COEBURN, VA :: Wise County is home of many coal mines.  Out in Virginia’s coal mine country sits Lonesome Pine Raceway, a track that offers an astonishing view and a spectacular night of racing.  For those who have never been to Lonesome Pine Raceway, Saturday night’s UARA-STARS race would be a good time to head out.  It is one drive you won’t regret.

I decided to make the trip to Coeburn on Saturday.  It was a night that didn’t disappoint.  Lonesome Pine Raceway is a unique track in character boasting long straightaway and high banked turns.  So far, the Late Model season at the ASA sanctioned track has been dominated by Rockin’ Ryan Stiltner but Hayden Woods didn’t make it easy for him on Saturday night.  In fact, Woods led the most laps and did so by leading on two occasions.  Pretty soon, it will be time to go bounty hunting at Lonesome Pine if Stiltner’s dominance continues – and that will almost certainly draw more racers from nearby Kingsport Speedway.

The racing isn’t the only thing that stands out at Lonesome Pine – though the racing was certainly the highlight.  There’s a reason Lonesome Pine Raceway Promoter Harold Crook, who is one of the good guys in the sport, was named ASA Promoter of the Year.  The facilities are some of the best in short track racing.  The track has affordable concession prices and the food at their concessions stands out to me as the best I’ve had at a racetrack in a long time.  The staff at Lonesome Pine is extremely friendly.  It’s very rare in racing that a racetrack promoter can satisfy both the racers and fans, but Crook does that perfectly.

This weekend, Lonesome Pine Raceway will host the UARA-STARS tour and it’s destined to be an exciting race.

Ben Rhodes is hungry to get his first career Late Model Stock Car victory and comes in to the race as one of the hottest drivers in UARA competition.  Rhodes is second in points with a two third place finishes and a second place finish which came in the most recent race at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina.

Reigning series champion Travis Swaim is winless so far in 2013 but that could easily change this weekend.  Last time the UARA-STARS tour raced at the Lonesome Pine facility in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, it was Swaim picking up the win, his first of the 2012 season.  Swaim is tied for fourth in points.

David Garbo, Jr. has begun to found his groove in the Late Model Stock Cars, recording multiple wins on the season at Hickory Motor Speedway.  Garbo has been competing in the UARA-STARS tour for Jamie Yelton’s Fat Head Racing.  Garbo will certainly be a contender at Lonesome Pine.  He’s 10th in points with one top-five finish on the season.

Last time the series raced, it was Brodie Kostecki scoring the victory at Rockingham Speedway.  But the man they’re all chasing is Ronnie Bassett, Jr., who holds a 49 point lead over Ben Rhodes.  Bassett has two wins and an average finish of 1.67.

Though it may not be a UARA regular who scores the victory.  Ryan Stiltner plans on competing in the Courtesy Chevrolet 150.  Stiltner has dominated the regular racing program at Lonesome Pine with four wins on the season in five races.  He’s got the track figured out and he’s confident he will be standing in victory lane on Saturday night.

Fans who attend Lonesome Pine Raceway on Saturday night will not be disappointed.