ATI Night Race Results | July 27, 2019

Hampton, VA (7-27-19) After last week’s blistering, heat filled race event and rightfully titled, “The Hampton Heat”. Race action at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway continued and coming to take on the .397 mile oval this week were the Southern Ground Pounders. Vintage style, full bodied race cars on wide tires and as one would figure must be a handful to drive. Also, on the evenings program were the ERA Real Estate Champ Karts along with the Riverside Paper Pro Six division. The popular Parts Barn Enduros were back in action as were the Old Skool Video Games Super Streets and the Larry King Law’s Modifieds in twin race action. Once again in the Modified division the Balluzzo Bounty would still be up for grabs to any driver who can kept Shawn Balluzzo out of Victory Lane. Here’s a recap of the action and how the evening fared.

ERA Real Estate Champ Karts 20 Laps: Chris Bechtel would earn the right to lead the nineteen car field to the green. His qualifying lap at 23.303 seconds put Aaron Leach starting second on the front row followed by Jake Harberts, Matthew Leach and Danny Millard as the divisions five best. With the green waving in the air, pole sitter Chris Bechtel showed the grid into turn one. The outside row didn’t get going like the inside did and coming around to lead lap one would be the pole sitter Chris Bechtel. Joining him in the line would be Danny Millard, Aaron Leach and Matthew Leach in a four car break away. But then the lead changed hands when Millard took a turn then showing at the halfway, Aaron Leach would take a turn as well. Finally, just after the halfway point the Leach brother duo along with the pole sitter broke away from the field and all nose to tail to settle the feature. Lapping the field one kart at a time and with just a few laps left, would anyone step out to challenge Aaron Leach for the race win? Final lap and nothing doing for the lead, Aaron Leach wins by .084 seconds at the stripe. Aaron Leach from Victory Lane, “Being on the outside, my brother was a huge help. He just stuck with me, we thought we had something then we falling back. When we got down, from there it was about picking people off and see what we can do”.

Race Results:

1. #45 Aaron Leach; 20
2. #51 Matthew Leach; 20
3. #67 Chris Bechtel; 20
4. #10 Danny Millard; 20
5. #17 Hunter Waltrip; 20
6. #02 Jordon Wood; 20
7. #28 Garry Osborne; 20
8. #26 Robert Pellek; 20
9. #3 Jeremiah Strandberg; 20
10. #29 Scott Allen; 20
11. #30 Mattisen Morrill; 20
12. #15 Cheyenne Strandberg; 19
13. #06 Steven Griggs; 19
14. #01 Jesse Call; 19
15. #16 Davey Millard; 19
16. #8 Curtis Martin; 19
17. #12 Adam Hopper; 19
18. #78 Jake Harberts; 3
19. #80 Jacob Harberts; 2

Larry King Law Modifieds Twin 40’s: Chris Johnson returned in Modified series action and knocked off the series points leader Shawn Balluzzo from the pole. Sporting a lap recorded in at 16.392 seconds left Balluzzo in a share of the front row almost a full tenth of the pole time. Bounty hunters Matt Carter, Bubba Johnston and Rick Gdovic made up the five best in Modified qualifying. With the green waving, Chris Johnson would be the early race leader and in tow came Matt Carter to second leaving Shawn Balluzzo in third. Laps later, Balluzzo turning left better than Carter’s ride soon took second as sights then focused on the race leader. Enjoying his three car length lead would be Chris Johnson but rest assured, watching through his mirror as well. Lap for lap, Balluzzo would eat into the lead of Johnson. The race leaders speed was much faster and soon left the field behind. It was Carter, Johnston and Gdovic showing third through fifth began to lose sight of the leaders. Race leader Chris Johnson would do a good job holding off the charge of Shawn Balluzzo thus far. At the halfway, the battle for the lead had Balluzzo trying different lines to get around Johnson and would actually lose ground but only by two lengths. On back, Rick Gdovic would make his way to third when on lap twenty four, Shawn Balluzzo finally found a way around Chris Johnson and became the new race leader. After a brief caution, the restart saw Balluzzo drive away from Johnson’s effort, the bounty is safe once again as Shawn Balluzzo wins by 1.522 seconds. Balluzzo with words from Victory Lane, “Chris did a great job, everybody was beating on my back bumper. I don’t mind the bumping, the heat and all that, it’s great, it makes for great racing. But the smoke, the smoke coming from Chris’s car and I was choking on it. He did a great job, he was tough to pass”.

