 from 33rd to 16th and Young Gun Dalton Grindle #23 from Flowery Branch, Georgia rolling his way from 23rd to 6th.
Lap 112 saw the #112 of Augie Grill move to the point and never looked Back taking the win in the first “Show me the Money” event of 2016.
Revised Finish
- Augie Grill #112
- Casey Roderick #18
- Perry Patino #51
- Bret Holmes #H2
- Justin South #43
- Dalton Grindle #23
- Cole Daffron #7
- Bobby Knox #30
- Fredrick Moore #30
- Brandon Herbert #22
- Joe Bethea Jr. #33
- R.S. Senter #10
- Ty Roberts #50
- James Oetel #28
- Bill Bethea III #13
- Taylor Stricklin #7
- Chris Landers #9
- Hunter Spivey #10
- Ashley Lewis #99
- Luke Christain #2
- Jordan McCallum #4m
- Christopher Tullis #24
- Dennis Reno #X2
- Michael Bolden #9b
- Chandler Smith #26
- Josh Adkins #1
- Austin Wood #27
- Jason Furrow #21
- Branden Curren #00
- Blake Ferguson #07
- Terry Myers #59
- Sterling Marlin #114
- Daniel Bolden #09
- Aiden Eldridge #181
- Darin Cronan #5 DNS
- Stacy Crain #11 DNS
- Bubba Pollard #26 DNS
Letson’s Bold Three-Wide Move Earns Him Checkers
Jason Morman had the perfect plan to drive in to victory lane at Montgomery, until he looked to his left and saw Jeff Letson streaking to the inside in turn three.
Morman and Letson split then-race leader Okie Mason on an early race restart, bringing the fans in the grandstands to their feet and allowing Letson to sneak by to grab the lead. Letson would go on to lead the rest of the event, staking his claim as the open-wheel king of Montgomery.
“The 33 (Morman) went to the outside on that restart and the 10 (Mason) was struggling off of turn two,” Letson said. “The bottom opened up and I drove it down there. They got together a little and I shot out in front.”
Morman thought he was in the catbird seat, as he was getting good bite on the outside lane. That all changed when a black blur appeared in his peripheral vision.
“On that three-wide move, I look out the side and saw the hood of his car and his front tires and thought ‘Oh, hell. I better go in there a little bit wider,” Morman said. “I tried to run him down and stay on his bumper the rest of the day to frustrate him, but he is just about as good as it gets.”
Following the three-wide move, Letson paced the field for the remainder of the event. Morman stalked his rear deck the rest of the race, but never could get close enough to make a move.
“My car got a little free towards the end, but was able to hold him off,” Letson said. “He raced me clean, and I really appreciate that.”
Budweiser Fast Time pole award was run on Saturday with Billy Melvin #145 setting the quickest time of 19.823 with Letson #131 @ 19.846 followed by Jim Wall #91 19.926
- Jeff Letson #131
- Jason Morman #33
- Billy Melvin #145
- Rocky Rogers #41
- Okie Mason #10
- Butch Wade #02
- Ryan Warshum #R7
- Skylar Strength #9
- Jim Wall #91
- Keith Joiner #17
- Jeremy Williams #81
- Nick Martin #88
The Next Modifieds of Mayhem Race will be at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fl. April 1st, 2016
Season opener for the modified minis kicked off this weekend with some new cars and faces. the #81 car of Jim Chancy from Kathleen, Georgia and the #11 car of Nick Doehring practiced Saturday but were unable to return for the event on Sunday. The race started with #22 David Davis and Rusty Alverson #7 on the front row. as the cars exited turn 3 the #22 lost control and hit the inside wall ending his weekend. on the restart Alverson took the lead and never looked back as the 2015 Modified mini champion logged his first win of 2016.
- Rusty Alverson #7
- Joel Collier #71
- Steve Looney #21
- David Davis #22
- Jim Chancy #81 DNS
- Nick Doehring #11 DNS
Street Stocks were the final feature of the weekend. Many of the Street Stock drivers are still preparing cars for the 2016 season . The show went on and the #38 of Brian “Bubba” Hutchinson started on the pole with Charles Davis #6 taking the green right next to him. Hutchinson got a good start but he swapped ends in the same spot the #22 modified Mini spun out. Hutchinson was able to keep it off the wall and joined back in to the competition. Charles Davis Took the lead on the restart and #38 kept him in striking distance while the #88 of Bubba Nesbit and the #12 of Josh Wilson ran door to door battling for the third position. #5 Davis won the feature with #38 Hutchinson in second.
- Charles Davis #6
- Brian Hutchinson #38
- Bubba Nesbit #88
- Josh Wilson #12
The racing action continues at Montgomery Motor Speedway as the “King of the Wing… Southern Swing” will race for the first time in Montgomery Motor Speedway’s history. Witness the” FASTEST thing on ASPHALT” Sunday April 3rd plus the season opener for Interstate batteries Late Model Sportsman, Street Stocks and Modified Minis. Tickets to this record breaking show are $20 for adults $15 seniors and Military $5 kids 6-12 …5 and under are always free.
Pit gates open at 10:30
Grandstands at Noon
Practice starts at 1
Opening ceremonies at 2:30
MONTGOMERY MOTOR SPEEDWAY WHERE YOU GOTTA BE FAST JUST TO BE LAST….. !!!!!
