CALLAWAY, VA :: Steve Dalton swept twin Late Model races at Franklin County Speedway on Saturday night after an on-track altercation with popular fan favorite Kyle Dudley.

Dalton was the fastest qualifier with a 14.09 second lap, the fastest qualifying lap laid down in the Late Model Stock Car division so far in the 2013 season.  Dalton led wire-to-wire in the first race to score his second win of the 2013 season.  However, the second race was far more eventful for Dalton.

Dalton initiated contact with Dudley in turn two on lap eight of the second 35 lap feature, causing Dudley to slide up the track and surrender the lead.  In the next turn, Dudley retaliated causing both cars to wreck.  Dalton and Dudley then proceeded to trade paint under caution.  Later in the race, Dalton would initiate contact again with Dudley, sending him up the track and out of the groove.  Dalton would go on to win the race and perform the sweep.

“The first race was a great race,” Dalton said.  “I never spun Kyle (Dudley).  I could have spun him but I didn’t.  I owed him for a few weeks ago.  I could have put him in the wall.  I could have wrecked him.  I just wanted to let him know I didn’t appreciate that deal.  If he wants to race clean, I’ll run him clean every race from now on.  I’m not going to put up with that crap.”

Dalton was referring to a race on June 8th when Dudley made contact with Dalton in a Late Model feature that Dudley went on to win.

“Racing’s racing,” Dalton stated.  “Wrecking like the last race I was here, he just jammed me in the wall instead of trying to race with me.  I’ll race with anybody.  I don’t wreck anybody.  But I’m not going to put up with it either.  If he wants to do this, we can do this every week.  It doesn’t make any difference to me.”

“I don’t know what his problem was,” Dudley remarked.  “He carried me off here in turn one.  He wasn’t doing anything except trying to wreck me.  We got back in to turn three and I gave it back to him.  I’ll tell you I did.  He wanted to turn around and hit me head on (under caution) and act all stupid and then he tore the whole right side off my car.  It’s just ridiculousness.  I don’t know who would put someone like that in a car.  I guess they like it too because they’re the same caliber of character as he is.  I have more respect for my stuff and I didn’t want to do any more than what had already been done.  That’s all there was to it.  We’ll have to see what happens in the future but I doubt they’ll be back.”

Dudley says he had no recollection of the incident Dalton referred to, saying that race took place more than ten races ago.  He also says he felt Dalton should have been parked and that, if the track had decided both drivers should have been parked, he would’ve been fine if he also had to be parked.

Dalton won the first race with Ryan Glenski, Kyle Dudley, Kyle Moon and Johnny Cash rounding out the top five.  In the second race, the top five were Dalton, Cash, Wesley Thomason and Rusty Gaspard.  Gaspard overcame a wreck in the first race to return to the track and score a top five finish in the second race.

The next race at Franklin County Speedway will be the Labor Day Classic on Sunday, September  1st.  That race will feature twin 35 lap Late Model features along with every other division and a fireworks show after the race.

Photos

Results

Twin 35-lap LMSC race #1
1. #98 Steve Dalton
2. #28 Ryan Glenski
3. #51 Kyle Dudley
4. #19 Kyle Moon
5. #30 Johnny Cash
6. #08 Wesley Thomason
7. #080 Eddie Rocke
8. #23 Rusty Gaspard

Twin 35-lap LMSC race #2
1. #98 Steve Dalton
2. #30 Johnny Cash
3. #08 Wesley Thomason
4. #23 Rusty Gaspard
5. #51 Kyle Dudley
6. #28 Ryan Glenski
7. #19 Kyle Moon