CONCORD, N.C. (May 5, 2012) – Kenny Brooks, of Concord, N.C., helped to light up the night at Whelen Engineering Night at the Races at Concord Speedway with his win in the Wilburn Auto Body Late Model Stock Car division. After several local medic, fire and police departments helped kick off the night by displaying their bright Whelen emergency lights, the racing on the track followed with just as much flare. Brian Love, of Mount Pleasant, N.C., Eric Harrington, of Kannapolis, N.C., Adam Morgan, of Concord, N.C., and Bob Hapeman, of Midland, N.C., each scored a victory in tonight’s feature events on Concord Speedway’s Half-Mile Tri-Oval.
Brooks found victory lane for the third time this season with his win in the Wilburn Auto Body Late Model Stock Car division 100-lap feature event. After setting quick time in qualifying, Brooks jumped out to an early lead on the field before two cautions fell late in the race. Andrew Thomas, of Monroe, N.C., tried to challenge Brooks’ lead, but he just didn’t have enough to overtake him before the checkered flags flew with Thomas finishing in second and Jay Payne in third.
Love scored the victory in the Pepsi Street Stock division feature event. Pole sitter, Sonny Schoffen, of Mint Hill, N.C., took the lead from Love early on in the race, but after a spin on lap 14 by Charles Faassen, of Monroe, N.C., the field closed back down on the bumper of Schoffen. By lap 17, Love stole the lead and went on to get his second win of the season, with Schoffen and Charles Hutto in second and third respectively.
Eric Harrington took home the victory in the first of the Twin 20-Lap feature races in the Town and Country Ford Fast and Furious Fours division. Wayne Harrington, of China Grove, N.C., took the early lead with brother, Eric Harrington, trailing behind in second and Morgan in third. The Harrington duo continued to set the pace as they weaved through heavy lap traffic with only three laps to go. However, the brotherly love was nowhere to be found by the last lap when Eric stole the lead from Wayne which also allowed Morgan to sneak by to grab second place.
However, Morgan couldn’t settle for second place and he went on to capture the win in the second 20-lap feature event for the Town and Country Ford Fast and Furious Fours division. After winning the first race, Eric Harrington was required to start shotgun on the field per Fast and Furious Fours division rules. Harrington was able to battle his way through the field and passed for second place by lap 15 of the short 20-lap feature race. However, he wasn’t able to catch Morgan and finished in second with Tracy Mullis, of Marshville, N.C., in third.
Hapeman won his second race of the season in the Vintage Sportsman division. Bruce Griffin, of Lincoln, Ala., set a new track record for the Vintage Sportsman division with his lap of 17.493 seconds and 102.898 mph. Griffin looked to be the favorite to win as he paced the field by nearly half of a track before his car erratically broke loose and he tagged the wall exiting turn three. After the race went back green, Hapeman was the new leader and he held on through heavy pressure from Todd Bradburry, of Concord, N.C., for his second win of the season.
Next Saturday night, May 12, is High School Senior Night at the Races at Concord Speedway. The Speedway will honor local high school seniors and the racing show will feature Twin 50-Lap races for the Wilburn Auto Body Late Model Stock Car division, 40 Laps for the Pepsi Street Stocks and 25 laps for the Town and Country Ford Fast & Furious Fours division. We will also have a Peddle Car race for the kids!
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.
Connect with Concord Speedway and stay up to speed with all of the action at both the Quarter and Half-Mile tracks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ConcordSpeedway and by following on Twitter at www.twitter.com/concordspeedway.
