Danny Edwards Jr took them both this past Saturday night winning the last three straight and solidifying himself back into the fold of dominance at Langley Speedway.
Going into the night’s racing was series points leader Greg Edwards who as of late has seen his early season race dominance taking a turn. Last time out, his primary ride was involved in a early race wreck that sent he and his team scraping to prep his backup car for race competition. For the rest of Langley Speedways Late Model competitors, it was another opportunity to take their shots at Greg Edwards and chip away at his fifteen point lead over in the second spot Brenden Queen. Danny Edwards Jr was sixteen points out, Mark Wertz was only twenty two points out and Tyler Hughes was twenty seven points out.
It was a rain dampened afternoon at Langley Speedway forcing race teams to lose valuable practice time at the track. Because of the recent rain cancellations, track promoter Chuck Hall was determined to try and get the nights racing in knowing it had been nearly a month since the last Late Model race and just two weeks from Langley Speedways famed Late Model event in the Hampton Heat 200. After two separate track drying sessions, qualifying began and emerging once again on pole was Danny Edwards Jr sporting a lap at 16.047 sec or 88.615 mph. Justin T Carroll returned to Langley Speedway hitting a lap worthy to be one the outside front row just twenty four thousandths of the pole time. Tyler Hughes, Brenden Queen and Greg Edwards all had speed placing them in the grid’s five best.
Racing began with the drop of the green flag as Danny Edwards Jr led a field of twenty one Late Models into turn one. By turn two, Danny Edwards secured the point while battle for positioning was going on behind him. Soon after the races first caution waves for Mike Weddell going around setting up a lap one restart. Back to green and once again, Edwards emerged as the leader and set] sail. Matt Waltz had himself a great restart and put up a brief battle with the race leader but had to settle in on the two spot in the field. Some of the best racing was further back in the field as Greg Edwards, Casey Wyatt and Justin T Carroll were three wide at times. Back up front and setting the pace , Danny Edwards Jr had a 10 car length lead at the halfway and putting on a show after starting tenth was Casey Wyatt as was eleventh place starter Terry Carroll making their way into the top five.
The races second and final caution flag waved on lap forty one as Justin S Carroll is looped over on the backstretch. Though some reports had it that Casey Wyatt and Terry Carroll were showing the fastest laps, the caution period was certainly the break both had hoped for. But when the green waved once again, Danny Edwards Jr proved to be too much for anyone in the night’s first feature cruising to his second win of the year and turning some heads wondering if that was the same five time Late Model track champion Danny Edwards Jr from years ago. Rounding out the five best was Brenden Queen with his seasons best followed by Terry Carroll in his season’s best as well. Casey Wyatt finished fourth in a strong run and Connor Hall in a clean and disciplined run finished fifth
In the nightcap, the field was set in how they finished the first race making Danny Edwards Jr the man on point. Green flag waved and like a herd of bulls, nose down tail up saw another full field of Late Models went into turn one side by side. Getting back to the throttle first was Danny Edwards Jr and by turn two secured the lead. On back the jostling for position was in full swing and emerging from the ranks was Brenden Queen, Terry Carroll, Connor Hall and Matt Waltz making up the early top five. Carroll was able to sneak by Queen for second but that battle allowed Danny Edwards Jr to amass a twelve car length lead in the early beginnings of the race. Halfway point in the race and Terry Carroll manages to trim at some of the lead of Edwards. But emerging as the fastest car on the track was Mark Wertz who finished seventeenth in the first race thanks in part to a flat tire showing fifth after a hard fought battle with Tyler Hughes.
Several laps later, Danny Edwards Jr was set in cruise control as Mark Wertz continued his assault to the front clearing Connor Hall and Terry Carroll showing second when the races first and only caution waved for Natalie Decker spinning out. Lap fifty one restart and the green flag waved as both Edwards and Wertz nailed it down out of turn four. Danny Edwards Jr grabbed the early lead but here would come Wertz diving underneath and making his hot rod stick. Door to door, beating and banging for several laps as finally Danny Edwards was able to clear a determined Mark Wertz. From that point, clean air and the preferred race line kept Wertz from mounting up another run at Danny Edwards Jr who would go on and win, sweeping the nights racing. Mark Wertz, Tyler Hughes, Connor Hall and Collin Cabre, one of the Drive for Diversity participants finished an impressive fifth.
In just two weeks, Langley Speedway’s “The Hampton Heat 200” will take place. Right now the hottest driver and race team going in is Danny Edwards Jr. and is certainly peaking at the right time right now. Not only has Danny Edwards Jr won three straight, he has earned the banner of being the man to beat right now. Tidbit from last year’s Hampton Heat, Danny finished second to race winner CE Falk.
