LateModelStock.com - News

Butler Gets Second Victory

CAPRON, Va. (May 18) — Brandon Butler of Richmond, Va., posted his second victory in the 100-lap RaceWorld.com Late Model Stock Car feature, part of Friday’s NASCAR Weekly Racing Series/Creative Spas, Decks & Pools Night program at Southampton Motor Speedway.

Brandon Butler

Butler started on the pole, at 95.339 mph, and grabbed the lead on the opening lap. Doug Godsey of Richmond, who started third, tagged along on Butler’s bumper, pulling even with Jamey Caudill of Four Oaks, N.C., the outside pole starter. Godsey motored ahead of Caudill on the second circuit to take over the runner-up spot.

As Butler showed the way, Caudill shadowed Godsey, looking for an opening. He found it on lap 30, flashing past Godsey on the high side through the frontstretch dogleg. The exchange allowed Butler to extend his lead to five car-lengths.

With the race-opening green-flag run continuing, Butler began to run up on packs of slower cars, giving Caudill an opportunity to narrow the gap. By the time the first caution flag flew, on lap 59, the lead duo were positioned nose-to-tail.

Back under green and with clear race track ahead, Butler flexed his Chevy’s muscle and started to draw away from the pack. Within 20 laps, Butler had fashioned a half-straightaway edge over Caudill.

On lap 84, however, Butler found himself boxed in by lapped traffic and Caudill closed to within three car-lengths. Working quickly, Butler extricated his machine, leaving Caudill to deal with the slower cars. Caudill was less successful and, by the time he cleared traffic, the leader had stretched his advantage to a full straightaway.

Butler’s healthy lead was erased, though, when the second caution flag appeared on lap 97. The lead-lap cars were ushered to the head of the procession for the restart. The third and final caution flag was unfurled on lap 98 for debris on the frontstretch.

On the final restart, Butler forged a slim edge over Caudill, then held on to win by 0.640-second — about two car-lengths.

Godsey, the division points leader coming into the event, was third to the line, but refused to submit his machine to a post-race inspection. He was disqualified, handing the points lead to Caudill. Further penalties are pending.

Jason Rudd of Suffolk, Va., fresh from a Busch Series test at Dover, was third in the amended rundown, followed by Frank Deiny Jr. of Mechanicsville, Va., and Nick Woodward of High Point, N.C.

In Victory Lane after the race, Butler commented on the turnaround his team has enjoyed since falling out of the season’s first two events: “We started out pretty slow here and the last three or four weeks, we’ve been pretty strong, coming on.”

Regarding the final restart, Butler said, “Jamey and Doug, they’re tough competitors, as good as anybody in the region. Any time you’ve got a restart, those last few laps when the tires are worn...I was a little nervous. I knew Jamey’d race me clean. We got a decent little jump on him, not much, but we held on enough to win it.”

Runner-up Caudill revealed an unnoticed mishap that may have cost him a shot at the victory: “I kinda messed us up tonight. We had a good race car and I don’t know what we’d have been at the end if I hadn’t got in the fence, but I hurt myself. Followed a guy in the fence on the back straightaway. But, we’re getting better and we’re gonna keep digging ‘til we get one.”

In the evening’s other feature events:

John Eversole Jr. of Richmond continued his dominance of the Sentry Food Mart Grand Stock division, leading all 40 laps for his fifth victory of the season. Bubba Hubbard of Richmond held down the runner-up spot throughout the race and had one last shot at Eversole when the fifth and final caution flag waved on lap 38. On the final restart, Eversole opened a one-car-length lead and held that margin to the checkers. Hubbard was second, followed by Steve Zuskin of Disputanta, Va., Irvin Stephens Jr. of Franklin, Va., and Michael Perkins of Petersburg, Va.

