CALLAWAY, VA :: Three-time and defending Franklin County Speedway track champion Kyle Dudley began his championship defense in style with a victory in the Racing Dynamiks 200 on Sunday. Dudley inherited the lead on lap 77 when race leader Mike Looney dropped off the pace due to an electrical problem.
“We struggled a little bit yesterday,” Dudley said. “We weren’t perfect today by any means. We got it dialed in well enough to get a win and that’s all you can ask for. This crew worked their butts off on this thing. I didn’t know if we were going to make it but to come out here and get a win in a big race like this, it finally feels good.”
Dudley made a statement from the minute he unloaded. He set the fast time in qualifying with a lightning quick 14.438 second lap. Dudley lined up for the race in the fifth position after the top five cars were inverted putting Bobby Gillespie on the pole for the race.
Gillespie and Kevin Parker staged a classic duel in the first half of the race. They raced side-by-side for the opening 16 laps before Parker finally got out in front. On a lap 25 restart, Gillespie retook the top spot. A few laps later, the caution waved again and, on the ensuing restart, it was Parker who again took the lead. Kyle Dudley passed Gillespie for second at lap 46.
After the halftime intermission, the action resumed with Mike Looney working his way up to second on lap 63. Looney raced side-by-side with Parker for several laps before taking the lead on lap 70. Seven laps later, Looney’s car slowed on the backstretch allowing Kyle Dudley to inherit the lead and the win. Dudley held off Brian Sutphin in the closing laps to score the victory.
Sutphin, a former race winner at Franklin County Speedway, took his second place finish in stride.
“We had a pretty decent car,” Sutphin said. “We didn’t have anything for Kyle there. He had us by a little bit but I think we did well just getting out here to drive. He had a little better car than we did but that’s the way it goes.”
Eric Winslow, making his first ever start at Franklin County, came away with a third place finish.
“We’ve been coming down here to run,” Winslow said. “I’ve got to thank all the fans for coming out. Langley’s got a really good thing going here and I’m looking forward to coming out the rest of the year. It was a blast. The car was super tight. Finally, when the tires and fuel got off of it, it started to turn. If we had another 20-30 laps or a caution, I would’ve been happy. The car’s in one piece and that’s what it’s all about.”
Kevin Parker finished in the fourth position after leading 53 laps while Josh Hale finished in fifth.
The next race at Franklin County Speedway will be on Sunday, April 27th with the Industrial Floor Systems Spring Sizzler.
