LateModelStock.com - News

Results from the Carolina PreCast Concrete 265

KENLY _ Rookie David Clark of Raleigh outmaneuvered a veteran challenger on a late-race restart and proceeded to his first Pro Trucks triumph at Southern National Speedway in Saturday night’s Carolina Precast 265 auto racing program. On the restart following the final caution with two laps remaining, the 20-year-old Clark, in a Chevrolet, checked up and was tapped by the Ford of 36-year-old Wilson driver Wayne Skinner. After the tap, Clark hit the gas and raced away. Clark, third the previous week, anticipated an aggressive move from Skinner, who had charged from the rear after a first-lap mishap to second.

“I ran with a guy at Wake County Speedway who was really similar,” Clark said. “He had driven a lot of laps. He taught me a lot of things and I used a few of them tonight.”

Also taking checkered flags Saturday night were Mike Stodder of Raleigh in the Four-Cylinder Stock 40-lapper, Gary Davis of Kinston in the Super Stock 35-lapper and Roger Sawyer of Orlando, Fla., in the 150-lap NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series feature.

Davis celebrated his first SNS victory since 1993. Stodder won his second consecutive race and third of the season. But in Pro Trucks, Clark surprised Skinner, racing for the fourth year in the Pro Trucks division. On the previous restart, Skinner noticed that Clark’s truck slipped sideways.

“We thought we could take him,” Skinner said. “We got a good run on him. He was a little smarter than I thought. He hit the brakes and that screwed me all up. He knew what we has doing.”

“This is just a great feeling,” Clark said of his first SNS trip to Victory Lane. “I never thought it would happen my rookie season.”

Clark credited a change, acknowledging his crew members were dubious because of a strong performance in the previous race.

“But we didn’t win the race,” Clark said with a shrug. “So we changed the front springs and that seemed to help. It was just really loose at the end.”

Skinner continued his surge with a runner-up finish. Wilson driver Mickey Adams claimed third in a Chevrolet. Adams benefited from a strong finish. The young driver explained he made a brakes adjustment and “just took off.” Completing the top five, respectively, were Pikeville drivers Mark Howell and Linwood Mozingo.

The caution-marred proceedings further scrambled the standings. Goldsboro’s John Jones, the pole sitter who entered as the points leader, owned the lead for the first 40 laps _ until his Ford’s rear grease leak was detected. Howell grabbed the lead by a mere two points against Skinner. Mozingo trails by six points and Jones by 10. Clark also passed Raleigh’s Wil Smith as the front-runner for Rookie of the Year.

In Super Stock, Davis maneuvered his Grand Prix to the outside and past the Monte Carlo of pole sitter Stacy Wood of Benson on the first lap. Despite the challenge of points leader John Whaley of Goldsboro, Davis never relinquished the lead.

Wood, coming off his first career win, wrecked and finished ninth.

Davis finally triumphed after being thrice denied by dramatic late-race developments this season.

“The car was good, really good,” said the grinning Davis. “When we started, we figured, if nothing nit-picky happened, we had them covered. This feels good _ a relief. We have worked hard for this; everybody has worked hard.” And Davis was forced to work hard to stave off Whaley and cut Whaley’s points lead to 14.

“If there hadn’t been so many cautions, I think we would have gotten him,” Whaley said. “The car was too tight. After the cautions, I was bad and he (Davis) was good.”

“I could gain a little bit on him,” Davis commented, “but we was not giving up much.”

Following Davis and Whaley to the stripe, respectively, were Jerry Howard of Wilson, Stacey Pate of Pikeville and Gary Gardner of Wilson.

Stodder and Goldsboro’s Andy Smith remained the scourge of Four-Cylinder racing. Stodder worked his Mustang around Smith’s Toyota on the opening lap and endured a rash of cautions and a huge 24-car field.

Points leader Smith took second, with Ed Little Jr. of Princeton third in a Toyota, Lee Kozikowski of Zebulon fourth and Pat Renfro of Warsaw fifth. Renfrow registered his best finish of the season.

Racing resumes at Southern National Speedway next Saturday night with a 320-lap program, highlighted by a 200-lap Late Model Stock event.