LateModelStock.com - News

BISHOP EXPRESS ROLLS ON

GREENVILLE, SC (May 5, 2001) - With the previous week off to figure out how to derail the Donnie Bishop express at Greenville Pickens Speedway, the Late Model competition was once again sent back to the drawing boards scratching their heads at evening's end. Bishop grabbed the pole and held off an early challenge by Marietta's Marty Ward to sail to his sixth consecutive victory in seven NASCAR Weekly Series races this season. The division took last week off as the Gatorade All Pro Series took center stage.

"We really did a lot of major work on this car in the last two weeks," Bishop said. "Most people don't realize we've won a few races but we basically rebuilt the rear section of the car this week. We didn't feel like it was turning quite as good as it should so we went home and did our homework."

Ward, a former track champion, offered Bishop a serious challenge in the opening circuits, but fell off the pace as the laps wound down. "He's got his act together and he's tough here and I'm just going to have to keep struggling to try and run with him," Ward said after the race. "We're going to have to go back and do a little more homework because he's doing his."

Bishop's current winning streak is the longest since Dexter Canipe reeled off eight in a row in 1997. Canipe won the track, regional and national NASCAR short track championship that year, tying David Pearson's long time number of season track wins at 17 in the process.

Defending track champion Gene Morgan of Travelers Rest made a return to the track after a two week hiatus, and placed third. "The car's not right yet, but it is getting there. We are closer," Morgan said after the race.

Liberty's Kenneth Headen, Asheville's Pete Silva, and Simpsonville's David Roberts staged the best race of the evening for the fourth place position, with Headen muscling his racer over the line to claim the point. Silva's Chevrolet crossed the stripe just inches in front of Roberts. Spartanburg's Kevin Bishop, Fletcher, NC's James Young, Columbia's Dan Shumaker, and Anderson's Gordon Stanley rounded out the seventh through tenth place positions.

In other races, Greenville's Robby Robbins passed early leader Greg Dodgens and coasted to his fifth season win. Greenville's Phillip Lynch followed Robbins to the front and held on to claim second. Dodgens fell to third, and Easley's Michael Cain placed fourth. Robin Darnell of Greenville was fifth.

Greenville's Tim Sams moved to the front of the 15 lap Street Stock field, and left Daryl Culbertson of Travelers Rest and Chris Meinders of Liberty to battle for the second place position. Culbertson held off Meinders at the stripe, with Greenville's Billy Rowland placing fourth. Greenville's Anthony Anders rounded out the top five.

In the Charger races, Bubba Horton of Greenville held off brother Robert to take the checkers in the Charger I race. Ted Somero of Greer came from back of the pace to place third, with Greenville's Travis Hardin placing fourth. Donnie Leonard was fifth. In the second race, Travelers Rest's Roger Knight bested Greenville's Donny Henry and Ryan Dombrosky to score his first win of the season. Easley's Scott Mann was fourth, and Easley's Bryan Davis was fifth.

--GP PR


GREENVILLE PICKENS SPEEDWAY

Race Results/MAY 5, 2001

Late Model Stock 
1. Donnie Bishop, Greenville
2. Marty Ward, Marietta
3. Gene Morgan, Travelers Rest
4. Kenneth Headen, Liberty
5. Pete Silva, Leicester, NC
6. David Roberts, Simpsonville
7. Kevin Bishop, Spartanburg
8. James Young, Fletcher, N.C.
9. Dan Schumaker, Columbia
10. Gordon Stanley, Anderson
11. Stephen Gahagan, Hot Springs, N.C.
12. Jay White, Central
13. Rufus Raiden, Greenville 
14. John Ferguson, Greenville
15. Jimmy Driver, Greenville
16. Andy Driver, Greenville
17. Brandon McCarson, Greenville
18. Blair Addis, Greenville
19. Fred Phillips, Greenville. 

Super Stock 
1. Robby Robbins, Greenville
2. Philip Lynch, Greenville
3. Greg Dodgens, Greenville
4. Michael Cain, Easley
5. Robin Darnell, Greenville
6. C.M. Knight, Simpsonville
7. Jon Martin, Mountville
8. Jayson Brown, Fountain Inn
9. David Blankenship, Swannanoa, NC
10. Jackie Williams, Greenville
11. Chris Headen, Greenville
12. Scott Mote, Easley. 

Street Stock 
1. Tim Sams, Greenville
2. Daryl Culbertson, Travelers Rest
3. Chris Meinders, Liberty
4. Billy Rowland, Greenville
5. Anthony Anders, Greenville
6. Billy Lusk, Easley
7. William "Red" Ables, Dacusville
8. Stanley Pressley, Travelers Rest
9. Rick Kelley, Greenville. 

Charger One 
1. Stephen "Bubba" Horton, Greenville
2. Robert Horton, Greenville
3. Ted Somero, Greer
4. Travis Hardin, Greenville
5. Donnie Leonard, Pelzer
6. Jimmy Mann, Jr., Greenville
7. Kennith Powell, Easley
8. Terry King, Slabtown
9. Rena Tate, Easley
10. Pete Porter, Greenville
11. Michael Pittman, Greenville
12. Steve Brown, Pendleton
13. Dale Norris, Greenville
14. Kelly Mann, Greenville. 

Charger Two 
1. Roger Knight, Travelers Rest
2. Donny Henry, Greenville
3. Ryan Dombrosky, Greenville
4. Scott Mann, Easley
5. Bryan Davis, Easley
6. Frank Dean, Powdersville
7. Byron Mabery, Piedmont
8. Chris Black, Fountain Inn
9. John Weathers, Greenville
10. James Madden, Liberty
11. Debbie Brannan, Fountain Inn
12. Ed Hodges, Fountain Inn
13. Mark Brockman, Greer
14. Christy Kelly, Greenville.