Story by: Langley Austin ~ [email protected]

Williamston, SC(June 8, 2011) — Anderson Motor Speedway was the site of the fifth UARA-STARS Late Model Stock Car Series race of the 2011 season and the race brought a variety any fan could love.

There was everything from a first time winner, a disqualification, another first time winner, a couple of spins including one of the Poole/Pressley variety, a long green flag run and plenty of comers and goers along the way to the conclusion of a great night of racing on one of the South’s finest short tracks.

Want the details on the entire night? We’ve got it all here with a little “News, Notes and Quotes” version of a race recap.

SECOND POLE or SECOND PLACE …
Ronnie Bassett, Jr. secured his first pole of the 2011 season in what has been an incredible turn around by one of the series youngest drivers in a short period of time. Early in the season he went from a top five finisher in race number one to getting lapped in race number two and back to being a top five runner in race number, this following a quick crew chief change.

On the other side of the front row it was another second place qualifying effort for a driver who has been dominant this season when he’s raced with two wins(one UARA and one at Ace[which resulted in a DQ]) in just three starts leading into this race. Garrett Campbell wasn’t happy about his second place qualifying effort either as he stated “I can’t get a pole to save my life”. However, Campbell’s second place would be an omen for his night as he wouldn’t be a strong as we’ve became used to seeing him this season.

WHAT THE ??? …
Three drivers that everyone was expecting to be contenders in this race going in was obviously Brennan Poole, who has won three of the four races going in, Jeremy Burns a part-time UARA racer, who can call Anderson his second home track and Anthony Anders, whose been dominant at Anderson and Greenville Pickens this season. These three guys had to be embaressed however when qualifying was completed as they lined up 12th, 13th and 21st respectively.

GREEN, GREEN, YELLOW …
As UARA-STARS Series flagman, Danny Willard was waving the green flag, he quickly had to reach for the yellow flag as a spin in turn one brought about the first caution of the night. Scott Turlington would get turned around off the front bumper of Jeremy Burns in turn one. Neither car would recieve any significant damage, but a top ten start for Turlington was ruined and Burns toe had been knocked out, making a charge back through the field even more difficult.

WRONG PRESSLEY OR JUST RACIN’ …
The next caution to wave over the field was Kaleb Pressley spun off turn two as Poole got into him and turned him around. Pressley’s tire was cut and he was done for the night as he wasn’t in a points battle and had no reason to continue. Poole was able to continue with no penalty, much to the dismay of his “fans”, most of which weren’t even at the race.

Poole was racing hard and he had a faster car at that point in the run than Pressley and as he made his way to the inside of Pressley, the two ended up in the same lane. Not once, but atleast twice and maybe three times and eventually Poole didn’t back off and made his move, which resulted in Pressley’s car spinning and cutting a tire. It was nothing more than racing, hard racing and you can say why is a guy racing that hard at lap 32 or you can say why is guy racing a faster car that hard at lap 32 … it’s really a matter of perspective.

DOESN’T MATTER WHO’S DRIVING …
The #1 car has had a couple of different drivers now this season as Julia Dawson started the season in the car and now Grant McGinnis finds himself in the car owned by short track veteran, Don Satterfield. The car certainly hasn’t made any waves, no matter who’s driving and is often getting lapped, but this season more than any other it seems the drivers of this car can’t stay out of the way of the leaders. Nearly taking, Ronnie Bassett, Jr. out of the lead once on Friday, McGinnis was way too often in the way.

On the other hand, I’ll give props to the 26 car of Joey Herques, who kept himself out of the way on Friday night despite not having a good car. He’s struggling, but he’s smart enough and has a spotter who’s keeping him out of everyone’s way.

LONG GREEN FLAG RUN …
I’ve been going to UARA races since 2003, in fact my first UARA race was at Anderson Motor Speedway, when Brandon McCarson spun out of the lead and Woody Howard took home the win. Friday night was maybe the longest green flag run in UARA history, but certainly the longest one I can ever remember seeing myself. It had to be about 100-laps long or more and went all the way to the finish of the race. However, just because it was a long green flag run, that doesn’t mean it didn’t have a lot of action.

