HAMPTON, VA :: On a hot and humid summer night at Langley Speedway, 17 Late Models were on hand to compete in the scheduled Twin 75 lap events. Series points leader CE Falk could now take a deep breath as last week’s run found him securely in the lead with a 29 point advantage entering the night’s races. Last week’s race winner Greg Edwards couldn’t wait to get back to racing. What has otherwise been a disappointing race season well short of expectation, Edwards sat second in points knowing should CE Falk have misfortunes, him and team 97 were ready to take advantage.
Qualifying began with track temperatures mirroring what race teams experienced in practice, Nick Smith who was fast earlier was fast in qualifying taking another poll with a fast lap at 15.706. Just as many times Smith has won the pole in 2013, Matt Waltz was second quickest just a mere .19 seconds behind Smith’s pole run. Other quick qualifying efforts was Casey Wyatt with his best start of the year and Mark Wertz who will start fourth in the grid who continues to make gains in what is easily Langley Speedways most distinguishable Late Model with his Dunkin Donuts paint scheme. CE Falk was fifth with his efforts in qualifying.
The green flag waved for the first of two 75 lap features and Matt Waltz (P2) would beat the pole sitter to the front for the lead. But the lead was short lived as Smith would reclaim the lead all within the first five laps of the race. CE Falk wasn’t wasting time with a fast car as he was able to shoot by Wertz and Wyatt for third. Also flexing some muscle was Greg Edwards who would eventually find himself in the races top five and running strong. But flexing the strongest muscle was race leader Nick Smith who was checking out and leaving the seventeen car field behind. That was until the race’s first caution for a spin involving Justin Carroll on lap 20.
On the restart, Nick Smith beat Mark Wertz, who took advantage of the cone restart starting outside of the leader. Waltz would give chase to Smith bringing Falk along as well before Wertz is able to get low in fourth. Casey Wyatt would hold the five spot as the rest of the field was still sorting itself on out. Several green flag laps later, Nick Smith was the man out front sporting what easily could be measured as half a straight away lead over Matt Waltz. But on lap 60, that lead would vanish as the caution waved for Jeremy Grogg who came to a rest on pit road reporting a broken rear end.
With just 15 laps remaining, it was go time or lose as the green flag waved once again. CE Falk took the cone this time and started outside of Smith on this lap 60 restart. But Smith would get the better jump leaving Falk to get down and follow Smith’s line out of turn two. Then the action up front got good as CE Falk snuck a fender under Smith and, for a moment, became the race leader. It’s not until lap 69 that CE Falk finally cleared Smith for the race lead but Nick Smith regrouped and settled back into his race line that has made him stout all night. Then, in a battle for the lead, Nick Smith went around in turn four bringing out the caution.
With just three laps to go, the field was bunched back up again sporting some fast race cars that in that last green flag run ran similar lap times from first as far back as 6th. This race was far from over. CE Falk was on the point on the restart. Matt Waltz was nose to tail with the leader along with the others of Wyatt, Wes Falk, and Greg Edwards. In a battle for lead, Falk would slide up the hill just far enough for Matt Waltz to get underneath clearing Falk by the next turn. Casey Wyatt would make his move and passed Falk as well. The checkered flag was waving and crossing the stripe first was race winner Matt Waltz by a car length over Casey Wyatt. Then it was CE Falk, Mark Wertz and Danny Edwards Jr rounding out the top five.
The second race feature got underway with the starting grid made up according the finishing order from the first. Green flag waved for Matt Waltz as he led a field of 16 Late Models into turn one. Coming out of two and securing the lead was Matt Waltz, then it was CE Falk, Casey Wyatt, Mark Wertz and Danny Edwards, Jr. making up the races early top five. After misfortunes in race one in the final laps with a cut tire, Greg Edwards came to pit road with a reported engine issue that would sideline the 2012 Late Model track champion and taking yet another hit in series points.
Back to racing and lap eight exhibited a battle for the lead with CE Falk on the move and taking the lead. Also on the move and on a mission was Nick Smith who was showing third and racing very fast. By lap 20, the leaders of Falk, Waltz and Smith are all nose to tail. Nick Smith would make his move on Waltz claiming second in the grid and with that brief battle, Falk now has a little room to breath. But it was short lived as clearly, Smith and his Late Model hot rod was the class of the field taking the race lead by lap 32. Caution waves on the track for the spin of Casey Wyatt who was having a great night for him and his race team setting up a lap 34 restart.
Back to green flag racing, Matt Waltz took the restart cone and lined up to the outside of Smith but the move wouldn’t prevail. Smith secured the point bringing CE Falk with him leaving Waltz to fall in third. Danny Edwards, Jr., after being absent from competition the past few months, was racing fourth and Mark Wertz was in the five spot in the grid. It wasn’t long before the leader Nick Smith would check on out but racing was really good as the rest of the top six was all nose to tail with Danny Edwards, Jr. making the best of his return finding himself in third and second place CE Falk well within reach.
As the leader continued to pull away and the laps counting down, Falk’s car started fall off as Danny Edwards was able to go by and brought Mark Wertz along with him. Then, in a bloom of smoke, CE Falk and Matt Waltz, who had come to a stop in turn four pointing the wrong way, brought out the caution. Falk maintained fourth during the melee but standing now outside of his rocket and done for the night was Waltz. Though short on words overcome by the smoke of burning wires, Waltz was able to communicate to Falk when he came back around with his fingers expressing his frustration.
Back to green flag racing and, this time, daring to try the outside was Danny Edwards, Jr. Nick Smith would have none of it and secured the lead en route to his fifth win of the 2013 race season at Langley Speedway. As the checkered flag waved on lap 75, its was CE Falk coming home in second, Danny Edwards, Jr., surprisingly after an absence from competition, was third. Wesley Falk, in a decent night as well, finished fourth and Mark completed the races five best. Also finishing strong was Casey Wyatt, Jeff Oakley, Jeff Shiflett, Terry Carroll and Eddie Johnson in a solid finish at the .396 oval.
Heading into the Hampton Heat 200, Langley Speedway’s premier event on the race calendar of 2013 in the Late Model division, the leaders of the series have all had their run ends with each other most notably with Matt Waltz, CE Falk and Nick Smith. Patience, tolerance and give are in short supply. These gifted and very talented racers worlds can’t keep colliding forever. The action has been nonstop and could be argued as some of the best Late Model racing in the region. With the season’s richest race purse expected to draw much outside interest. The gloves are coming off for sure and the week off may very well be a good thing for definitely some.
RACE22.com will have Live Coverage of the Hampton Heat 200. Leading up to the Hampton Heat 200, RACE22.com will provide in-depth analysis of one of the season’s biggest races.
