NOTE: Dustin finished 1st in his heat, started on the pole in the Dash, where the drive train broke placing him 6th. During the "A" Main he was running for 3rd place until contact with the 4th turn wall and ended up 20th.
Dustin set an unofficial new track record during his heat race, being the first to turn a lap in the 15's.
After pulling an all nighter, switching to a new chassis, it is on to Virginia Motor Speedway in Saluda, VA tonight for the 2nd leg of the weekend.
From Lonnie Wheatley:
WYTHEVILLE, VA (May 26, 2006) – Pennsylvania’s Dave Ely made the most of his first O’Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour appearance of the 2006 season by racing to victory lane in Friday night’s 25-lap feature atop the high-banked, ½-mile Wythe Raceway clay oval.
Ely got a friendly nod from Lady Luck when a red flag nullified Travis Rilat’s pass for the lead on the seventh round, then held on the rest of the way to notch his first career O’Reilly ASCS National Tour feature triumph aboard Gene Francowiak’s Don Ott-powered Titan Garages & Carports/Shuttleworth Asphalt Sealing No. 3 F-5 chassis.
“The car was working really good tonight, I slipped up that one time just a little bit and Travis got by me but then we caught a break there.” Ely commented from victory lane. “This is a great win and wow, it’s been quite a while since I got a real trophy like that!” he exclaimed upon receiving the winner’s trophy supplied by Koolbeans Trophies and Awards.
After earning the second most passing points through heat race action, Ely earned the pole position for the main event by winning the 5-lap Pole Dash as Qualifying Races were scrapped due to intermittent showers and the continued threat of severe weather throughout the night.
Ely outgunned fellow front row starter Travis Rilat for the point at the outset, but it wasn’t long before Rilat began challenging for the lead. Rilat looked high and low before successfully slipping underneath Ely exiting turn four then charging into the lead a straightaway later on the seventh round.
But Rilat’s pass for the lead was negated moments later when Darren Stewart coasted to a halt in turn four, putting Ely back in front.
Rilat kept the pressure on Ely over the ensuing rounds, with Sean McClelland, Lance Moss and Dustin Daggett in tow. Daggett made his move past Moss for fourth on the 14th round then was challenging McClelland for third a lap later when the treacherous turn four bit him. Daggett flipped wildly, with several other cars caught up in the melee. Daggett escaped uninjured.
McClelland entered the mix for the lead as action resumed, only to break loose and spin in turn four two laps later. Again, several cars were collected in the ensuing scramble, with Butch Pendergrass’ mount landing on its side. McClelland escaped with little more than a badly bruised left arm after a portion of another car got into his cockpit.
Ely checked out on the next restart, with Rilat surrendering the runner-up slot when his car came to a stop in turn four with the left rear tire off the rim as the white flag flew.
Set for a green-white-checkered dash, Heintz Performance ASCS Southern Tour rep Moss found himself in second behind Ely. Moss made a bid for the point in the opening two corners, but Ely was up to the task and slipped away to secure the victory.
Moss settled for the runner-up slot in his first career ASCS National Tour feature start aboard the Taggart-powered No. 7 J&J, with eighth-starter Jesse Hockett snaring the show position in the Wesmar-powered VKCC Motorsports No. 75 DRC.
Tony Bruce, Jr., brought the Salina-powered Best Well Service No. 18 Maxim across the line fourth, with Delaware racer Justin Collett rounding out the top five.
Nick Smith took over the series point lead by racing from 16th to finish sixth in front of Josh Weller, with Abe Sherwood taking Hard Charger honors by racing from 22nd to eighth. Jan Howard crossed the stripe ninth, with Gary Wright finishing tenth in his new series record 102nd consecutive feature start after being collected in one incident after suffering a cut right rear tire in the early going.
Bruce, Moss, Ely and Daggett topped heat race action, with Stewart winning the “B” Main.
The night got off to an inauspicious start when Trey Robb flipped in the third set of hot laps. In the following set, rookie shoe Dale Arnold collided with a stalled Jeff Young in violent fashion. Robb made repairs by “B” Main time, and then raced from 21st to eleventh in the “A” Main.
Doug Gold went for a wild turn two ride midway through the “B” Main, with race leader Sam Hafertepe, Jr., blowing a power steering hose at the same time and making hard contact with the turn four wall.
FINAL RESULTS: 1. 3-Dave Ely, 2. 7-Lance Moss, 3. 75-Jesse Hockett, 4. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 5. 69-Justin Collett, 6. 15s-Nick Smith, 7. 63-Josh Weller, 8. 44J-Abe Sherwood, 9. 46-Jan Howard, 10. 9-Gary Wright, 11. 12-Trey Robb, 12. 41-Jason Johnson, 13. 11c-Brian Smith, 14. 28-Coby Adams, 15. 29-Travis Rilat, 16. 90-Eddie Hamilton, 17. 21-Scott McClaren, 18. 1-Sean McClelland, 19. 11-Butch Pendergrass, 20. 85-Dustin Daggett, 21. 1b-Jimmy Burns, 22. 91-Darren Stewart |
