Victories by Josh Berry and Danny Edwards, Jr. highlighted a very warm and muggy Saturday night at Langley Speedway.
The green flag waved for the first of two races with 20 hot rods coming to life. Tyler Hughes secured the early lead as Josh Berry quickly dropped in behind the leader. Behind him, things weren’t so settled or otherwise, decided just yet. But with just two laps on the board saw the races first caution involving Langley’s two top series points leaders wrecking in turn one. Points leader Greg Edwards and Brenden Queen would get together in turn one seeing both cars suffer heavy damage. Edwards fared the worst in the deal as his race was done, so was his best piece for competition.
Though Edwards walked away, he was seen favoring his right arm but stated he was otherwise fine. For Queen, the front end was knocked all out of whack but his team managed to get the car as close to drivable as possible and was able to continue. However, the emotions of both teams boiled over from the events as words were exchanged and a bit of pushing took place.
Back to green flag racing and again, Hughes made quick work of the field as the leader. Matt Waltz was creative in making some moves and was in third but all eyes were on what happened on lap eight as Josh Berry got underneath Hughes to take the lead.
Josh Berry created a massive lead by as much as fourteen lengths before the races second caution flag waved on lap fifty seven when Cameron Bowen went around. Back to green flag racing and Berry appears to have missed a gear causing a chain reaction that brought us back under out third and final caution. Terry Carroll went around with front end damage to Bruce Livingston ride retiring his night of racing. Lap 56 restart and this time, Josh Berry secured the lead after a brief battle with Tyler Hughes. Danny Edwards Jr worked his way past Hughes to take second but it was Josh Berry’s race to win as lap sixty five went on the board. Berry, Danny Edwards, Tyler Hughes, Mark Wertz and Matt Waltz were the five best.
The starting grid for the second race was set by how they finished the first feature giving race one winner Josh Berry the provisional pole. When the Green flag waved, Danny Edwards, Jr. rocketed to the lead on the outside. On back, just another lap was needed to decide the early five best as Berry, Hughes, Wertz and Waltz were shown. Berry, coming off a thrilling race one win, was relentless in not letting Danny Edwards, Jr get away as the two leaders were nose to tail.
Putting on a show for the fans were Mark Wertz and Tyler Hughes as they battled for third but that all ended when the two got together bringing out the first caution of the race. Admitting fault, Hughes claimed responsibility getting into Wertz that sent him going around. Lap 25 restart and Edwards rocketed off, securing the point with Berry in tow. Seen making his way into the top five now was Casey Wyatt and clicking off some off the fastest laps of the race. Clicking off some fast laps too was Greg Edwards in a back up car making his way to the five best on the grid.
The race’s second caution flag waved on lap forty four of the event as Casey Wyatt goes around ending any chance of victory. Back to the green again and once again, Danny Edwards Jr nailed his restart along with the race lead. Berry would settle in the second spot but third and fourth was getting interesting. Brenden Queen was doing well running third and running him down in a hurry was Greg Edwards.
Quickly the attention was back on these two who had earlier issues in race one and wondering if payback was on the way. However, neither driver made no fuss as Greg Edwards was clearly faster with Queen simply letting Edwards go on by to take third. Back up front though, five time Langley Speedway Late Model track champion Danny Edwards Jr was on cue and created a healthy lead over Berry. Edwards won the second race, his second victory of the year, with Josh Berry, Greg Edwards, Brenden Queen and Mark Wertz rounding out the top five.
Late Model race action resumes at Langley Speedway in two weeks for another evening of twin 65s.
