Danny Edwards, Jr. put his car on the pole for the first of twin races for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Cars ahead of Philip Morris in an 18-car field.
D. Edwards would get the lead on the start of the first 75-lap race but a quick caution would negate his lead and on the ensuing restart, Morris would get the jump. Morris would take the lead and he and Edwards would set a blistering pace. Behind them, Connor Hall and Peyton Sellers were battling for the third position. Hall and Sellers would swap positions but in the end, Sellers took third with Hall dropping to fourth.
Hall would be the last car to finish on the lead lap as Morris lapped up to fifth place finisher Tim Phipps. It was a dominating performance by Morris who picked up his 19th win of the season overall.
“That thing was incredible,” Morris exclaimed as he got out of the car. “Hats off to Forrest Reynolds. It was really hot in there so I was looking to go as fast as I could and the car was really good. I don’t know what we got for the second race but at least we got a win right here at Langley Speedway, a track where I normally struggle.”
In the Late Model Stock Car nightcap, Morris would be inverted to eighth by virtue of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series twin rule but chose to start last to get maximum points if he could come back and win. That would put Terry Carroll and Duane Shreeves on the front row for the 75-lap race.
Carroll would lead from the green flag but after that G. Edwards would take his shot at the front of the field before Hall asserted himself as the leader while behind them the positions were being contested all the way through the field. Mark Wertz moved up to third behind Hall and G. Edwards as Shreeves and Carroll slipped back. Craig Eastep who spun on the first lap of the first twin race had made a comeback in this event as he raced into the top five.
As the halfway mark came in the race, the caution would wave over the field. Hall got a good launch on the restart bringing Wertz with him to second. At this point and with use of the cone restart D. Edwards from the seventh starting position and Morris from last had propelled themselves back into the top five. G. Edwards was working to get back to second after losing it to Wertz but Wertz fended off his challenges.
Hall was out front and pulling away but on the charge was Morris who had disposed of both the Edwards brothers and was taking second place from Wertz. Hall’s lead came to an end when Sellers spun with 18-laps to go. Hall didn’t have anything for Morris as he quickly grabbed the lead and after another caution Hall and D. Edwards battled for second.
Morris was out front looking for his second win on the night as Hall managed to get back into second and would stay there to the finish as Morris claimed his 20th win of the season.
“That may have been our best race all year,” commented Morris. “It just went down to strategy and my crew chief, the crew and the engine builder said to ride till I saw lap fifty go on the board. Turned out to be the right choice because I had really worn my tires out the first race. There was just enough left to get myself back to the front”.
Behind Morris and Hall, D. Edwards, G. Edwards, and Eastep completed the top five finishers.
From Track Reports & Other Sources
Race Results Race #1:
1 – #01 Phillip Morris; 75
2 – #26e Danny Edwards Jr; 75
3 – #26s Peyton Sellers; 75
4 – #77 Connor Hall; 75
5 – #4p Tim Phipps; 74
6 – #97 Greg Edwards; 74
7 – #4s Duane Shreeves; 74
8 – #90 Terry Carroll; 74
9 – #03 Brenden Queen; 74
10 – #88 Thomas Marks; 74
11 – #55 Mark Wertz; 74
12 – #75 Logan Jones; 74
13 – #8s Thomas Scott; 74
14 – #10 Maddy Mulligan; 72
15 – #19 Cameron Bowen; 58
16 – #91 Justin Carroll; 12
17 – #03a Jimmy Atkins; 10
18 – #25 Craig Eastep; 3
Race Results Race #2:
1 – #01 Philip Morris; 75
2 – #77 Connor Hall; 75
3 – #26e Danny Edwards Jr; 75
4 – #97 Greg Edwards; 75
5 – #25 Craig Eastep; 75
6 – #55 Mark Wertz; 75
7 – #91 Justin Carroll; 75
8 – #88 Thomas Marks; 75
9 – #8s Thomas Scott; 75
10 – #03 Brenden Queen; 75
11 – #75 Logan Jones; 75
12 – #19 Cameron Bowen; 75
13 – #10 Maddy Mulligan; 75
14 – #4s Duane Shreeves; 60
15 – #4p Tim Phipps; 56
16 – #26s Peyton Sellers; 52
17 – #90 Terry Carroll; 52
18 – #03a Jimmy Atkins; 17
