Track PR
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CONCORD, N.C. (April 7, 2012) – In only the second week back at Concord Speedway, Town and Country Ford Kid’s Night at the Races provided another great show for not only our littlest fans, but for all who came out to tonight’s racing show. Kenny Brooks, of Concord, N.C., Cooper Faassen, of Monroe, N.C., Adam Morgan, of Harrisburg, N.C., and Bob Hapeman, of Midland, N.C., each scored a victory in tonight’s feature events.
After leading much of the Pepsi 100 last week before falling back to a disappointing eighth place finish, Brooks thoroughly enjoyed grabbing the victory in tonight’s Wilburn Auto Body Late Model Stock Car division 100-lap main event. Brooks used his second pole of the season to his advantage as he checked out to an early lead on the field.
However, Haas developmental driver, Nicholas Drake, of Mooresville, N.C., and Jeff Melton, of Concord, N.C. fought a hard battle for fifth position. Melton suffered heavy damage after he spun his car in practice and returned to his Concord, N.C. shop to make repairs in time for the feature event. Andrew Thomas, of Monroe, N.C., was the first to challenge Brooks’ lead, but it just wasn’t enough and Thomas went on to finish second with Drake following behind in third.
Cooper Faassen scored the victory in the 40-lap Pepsi Street Stocks division feature event. The race got off to a wild start when the well-known cars of Brian Love, of Mount Pleasant, N.C., and Sonny Schoffen, of Mint Hill, N.C., spun on lap one. Once the race got back to green, brothers, Cooper and Charles Faassen ran one-two and set the pace for the field. However, with 10 laps to go, Charles Hutto, of Monroe, N.C., reeled in the Faassen train and began to beat bumpers with last week’s winner, Charles Faassen, for second place. Ryan Pencek, of Monroe, N.C., waited patiently in fourth position to close on any mistakes either Faassen or Hutto would make.
On lap 35, Ron Flynn, of Harrisburg, N.C., spun his car hard into the wall on the backstretch bringing out the caution flag and creating a 5-lap shootout. Once the field went back green, there was no shortage of bumper-to-bumper racing as Charles Faassen and Hutto settled their battle and finished second and third, respectively.
Morgan came out on top at the end of the 25-lap feature event in the Town and Country Ford Fast and Furious Fours division. Morgan proved to be the car to beat early on in the night as he set not only quick time, but also a new track record for the Fast and Furious Fours division with his 19.852 second and 90.626 mph lap.
However, Morgan wasn’t able to check out on the field once the race began, with Wayne Harrington, of China Grove, N.C., Tracy Mullis, of Marshville, N.C., and Chris Parham, of China Grove, N.C. fighting hard in his rear view mirror for second place. Even as Morgan made his way through heavy lap traffic, he continued to set the pace with Mullis trailing close behind in second. Mullis held onto second as Harrington crossed the finish line in third position.
The No. 8 machine of Bob Hapeman took home the victory and set a new track record with his 17.503 second and 102.840 mph lap in the first race of the season for the Vintage Sportsman division. Hapeman’s car jumped to an early five-car lead on the field and seemed to have the victory secured when the halfway flags flew. However, Hapeman’s car suddenly slowed with only one lap left in the 25-lap main event. This allowed Kirby Allen, of Rockwell, N.C., to close rapidly on Hapeman’s slowed car, but Allen lost control coming to the checkered flag spinning wildly on the front stretch.
Unfortunately, William Webb, of Harmony, N.C., was not able to miss the spun car and made hard contact with the front bumper of Allen’s car. This created a green, white, checkered finish with Todd Bradburry, of Concord, N.C., and Kirby Allen finishing enough laps to take home second and third position.
Next Saturday night, April 14, is Wilburn Auto Body Night at the Races. The racing show will feature Twin 50-lap races for the Wilburn Auto Body Late Model division, 40 laps for the Pepsi Street Stocks and 25 laps for the Town and Country Ford Fast & Furious Fours. We will also have the first of our kid’s Peddle Car races. However, this year we are asking parents to register their child by contacting the speedway office prior to the event because only the first 9 girls and first 9 boys who register will be allowed to race in the event.
Grandstand admission is just 15 dollars and kids 12 and under are admitted for free at Concord Speedway. Also new for this year, the speedway will be offering a Senior, Teen and Military discount admission of 10 dollars. Don’t miss the racing excitement at the track where grassroots racing lives, Concord Speedway!
Please contact the speedway office at 704-782-4221 or visit our website at www.concordspeedway.net with any questions.
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