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GENE MORGAN SAILS TO SECOND SEASON WIN

GREENVILLE, SC (June 2, 2001)- When Greenville Pickens Speedway defending track champion Gene Morgan snapped the six race winning streak of current Late Model points leader Donnie Bishop back on May 5, he admitted in victory lane afterwards that he was very lucky to be there since Bishop was storming up through the field as the checkered flag fell. But the Traveler Rest's native was clearly more confident on Saturday as his Ford Taurus rolled again into victory lane.

Gene Morgan

"I believe we had our act together tonight, we just ran real well. We knew in the heat race it was hooked up, and we didn't dare touch it," Morgan said after collecting his second season win.

Morgan took the green flag from the outside pole position, and stormed immediately to the front. He held off several early threats from Bishop and Pete Silva but eventually shook the pair leaving them to stage a thrilling duel for the second place position. With Morgan comfortably out front, Bishop and Silva raced door to door as the laps wound down and it appeared Bishop had the advantage on the outside as the white flag waved.

But the determined Silva nosed his Chevrolet Monte Carlo to the low side coming out of turn three and vaulted toward the strip, edging Bishop out by inches as the pair took the checkered flag. Bishop settled for a disappointing third, with Liberty's Kenneth Headen placing fourth. Last week's winner Marty Ward of Marietta placed fifth. Simpsonville's David Roberts, who had started on the pole, was involved in an early spin but came back to finish sixth. Columbia's Dan Shumaker, Hot Springs NC's Stephen Gahagan, J.R. Robbs, and Blair Addis rounded out the seventh through tenth place positions.

Robby Robbins of Greenville continued his march toward a 2001 Super Stock championship, grabbing the lead from polesitter Robin Darnell at the midway point and cruising to his sixth season win. Darnell placed second, with Easley Randy Ballew placing third. Greenville's Ken Guthrie was fourth, and Phillip Lynch rounded out the top five.

Travelers Rest's Daryl Culbertson overtook early leader Rick Cullen and went on to win his second consecutive Street Stock race. The win, Culbertson's third of the season, moved him past Chris Meinders of Liberty for sole possession of the points lead. Red Ables of Dacusville followed Culbertson to the front and placed second. Early leader Cullen fell to third, with Meinders taking fourth. Greenville's Vince Quinn was fifth.

In the Charger features, points leader Ted Somero of Greer moved quickly to the front of the pack and stayed out of harms way as several cautions slowed the action. Travis Hardin placed second and Chris Black moved from back in the field to place third. In the second Charger race, Easley's Scott Mann collected his first season win by holding off a charging Pete Porter and Kennith Powell.

Greenville Pickens Speedway Results June 2, 2001
                
    Late Model Results         
 
1.  Gene Morgan         
2.  Pete Silva          
3.  Donnie Bishop           
4.  Kenneth Headen          
5.  Marty Ward          
6.  David Roberts           
7.  Dan Shumaker            
8.  Stephen Gahagan         
9.  J. R. Robbs         
10. Blair Addis         
11. Tony Williams           
12. Jamie Barbery           
13. Andy Driver         
14. Benny Youngblood            
15. Jimmy Driver            
16. Jay White           
17. James Young         
18. Greg Nix            
19. Dennis Stancil          
20. Neil Meredith           
21. Bobby Adams