In the Modified nightcap, the mandatory NASCAR eight car invert was applied and getting the pole spot for race two would be TJ Largena. Matt Carter would also get to start on the front row. Race one winner Shawn Balluzzo elected to start at the rear of the grid for max passing points in the Division Two National points series. With the green in the air, the pole sitter for, TJ Largena could not get going. Matt Carter from the outside would take the lead as lap one would go on the board. Jamie Sample claimed the two spot as Largena regrouped to hold third. Rick Gdovic and Kyle Wood made up the early top five. Several laps in and the race leader had checked out. Nearly a full straightaway lead washed away when the caution flag flew, meanwhile, Shawn Balluzzo had made his way to fifth. After another quickie caution, racing resumed as Matt Carter continued to lead. Making his way to the second spot would be Rick Gdovic as Shawn Balluzzo marched his way to third. Soon after, Balluzzo took the position held by Gdovic in second and set his sights on the race leader. Lap for lap and Balluzzo was seen coming, race leader Carter tried to make Balluzzo beat him on the outside but one slip and Balluzzo went by on the inside. From there and on a rail, Shawn Balluzzo wins them both, margin of victory was 0.642 seconds. Balluzzo from Victory Lane, “This one was fun, I had a good time, I hope the fans enjoyed it. It was a good race, it was a fun time coming through”.

Race Results Race #1:

1. #48 Shawn Balluzzo; 40
2. #29 Chris Johnson; 40
3. #64 Rick Gdovic; 40
4. #19J Bubba Johnston; 40
5. #28 Jamie Sample; 40
6. #19 Kyle Wood; 40
7. #78 Matt Carter; 40
8. #4 TJ Largena; 40
9. #95 Danny Harrell; 40
10. #98 Matt Morgan; 40
11. #16 Eric McPherson:39
12. #18 DJ Valente; 38
13. #3 Brad Adams; 31
14. #7 Grant Blasingame; 16

Race Results Race #2:

1. #48 Shawn Balluzzo; 40
2. #78 Matt Carter; 40
3. #64 Rick Gdovic; 40
4. #29J Michael Johnson; 40
5. #3 Brad Adams; 40
6. #16 Eric McPherson; 40
7. #28 Jamie Sample; 40
8. #95 Danny Harrell; 40
9. #4 TJ Largena; 40
10. #98 Matt Morgan; 39
11. #19 Kyle Wood; 24
12. #19J Bubba Johnston; 9
13. #18 DJ Valente;

Riverside Paper Pro Six 30 Laps: Jared Clarke claimed the Pro Six series pole with a hot lap at 17.190 seconds. Eric Schaffer, who was not far behind in his lap time who would get to start second as Travis Wall, Jason Michaud and Scott Allen were third through fifth. As the green flag waved, the V-6 powered rockets roared to life and coming around to lead lap one would be Jared Clark but Eric Schaffer was there side by side to battle. But then an early caution brought the action to a halt. Restart saw race leader Clarke get a much better bite out of turn two leaving Schaffer do deal with Travis Wall who picked up Schaffer’s spot in second. After another caution, the next restart saw Travis Wall wanting the lead. Side by side for several laps as Wall and Clarke battled for the top spot. Meanwhile, Eric Schaffer in third had the best seat in watching the battle ensue. Surprisingly, the side by side battle saw the rest of the field unable to close when tensions rose at the front. Contact between the leaders as Jared Clarke gets the better result leaving Travis Wall frustrated but able to hold second. Then the caution waved when JB Sipe crashed hard on the backstretch. Back to the green, Travis Wall would be the leader as Eric Schaffer bettered himself to second leaving Jared Clarke to third. On back in respectable efforts saw Scott Allen to fourth and Bobby Hall in a backup car fifth. Soon after Clarke regrouped, Clarke would soon pass Schaffer for second but the leader was getting away. Closing laps of the feature and Jared Clarke was on the move clipping away at the lead. Final lap saw Clarke dive bomb into three with all he had in which the car stuck but couldn’t get to the bumper. The lead was just enough for Travis Wall to motor on and win by just 0.165 seconds, Wall had this to say in Victory Lane. “Man, I was super impressed with what he was doing out there, (speaking of Jared Clarke). I mean he kept that in the same spot every time, he ran me real clean. He kinda pinched me off going into three so I gave him a little shot to let him know I was not happy with it. I hope it was a good show for everybody”.

