HAMPTON, VA :: Not since June 25, 2011 has the fan favorite around Langley Speedway, Greg Edwards, been to Victory Lane. Between engine failures, hub failures, among other things and admittedly from Edwards, just getting beat, the three time Late Model track champion has otherwise been absent from Victory Lane. Though Edwards came into the 150 lap feature sitting third in points, the position doesn’t reflect how dramatic the 2013 race season has been to him and his race team. But on this night, it all changed and took a turn in the right direction as Edwards was holding the trophy in Victory Lane.
Nick Smith sat on the pole representing a strong field of nineteen hot rods prepped and ready for battle. Smith shared his front row with Greg Edwards in a fast lap of his own. Matt Waltz shared the second row with Brenden Queen who has shown improvement in recent weeks. After a bad crash with CE Falk last week and a new front clip, Jeff Oakley rounded out the top five in his efforts. So what of CE Falk and his qualifying run? Debuting a new car after spending much of the week at South Boston, the team had one day to prepare for the race at Langley. For his efforts, the series points leader would qualify twelfth in the field in search of speed and grip.
The green flag waved before a crowd of over 4,000 in attendance as Nick Smith led the field into turn one and by turn two secured the lead. Matt Waltz, who was fast at the start as well, paced Smith before having thoughts of battling for the lead. It was lap 30 that Waltz couldn’t pace Smith anymore and snuck underneath to claim the lead. As for CE Falk, the car was racing much better then it qualified showing 6th in the grid and as fast as the leaders. Also running well up front was Jeff Oakley, Greg Edwards and Mark Wertz making up the races top five.
Waltz at this point continued to lead but lap traffic collapsed the gap he had on Nick Smith. For several laps, Smith used several lines to harass the leader into making a mistake but Waltz was having none of the games. But on lap 80, Smith did it the old fashion way and that was to just motor on by to retake the race lead from Matt Waltz. The two would continue to battle nose to tail until lap 95 when trying to keep race pace, Smith appeared to go between two lapped cars and initiated the race’s first caution. After the smoke cleared, sideways and to a stop were the two race leaders of Nick Smith and Matt Waltz.
Smith came out with minor damage and was able to continue but for Waltz, the news was more severe. New leader Jeff Oakley took off with the race lead on the ensuing restart. Then came the race’s second caution for the spinning car of Justin Carroll as lap 107 is completed. The race resumed quickly and feeling good was Mark Wertz who dared to go to the outside on this restart. Wertz found the grip and cleared Oakley to lead his first laps of 2013. But the lead was short lived as Jeff Oakley reclaimed the point and banging on his door was Greg Edwards. Before Edwards could complete his pass on Oakley, the caution waved once again.
The race resumed on lap 125. The leader on the restart was Oakley who was slow to get going. Reports said he missed a shift and Greg Edwards made the leader pay and led that lap with the field sorting itself out. Oakley managed to hold the second spot after his mishap with CE Falk on his rear in third. Then it was Mark Wertz in fourth and Nick Smith who was coming in a hurry. Falk was then able to clear Oakley for second as Smith a few laps later cleared both Wertz and Oakley for third. But could they catch Greg Edwards?
While Falk and Smith were passing cars, Edwards was driving away, getting as far away from them as he could. The white flag finally came out in what, for Edwards, probably felt like eternity since capturing the lead. Making sure he hit all his marks, Greg Edwards came out of turn four seeing the checkered flag to win the race. Smith was on the bumper of Falk for the final laps with Smith getting to Falk’s inside but Falk by a nose would hold the charging Smith to take second leaving third to Smith. Jeff Oakley was fourth and in a up and down night,Wesley Falk raced his way to finish fifth in the field.
The Late Model division at Langley Speedway continues to be full of surprises as it yields its forth different winner of 2013. Many will agree, the race groove is finally starting to move up the track a bit as more and more teams will use it on these cone restarts. CE Falk, Greg Edwards, Mark Wertz, Nick Smith, Matt Waltz along with others, have all gone up there and brought fans to their feet in these exciting door to door battles for the lead. Next week these and many other drivers will compete in Twin 75’s before taking a week off before the Hampton Heat 200 which pays 10 grand to the winner and second round to the Virginia Triple Crown.
