HAMPTON, VA :: Two weeks ago, Langley Speedway hosted their big race event before record crowds and record car counts. When it was all said and done, a sense of closure to the all the hype weighed in as the race lived up to expectations as advertised. For the NWASS Late Models, the Hampton Heat may be over but the race season enters a very important stretch to the end. Going in to Saturday night’s race, Greg Edwards sports a healthy series points lead over Matt Waltz by twenty six points. By Langley’s points structure, that gives Edwards a full race mulligan and then some. However, with eight races left on the schedule, the series points leader knows he can’t relax and that Waltz has nothing left to lose.
Action began with the afternoon time trials as thirteen Late Models took time and making a championship statement in his qualifying lap was Greg Edwards. His fast lap of 15.999 sec or 88.881 mph was good enough to beat out Matt Waltz who was just five hundredths of a second slower. Recording fast laps ere Connor Hall and Mark Wertz starting third and fourth respectively. Brenden Queen rounded out the five best in qualifying with other such notables as the Hampton Heat 200 runner up Danny Edwards Jr in the six spot. Tyler Ankrum made the trip but missed out on practice, qualifying 11th on the grid.
Race action was underway when the green flag waved and pole sitter Greg Edwards wasted no time establishing himself as the leader. After a brief lap one battle with Waltz, Edwards clearly wanted to set this races pace in the early going. On back, Connor Hall was keeping the leaders in sight as was Brenden Queen and Danny Edwards Jr. Several laps into the run and the race had been caution free at the halfway point. Greg Edwards was sporting a five car length lead as lap traffic was in play. Waltz, who otherwise stayed in tow to the leader, didn’t make up the ground like he had hoped while on back, Mark Wertz and Tyler Ankrum started moving towards the front. The later stages of the race saw Edwards on rails with his largest lead of the night at ten lengths. Waltz, Hall and Queen were all holding their own in need of a caution but it would never come.
After missing practice because of travel from Caraway Speedway (rainout) to Langley Speedway, fourteen year old California native Tyler Ankrum, who started eleventh, broke into the top five. But, back to the front, Edwards went mistake free and was easily the race’s best by winning his sixth race in the 2014 race season at Langley Speedway. Matt Waltz finished second while Connor Hall, Brenden Queen and Tyler Ankrum completed the top five of the field.
The second 75 lap race feature began with a starting grid according to how they finished in the first race giving Greg Edwards pole and lane choice. Edwards chose the outside lane when the green flag waved and then what seemed to be a rather tame first race turned into a dog fight right from the very start in the second.
Instantly, Edwards and Waltz battled for the race lead but it wasn’t until lap two before Greg Edwards secured the point. Waltz quickly regrouped and came charging back at the leader to take another shot. On back, Ankrum got off to a slow start giving way to Danny Edwards, Jr. for the five spot in the field. Connor Hall and Brenden Queen tussled a bit before going single file but all eyes quickly turned back to the leaders as Waltz went after Edwards. As Waltz engaged in on the leader, Edwards slipped a bit and it was all Waltz needed to make the pass. While the battle at front was going on, Danny Edwards was coming and found himself running third as lap twenty five clicked on the board. After the leaders went side by side for a few laps, Waltz finally gained a solid edge on Greg Edwards and created a sizeable lead.
The races first caution came when the backstretch lights went dark over in turn two as track officials wanted to investigate momentarily. The caution, which leader Matt Waltz hated to see, brought back Greg Edwards knowing full well a battle was forth and coming. The green flag waved and the fight was on, but Edwards’ fight for the lead was short lived as Waltz cleared the hot rod of Edwards rather easily on this restart. Several laps later though, Greg Edwards came charging back at Waltz while Queen, Danny Edwards and Ankrum came out of turn two three wide battling for third. As that dog fight settled itself out, Greg Edwards’ motor muscled as he caught the leader Waltz to take back the lead. After a few laps regrouping, Waltz decided to go back after Edwards to challenge for the lead. Meanwhile, Tyler Ankrum was coming and quite possibly, because of the jockeying up front, was easily the fastest car on the track.
In the closing laps of the race, Waltz regained the lead from Edwards in what had been a thriller to this point. The battle would go side-by-side before Waltz and Edwards would wash up the hill when suddenly Tyler Ankrum sneaked underneath of them both and for a moment, recorded a lap as the leader. Waltz managed to maintain his high line and work around Ankrum who, noticeably, spun his tires coming out of turn two, giving up any chance of winning the race. Greg Edwards was forced to watch it all in third before the checkered flag waved for Matt Waltz in a thrilling Late Model race. Ankrum, Greg Edwards, Danny Edwards Jr and Mark Wertz were the top five of the race.
Race action picks back up next week when the Late Models settle a 150 lap race feature.
Race Results
Race #1 of 2
1. #97 Greg Edwards
2. #2 Matt Waltz
3. #77 Connor Hall
4. #03 Brenden Queen
5. #58 Tyler Ankrum
6. #26 Danny Edwards Jr
7. #55 Mark Wertz
8. #38 Duane Shreeves
9. #90 Terry Carroll
10. #91 Justin Carroll
11. #7 Michael Hardin
12. #6 Evan Horne
13. #77 Bruce Livingston
14. #92 Casey Wyatt
Race #2 of 2
1. #2 Matt Waltz (winner)
2. #58 Tyler Ankrum
3. #97 Greg Edwards
4. #26 Danny Edwards Jr
5. #55 Mark Wertz
6. #77 Connor Hall
7. #38 Duane Shreeves
8. #90 Terry Carroll
9. #92 Casey Wyatt
10. #7 Michael Hardin
11. #03 Brenden Queen
12. #77 Bruce Livingston
13. #6 Evan Horne
14. #91 Justin Carroll
