HAMPTON, VA :: After a hot and humid summer at Langley Speedway, the Late Model race season was coming to a close but not before one more 125 lap feature. However on this night, the cooler evening temps created a little buzz on pit road and just how quickly the sensitive low banked oval at Langley Speedway would be. Nick Smith was one that couldn’t wait to lay down his fast lap in deciding the starting grid and why not? Boasting a season high 8 wins and numerous pole awards, Smith was looking for business as usual. But that was until Matt Waltz qualified his fast lap at 15.674 seconds and earned him his spot on pole.
So, with Matt Waltz on pole, Nick Smith to his outside, other Langley notables included Greg Edwards, Dude Gibbs and Casey Wyatt completing the races five best. Langley’s 2013 season points champion CE Falk would start seventh but making some noise with his first sub 16 second lap was first year Late Model racer Justin Carroll starting eighth in the grid. With the track lit up bright, it was show time as Matt Waltz would lead a field of 19 Late Models to the green. Racing gets underway and it wasn’t long as Nick Smith makes a statement by taking the lead from Waltz. But making a statement of his own was Waltz who would take it right back.
After a few laps and as the field sorts itself out saw the leader Matt Waltz, Nick Smith begins to check out with Greg Edwards, Casey Wyatt and CE Falk giving chase to the leaders quick pace. Edwards begins his march and catches Smith for a battle for the second position but the caution would wave as Gary Weeks went around. Back to green flag racing again with Casey Wyatt taking the cone to the leaders outside. Matt Waltz has a great restart and secures the point but once again were back under caution as Justin Carroll is involved in a spin. Back to the green and working lap 38 see’s Waltz with another great restart.
Several green flag laps into this run and Matt Waltz begins to show the strength of his piece as he builds a 8 car length lead over Greg Edwards who worked his way around Smith for second. By lap 89 in this race saw Waltz with a half a front stretch lead disappear as the caution returned to the track for Terry Carroll who comes to a stop in turn two. Working a lap 93 restart and this time, Nick Smith takes the cone. Green flag waves as the battle between Waltz and Smith begins. Door to door into turn one as Waltz holds off the charge, Waltz out of turn two has a slight advantage and keeping Smith to his outside. But then it all goes south from there.
Going into three, Waltz still has the advantage here but has yet to clear Smith. Then contact between the two in turn 4 saw both Waltz and Smith going backwards as Greg Edwards goes by taking the lead. Waltz would make a great save and regroup in time to claim the second spot on the grid while Smith settles back in fifth. For Greg Edwards, it was an opportunity in clean air to show what he could do and as good as Waltz had been all night. He wasn’t as good chasing down Edwards as the 2012 Langley Speedway track champion would go on to win his third race of the year before handing the championship reigns over to CE Falk.
Matt Waltz finished second, Casey Wyatt third, Nick Smith fourth and Dean Shiflett would round out the five best in the field. With the wave of these nights checkered flag closes out what many will go on to say was Langley Speedway’s most competitive season ever. Sporting a new track surface saw lots of door to door, beaten and banging racing and can easily make its case for the best local short track in the Mid-Atlantic region. Having five different winners and hosting arguably the best premier race of the year in its Hampton Heat 200. Langley Speedway has certainly been a hot ticket for any Late Model race fan to be to spend their Saturday nights.
