LateModelStock.com - News

Westley Huffman Nabs Win in All-Star Thriller

Jefferson, GA (Mar 25, 2001) - If today's Late Model Stock All-Stars season opener is any indication of things to come, then fans and competitors alike need to roll up their sleeves and prepare for war.

Westley Huffman, driving the unsponsored No. 5, outdueled series rookie Keith Bumgarner over a ferociously fought final two laps Sunday afternoon to claim victory by a distance less than the Chevy Monte Carlo emblem that adorns the front of his race car. After overtaking race leader Scott Kilby, making his ARA debut, on lap 189, Huffman withstood a monumental charge from Bumgarner that saw the two swap positions, and paint, numerous times over the final harrowing laps.

"I thought we had it won when we passed Kilby," said Huffman, of Columbia, South Carolina. "Then Kevin came on strong. I honestly didn't know who won until I got to the backstretch and they came over the radio."

Randy Porter, of Easley, South Carolina, set the pace for much of the race, establishing a new track record with a 18.603 pole qualifying effort. Porter, a time-tested veteran including a stint in the NASCAR Busch series, went on to lead the first 100 laps of the event heading into the mandatory halfway point pit stop. After changing right side tires and making set-up adjustments, the field restarted, and Porter again established a comfortable lead over Scott Kilby and Huffman.

Scott Kilby

Well in to the second 100 laps, Porter, Kilby and Huffman separated from the pack and began to close the distance between themselves, with Kilby slowly reeling in the seemingly invincible Porter. On lap 156, Kilby made his move to the inside of Porter through turn two and grabbed the lead, with Huffman following on his heels. Porter quickly faded, and Bumgarner and Shane Huffman snuck ahead. With twenty laps to go, Kenny West pulled past Porter, filling the top five with Hickory Motor Speedway veterans for the final shootout.

A spin on the backstretch brought out the day's ninth caution with thirteen laps remaining, tightening the field for the final restart. On the ensuing lap, Huffman dove under leader Kilby coming out of turn four and settled in front heading into turn one, quickly putting several car lengths between the two. Three laps later, Bumgarner passed Kilby, who seemed to have run out of tires, and the chase was on.

With four laps to go, lapped traffic slowed the leader Huffman, and Bumgarner capitalized, setting up nose to tail racing for two laps before Bumgarner made his move inside heading into turn three, nudging in front through turn one. Side by side, switching inside and outside, the two drivers stuck like glue to each other heading through the white flag lap. Coming out of turn four, Bumgarner moved ahead on the outside, then dove in, while Huffman took to the outside groove. Down the long Peach State frontstretch, Huffman closed the gap, and, ultimately, closed the book on Round One of the 2001 season.

"I was really pushing for those last ten laps," said Bumgarner. "At the end I went as hard as I could go, I just came up a little bit short."

Kilby, who elected to invert to seventh to accumulate bonus passing points after posting a qualifying time good enough for the outside pole, finished third. Kenny West finished fourth ahead of 1999's NASCAR Blue Ridge Region Late Model champion and USAR ProCup driver Shane Huffman. Defending series champion Greg Marlowe finished sixth. Tim Weaver, Stephen Lite, Jay Moore and Ryan Zeck rounded out the top ten.

The ARA All-Star series heads to Hickory for Round Two next Saturday, March 31st, for a 125 lap event.

Lap Leaders: Randy Porter, 1-155; Scott Kilby, 156-188; Westley Huffman, 189-200.

Top Qualifier: Randy Porter, 18.603 (Peach State Track Record)

Cars Taking Green Flag: 39 (ARA All-Stars Record)