Story by: Mark Rogers, Jr. ~ [email protected]
Hampton, VA(July 31, 2012) — With so much hype and attention given to this once a year event, Langley Speedway’s Hampton Heat, as billed, lived up to its name.
A 200-lap feature around a 6 degree flat banked oval on a hot summer’s day featuring some of the best known names in Late Model Stock Car racing. Throw in $32,000 in awards and prizes with $10,000 to the winner alone. That on any given stage is enough to excite the Queen Elizabeth to have her doing flips and cartwheels, but who would have known that an unlikely out of towner would win and a rivalry would be taken to another level?
Lots of attention up and down pit road was given to a couple of drivers, but it wasn’t the guests of the race, it was the regulars that make Langley Speedway there home track. Track points leader, Greg Edwards and rival, CE Falk had everyone’s eyes on them the entire day. No two drivers in the past three years have gotten around Langley Speedway like they have. They’re entry, exit from the corners, they’re very line around the 4/10 mile oval was closely watched as teams scrambled all afternoon to follow in practice.
But for one driver, whether it was about the line around this track or the opportunity that was given to many. Somebody local or not was going to be the 2012 Hampton Heat Champion! Sharing the stage of this grand event was round two of the Virginia Triple Crown series, a three-race series comprised of South Boston’s season opener, the Hampton Heat at Langley and the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway. CE Falk leads that point’s race coming in by winning at SOBO earlier in the season. Eddie Johnson and Nick Smith who finished 2nd and 3rd in that same event were at The Hampton Heat to collect points as well. With round two on Falk’s home turf certainly favors the local wheelman, but those other two have won at Langley many times too.
Practice was a little different this time for the Hampton Heat 200. Race teams were given 2 ½ hours of practice to figure the tricky tire eating oval. To know surprise the bulk of the fast laps came from Greg Edwards and CE Falk. Kenny Forbes showed some speed throughout practice as did Danny Edwards Jr and Nick Smith. However, practice started at high noon, the Hampton Heat wasn’t slated to begin till around 9pm that evening. Which means the track surface would certainly have a much different feel for all the competitors, then came qualifying.
Twenty Three late models took time with Greg Edwards posting up a fast lap at 16.226 besting the competition for the pole. CE Falk qualified 2nd earning him a share of the front row. Matt Bowling, Kenny Forbes, Paul Debolt and Nick Smith made up rows 2 and 3 in the field only separated by a bit more then a tenth of a second. For many, getting back to the throttle was the key and overdriving killed some good laps but it was Greg Edwards who put it down and he’ll bring them to the green flag to start the Hampton Heat.
Prior to the drop of the green flag, it was only fitting that over the backstretch on the horizon was a lightning display of approaching weather. Fortunately, the storms stayed away but down on the track, we were going racing. Green flag waves and Greg Edwards in his hot rod Impala says follow me. So follow they did till about lap 12 were CE Falk after battling with Bowling closed in on Edwards and took the lead. Then the caution waves for the first time tonight as Duane Shreeves comes to a rest looking at the turn 3 wall. His night was done.
Action picked back up on lap 20 and CE Falk is showing the way. Just as soon as the field starts sorting itself out, caution number 2 waves for JT Jackson who goes around. Misfortunes for Casey Wyatt as he is now out with a sour motor and could not continue. Down to 21 late models now its lap 27 for this next restart, CE Falk grabs the point and leave Edwards and Smith to decide 2nd while Forbes and Bowling were fighting for 4th in the field. Couple laps into this green flag run saw Greg Edwards quickly collapse the lead of Falk and by lap 34, Edwards took control of the race.
Wasn’t much longer before Greg Edwards started to put cars down a lap and extended his lead by as much as 10 lengths’ over Falk who didn’t fair as well getting through traffic. Speaking of Falk, the younger brother Wesley Falk was making moves and gains to find himself in the top 5. Lap 60 now and Greg Edwards still showing the way, CE Falk shrinks the rather large lead down a bit but Edwards has no problem going 3 wide on lap 62 to keep Falk at a distance. A few laps later, the caution waves once again as Nick Smith and Danny Edwards Jr are involved.
