Potomac Speedway race report 2001-04-14

Budds Creek, Md., -- It was the second I.T.S.I. Budweiser Super Late Model feature of the 2001 racing season. Les Hare of New Park, Pa., came from a 13th place starting position in a field of 23 cars to pick up his first win of the year, his 35th career victory at Potomac Speedway this past Saturday night in the Cameron Construction sponsored event.

Paul Cursey of Baltimore, Md., picked up his second win of the season in the Bell Motor Company Late Models. Tom Turner Halethorpe, Md., of visited victory lane for the first time in his racing career in the Coors Light Pure-Street Stocks after the race winner Ronald Cusic was moved to the tail end of the lead lap for a technical infraction.

Sixty-nine-year-old Jerry Dick of Lottsburg, Va., took the checkered flag in the Potomac Speedway Four-Cylinder feature. Ben Bowie of Welcome, Md., picked up his first win of the season in the Cliff's Heating and Air Conditioning Enduro/Hobby Stock feature. Joe Adams of Clements, Md., who started 11th came up through the field to finish 3rd to get the M.A.R.F Hard Charger of the race award winner. Jerry Oliver of Mechanicsville, Md., was the winner in the Chesapeake Web Design Bombers after the top two finishers Jimmy Suite and Dennis Maxey were disqualified for technical infractions..

Jerry and Peggy Scott of Waldorf, Md., sponsored the children's bike giveaway. Eleven-year-old J.L. Hill of Clements, Md., was the lucky bike winner.

In the 40-lap Budweiser Late Model event, Rick Jones started on the pole and led the way as the green flag waved. By lap 10, even though the race had been slowed three times for cautions, Jones had about a five-car length advantage over second-place runner Ray Kable. A good three-way battle for the fourth and fifth place positions developed between Pat Wood, Jim Bernheisel, and James Adkins, Jr. Wood was able to hold onto fourth until lap 12 when Bernheisel passed him and set his sights on third place runner Jeff Pilkerton. While the door-handle-to-door-handle racing was going on behind him, Rick Jones continued to pull away from the field by almost a straight-a-way lead. The field was brought back together on lap 19 when a caution came out for then fifth-place runner Adkins. Bernheisel had gotten loose in turns three and four and almost spun. Adkins with no where to go, spun. On the restart, Jones again led the way. By lap 20, he again had about a five-to-six car length advantage. On lap 22, a caution came out for third-place runner Jeff Pilkerton who had spun in turn three after contact with another car, collecting Deane Guy. On the restart, Kable challenged Jones for the lead. As the two battled side-by-side, Bernheisel went to the outside, taking over the top spot. Jones came battling back, but Bernheisel held onto the lead. Les Hare then came up through the field challenging Jones for second. He was able to take over the position on lap 25. On lap 26, a caution came out for Tim Murphy who spun in turn two after contact with Adkins. Adkins was sent to the rear for the incident. On the restart, Hare made a bid for the lead on the inside of turn two. The two battled side-by-side down the backstretch with Hare making the pass going into turn three. Once Hare took over the lead, he never looked back. He went on to take the checkered flag, unchallenged for the lead. Bernheisel slowed on lap 37, giving him an 18th place finish. Ernie Jones ended up second, followed by Allen Brannon in third, Rick Jones in fourth, and David Sibold in fifth. Bernheisel, Pat Wood, and Tommy Wagner, Jr., won the heats.

In the 20-lap Bell Motor Company Late Model feature, Paul Cursey started on the pole and led the way as the green flag waved. By lap two, he had about a four-car length advantage over second-place runner Ronnie Hollidge. As the race stayed under green flag conditions, Cursey continued to pull away. He went on to take the checkered flag, unchallenged for the lead and finishing with almost a half-track advantage over second-place finisher Hollidge. Eleventh-place starter Sommey Lacey worked his way up through the field to finish third, followed by Chet Gagnon in fourth, and Craig Bowling in fifth. Cursey won the heat.

