HAMPTON, VA :: On a cooler the usual evening at Langley Speedway, a 150 lap feature was on tap for 12 NWAAS Late Models shown on the entry list. Getting things started were three rounds of practice with Greg Edwards, Nick Smith all showing fast laps in the afternoon sessions. With anticipation of the cooler conditions tightening up the track, practice was intense with teams making lots of changes. Qualifying was next and just as he showed speed in practice so he showed speed in his qualifying run. Greg Edwards grabbed the pole boasting a lap at 15.929 seconds or 89.271 mph. By a mere seven thousandths of a second, Matt Waltz came up short but was good enough to share the front row with Edwards.
Nick Smith, Mark Wertz and Casey Wyatt completed the five best in the grid with rookie Connor Hall sixth and back for the first time this year was Robert Bruce starting tenth. Though seemingly unusual about the car counts this year, the competition at Langley Speedway has been the best in some time now. Series points leader Matt Waltz came to the race just one point better over Greg Edwards while fourteen points back, tied for third, were Mark Wertz and Nick Smith. With seven completed races of a rich twenty three race season at hand, Langley Speedway has one of the better competitive race seasons going on right now in the Mid Atlantic.
Pole sitter Greg Edwards would show the 12 car field to the green flag and like a rocket, shot off into turn one securing the lead. In the early going it seemed Edwards had in mind to do away of the field with a fierce pace set early in this race. Able to stay with Edwards was Nick Smith but with twenty five laps in, a sizable lead separated the front two by as much as five lengths. On back, Matt Waltz began slipping and it wasn’t long Casey Wyatt was easily able to get underneath for the third spot on the grid. Mark Wertz would follow Wyatt’s line forcing the series points leader to the five spot as a third of the race has already been completed.
The pace set by Edwards was so fierce that, by lap eighty five of the event, Waltz’s fifth place position was clearly in sight of the leader. But then the races first and only caution waved for debris on the back stretch saving Waltz from potentially falling a lap down. Back to green flag racing and Edwards once again sets sail as Mark Wertz tried his luck on the outside to the leader. Soon after, Nick Smith would reclaim the two spot giving chase once again to Edwards. While having a good night was Casey Wyatt in third, the best racing action on the night came when he and Mark Wertz put on a door to door show for the fans. Eventually Wyatt held off the hard charging Wertz but that also sealed any chance of anything else.
Back up front though it was all Greg Edwards as he would go wire-to-wire in all 150 laps to win his third race at Langley Speedway in 2014. Nick Smith who was every bit as good in his race on the night fell short finishing second. After a up and down start to the season, Casey Wyatt had a strong run of his own finishing third with another good run from Mark Wertz in fourth. Matt Waltz who fought an ill handling race car early after some adjustments during the caution came back to finish fifth. Another notable was a solid performance from rookie Connor Hall in sixth. Once again the series points lead will change hands proving you must win at Langley Speedway. Greg Edwards with his effort tonight will once again claim the top spot with twin 64’s in honor of 64 years of racing at Langley Speedway will highlight next weekend’s events.
