Story by: Corey Latham ~ [email protected]
Altamahaw, NC(January 14, 2013) — The 2012 season is over at Ace Speedway and once again the Late Models put on some of the most impressive shows of the season. While some think they don’t have as high regard as the “NASCAR” tracks in the region, they once again showed that flying under the ASA banner can produce great racing, more times than not better than anywhere around. It’s not hard to do when you mix in the likes of Rodney Cook, Speedy Faucette, Dean Fogleman, Ryan Robertson, Jeb Burton, Todd Massey and the winningest Late Model driver in history Barry Beggarly. In the end one man stood tall above them all though taking home his second Late Model track championship, Dustin Rumley.
Rumley started the season with uncertainty. While taking home the title in 2010 and nearly winning the ASA National Championship, 2011 was a year to forget. Even though he finished third in points he didn’t put up the results as he did in his championship year before with four wins, 2011 saw him go winless. 2012 would be a different story as he came loaded for bear and had his car set up to run like it was on a rail, hardly ever faltering with five wins and 16 top-10 finishes in 16 starts. That’s pretty impressive at a track as competitive as Ace.
Rumley would have to fend of the furious charges of two of the best in the business, Rodney Cook and Barry Beggarly. Cook and Beggarly both are multi-time track champions in their own right with Beggarly also winning the National title in 1993, a season that goes down as the best ever in Late Model history with an astonishing 32 wins on the year. Rumley knew his work would be cut out for him but he made a statement every week, while he didn’t win them all, most of the times he didn’t was because of late race cautions. His car was unlike no other at the 4/10th of a mile track as it was handling in its own league. Beggarly did pick up six wins and Cook one, but with mechanical failure for Beggarly heading into the last week it was all but locked up for Rumley to win the title as he did with 38 points over Cook and 44 over Beggarly. But it got scary at the end.
Rumley would be leading that last race, he dominated to say the least as Cook was off on handling and Beggarly crashed hard towards the end of the event. But a late race caution would fly and veteran Gary Causey, who was making his first start in nearly seven years, got in behind Rumley and turned him in front of the entire field to win the race. Rumley wanted to go out a winner and a champion but the crowd knew who the best of the year was; it was the black #88 with a championship trophy on the hood.
Looking down the list of drivers that raced at Ace in 2011 and the eyes begin to get big as the talents sticks out. Jason York, Robert Turner, Garrett Campbell, Matt Bowling, Todd Massey, Clint King, Scotty Warren and John Moore are just some of the names that stick out. In all 41 drivers took time around the speed plant in Altamahaw, NC giving Ace one of the most consistent car counts weekly.
2012 was a success and now we look to 2013. While the track is in uncertainty at the moment, I dare say there will be racing there in 2013. Who runs it is still in the air, how it runs is still in the air, who comes is still in the air, but one thing is certain. When they wave the green flag the same drivers that always impress the fans week in and week out will once again do it right, it’s the only way they know how.