Race Results:

1. #44 Travis Wall; 30
2. #28 Jared Clarke; 30
3. #22 Eric Schaffer; 30
4. #46 Jason Michaud; 30
5. #72 Josh Taylor; 30
6. #29 Scott Allen; 30
7. #4 Debbi Beisecker; 30
8. #26 Bobby Hall; 30
9. #21 Dashe McLaughlin; 28
10. #14 JB Sipe; 14

Southern Ground Pounders 25 Laps: Fifteen Ground Pounders were on hand to take the green flag and based on a pill draw, determined the starting grid. Johnny James would draw the pole spot as Mark Tatum drew second. Green flag waved bringing the strong field of Ground Pounders through turns one and two. Leading lap one would be the man on pole Johnny Jones but one lap later it would be Barry Daltons turn. Next taking a turn at the lead was Dwight Sauls leaving Dalton in second. On back its Johnny James, Greg Butcher and Bubba Farmer the early top five. Haunting the race leader Sauls, Dalton would mirror every move of the race leader. Halfway in the feature was much the same as the best action would be seen from the front. Race leader Dwight Sauls soon encountered lap traffic and getting the better deal coming through was Barry Dalton taking the race lead. From there, the laps would run out for Sauls as Barry Dalton goes on to take the checkered flag. Dalton from Victory Lane, “Gotta thank Dwight Sauls, that’s one heck of a race car driver. We run that close, all the time and very rarely do we touch. Like to thank the fans and the track for having us, it’s a great series to run in. Anybody who wants to join us, it’s a lot of fun. First time winning here at Langley, it was a bucket list definitely, this is the one you come and show what you have. It’s a great facility, fun track to race at I’m proud to be here, proud to be a winner at Langley”.

Race Results:

1. #05 Barry Dalton; 25
2. #21 Dwight Sauls; 25
3. #0 Greg Butcher; 25
4. #15 Johnny James; 25
5. #11 Bubba Farmer;25
6. #92 Jay Dee Callihan; 25
7. #00 Mack Tatum; 25
8. #0 Rusty Wood; 25
9. #55 Dennis Bond; 25
10. #56 John Morgan; 25
11. #16 Christy Jeffers; 25
12. #68 Carlton Sharpe; 25

