Campbell Takes the Flag, York Inherits the Win in Tech

Story by: Corey Latham ~ [email protected]

Altamahaw, NC(May 5, 2011) — At the track that has become the “Madhouse” of the Late Model Stock world, Ace Speedway once again put on another amazing show this past Friday night.

It seems we keep saying this over and over, and while other media outlets sometimes “hype” a race for more than what it was, this track has no reason for that. You just need to buy a ticket to see what I’m talking about, everybody that has been there already knows and after this past week it can’t be argued.

The race was scheduled for 75 laps on the initial schedule, but with the recent rain-outs the track decided to get in one of their big 100 lap races which in turn brings more purse money and ultimately, more cars. A hefty field of 20 cars showed up for the nights feature event, including non-regulars Harrison Rhodes, Garrett Campbell, Dennis Holdren, Matt Bowling and Jeb Burton, son of 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton.

In qualifying Dean Fogleman continued his rise back to the top as he picked up another pole followed by 2010 champion Dustin Rumley, Barry Beggarly, Thomas Scott and Jeb Burton. Fogleman would draw a four on the redraw inverting the top four qualifiers putting Thomas Scott on the pole to start the race, and he would show early that he had a car to beat……..until the carnage started.

Beggarly would jump to the lead at the green, this would be an ongoing occurrence all evening as Beggarly had restarts that would have made Ron Hornaday blush, they were nothing short of amazing. Scott would keep in tow rather well for the opening laps while Burton would learn the ways of Ace Speedway quickly as Rodney Cook then Campbell make contact to move by and start to give chase to Rumley in fourth.

The best battle is for eighth as Dean Fogleman has slipped back with John Moore beating on his back bumper lap after lap. We get to lap 13 when Moore finally drives him up the track in turn four and goes by, only to have Fogleman recover and turn him down the frontstretch spinning Moore in a cloud of smoke. It’s our first caution of the night, out of 13 more we would see later and our first cone restart.

Rumley and Brad Kurth are the first two to jump to the outside of the leaders as Rumley slips into second on the green just ahead of Scott (we won’t mention anyone taking the lead on a restart from Beggarly as it never happened). Scott would try to get back under Rumley but he would shut the door in turn one, Scott tries again in turn three and gets under him when Rumley comes down, only to have Scott back off. That’s when the problems start.

When Scott backs off to let Rumley gather it up, the rest of the field is on him and can’t stop. Cook gets into Scott, then climbs his car as he rides on top of the Scott machine tearing the entire left side off and trapping it under his own car. Behind them cars spin and dart everywhere and we have our second caution of the night, a sign of things to come. Miraculously all cars continue including Scott who now looks to be driving a modified and Cook who came down hard on his right side as he set back down on the ground from the Scott machine on the frontstretch.

We take three more restarts staying stuck on lap 14 before finally getting a big wreck damaging the cars of Fogleman, Kurth, Jason Payne, Scotty Warren, Robert Turner and Harrison Rhodes. The track simply had enough of the crazy driving as we seemed to not be able to make it a single lap and went back to a single file restart to get some laps on the board and some actual racing under our belts.

Beggarly would set sail once more with Rumley right behind but that would change three laps later as Campbell muscles his way by Rumley to take second. Campbell would make it known from here on that if anyone was going to beat Beggarly it was going to be him as the two put on quite a show.

We finally get some racing down as Beggarly holds the top spot, Campbell would close in but as soon as he would get within striking distance Beggarly would turn the wick up and pull out to a ten car length lead once more. Jeb Burton would fall into the pits from fourth with a cut tire and just a few laps later Tony Keen would go for s spin by himself in turn four to bring the yellow out once more. We go back to the double-file cone restart for lap 42.

Jason York and Rodney Cook will go high for this restart with Beggarly being no match for them as Campbell and York make contact for second getting Campbell sideways and stacking up the entire field behind them. Everyone somehow hangs on but now the eyes are on the battle for second as York moves ahead of Campbell, the same two drivers who started a bitter rivalry last season at Ace and carried it over to the Myrtle Beach 400 at the end of racing season. This was their first race back around each other so payback looked to be on the horizon from one of them.

Campbell gets back to York on lap 45 and runs him high in turn one and takes the spot, before York can even think about getting back to Campbell he has Cook all over him for third. Cook manages to get under York and take the third spot on lap 48 bringing Rumley with him dropping York back to fifth. Back in the pack things are a little wilder as Beggarly pulls away from the field.

After some green flag racing Campbell begins to reel in Beggarly and pulls up to his bumper on lap 69. They race into turn one and Campbell gives him a tap, he gives him another tap off turn four lifting the back tires of Beggarly off the ground while Beggarly hangs on and drives out of it as the crowd is on their feet. The battling for the lead now has turned into a five car battle on lap 71 as Beggarly, Campbell, Cook, Rumley and York run nose to tail.

Campbell continues the assault against Beggarly for the lead but everything he throws at him the former National Champion drives away from it, mostly sideways from contact each lap. It may sound excessive but at Ace Speedway this is how they race, Campbell gave him shots to the bumper but never did him dirty even once in their fierce battle. The caution would fly for a spin by Keen once again on lap 75 but not before York moves Rumley out of the way to take fourth. The drivers and the fans get a moment to catch their breath, but only for a few caution laps.

Rumley and John Moore who was in tenth try their luck on the outside but it doesn’t go to their liking as they get freight trained. Cook slips in front of Campbell after some side-by-side contact and then York gives Campbell a tap on lap 81 still remembering the earlier contact for sure. Campbell would hang on and show how good his car was as he motors back by Cook on lap 83 bringing York with him only to have their momentum slowed once more as Matt Bowling slams the turn four wall to put the field under yellow.