HAMPTON, VA – Some of the best in NWAAS Late Model racing converged in on Langley Speedway’s twin 65’s before a highly enthused crowd this past Saturday night. Two-time National Champion Lee Pulliam made his return as did Tommy Lemons Jr, a 2014 Southern National Track Champion to the .395 flat banked oval. GR Waldrop, a product of LPP Racing was also on hand to takes his shots around the sixty five year race facility. Making his first start of the early 2015 race season was Matt Waltz who was in between weekends of the CARS Late Model Series came on out to see if he still had the goods like he had just last season when he posted up 12 wins at Langley Speedway. But none too shy were a strong cast of Langley regulars who was eager to get back to racing as the series points standings went through a shakedown a week earlier. Greg Edwards comes in once again as the series points leader but from second on back to sixth, points are tight and the race action has picked up in intensity.
The weekends racing started off in time trials as eighteen hot rods took time making up a full field and max points for the winner. After struggling in practice through much of the day it was Lee Pulliam who turned in the fastest lap at 15.984 sec or 88.964 mph to claim the pole. Matt Waltz to no surprise would earn the outside spot on the front row just nineteen thousandths off from the pole setter. Brenden Queen, Greg Edwards and Tyler Hughes all had quality laps making out the five best in the grid. Late Models took to the track first in the early evening hours and when the green flag waved, nineteen Late Models roared to life on into turn one. By turn three, pole sitter Lee Pulliam had the advantage and the spot as Waltz got back in line to chase the leader. On back, Tommy Lemons made quick work and found himself fourth on the grid in just a handful of laps. Finally a bit of separation with the leaders until Brenden Queen tried his fortunes to see if he could get around Waltz for second. But as the halfway of the race came and went, Waltz began to make his move towards the front.
Encountering heavy race traffic, the leader Lee Pulliam who enjoyed at one time a three car length lead now had Waltz near his rear bumper. Waltz clearly was sizing up the leader for a shot at the lead while at the time, Lemons was able to take third from Queen. But for Waltz, nothing ever materialized as Pulliam in the final ten laps began to put some distance in between himself and Waltz. In only his third race ever at Langley Speedway, Lee Pulliam went wire to wire, caution free for his first victory at Langley Speedway. Matt Waltz was second, Tommy Lemons third, Tyler Hughes fourth and Greg Edwards finished fifth. Other notables was the efforts of Brenden Queen who learned of a blistered right rear survived to finish sixth and Terry Carroll who was solid in his eight place spot. The starting grid for the second race feature began the way they finished in the first handing Lee Pulliam the obvious pole on the front row.
Green flag waved for another full field of Late Models and Pulliam easily establishes himself as the leader at the exit of turn two. But that lead was short lived as lap three clicked on the board and Matt Waltz would clear Pulliam on the outside for the spot. Pulliam would also lose a position to Tyler Hughes before the dust would clear and everyone settled in place. Several laps in now and Waltz was beginning to create a sizable lead but the best battles on the track at this point was Pulliam and Lemons ganging up on Hughes who had to settle for fourth. Meanwhile, the racing allowed Waltz to further extend his lead and run the pace he wanted. Just before the halfway, Lemons goes around Pulliam who made no quarrel in the pass as Lemons appeared to have a fast car and clicking laps a tenth or better over the race leader. But Waltz’s lead vanished when the spinning ride of Mike Weddell went around bringing out the evenings first caution on lap fifty one in the race.
Getting set for the green, Waltz took the cone and hauled buggy to the high side leaving the bottom to Lemons who had to be licking his chops at the opportunity. Green flag waved and it was on from there as Matt Waltz and Tommy Lemons went after it for over thirteen laps before a clear leader was ever established. Pulliam and Hughes were duking it out as well before Pulliam earned the spot securing third. But back up front and surviving the assault of Tommy Lemons, Matt Waltz on lap sixty five crossed the stripe first just slightly ahead of Lemons for the win. Pulliam was third, Hughes finished fourth and Brenden Queen finished fifth after having to start at the rear for a approved tire change. Late Model race action at Langley Speedway takes the next weekend off and returns May 30th.
