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ENTRY LIST | |
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Ace Winner Ryan Blaney
#10 |
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Official Results: Ace
Speedway (NC) on Friday, July 1st |
POS - # - DRIVER - LAPS
1) 10 - Ryan Blaney - 150 2) 4 -
Jay Fogleman - 150 3) 51 -
Stephen Nasse - 150 4) 98 -
Justin Wakefield - 150 5) 29 -
Andy Loden - 150 6) 74 - Colt
James - 150 7) 91 - Heath Hindman
- 150 8) 19 - Jordan Anderson -
150 9) 23 - Jimmy Weller - 150
10) 2 - Gray Gaulding - 148 |
11) 29L - Landon Cling - 148
12) 20 - Steven Legendre - 145
13) 7 - Dana White - 145 14) 12 -
Mark Reedy - 137 15) 05 - Alex
Fleming - 127 16) 26 - Preston
Peltier - 123 17) 04 - Ryan Reed
- 114 18) 48 - John Batten - 63
19) 16 - Joey Coulter - 46 20) 62
- Brandon Ward - 36 21) 30 -
Danny Bohn - 35 |
Ryan
Blaney Claims PASS South
“Firecracker 150” Victory Friday
Night at Ace Speedway |
Young Racer Becomes
First Repeat Winner of the 2011
PASS South Super Late Model Season |
The Pro All Stars Series
(PASS) South Super Late Models
continued their 2011 season during
the Fourth of July weekend on
Friday, July 1st, with the
Firecracker 150 event at Ace
Speedway, located in Altamahaw,
North Carolina. Series points leader
Jay Fogleman looked like he was
going to pad his points lead by
winning the event, but at the
checkered flag, it was Ryan Blaney
earning his second win of the
season, the only driver to enter
victory lane twice in the 2011
highly-competitive Super Late Model
series.
With the temperatures
well into the 90s throughout the
day, the PASS South Super Late Model
racers headed into the qualifying
session. Andy Loden set the fast
time early during qualifying, but it
was Blaney ripping off a
14.939-second lap, a new track
record, earning the fast time of the
day. Preston Peltier, Jimmy Weller,
Stephen Nasse, Loden, Steven
Legendre, Ryan Reed, Colt James,
Fogleman and Heath Hindman rounded
out the top-10 fastest speeds. After
the redraw, James and Loden sat on
the front row with Hindman, Nasse,
Legendre, Fogleman, Reed, Weller,
Blaney and Peltier completing to the
top 10.
James and Loden
brought the field down for the green
flag. Loden, who loves racing in the
high line, took the lead early with
Nasse moving to second, James third
and Fogleman fourth. After just a
few laps, Nasse worked his way to
the lead with Loden dropping into
second. Meanwhile, Fogleman worked
his way up to third before hitting
the 10-lap mark, putting James in
fourth and Hindman to fifth.
Just after 15 laps showed on the
board, Weller and Blaney decided to
make their presence known by working
their way up to fourth and fifth
respectively. Blaney then
flip-flopped positions with Weller a
few laps later as they worked to
reel in Fogleman for third.
At the 50-lap mark, Nasse still held
the top spot, but Blaney was the
driver on the move as he worked his
way to second, chasing down Nasse
for the lead. Fogleman was third
with Loden fourth and Reed fifth.
As the leaders continued to put
multiple cars a lap or more down
during a long green-flag run, Blaney
worked his way to the bumper of
Nasse, biding his time. At the
halfway mark, just a car length
separated the top two as they lapped
up to drivers in the top 10. Loden,
Fogleman and Reed ran in the
top-five positions at lap 75.
At lap 89, Blaney used the
lapped car of Gray Gaulding as a
pick to take the lead from Nasse on
the low side. Loden, Fogleman and
Reed still occupied the top-five
positions.
The first caution
flew at lap 94 for a spin in turn
two by Jordan Anderson. At the
yellow, Blaney was the leader with
Nasse second, followed by Loden,
Fogleman and Reed. Only eight cars
were on the lead lap during the
yellow flag due to the torrid pace
the leaders set early in the event.
Just a few corners after going
green, the yellow flag flew for a
spin in turn three by Peltier.