In the 15-lap Coors Light Pure-Street Stock feature, Chris Nelson started on the outside pole and took the lead as the green flag waved. Second-place runner Billy Tippett challenged for the lead on lap four. Tom Turner joined in the battle making it three-wide as they went into turn three. Tippett and Turner made contact causing both of them to spin. Turner was sent to the rear of the field for the incident. On the restart, Jamie Lathroum and Jimmy Jesmer both passed Nelson. Before the lap was completed, a caution came out for Jesmer, giving the lead back to Nelson. Nelson showed the way on the restart, holding off challenges from Lathroum. Then on lap five, Nelson's motor blew. Lathroum took over the top spot. He continued to show the way with Mike Latham in tow. On lap 13, Lathroum slowed in turn four with a flat tire. Latham then inherited the lead. As the field entered turn two, after taking the white flag, Latham got loose. As he spun, he collected third-place runner Kirk Confair and sixth-place runner P.J. Hatcher. As the caution flag waved, Ronald Cusic then took over the lead. When the field went back to green, Cusic led the way followed by Tom Turner who had worked his way back up through the field. Cusic took the checkered flag but was then posted as the last car on the lead lap for a technical infraction discovered during the post-race inspection. Turner then got the win, followed by Jesmer in second, Scott Thompson in third, Walt Homberg in fourth, and Tommy Hitt in fifth. Lathroum and Latham won the heats.

Chris Mclanigan started on the pole of the 12-lap Four-Cylinder feature and showed the way as the green flag waved, with Butch Mclanigan and Chappy Knaack following closely behind. On lap five, Bob Tester, Jr. passed both Knaack and Butch Mclanigan to take over second. On lap six, Chris Mclanigan spun in turn two, collecting Tester. Butch Mclanigan then took over the lead. On the restart, Mclanigan led the way with Jerry Dick in tow. Dick made a bid for the lead on lap seven, making the pass. A caution came out for Butch Mclanigan who came to a stop on the frontstretch on lap nine. On the restart, Dick easily showed the way and went on to take the checkered flag. Calvin Wright, who started 11th, worked his way through the field to finish second. Bob Tester, Jr., finished third, followed by Sam Woods in fourth, and Pop Woods in fifth. Tester won the heat.

In the 20-lap Cliff's Heating and Air Conditioning Enduro/Hobby Stock feature, Ray Weaver jumped out front from his fourth-place starting position to lead lap one. By lap two, he had about an eight-car length lead on the rest of the field. Second-place runner Ben Bowie began closing on Weaver. He peaked to the inside of Weaver on lap six, but made his move on the backstretch on lap seven. The two made contact in turn four with Bowie taking over the lead. The top three cars all ran nose-to-tail as Wayne Suite then challenged for second. He was able to take the position on lap nine. Weaver came battling back. He went wide in turn two, opening the door for John Ballou. Ballou and Suite battled for second with Suite battled for second with Suite holding onto the position. Bowie went on to take the checkered flag followed by Suite in second. Joe Adams was able to get around Ballou for third with Ballou finishing fourth and John Burch in fifth. Adams won the heat.

Eric Hanson started on the pole of the 15-lap Chesapeake Web Design Bomber feature and led the way as the green flag waved. Jimmy Suite challenged Hanson for the top spot and was able to take the lead for lap one. Suite began pulling away from the rest of the field. He put about five-to-six car lengths in between him and second place runner Jerry Oliver by lap five. A caution came out for Hanson who spun on the frontstretch on lap nine. Suite led the way on the restart. Dennis Maxey moved into second place on lap and set his sights on Suite. On the last lap, Maxey made his move in turn one, but Suite held him off. Maxey tried to take the lead again in turn four, but got loose, scraping the wall on the frontstretch. He was able to keep going and to hold onto second place as Suite took the checkered flag. Following a post-race inspection Suite and Maxey were disqualified for technical infractions and the win went to Oliver. Dale Moore followed in second, Rob Hitt third, Eric Hanson fourth and Cindy Hall fifth. Hanson won the heat.

This coming week, April 21st, Potomac Speedway will host the regular show on hand along with spectator drags. Come out to see the race fans get a chance to drag race their own cars down the frontstretch of the 3/8th mile clay oval Gates open at 4:30pm racing action starts at 6:00pm. For more information call the Track Office at (301) 884-4624 or visit the website at www. potomacspeedway.com maintained by Chesapeake Web Design..

-Vicki Adkins