Rougemont, NC(April 26, 2010) – Mother nature tried her best Saturday night at the Orange County Speedway but the PASS South Series got the last laugh. Rain was falling when the drivers meeting began but quickly moved away and qualifying went off without a problem.

In qualifying Joey Gase set fast time with a 13.759. TJ Reid in the Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota timed in second with a 13.786. The rest of the top five would be Jimmy Weller, Ryan Blaney and Easter Bunny 150 winner Preston Peltier. Spencer Wauters would spin on his qualifying lap. He would be relegated to the last chance race.

During the redraw on the frontstretch, Devin Jones redrew the pole. Cale Gale, Daniel Hemric, Preston Peltier and Race22.com client Andy Loden would be the new top five.

In the last chance race, Dylan Presnell and Trey Mitchell battled for the majority of the twenty lap race. Transfering from the Last Chance race would be Dylan Presnell, Trey Mitchell, Steve Legendre, Tayla Orleans, Tim Nooner and NASCAR K&N Pro Series regular, Jody Lavender.

On the start of the Orange Blossom Special, Devin Jones would jump out to the early lead over legends car ace Daniel Hemric. Missing a shift on the start and bottlenecking up the field would be Cale Gale. It wouldn’t take long for the first yellow flag to fly. Justin Wakefield would go around in turn four on lap on. He continued on with no damage.

Back under green Jones once again got the jump on Hemric. That would be short lived as Kyle Benjamin would pound the outside wall in turn two to bring out the second caution in just thirteen laps. Heath Hindman, Jody Lavender and Jimmy Weller would all get damaged in the incident but continued on without problems. Benjamin however was done for the night.

Hemric would get a good jump on Jones on the lap 13 restart and hang with Jones for several laps. Tayla Orleans would bring out the third caution on lap 18. Jones was still in the leader over Hemric as the caution came out. Orleans continued on without damage to the car.

Devin Jones would clear Daniel Hemric on the lap 18 restart which allowed Preston Peltier the opportunity to move the inside of Hemric for second. Peltier would take the spot and run down Jones. Peltier would make contact with Jones but no damage. This allowed Hemric to move to the outside and take the spot back from Peltier. Hemric would then take over the top spot from Jones who started his fall from the lead. Ryan Moore was now in second after the heavy battle for the lead.

Jimmy Weller would bring out the fourth caution on lap twenty-four when he spun in turn four. He received no damage and continued on.

Ryan Moore would take the lead on the lap twenty four restart. Hemric would fall into second position. TJ Reid would drop to the inside on Peltier for third. Ryan Lawler and Andy Loden would battle for the fifth position. Lawler would take the position on lap thirty two.

After getting involved in a wreck in the LCQ at Dillon, Kenzie Ruston would park her car after what appeared to be the motor running hot and letting go. Tim Pinion in his forty two Dodge would be the first car to go a lap down.

Dana White would bring out the caution on lap forty six after backing his car into the wall. White had just gone down a lap to the leaders.

TJ Reid would jump to the second position on the restart. Hemric would fall back to third. Moore who was battling a loose handling car continued to lead the field.

George Gorham Jr. would spun in turn four on lap fifty three to bring out another yellow flag. Gorham Jr. would continue on with no damage.

Hemric would battle hard with Moore on the restart but wouldn’t be able to get by the faster car of Moore. Peltier would move to the inside of Reid for third and Joey Gase and Ryan Lawler would do battle for fifth as well. Lawler would move around Gase and now do battle with Peltier for third.

Lap sixty three was the halfway point in the race. The race was now official if any rain where to start falling and force the PASS officials to call the race.

Peltier would move around Reid for third and look to run down the top two of Moore and Hemric.

Ryan Blaney the winner of the season’s opening race at the Dillon Motor Speedway was now making his way to the front. He and Andy Loden along with TJ Reid would go three wide on lap seventy eight for the sixth position. Blaney took the spot as TJ Reid would continue his downward spiral through the field.

Alex Fleming would pound the wall on lap eighty five to bring out caution flag once again. Under this caution, TJ Reid would bring his car down pit road with a tire going down.

It was now time for Preston Peltier to make his move to the front. He worked over Joey Gase for third and looked to take second from young Daniel Hemric. Hemric and Peltier would do battle until lap one hundred when George Gorham Jr. would bring out the caution after tagging the outside wall in turn four.

Moore and Peltier would now do battle for the top spot and the win of the Orange Blossom Special. Peltier and Moore would battle for numerous laps. Peltier emerged victorious on lap one hundred and twelve as he finally got around Moore for the lead.

Ryan Moore would have one more shot at Peltier when Steven Legendre brought at the final caution on lap one hundred sixteen. Peltier would get a good jump on the restart. This allowed Daniel Hemric to get alongside Moore for second. Joey Gase would get by Moore for third and continue to fall.

Preston Peltier crossed the line a half a second ahead of Daniel Hemric to go back to back in PASS South races and back to back in the Orange Blossom Special at Orange County Speedway.

The top five would be Preston Peltier, Daniel Hemric, Joey Gase, Ryan Lawler and Andy Loden.

The PASS South Series returns to action in two weeks’ time at the Wake County Speedway for the Capital City Clash. Orange County Speedway returns to action May 8th with their weekly schedule.

 

Results:
1. #26 Preston Peltier – 125
2. #66 Daniel Hemric – 125
3. #08 Joey Gase – 125
4. #74L Ryan Lawler – 125
5. #29 Andy Loden – 125
6. #74 Ryan Moore – 125
7. #10 Ryan Blaney – 125
8. #35x Evan Jackson – 125
9. #02 Tim Nooner – 125
10. #35 Devin Jones – 125
11. #91 Heath Hindman – 125
12. #20T John Stancill – 125
13. #4 Jay Fogleman – 125
14. #47 Trey Mitchell – 125
15. #05 Alex Fleming – 125
16. #48 John Batten – 125
17. #23 Jimmy Weller – 125
18. #20 Steven Legendre – 124
19. #83 Cale Gale – 124
20. #15 Clay Jones – 124
21. #98 Justin Wakefield – 122
22. #101 Dylan Presnell – 121
23. #19 Chris Bohlman – 114
24. #93 Tayla Orleans – 108
25. #10s George Gorham – 99
26. #42 Tim Pinion – 94
27. #51 TJ Reid – 90
28. #115 Jody Lavender – 47
29. #7 Dana White – 45
30. #39 Kenzie Ruston – 35
31. #71 Kyle Benjamin – 13