Smith after a visit to pit road was able to continue but for Danny Edwards, significant damage to his ride and the 5 time Langley Speedway champ was done. At this point and making a little noise now running well was drivers Paul Debolt, Shayne Lockhart, Jeff Oakley, Brandon Butler and Dean Shifflett making up 6th through 10th in the field. But with the halfway point coming fast, there’s money to be won and the restarts to these cautions are going to get interesting! So here we go with a lap 77 restart and Edwards takes off securing the point.
CE Falk gives chase and is able to get to the bumper of Edwards when caution waves once again as Jeremy Grogg, Terry Carroll and with heavy damage is Eddie Johnson. While the others drove away it was Johnson who would have to park his ride and takes a huge hit in the Virginia Triple Crown standings. Lap 95 restart, Falk will cone up to the high side of Edwards for this green flag as both drivers will battle for the halfway money. No sooner the race gets going, lap 96 clicks and were back under caution. Edwards was able to hold off Falk and is the halfway leader in the race.
During this brief break, teams will be allowed to change 2 tires and minor adjustments approved by tech. Because of some approaching weather the break was reduced to 10 minutes to get this race going once again. Once the field is set, were back under green with Edwards on point. Then the caution comes out as Edwards is all over the place coming out of turn 2. He saves it without damage but it was CE Falk getting into the rear of Edwards that brings out this caution. Edwards would then quickly catch Falk and pulls up beside him to express his anger.
Because Edwards was a part of the caution, he goes to the rear. But for Falk, he’ll go to the rear for aggressive driving and was black flagged as a result. Once again, the long time rivalry between the two is renewed were many thought things were laid to rest because CE Falk is not in contention in the Langley track point’s race. Getting back to racing now we find Forbes leading with Bowling, Debolt, Wes Falk and Lockhart now the top 5. Green flag waves and Forbes takes off like he has been leading all night.
Jumping ahead now to lap 140 and Kenny Forbes is on rails. But just as impressive is Greg Edwards as he is now listed back in the top 5. CE Falk didn’t fair as well getting through but shows gains and is back in the top 10. While Forbes enjoyed leading, lap by lap saw Matt Bowling getting closer and closer to the leader. In fact it was lap 148 that Forbes surrendered the lead to the much faster Bowling. Caution flag flies now as lap 159 is on the board, JT Jackson is involved and spins around.
Laps are whinding down now and CE Falk has worked his way to 6th chasing Edwards to get back in the race. The caution is what both drivers needed and the cone restart will come in to play. Back to green now and just like that were back under caution as Greg Edwards gets into Shayne Lockhart in turn 1. Once again the green flag waves on lap 172 and like a bullet, Bowling takes off with the lead. By virtue of the cone restarts finds Wes Falk, CE Falk, now Brandon Butler and Shayne Lockhart the top 5.
Damage to the Greg Edwards machine finds himself going the other way and is not the same as he was before the last caution. Wes Falk goes after Bowling for the lead and is able to reach the bumper but that was all Wes Falk could do as bowling drove away finally. Then were back under caution again, this time its Jeremy Grogg pointed in the wrong direction. Lap 193 restart and a lap 194 caution as Lockhart and Oakley sustained damage. Bowling held on to the lead and leads the field to what will be a green white checker at Langley Speedway.
Lap 200 on the board and the Hampton Heat 200 is in overtime! Green flag waves and Bowling has the point. The Falk brothers are side by side to battle 2nd with CE Falk getting the spot. But the brief battle for 2nd was all Matt Bowling needed to cruise to the stripe and win the 2012 Hampton Heat 200. Wes Falk claims 3rd, Brandon Butler solid in 4th and Kenny Forbes in 5th.