On the following restart, both
Blaney held the top spot over Nasse
with Fogleman working his way to
third. Loden was fourth, followed by
Reed. Shortly after, at lap 105,
Fogleman pressed the go button,
working his way to second around
Nasse.
The third yellow flew
at lap 115 for fifth-place runner
Reed, who slowed on the track. At
the yellow, Blaney was the leader
with Fogleman, Nasse, Loden and
Weller in the top five.
Blaney held the top spot on the
restart with Fogleman in second, but
the caution flew again at lap 117
for contact between a few drivers on
the lead lap. Weller, Loden and
Peltier all suffered a bit of damage
from the incident.
Blaney,
Fogleman, Nasse, Weller, Justin
Wakefield, Hindman, James, Legendre,
Loden were the drivers on the lead
lap, taking the green flag on the
restart. Blaney held the top spot
initially, but Fogleman dove under
Blaney, taking the lead at lap 120.
Nasse was in third with Hindman
fourth and Wakefield fifth.
The yellow flag flew at lap 123 as
Weller went around in turn one due
to fluid on the track, which
appeared to come from Peltier as his
car was smoking around the facility.
Blaney also got into the fluid,
slipping to third behind Fogleman
and Nasse, but kept his car straight
enough to hold third ahead of
Hindman and Wakefield.
At lap
124, the green flag flew once again.
Fogleman held the top spot with
Blaney and Nasse battling side by
side for the second position. Blaney
was able to clear Nasse for the spot
with Wakefield moving up to fourth.
Hindman ran fifth with less than 25
laps remaining.
After another
yellow when Dana White and Steve
Legendre went around in turn one at
lap 139, Blaney tried to hang on the
outside on the restart, but Fogleman
was able to clear him for the lead.
They ran first and second until
Legendre spun again on the
backstretch. Fogleman backed off,
but the yellow flag wasn’t out yet.
Blaney shot by, taking the lead,
before the yellow was displayed on
the field. Blaney was declared the
current leader with Fogleman second,
Nasse third, Wakefield fourth and
James.
On the final restart,
Fogleman tried to work his way back
by Blaney, but couldn’t make it
happen as the young racer went to
victory lane, becoming the first
repeat winner of the season in PASS
South competition.
“We had to
come from ninth, and I think I used
up too much of my tires in the
beginning,” said Blaney. “I have to
congratulate Jay (Fogleman). They
had the best car tonight. I caught a
break there in one and two and snuck
by him.”
The defining moment
of the race for Blaney to get the
victory came down to a call on his
radio by his crew chief.
“Jay
was a few car lengths ahead of us.
There was a spin over in turn two,
and my spotter said there was a
wreck in two, so I checked up, but I
didn’t see the yellow lights come
on. My crew chief came over the
radio and said to dig, so we snuck
by there and was able to hold on
after the restart.
“It is
always an honor to come to this race
track. I hope the fans liked it.”
Finishing second when he looked
like he was on his way to a victory,
Fogleman was disappointed after the
race.
“We had a good race
car, but as the saying goes, we were
the first loser,” said Fogleman. “We
just had a miscommunication on the
radio with the spotter on the
caution being out or not being out.
That is a heck of a way to lose a
race.”
Despite the
disappointment, as the points
leader, Fogleman still was able
manage a small smile.
“He
(Blaney) is a good race car driver
and we have good race cars here in a
good race series. It is getting
bigger and bigger, and I am just
glad to be a part of it.
“He
(Blaney) didn’t gain many points on
me tonight, but I would have liked
those extra two.”
Early race
leader Nasse crossed the line in
third.
“The car was good
tonight,” said Nasse. “The last 50
laps it started going away from me.
Good job to Ryan Blaney. He drove a
great race tonight. I wish we could
have come out on top, but we will
get them next time.”
Wakefield, who started at the rear
of the field in an underpowered
back-up car due to problems with his
primary car in practice, crossed the
line in fourth. Loden was able to
rally back after an incident to
finish fifth.
The PASS South
Super Late Model Series will be back
in action at Gresham Motorsports
Park (GA) on Saturday, July 16th.
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