HAMPTON, VA :: Langley Speedway kicked off its 63rd race season with huge excitement generated from the obvious sight of fresh new asphalt featuring 11 divisions of racing from Bandoleros to the NASCAR Whelen All American Series (NWAAS) Late Models. The track also plays host to the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour along with the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series. With track records in jeopardy of falling in each division, no doubt that 2013 at Langley Speedway was poised for what could possibly be its greatest race season yet. Let’s recall Langley’s Late Model division, the ups, the downs and its 2013 track champion.
April 6th was the season opener and to a capacity crowd who saw a four year track record fall once held by Danny Edwards Jr. Nick Smith shattered the qualifying record nearly half a second quicker at 15.292 and claimed pole for the night. But for the 2012 Langley Late Model track champion Greg Edwards, his season kicked off with an unexpected bang in practice. Noting engine failure, Greg Edwards and his race team hauled tail back to the race shop, changed engines and was back on track 90 minutes later to lead the final practice. He also would start outside on the front row, quite a start to his 2013 season.
Though the night began with Nick Smith sporting a new track record, it was an all too familiar face in Victory Lane that stole the show. CE Falk didn’t have the fastest lap that evening but he was the quickest to the checkered flag. Falk grabbed the lead on lap 73 and took the season opener. The next event was April 20th and the talk on pit road was tire wear. Many teams showed excessive right front, right rear wear and in some cases, blistering. Track officials acted quickly with a harder, less aggressive tire compound that should ensure the safety as the new race surface breaks in.
Sure enough, speeds were down as Matt Waltz clocked a 15.573 lap well short of the record securing the pole. But once again, with CE Falk’s lap 32 pass, he took the lead never looked back and dominated the race picking up win number two for the season. Matt Waltz from the pole would make a statement by finishing second but the concerns of tire wear were put to rest as race teams seem to approve of the new compound. In the month of May, Late Models competed on just one date but scheduled were twin 75s. Matt Waltz earned his second pole and would lead a field of 21 Late Models to begin the evening. Dean Shiflett would give Waltz a fit early but soon after, it was Waltz prevailing picking up his first win of the season. In likewise fashion, Matt Waltz would win the second feature as well.
It was not until the month of July before Late Model action resumed, rain forced everyone away for several weekends. June 1st and June 8th race dates saw CE Falk back on track and to his winning ways, picking up four straight victories and boasting a healthy size points lead nearing the halfway point in the season. Though leading many laps and picking up two pole awards himself, Nick Smith at this point was struggling to find solid finishes and Victory Lane. That was until the June 15th and June 29th race dates when things just all came together for Nick Smith as he scored four straight victories and clearly the best so far at this point.
Starting off the month of July, Greg Edwards scored his first win of the 2013 season after the season had been plagued with engine issues, misfortunes and admitting they were just getting beat. The savvy veteran of the .396 mile oval took advantage of a Jeff Oakley mistake on the restart and in clean air, could not be caught. Though he’s not scoring wins lately, at this point, CE Falk has been doing everything else right by leading the points race collecting many top 5 finishes along the way. The next weekend saw Matt Waltz and Nick Smith share the night collecting wins. Both drivers at this point were the two best in the field, but engine woes and wrecks has hurt their chances for a shot at a championship. But that didn’t keep these two from racing hard and beating and banging a bit, right into a potential rivalry.
Closing out the month of July was Langley Speedway’s premier racing event in the Hampton Heat 200. It was also the second feature of the Virginia Triple Crown Series. The winner stood to collect 10 grand and many bonus awards which spawned a field of 30 Late Models race teams. The race was what many fans believe and what has been recognized as the best race of 2013 by RACE22.com staff. Peyton Sellers proved he just flat out wanted it more than anyone else as he used a late race bump and move on leader Nick Smith to win the event. Positions one through 12 stayed nose to tail with passing on every lap of the race. From high fives to some pretty ticked off racers who wouldn’t comment on the night, the Hampton Heat 200 certainly did get hot!
Opening the month of August, CE Falk continues to lead in season points but his winning dominance has been placed on hold. The August 10th date saw twin 75’s for the Late Model division where Nick Smith picked up his 6th win in 2013. Casey Wyatt who up to this point been solid with strong finishes in the recent weeks showed to be a man on a mission. Wyatt would finish second in this feature believing he was actually better the Smith and just running out of laps. Greg Edwards picked up win number two of 2013 in the second feature. Edwards, who was all but desperate for a another win after a disappointing transmission failure in the Hampton Heat, made quick work of Nick Smith and dominated the event.
The final race in August came on the 24th featuring man to beat Nick Smith. Though just a few weeks earlier, Greg Edwards put a whooping on Smith and the rest of the field in the last event, could Smith get back on track and to his winning ways before seasons end? Despite strong performances from Greg Edwards, Casey Wyatt and Matt Waltz, Smith proved just a bit better scoring wins seven and eight for the year. For CE Falk, once again, he and his race team dodged yet another bullet as a tire went down but works his way back into contention finishing 3rd and 2nd for the night. Falk also secured the points championship winning fourth title in five years at Langley Speedway.
In the season finale with the championship locked up, Greg Edwards proved that sometimes being at the right place at the right time can put you in Victory Lane. Matt Waltz and Nick Smith who have battled all year long against each other didn’t disappoint in this race either. Back and forth, beating and banging for the lead before one-time too many sent both drivers backwards and Edwards claiming the lead driving away from it all. Casey Wyatt, who had been on a tear as of late, slipped through it all too but as Waltz regrouped to finish second, nobody had anything for Greg Edwards in clean air and scores his third win of 2013.
Trying to recap each of these races doesn’t do these race teams or the racing justice as the Late Model race season by far was the best anyone could remember. New asphalt created speed and a new track record. While the outside groove was slow to come in, Langley Speedway produced some of the best side by side racing anywhere on asphalt. We all knew the rivalry between Falk and Edwards but that has been replaced with a Waltz and Smith show. Other racers making gains on the year was definitely Casey Wyatt, Dude Gibbs and Mark Wertz. We didn’t mention Brenden“Butterbean”Queen but the impressive 15 year old won the Rookie of the Year award. Nick Smith won eight races and earned the name of the man to beat. But congrats to CE Falk in his championship run, scoring six wins and finished outside the top-five in only two events due in part to one wreck and one overheating issue. The 2013 championship marks his fourth title in the last five years at Langley Speedway.
