The Second Annual Donnie Carver Memorial race at Orange County Speedway was nothing short of exciting from the drop of the green flag until the checkered flag fell on Gary Young, Jr. after he muscled his way past Jonathan Cash on a green, white, checkered finish.
Daniel Moss qualified on the pole for the 50-lap contest, which was his second pole of the night as he also started on the pole of the Late Model Stock Car race. Young qualified second with defending race winner, Daryl Carver posting the third fastest time of the night. Barry Beggarly, Jr. and Cash completed the top five qualifiers among the 13-car field.
By virtue of the redraw for starting positions, Brad Foy would start from the pole position with Young retaining his second place position and Cash starting third. Chase Janes, Corey Purnell, Beggarly, Moss, and Carver would be the shuffled top eight starters.
From the drop of the green flag the race was all about Young and Cash. Young grabbed the lead right away and Cash fell into second. Foy in the meantime was slipping through the field falling as low as eighth at one point. By the halfway point Cash was looking for the lead and took it from Young. Behind them, Moss was already back up third from his seventh place start with Purnell and Beggarly inside the top five. Carver hadn’t moved up near as much as he was only up to sixth by this point.
Only the top eight cars remained on the lead lap as Cash was mowing the back of the field down setting a fast pace. The first caution of the race waved on lap 33. Cash and Young would be the front row for the restart while Moss and Purnell made up the next row. Purnell would get turned around lap 38 for the second caution as Young was desperately trying to stick with Cash this time.
Following the next restart, Moss would get to second place around Young but contact between the two would send Moss spinning for a lap 40 caution. Carver now found himself up to the third position for the restart. On the ensuing restart, Young would stay side by side with Cash for the first five laps with Cash electing to restart on the outside line every time during this race. Just as Cash cleared Young, Beggarly cut a tire and soon a long strip of metal or plastic would be found off turn three to slow the field with just two laps remaining.
The final restart proved to be an exciting one. Cash, who hasn’t run many asphalt stock car races again elected to take the outside line for the restart and Young is one of the most aggressive drivers in racing on the inside line made the most of it. Young pushed Cash as high up the track as he could and took the top spot. Cash tried to get back to him and did turn him a little off of turn four coming to the checkered but wasn’t going to wreck him for the win.
Young would pick up the win over Cash, Foy, Carver, and Moss. Following the finish Cash’s team was miffed about the last caution questioning whether there was any debris on the track or not. Meanwhile, Young was elated over his victory and the $1,300 winners purse that came with it.
Results:
1 – Gary Young, Jr. #45
2 – Jonathan Cash #40
3 – Brad Foy #50
4 – Daryl Carver #5
5 – Daniel Moss #58
6 – Cory Purnell #35
7 – John Comstock #9
8 – Michael Wright #25
9 – Tracey Chambers #77
10 – Jessie Cain #19
11 – Ian Maxfield #13
12 – Barry Beggarly, Jr. #82
13 – Chase Janes #47
