Sumner Takes Street Stock Special at Bowman Gray Stadium

Winston-Salem, NC(May 23, 2012) — “The Madhouse”, “The Famed Quarter Mile”, “The Most Famous Of Them All”. While the track may have lot’s of nicknames, it still is the same ole’ Bowman Gray Stadium where beating, banging and the occasional altercations are the norm. The mighty modifieds may be the feature division but the rest of the classes are just as important and fierce, often becoming the best racing of the night. They all get thier special night to shine at least once per season and on this night it was the Street Stocks with their annual “USG Street Stock 50”.

The Street division has been one of the most exciting for some time, and in recent years the roughest, but with thier big race having qualifying instead of the usual blind draw people wondered if it would calem down a tad with the faster cars in front and slower cars in the back. It did, and made for great racing with David Sumner blistering the track for the pole and young John Holleman qualifying P2. The invert of the top five would put Tim Vaden on the point at green as Holleman misses a shift but luckily doesnt collect anyone before he gets going again.

Vaden would take off in his sharp #18 machine that looks like those cars in the Sportsman division, that’s one of the coolest things in the Street division at Bowman Gray, you have cars up to date looking like Late Models all the way to Johnny Ardner in his 70’s Nova, all still fast. Vaden’s time up front would be short lived as he looks to overdrive turn three on lap 14 and swings wide allowing Sumner who had just moved himself past Doug Wall to get by along with Wall,Darren Cotner and Billy Gregg before slipping into fifth in front of Holleman.

Cotner would see his chances fall to the wayside on lap 26 as his right front tire goes flat but luckily a wreck in the back of the field between David Thomas and Nick Brill brings out the caution, not lucky enough though as he would lose a lap under caution. The restart comes on lap 29 as the Street division was using the cone rule for the first time ever and holleman tries his luck to the outside of sumner for the lead. Sumner was shot out of a cannon and easily goes to the top spot once more, then it got bad behind him.

While the race had been surprising clean and green for the most part, it was bound to happen. Holleman is on the outside of Wall going into turn three as they make contact with Holleman spinning around in front of the tight field from the restart. When it was over, Holleman, Justin Taylor, David Thomas, Allen Henkel and Craig West were all crashed with Henkel, West, Taylor and Thomas being done for the night. Holleman would continue but with the waning laps he simply ran out of time to progress his spot.

A few more harmless cautions would come and go, but no one had anything for Sumner as he pulled away from the field. Wall would catch Gregg and make the pass for second with a few laps to go as Daniel Fishel used the cone to perfection and came home with a great fourth place finish right in front of Brian Wall and Holleman.

The usual carnage was gone as it turned out to be strickly “racing” and not where you drew out of the bag. While some of the more dramatic fans may have not enjoyed it because tore up cars were not the norm, to the racing purist it was what racing should be, hard work starting youupfront and even harder work keeping you there. Sumner was hitting on all cylinders on this night.

Results:

1. David Sumner

2. Doug Wall

3. Billy Gregg

4. Daniel Fishel

5. Brian Wall

6. John Holleman

7. Stephen Baker

8. Tim Vaden

9. Whitney Clifton

10. Johhny Ardner

11. Donnie Martin

12. Nick Brill

13. Frank Myers

14. Darren Cotner

15. Bobby Whitman

16. Justin Taylor

17. Allen Henkel

18. David Thomas

19. Craig West

20. Spencer Martin