Post by Dirt Master on Mar 18, 2007 19:31:54 GMT -5
SEASON OPENER at EAST ALABAMA
By Jay Vaquer
Phenix City, ALA - March 17, 2007 - St. Patrick ushered in the start of the 2007 racing season at East Alabama Motor Speedway this Saturday night. Not only were the cars sporting great paint jobs and eye catching graphics, they were also extremely fast. In the Late Model division Terrance Nowell turned a 15.42 which was faster than most of the Super Late Models at the big races. However, Nowell would have to move to the rear of the field for the start after not making weight after qualifying so it was the Master of Going Faster, Dana Eiland who would start the feature from the pole. When the green dropped on the feature Larry Harrod ran door to door with Eiland down the front straight and into turn one. When they hit turn two, Harrod slid off the top bank and the caution was displayed. For the 3rd restart of the race it was restarted single file. With Dana Eiland's legendary K-9 leading the pack to the green, it was pretty much a done deal before the start. Eiland blasted out to the lead in clean air with Harrod running wide open just to keep pace. Within two laps Eiland and Harrod were several carlengths ahead of Ricky Culpepper in third. Bobby Eiland, starting next to last, began his run to the front and tangled with Gordy Scarborough to bring out the yellow flag caution. On the restart Dana Eiland asserted his strength and again ran away from the field with Harrod just far enough behind to not be able to pose a threat. Terrance Nowell started at the rear of the field for a rule infraction but was passing to the front seemingly at will as he went by Jeff Mills, Mickey Benton, and Tod Darda, who uncharacteristically seemed to have missed the set-up. Nowell could shoot off the corner in turn three and dive to the apron to pass whoever was in the preferred groove and come out of turn four ahead of them. Then suddenly Nowell coasted to a stop at the flag stand. When flagman Chad Wallace displayed the caution, Nowell went to the pits and tried to cool his engine then return to the field before the green. He started but was unable to keep pace and circulated slowly on the apron. Bobby Eiland was the hard charger and was on his way to the front passing Marvin Cook, who also seemed to be having a handling problem, and then passing Chad Marchman, Ricky Culpepper, and Jerry Summers. Nowell called it quits and rolled into the pits for a DNF on lap 17. Josh Noles suddenly broke on the front straight and Mickey Benton spun to avoid a collision bringing the yellow back. On the restart Ricky Culpepper, running in fourth, seem to lose power and Summers was quick to take advantage and the fourth spot. Daniel Goodman and Jeff Mills both rolled into the pits calling it a day as Dana Eiland caught a glimpse of a leprechaun pointing to the pot of gold. Eiland took the white flag and powered his K-9 to the checkers leaving the rest of the field green with envy as he set the bar for what promises to be an exciting new season. Larry Harrod finished second, Bobby Eiland came from next to last to finish third, Jerry Summers finished fourth, Ricky Culpepper fifth, Chad Marchman sixth, Tod Darda seventh, Marvin Cook eighth, Gordy Scarborough ninth, and Mickey Benton rounded out the top ten in tenth.
By Jay Vaquer
Phenix City, ALA - March 17, 2007 - St. Patrick ushered in the start of the 2007 racing season at East Alabama Motor Speedway this Saturday night. Not only were the cars sporting great paint jobs and eye catching graphics, they were also extremely fast. In the Late Model division Terrance Nowell turned a 15.42 which was faster than most of the Super Late Models at the big races. However, Nowell would have to move to the rear of the field for the start after not making weight after qualifying so it was the Master of Going Faster, Dana Eiland who would start the feature from the pole. When the green dropped on the feature Larry Harrod ran door to door with Eiland down the front straight and into turn one. When they hit turn two, Harrod slid off the top bank and the caution was displayed. For the 3rd restart of the race it was restarted single file. With Dana Eiland's legendary K-9 leading the pack to the green, it was pretty much a done deal before the start. Eiland blasted out to the lead in clean air with Harrod running wide open just to keep pace. Within two laps Eiland and Harrod were several carlengths ahead of Ricky Culpepper in third. Bobby Eiland, starting next to last, began his run to the front and tangled with Gordy Scarborough to bring out the yellow flag caution. On the restart Dana Eiland asserted his strength and again ran away from the field with Harrod just far enough behind to not be able to pose a threat. Terrance Nowell started at the rear of the field for a rule infraction but was passing to the front seemingly at will as he went by Jeff Mills, Mickey Benton, and Tod Darda, who uncharacteristically seemed to have missed the set-up. Nowell could shoot off the corner in turn three and dive to the apron to pass whoever was in the preferred groove and come out of turn four ahead of them. Then suddenly Nowell coasted to a stop at the flag stand. When flagman Chad Wallace displayed the caution, Nowell went to the pits and tried to cool his engine then return to the field before the green. He started but was unable to keep pace and circulated slowly on the apron. Bobby Eiland was the hard charger and was on his way to the front passing Marvin Cook, who also seemed to be having a handling problem, and then passing Chad Marchman, Ricky Culpepper, and Jerry Summers. Nowell called it quits and rolled into the pits for a DNF on lap 17. Josh Noles suddenly broke on the front straight and Mickey Benton spun to avoid a collision bringing the yellow back. On the restart Ricky Culpepper, running in fourth, seem to lose power and Summers was quick to take advantage and the fourth spot. Daniel Goodman and Jeff Mills both rolled into the pits calling it a day as Dana Eiland caught a glimpse of a leprechaun pointing to the pot of gold. Eiland took the white flag and powered his K-9 to the checkers leaving the rest of the field green with envy as he set the bar for what promises to be an exciting new season. Larry Harrod finished second, Bobby Eiland came from next to last to finish third, Jerry Summers finished fourth, Ricky Culpepper fifth, Chad Marchman sixth, Tod Darda seventh, Marvin Cook eighth, Gordy Scarborough ninth, and Mickey Benton rounded out the top ten in tenth.