Post Memorial Day racing at Dominion Raceway saw the 8-cylinder Any Cars, UCARs, Dominion Stocks, and the Late Models take to the track for NAPA Night at the Races.
A pre race performance in the 118 Bar & Grill by The Nate Oyler Band and the front stretch fanfest car show set the tone for a great night of racing.
The night's schedule would see the 8-cylinder Any Cars hit the track first, and it took the defending champion, Richard Storm, one lap to take the lead. This may not have sounded like an accomplishment for someone on the front row, but Storm started at the rear of the field.
Brian Maxey started from P1, but, once Storm got by, the #07 set sail to the checkered flag.
Trevor Stinson started on the pole for the UCARs in the second race of the night, and he shot to the lead with the #12 of Carter Weedon and the #13 of Kason Howe giving chase. On lap 5 Jimmy Parker and Cameron Ruggles were able to pass Tanner Griffith for 5th and 6th place. Griffith would then send Ruggles to 8th when he would pass him with Michael Frayser. Griffith would then dive into Turn 3 and get his position back from Parker. The white #5 of Griffith would then continue his upwards trajectory when he passed David Rhoades for 4th.
With seven laps remaining Weedon looked to pressure Stinson, but the green #19 was able to stay ahead to the end. It was his third win in his third attempt this season at DR.
“That was a tough one,” said Stinson. “I had to fight for it. The 12 was on me and in my mirror all race,”
The Late Models were back at the High-Banked Ring of Fire after Aaron Donnelly and Landon Pembleton got a win sticker on May 19. Trey Williams and Davey Callihan started on row 1, and the Papa John's late model shot to the lead quickly. Callihan entered the night fourth in the season championship standings, but was looking for his first win. While Callihan made laps in the lead, it became a race of attrition for some other competitors. Donnelly lost power early, and Collin Lozo came in to his crew to get his hood taken off.
No cautions came out for the Late Models and Callihan would hold on to the lead en route to his first trip to Bugsy’s Auto Repair Victory Lane.
“We’ve been good all year, but we just haven’t hit the race speed we needed. All these guys can win,” said Callihan.
The Dominion Stocks were up next and Todd Ruggles took the lead with Mike Lowe, Richard Powers, Dan Rogers, and Tommy Smith settling in behind him. Early in the race, the night would end for Mike Lowe, whose wheel came off, which spun him around exiting Turn 2.
When the red flag would end, Ruggles and Rogers would battle side-by-side for the lead. Rogers would be sideways on the outside as he mashed the gas to get around Ruggles for the lead with 10 to-go. After Rogers made the pass, Powers would pass for second. The #33 of
Rogers would see his first checkered flag in the Dominion Stocks after spending prior race weekends in the Virginia Racer division.
“We hadn’t raced in so long in the Virginia Racer, and I got bored,” said Rogers. “I wanted to knock some rust off with the Dominion Stocks.”
The win for Rogers is magnified as he broke a spindle earlier in practice and hustled to repair it before the green flag.
“We got it taken care of, and were able to put it behind us and go,” said Rogers.
Race 5 was led to green by Stuart Walsh and James Garrett, but while everything got shuffled at the start a caution came out for David Rhoades who came to a stop at the entry of pit road. On the restart, Garrett and Weedon would lead before Tanner Griffith would take it three-wide and shuffled Garrett out for the lead. Weedon, Cameron Ruggles, Frayser, Parker, and Stinson would be the running order until Frayser, Parker, and Stinson passed Ruggles with 11 to-go. Griffith made an aggressive move for the lead earlier, and on the last lap he would again make a move: this one however, wouldn’t work out. With the lap car of Wendi Kelly in front of him, she committed to the inside lane. Griffith would look to the outside, and then duck inside Kelly’s car. The result was the two cars crunching together with the right side of Griffiths car coming up into the air. The sparks would fly and Griffith would see red as his lead would evaporate as Carter Weedon passed on the outside to win the race.
While Griffith was enraged on the infield, Weedon was ecstatic in Victory Lane.
“I think the name of the game was lapped cars,” said Weedon. “Tanner got screwed and I hate to win it like that, but it’s nice to get one.”
Lapped traffic would also play a role in the next race as Brian Maxey and Todd Ruggles got together going around the lapped car of James Brantley. This created the opportunity for Richard Powers to get a win in Race 2 for the Dominion Stocks.
In the final race of the evening, Richard Storm would repeat as a winner for the 8-cylinder Any Cars. He was appreciative of all who helped him earn the sweep, especially competitor Brian Maxey.
“This is what we try for,” said Storm. “All the guys at Midas turned the wrenches on this thing. It is bittersweet that they are the ones I beat, but this is fun and what it is all about.”
Next Saturday, Dominion Raceway will host the Race N Rock weekend. Whiskey Tango 6 will rock a pre race performance before Twin VA Racers, VA Modifieds, UCARs, 4/6- cylinder Any Cars, Legends, Mini Stocks, and Twin 15 lap Bandos shows.
Get your tickets or watch the racing live or catch the replays on https://dominionraceway.tv/
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