HAMPTON, VA :: Picture perfect weather, a beautiful sunset just over the turn three landscape and just below in its 64th year was the famed .395 oval called Langley Speedway. One this night for the NWAAS Late Models was Twin 75s and 16 rockets made up the starting grid for what should be the night to distinguish who is the man to beat around Langley Speedway. Coming into the evening races were Greg Edwards and Matt Waltz sharing the top spot in the series points. The pair also found Victory Lane in the seasons two earlier events as well. Sitting third in the series points and ready to score a win was Nick Smith. Boasting pole awards in the first two races, Smith so far has been denied Victory Lane and leading the final lap.
Leading the practice charts all afternoon was Matt Waltz, others like Nick Smith and Mark Wertz were also showing speed heading into the time trials. Next up was qualifying and this time, Matt Waltz proved to be the man on pole with a lap at 15.788 seconds or 90.068 mph. Nick Smith, Brandon Gdovic, along with Duane Shreeves and Late Model rookie Connor Hall made up what was a very tight field in qualifying by being the races five best. On back in the grid with work to do was Greg Edwards starting 7th and will need to make a few moves to win the 75 lap feature. But the talk of the evening was how much would the track change from day to night and did everyone make the right changes for the race?
The green flag dropped for the first of twin 75 lap events and pole sitter Matt Waltz needed just one lap to secure the point. But then over in turn four on the races second lap the leader goes around in front of the entire field for the races first caution. Word from the scoring tower came informing Nick Smith to the rear for rough driving as two of the series best performers would restart from the tail end of the field. There were big concerns for both drivers and whether or not the extent of damage if any would keep them from advancing forward. Soon we were back to green and it was Brandon Gdovic leading the charge. After a brief battle, the lead changed hands as Greg Edwards took advantage of the cone restart eventually getting by Gdovic on lap three.
Also making gains in the field was Mark Wertz who was very strong early in the event after starting sixth on the grid claiming the two spot in a great battle with Gdovic. As this was all going on, the leader Greg Edwards was getting away. By the halfway point in the race, Edwards was still in control with the lead and uncontested from Wertz who was several lengths behind dealing with lap traffic. Matt Waltz had worked his way back to fourth after starting from the rear from a spin in the races only caution. But this feature would belong to Greg Edwards as he once again dominated the field for his second win of the season. Mark Wertz finished second over Brandon Gdovic, Matt Waltz and Brenden Queen scoring a top five finish in his first appearance in 2014 at Langley Speedway.
In the nightcap, the starting order was decided by the results of the first feature giving Greg Edwards the pole spot on the grid. Once again, 16 Late Models took the green flag and Greg Edwards would take the races early lead. Quickly making moves as well was Matt Waltz who was in tow behind the leader and possibly still upset at Smith for being spun. Gdovic, Wertz and Queen settled in at this point making up the top five. But then just a few laps later, it was go time for Waltz who snuck in underneath Edwards for the lead on lap 14. Edwards would quickly get down making chase of the leader but the rear bumper got smaller on each lap as Matt Waltz led the field. Terry Carroll and Mackena Bell made top-five gains in this green flag run before caution was on the track.
After having a decent night, Brenden Queen went around to bring out the first and only caution of the race. Queen and Devon Amos were in a heated battle for position with Queen getting the worst of the deal. All this happening in front of the leader Matt Waltz who got to see it all up and close, maybe a little to close as well but safely made it through. Back to green flag racing and if you were going to get him, now was the time as Matt Waltz nailed the hammer down. Brandon Gdovic, who choose the outside of Waltz by virtue of the cone restart, had to deal with Edwards before getting the two spot, but by then, the leader was long gone. Matt Waltz closed this race deal with a lead of a half a straight over second place Gdovic when the checkers flew. Edwards would finish third, Nick Smith rebounded to finish fourth and Mark Wertz rounded out the five best.
During the interview in Victory Lane, Waltz expressed his disapproval of Nick Smith. Whether or not there’s a rivalry brewing in the early goings of the Late Model division at Langley Speedway is still to be determined. It’s Greg Edwards leaving with the points lead as race action picks back up on May 17th for Twin 75s.