Old Skool Video Games Super Streets 40 Laps: Gordon Weeks would collect the Super Street series pole, his lap at 18.921 seconds kept the series points leader Dale Parro at bay and starting second. Sean Calway, Nick Sample and Randy Akers were also fast in qualifying third through fifth. With the drop of the green flag, the always intense racing division began the fender rubbing into turn one. Emerging as the race leader and coming from the outside its Dale Parro to the point. Coming through as well would be Sean Calway to second leaving Weeks the pole sitter in third, Nick Sample and Randy Akers were the early top five. Back at the front, Calway was not done with the early race moves when he soon became the new race leader of the feature. Looking like the Sean Calway of old, he soon built up a three car length lead as Dale Parro kept him well in sight. Not long before Parro started to make a few moves of his own, sizing up the leader to his bumper but then fell back to ride. Halfway saw the leader rebuild his race lead and put back another three lengths over Parro still in second. With the field strung out and well into the green flag run, the race leader soon began lapping the slower cars. The field would soon bunch back up courtesy of the first caution in which otherwise has been a fairly tamed Super Street feature. Ensuing restart saw Sean Calway continue to lead but on back, the beating and banging picked up and soon caused another race caution as eleven circuits remained. With another intense restart, Calway survives the charge of Dale Parro to maintain the race lead. Parro occupied second as Sample fared well in his restart taking third. But as the back of the field began to go single file, race leader Sean Calway had checked out and would go on to cross the stripe first by 0,874 seconds. Sean Calway from Victory Lane, “Marty builds a great engine and I’m very lucky to have him on my side. Say hi to Tim Gerry in Buffalo New York. Say hi to everybody else and Betty in turn four. I’m very lucky to be out here”.

Race Results:

1. #12 Sean Calway; 40
2. #15 Dale Parro; 40
3. #25 Nick Sample; 40
4. #20 Gordon Weeks; 40
5. #21 Randy Akers; 40
6. #33 Chris Spangler; 40
7. #22 Bill Eaker; 40
8. #95 Danny Harrell; 40
9. #14 Tillman Heuer; 40
10. #54N Billy Newman; 40
11. #48 Caitlyn Joyner; 33
12. #28 Thomas Gildea; 29
13. #53 Zac Stongle; 29

Parts Barn Enduro 30 Laps: Decided by the pill draw, Nate Ludin would get to lead an impressive thirty three car field to the green. In the second starting spot would be Zach Kane when the green flag waved. With the green over the speedway, leading lap one would be the pole sitter Nate Lundin as Phil Nelson charged to second. One lap later, Nelson soon took the lead but Lundin was not ready to give. Back came Lundin and with him waiting for the lead to settle out was Chris Kane who eventually waited long enough to take the lead. The races first red flag occurred as the paint trading ensued but soon the green again waved. Chris Kane would continue to lead as many of the cars were seen coming to a stop due to failure. Halfway in the feature, Kane continued to show the way as Lundin continued to pace the leader’s line. Making his way to third was Mikey Chinn who soon gave way to Colby Vance who was on a tear. Late stages of the event saw much more of the same as Kane continued to lead. Also blistering through the field was Richard Ellis who soon passed Vance and then Lundin for second. Final lap, Richard Ellis catches the leader and coming to the line its Richard Ellis the race winner narrowly passing Chris Kane for the win.

Race Results:

1. #41 Richard Ellis; 30
2. #48 Chris Kane; 30
3. #44 Colby Vance; 30
4. #88 Charlie Bryant; 30
5. #3 Mikey Chinn; 30
6. #99 Zach Kane; 30
7. #47 Nate Lundin; 30
8. #31 Richard Quinn; 30
9. #71 Brad Morningstar;30
10. #25 Ryan Vinson; 29
11. #7 Dwight Nickles; 29
12. #64 Thomas Fontaine; 29
13. #30 Rick Walsh; 29
14. #00 Robert Dezero; 29
15. #24 Chris Kane; 29
16. #13 Hayden Sheldon; 29
17. #18 Ben Wolff; 28
18. #53 Chris Spangler; 28
19. #2 Jesse Holston; 28
20. #33 Mike Kanary; 28
21. #11 Phil Nelson; 27
22. #16 Mel Vermillion; 27
23. #19 Courtney Schubert; 27
24. #20 Savannah Perry; 27
25. #90 Nick Martin; 27
26. #32 Vicky Connor; 26
27. #12D Nikki Dellert; 23
28. #17 Alex Floroff; 21
29. #4B Jake Bage; 19
30. #21P Karl Park; 16
31. #02 Michael Joyner; 9
32. #66 William Fontaine; 8
33. #96 Taylor Kool; 5
34. #73 Charles Johnson;