CALLAWAY, VA :: Steve Dalton won Monday night’s Racing Dynamiks 200 at Franklin County Speedway in a thrilling race that saw several lead changes. Dalton overcame an early race spin by working his way from the back of the pack to the front of the field on his way to victory.
Dalton took the lead from Tommy Peregoy on lap 37 lap in the 50 lap race when Peregoy was held up by a lapped car. Dalton was able to pass Peregoy to take the lead before Peregoy turned the slow car of Rusty Gaspard. Dalton, who was stronger on the short runs, was then able to survive a few late race results and a wild last lap to score the victory.
“I’ve got to thank everybo
dy that helps with this car,” Dalton said. “These guys do an awesome job. This makes my job a lot easier. “
Dalton had set the fast lap in qualifying and, after an invert, started in fourth but was sent to the rear of the field for bringing out the caution flag when he and Kyle Dudley spun to avoid from hitting Zach Bruenger’s car when Bruenger slowed on the back stretch on lap 12.
“We came off the corner over there and a car had spun off over there,” Dalton explained. “He got in the brakes and, before I could get my foot on the brakes, he slowed down pretty quick and both of us spun ourselves out to avoid hitting that car and we both ended up going to the rear. Although I ended up front, it was a rough night and I had to drive my guts out.”
After the early incident with Dalton and Dudley, Kyle Barnes took the lead. Shortly after, Tommy Peregoy passed Barnes and led several laps before the issue with Gaspard. Peregoy ended up finishing second.
“We had a good car,” Peregoy said. “We’ve wanted to win a race some kind of bad. I wanted to come up here and help Langley Austin out here at Franklin County. These guys were tough. You come up here and you’ve got your hands full. We won the halfway break but the restarts hurt us… I didn’t come up here to cause controversy but Gaspard was up the racetrack in turn three and then he went down the track and back up and I got in to him then he came down the track and slammed on his brakes, I don’t know what that was about. I don’t know these guys and I don’t drive like that but I was racing for the win.”
Kyle Dudley ended up finishing third, Kyle Barnes finished fourth and Ace Speedway regular David Sell finished fifth.
Last lap melee injures veteran racer
The Racing Dynamiks 200 ended on a somber note when veteran racer Calvin Brooks was hospitalized following a serious crash on the last lap of the Late Model feature event. The accident was triggered when Kyle Barnes, Wesley Thomason and Bobby Gillespie were racing three-wide for the fourth position on the final lap. Gillespie and Thomason’s cars spun, blocking the track. David Sell, Tyler Hash and Calvin Brooks all ended up in the incident. Then, a few seconds later, Ernie Gillespie’s car t-boned Brooks.
It was later determined that Ernie Gillespie’s car could not slow down due to a brake failure.
Calvin Brooks had to be cut out of his car by safety workers. He was alive and responsive to medical workers and waved to crew members in the infield as he was carried in to the ambulance. He was transported to Roanoke Memorial Hospital by ambulance.
Brooks was released from Roanoke Memorial on Monday morning with a fractured rib and some swelling and soreness and is now at home where he is expected to make a full recovery.
Successful opening night
The race was the first race under Moonshine Capital Promotions management and the first race of the 2013 season at Franklin County Speedway. Moonshine Capital Promotions is owned by Langley Austin (who is also the owner and webmaster of RACE22.com). 15 Late Models attempted to qualify for the race which is a strong field for the track that had struggled with car counts in recent years under previous management. Hundreds of fans also flocked to the track.
“Thanks to everyone who came out to Franklin County Speedway tonight to support the new venture,” Track Promoter Langley Austin said. “I’m very humbled by the turn out and the support from everyone. The old track is very much alive again.”
Before the race, country music recording artist Wyatt Turner performed a concert for the crowd. He also performed the National Anthem.
The night the lights went out in Callaway
During the lap 12 caution, the lights on the backstretch at the high banked 3/8 mile track went out. The track was forced to red flag the race. The red flag period lasted for 12 minutes before the red flag was rescinded and racing was allowed to resume.
The next race at Franklin County Speedway will be on June 8th.
Official Race Results
1. #98 Steve Dalton
2. #2 Tommy Peregoy
3. #51 Kyle Dudley
4. #15 Kyle Barnes
5. #52 David Sell
6. #08 Wesley Thomason
7. #18 Bobby Gillespie
8. #99 Tyler Hash
9. #00 Calvin Brooks
10. #18 Ernie Gillespie
11. #29 David Wickham
12. #23 Rusty Gaspard
13. #55 Zach Bruenger
14. #87 Billy Martin
