Saturday of Speed Recap

August 15, 2018 Montgomery, Alabama: When Augie Grill scored his first Show Me the Money Series victory of the season with a last-lap pass back in June, he admitted that it was luck— not his Late Model— that won him the race.

It wasn’t until Grill was standing in victory lane Saturday night at Montgomery Motor Speedway (AL) for a second time that the Alabama native was finally able to give credit to his Grand American Race Car (GARC) No. 112 machine.

“We haven’t been as good as we needed to be here for a while,” Grill said in his post-race interview.  “Been working hard at the shop and we won the last race, but the car wasn’t right.  We just got lucky and had a flat, got a new tire.  But I think that was the best car on the track tonight.  Glad we’re taking the trophy home.”

Grill led 95 laps (76 percent) of the “Saturday of Speed 125” event after taking over the lead from Willie Allen a quarter of the way into the race.

Fans may have briefly turned their heads to watch Grill cross under the checkered flag 1.710 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Casey Roderick, but all eyes reverted back to the battle for third between Allen and Cole Anderson.

For a handful of laps, the two drivers played a game of cat-and-mouse. Anderson would get a run to the inside of Allen through the corner, but not enough to pass the No. 26 machine.  Likewise, Allen would hold off Anderson down the straightaways, but not enough to clear him before each curve.

If the flag stand was planted in the turns of Montgomery Motor Speedway, Anderson would have ended the night with a podium finish.  But lucky for Allen, a line on the front stretch determines finishing positions, and he crossed it before Anderson by a nose.

“It felt like 50 laps but man that was an absolute blast,” Allen said of his battle with Anderson.  “I was real loose, so I could run the top a little bit and I think he was loose on the bottom.  That’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time.  When two guys can race as hard as they can go and not get into each other.  I wish it would have been for the lead.”

Anderson, who has become accustomed to the short “shootouts” dirt racing is famous for, was relieved to be leaving Montgomery in one piece, let alone fourth place.

“I’m a little worn out,” Anderson said with a smile.  “I’m used to 20-lap races on dirt, so coming to do 125 is a little much, but it was a good race. I could get him through the center, but he was ultimately getting that drive off and keeping that nose a little bit ahead of me.  We came out clean for next week, what more can you ask for.”

Why wasn’t the battle for the lead a nail-biter too, or in other words, what happened to Casey Roderick?  If you’re superstitious, you might think that the 26-year-old’s luck at Montgomery has run out since his last win-turned disqualification.

But to Roderick, it was a mixture of circumstances, none of them to do with chance.

“I feel like I waited around a little too long there and had to run pretty hard to catch [Grill],” Roderick said.  “And then we caught those cautions at the end, which is what we needed, but we were off a little bit tonight.  We were free and just didn’t have enough bite up off the corner to stay with him and make a race out of it.  We’ll go back to the shop, work on our stuff a little bit and come back.”

Dustin Smith rounded out the top five for the night.  Race fans can watch the Pro Late Model race from Montgomery Motor Speedway on-demand at speed51.com

-Story by: Melissa Strahley, Gulf Coast Editor

Show Me the Money Series

Unofficial Results 

In the Street Stock division it was another great turnout for the division with 14 cars on point and ready to race. Joe Bethea jr. set fast time and rolled a 2 for the inversion. With action all over the track the race went caution free (50 laps)

Coca Cola Street Stocks Results (Unofficial)

1. Joe Bethea Jr. #33
2. Trey Grimes #51
3. David Wood #1
4. Keith Joiner #17
5. JC Cleckler #5
6. Kameron Wesenberg #32
7. Dwayne Wesenberg #31
8. Greg Foley #2
9. Davey Lynn #80g
10. Terry Grimes #33
11. Keith Grace #81
12. Zack Smith #24
13. Bubba Hutchinson #12
14. Kevin Seamon #58 DNS

The Blacksheep Woodlands Late Model Sportsman race saw Chase Spradlin #75 put on a show as he led the first 24 laps and showed he can run up front in this class. He had the fastest lap of the race at 22.284. Dave Mader III #18 made his move on lap 24 and never looked back. Jeff Dawkins #2 had another strong run and came home with a P-2 podium finish. Chase Spradlin finished in the third spot with Bobby reuse #88 and Joe Hudson rounding out the top 5.

Blacksheep Woodlands Late Model Sportsman Results (Unofficial)

1. Dave Mader III #18
2. Jeff Dawkins #2
3. Chase Spradlin #75
4. Bobby Reuse #88
5. Joe Hudson #89
6. Jason Furrow #21
7. Justin Caton #7
8. Perry Patino #51
9. Jeremy Ledbetter #1

Montgomery Motor Speedway returns to action for the final event of 2018. The Alabama 200 “Hunt for the BEAR !!! Featuring the biggest pro late model race in the country…. 200 green flag laps … Controlled Cautions…. Some of the best Pro late model drivers in the country all Hunting for the BEAR Trophy. The Modifieds of Mayhem tour will also be in action racing on Sunday plus all local divisions competing Saturday night to finish off the 2018 racing season.

Friday night the track will hold an open practice plus a driver’s appreciation party. Practice from 5-8 with food and drink to follow. Saturday all Local divisions will qualify and race. The Modifieds of Mayhem tour and the “Show me the MONEY Pro late models will qualify and run a last chance transfer race if needed.

Please plan on spending the weekend Sept 1 & 2 at Montgomery Motor Speedway for the Biggest event of 2018