Both Nick Smith and Matt Bowling picked up much needed race wins at Dominion Raceway. With a weekend in question throughout the Mid Atlantic courtesy of Tropical Storm Hermine, Dominion Raceway held tight to its September 3rd race date featuring twin 50 lap events. Division one National points leader Matt Bowling would make the trip bringing former National Points champion Peyton Sellers along with him.

The father son duo of Terry and Justin Carroll in search of a dry race track also traveled out as did Ryan Repko making the long trip. But what was getting lots of attention other then Bowling’s National title hopes was a really good points battle for the track championship between Nick Smith and Doug Barnes Jr.

Coming into the evenings racing, Smith who could boast some about his ten wins had even more to feel good about with his current twelve point lead in the series points. But that’s until the engines are fired when worthy competitor Doug Barnes Jr has every intention of winning the track championship himself. The afternoon began with qualifying as sixteen hot rods took time around the 4/10’s mile oval. Once concluded, Doug Barnes Jr earn the pole with his lap of 15.069 sec or 95.560 mph. Matt Bowling’s lap just fifty-nine thousandths off the pole would earn a share of the front row. Michael Hardin, Nick Smith and Peyton Sellers completed the grids five best.

Green flag racing was on the track as Michael Hardin showed a nineteen car field into turn one and emerging out of turn two was Hardin on point. Doug Barnes Jr would briefly peek underneath Hardin before realizing Hardin was a bit better and settle for second. On back, Nick Smith gave it a go to the P3 car of Matt Bowling before going single file in fourth with Trent Barnes making up the early top five. Several green flag laps later, Doug Barnes began his march to the lead and by lap thirteen, the race had its first lead change. Smith soon after was making moves on his own and was showing second at the halfway with sights on the leader but Doug Barnes lead was well over ten length’s.

Soon the leader encountered slower race traffic but Smith never was able to close in on the lead. But that was until the races first caution flag waved on lap forty two of the event for the down tire of Ryan Repko. Back to the green and once again Doug Barnes Jr was quickly the races leader with Nick Smith in tow. But this time, Smith was not letting Barnes get away and soon a battle for the race lead ensued. Then on lap forty four and one slip later by Barnes, Smith took the lead and held off Doug Barnes last lap bump and run en-route to his eleventh race win on the season. Doug Barnes Jr, brother Trent Barnes were second and third with Matt Bowling, Peyton Sellers were fourth and fifth. Notable finishers were Michael Hardin sixth, Justin Carroll in his first appearance at Dominion Raceway was seventh and Macy Causey was ninth.

In the second fifty lap race, a six car invert was added to the race giving Michael Hardin the race pole and Peyton Sellers a share of row one. Green flag waved and Hardin would make quick work of Sellers to lead lap one. But also making quick work of Sellers would be teammate Matt Bowling who admitted that they just flat out missed the set up in the first race. Trent Barnes was on the move early as well showing third but the attention was at the front of the field as Bowling was able to get to the bumper of Hardin.

Bowling would then give Hardin a hello bump before getting underneath Hardin for the race lead on lap six of the fifty lap event. From there, Bowling would mount up a sizable lead on the field and by the halfway, that lead was easily next to a half a straight away. Headed now to the later stages of the event, the race finally experienced its first caution on lap forty.

With a big boom, a brief fire and a bloom of smoke emerged Justin Carroll from a destroyed race car after the right front blew and went head first nearly straight into the turn two wall. After an extensive clean up period, the green flag was once again displayed to the field. On this restart, Bowling only needed turn one to secure the point with Smith there should he slip. But then the caution once again waves as Jeff Oakley’s night come to an end with heavy front end damage. Lap forty one restart and once again, Bowling was clear of Smith by turn one with Trent Barnes looking to challenge but settled in third to watch and see if Smith could do anything with Bowling.

But suddenly, Nick Smith starts to go in the wrong direction with a reported power steering failure and soon Trent Barnes, Michael Hardin and Doug Barnes Jr would do away with Smith who would finish the race fifth. But this race was all about Matt Bowling and picking up a crucial National Points win at Dominion Raceway. With just three more race events at Dominion Raceway, the championship becomes a bit more clearer.

But for Nick Smith, winning has been the only significant attribute in extending the series points lead over Doug Barnes Jr who has now overcome two straight weekends of trouble yet finishing consistently as he has all season with top five finishes. The race for the championship continues this Thursday night September 8th for a 150 lap race event.

Race Results race #1
1 #12 Nick Smith (winner)
2 #88 Doug Barnes Jr
3 #1 Trent Barnes
4 #83 Matt Bowling
5 #26 Peyton Sellers
6 #7 Michael Hardin
7 #91 Justin Carroll
8 #11 Jeff Oakley
9 #33 Macy Causey
10 #56 Doug Liberman
11 #64 Bill Leutz
12 #14 Ryan Repko
13 #90 Terry Carroll
14 #82 Mike Ganoe
15 #07 Richard Storm
16 #83j Chris Johnson
17 #16 Grayson Cullather
18 #07s Owen Smith
19 #82b Cameron Burke

Race Results #2
1 #83 Matt Bowling
2 #1 Trent Barnes
3 #88 Doug Barnes Jr
4 #7 Michael Hardin
5 #12 Nick Smith
6 #26 Peyton Sellers
7 #14 Ryan Repko
8 #56 Doug Liberman
9 #07 Richard Storm
10 #82 Mike Ganoe
11 #56 Bill Leutz
12 #11 Jeff Oakley
13 #33 Macy Causey
14 #91 Justin Carroll
15 #90 Terry Carroll
16 #83j Chris Johnson
17 #16 Grayson Cullather
18 #07s Owen Smith