David Wheeler of Prince George, Va., rolled to his fourth win of the year in the 25-lap Vic’s Auto Sales & Body Shop Pure Stock feature. Robert Stell of Hobbsville, N.C., moved into second place on lap 19 and tailed Wheeler to the finish line, two car-lengths back. Brian Smith of Portsmouth, Va., was third to the stripe, but failed to clear the post-race inspection and was disqualified. Preston Wheeler of Prince George, the winner’s son, was third in the official rundown, followed by Steve Pittman and his dad, Tommy Pittman, both of Ivor, Va. Like Smith, Chip Rutledge of Ford, Va., the sixth-place finisher, was also DQ’d when he failed to pass inspection.

Troy Hutcheson of Virginia Beach, Va., overcame a poor starting position to score his fourth win in the 25-lap Mike Duman Auto Sales Mini Stock race. Hutcheson was quickest in time trials, but started sixth after a redraw among the six-fastest qualifiers. Rick Freeman of Gloucester Point, Va., looking for his third straight win, drew the pole. Freeman led the first 17 laps as Hutcheson moved toward the point. Hutcheson grabbed the lead on lap 18, but saw the pass negated by a caution flag. Back under green, Hutcheson shadowed Freeman until lap 21 when he took the lead. Freeman tried to reverse the move, pulling to Hutcheson’s inside. Hutcheson fought off the bid, however, and drove away in the waning laps to win by three car-lengths. Bruce Kimmel of Chesapeake, Va., was third, followed by Brian Bradley of Hopewell, Va., and Brent Mann of Pendleton, N.C.

Chad Gordon of Emporia, Va., led from pole to checkers for his second win in a 40-lapper for the Rolling Thunder Modified Racing Series. Gordon was fifth-fastest in time trials, but picked the pole in a redraw among the top-six qualifiers. Presented with that golden opportunity, Gordon never looked back and showed the way to the finish. Ronnie Davis of Ashland, Va., the defending series champ, was the runner-up, three car-lengths back. Mark Slye of Toano, Va., was third, followed by current series leader Thomas Stinson of Chesterfield, Va., and David Winslow of Varina, Va. The series will head to Southern National Speedway in Kenly, N.C., for a non-points event on Saturday, May 26. The next points race is at SMS on Friday, June 1. Another points race follows on Saturday, June 2, at South Boston Speedway.

Jim Grady of Richmond was the winner of a 20-lap race for the Ukrop’s Mid-Atlantic Champ Karts. Heading a four-kart draft, Grady bypassed Butch Gay of Quinton, Va., to take the lead on lap 15, then held on as Mark Claytor of Mechanicsville, Va., staged a furious, last-lap rally. At the line, Grady was the winner by half a kart-length. Stanley Holmes of Richmond was third, followed by T.J. Guthrie of Mechanicsville and Gay, who led laps 1-14.

   LATE MODEL STOCK CARS - 100 laps

1.  Brandon Butler - Richmond, Va., 100
2.  Jamey Caudill - Four Oaks, N.C., 100
3.  Jason Rudd - Suffolk, Va., 100
4.  Frank Deiny Jr. - Mechanicsville, Va., 100
5.  Nick Woodward - High Point, N.C., 100
6.  Denny Hamlin - Chesterfield, Va., 100
7.  Bud Kenny - Virginia Beach, Va., 100
8.  Mike Conner - Gloucester, Va., 100
9.  Mike Shearin - Emporia, Va., 99
10. Woody Howard - Chesapeake, Va., 99
11. Andy Bell - Norfolk, Va., 99
12. Max Smith - Roanoke Rapids, N.C., 98
13. Buck Godsey - Richmond, Va., 98
14. Terry Carroll - Williamsburg, Va., 98
15. Terry Allison - South Mills, N.C., 98
16. Jim Williams - Chesapeake, Va., 98
17. Neil McClanan - Moyock, N.C., 97
18. Ray Hackett - La Plata, Md., 94
19. Rodney Taylor - Petersburg, Va., 64
20. Jimmy Adkins - Chesapeake, Va., 31

DQ Doug Godsey - Richmond, Va., 100
(Finished third, but refused to allow a
  post-race inspection of his car.)

Pole: Butler - 95.339 mph.