Jeremy Burns was on the move, in fact in this long green flag run he came from last to second, but unfortunately about 20-car lengths back. Poole was also on the move, all the way to third from a 12th place start. David Roberts, who has been the “Hard Charger” every race, but one this season, was on the move again, but it didn’t last as he faded toward the end and ended up 8th as the last car on the lead lap. Kyle Grissom and Randy Hawkins were kinda the “goers” as they both slipped back from solid top five runs to finish sixth and seventh. George Miedecke was pretty much solid all race long and came home with a fifth place finish and the rookie of the race award.

FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME …
Bassett drove his heart out from the drop of the green flag as he led every lap en route to winning the race, the first of his UARA-STARS Series career. It was his 23rd start in the highly competitive series and his fifth for Jamie Yelton’s Fat Head Racing. It was a fast track to victory lane for the youngster, who hadn’t even won a Late Model Stock Car race of any kind yet and to dominate the race was a big deal for him despite his family not being able to be with him as they were up the road with his younger brother, Dillon, who won twin races at Ace Speedway in Limiteds.

SHORT LIVED …
With the race ending around 11pm, it was the early hours of Saturday morning before the tech process was in full swing. Bassett’s win was only a few hours old when the UARA Officials found what appeared to be an illegal camshaft in Bassett’s crate engine. Officials decided to call the camshaft wrong after some discussion and quickly Yelton, who owns the team filed a protest of the disqualification. The engine didn’t belong to Yelton, it was an engine that was owned by Bassett’s father, but he knew he had to protest the part in question to ensure that he exhausted all avenues to get the win back.

FROM LAST TO SECOND TO FIRST AFTER DQ …
Burns then inherited the victory, posed for a few photos with the trophy and then began the wait and see game to find out how the protest would turn out. Burns would get to keep the victory after the protest resulted in a definite disqualification of Bassett for his illegal camshaft. It would be Burns first career UARA-STARS Series win in just a handful of career starts including three this season. The young man, won his first Late Model Stock Car race a year ago at Greenville Pickens, followed it up with big win in the $10,000 to win SH Carter 125 and this season has another win after Anthony Anders was DQ’ed at Greenville.

HE IS HUMAN OR IS HE?
Brennan Poole has seemed to be a machine since mid-season 2010, racking up nine UARA-STARS Series wins since April 2010 including five in row(last three of 2010 and first two of 2011). This seasons stats are unbelievable including three wins and one second place finish heading into the race at Anderson. However, he stumbled a little in qualifying as he qualified just 12th, but made up some ground in the race, despite his crew chief saying his car “wasn’t very good”. He forgot about his driver, who showed signs of being human in qualifying, but showed why he’s leading the points in the UARA and the Power Rankings for LMSC racers on RACE22.com. He’s human … maybe just a little.

NOT THE BEST RACE, BUT AN INTERESTING DAY AT THE TRACK …
This was probably the worst UARA-STARS Series race of the 2011 season, with Bassett out front stinking up the show and what might have been the longest green flag run in UARA history it wasn’t the race Anderson Motor Speedway fans had expected. However, despite no battle for the lead it was fun to watch a guy like Burns race to the front after making a mistake in the opening laps to turn Turlington and watching Poole rise to the occassion and get another second place finish.

Results:
1 – Jeremy Burns #81
2 – Brennan Poole #7
3 – Garrett Campbell #72
4 – George Miedecke #9
5 – Kyle Grissom #31
6 – Randy Hawkins #03
7 – Michael Rouse #23
8 – David Roberts #18
9 – Danny O’Quinn, Jr. #02
10 – Greg Peterson #25
11 – Scott Turlington #48
12 – Alex Yontz #77
13 – Andy Mercer #01
14 – Justin Sorrow #91
15 – Ralph Carnes #2
16 – Joey Herques #26
17 – Grant McGinnis #1
18 – Anthony Anders #36
19 – Trey Gibson #33
20 – Kaleb Pressley #54
21 – RA Brown #60
DQ – Ronnie Bassett, Jr. #04