| April 24, 2009 | |
Alabama Double Feature Weekend for UDLMCS
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By Rick Anges
 Lafayette, Ala. (4/17) Twenty-seven crews and the staff of the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series made the trek to the Alabama countryside for the first of two big races. The 1/3-mile clay oval of Penton Raceways would be the first stop of the double-header weekend for the series.
With two races in the books the point’s race was already tight as “The Magic Man” Mark Whitener came in ahead of “The Locomotive” Johnny Collins the ’08 UDLMCS Champ.
But the twists and turns of the event would have some surprises in store for everyone involved. In a twist for the series the top seven in qualifying would be locked in for the A-main.
Mark Whitener would break a motor early in the evening warm ups and end his night without a lap of competition. Collins on the other hand would qualify fifth but would not be able to make the call for the feature.
Travis Pennington in the 95.3 The Ride machine would smoke the field by a half second with a run 14.08 second run to take the Zeigler Racing Engines fast time award.
With Whitener and Collins out and Tyler Ivey not present Russell Brown Jr. and Jason Fitzgerald were presented with a golden opportunity. Fitzgerald qualified himself into race with a seventh fast time on the grid. Meanwhile Brown had to battle his way in through the B-main.
The first of many yellows flew when several cars got together in turn two with the car of Shane Smith going off the track in one. He was able to make it back with heavy damage.
Fitzgerald was also in one of the early yellows and was sent to the rear on the re-start.
There was plenty of side-by-side sometimes three wide racing through out the field during the fifty lap $2,500 to win A-main. Local favorite Dana Eiland was a house on fire, as he owned the field. Eiland got out to almost a half lap lead over second place and looked like a sure bet to take the win when with seven laps to go he suddenly slowed on the backstretch.
Eighteen-year-old Travis Pennington would inherit the lead and Terrance Nowell knocking on the door in second. Nowell made on last bid on the white flag lap going into one but Pennington would hold his line and take home the hardware. Nowell was second but the story of the night Fitzgerald who methodically made his way through to take the third spot.
Race Winner Travis Pennington
“I just had to be careful,” said The Bobby Labonte Foundation driver. “This would have been the car to beat if it wasn’t for our early problem.” Fourth was Keith Nosbisch with Russell Brown Jr. running a solid fifth.
Rick Anges interviews Jason Fitzgerald
2nd Annual Alabama Clash
Phenix City, Ala. (4/18) The beautiful and historic East Alabama Motor Speedway was the scene for the second night of racing action for UDLMCS. Thirty cars were signed for a chance at the $4,000 first prize money. Once again it was a packed house for the series run.
Fans at EAMS
Jordy Nipper looked like he was on his way to taking Extreme Power Sports/Zeigler Racing Engines fast time award with a 14.93 run. “Lil Lighting” Travis Pennington would be the spoiler once again with a blistering 14.79 time. Nipper would be second, third was Darrell Padgett, fourth fast went to Mark Whitener with his new power plant, fifth Dana Eiland, sixth was Keith Nosbisch and the final car getting in on time was Dewayne Johnson.
Five cars from each of the Dough Boy Signs B-mains would also move on to the feature event.
B-MAIN TOP Results
Dough Boy B-Main One
1.14 Richard Stephens
2.27 Larry Harrod
3.26 Dillon Wood
4.2 Ralph Hester
5.96 Todd Darda
Dough Boy B-Main Two
1.99.3 Larry Eldrige
2.6 Clay Bedenbaugh
3.6K Kyle Bridges
4.41 Mike Parkerson
5.P2 J. R. Mosley
Dough Boy B-Main Three
1.7N Terrance Nowell
2.11 Steven Roberts
3.7f Jason Fitzgerald
4.56 Kevin Durden
5.110 Ricky Culpepper
Russell Brown Jr. and Johnny Collins both had problems in their respective B-mains. Brown got tangled up on the first lap with Bobby Thomas bouncing off the inside retaining wall. The damage was too much and Brown had to retire. Collins was leading his main when something let go in “the Locomotives” ride spewing fluid on the front stretch.
Both drivers had to take provisional’s to get into the A-main. Collins would have to go to a back up car.
An inversion of the top four saw Darrell Padgett and Mark Whitener on the front row and Jordy Nipper and pole sitter Travis Pennington on row number two.
Whitener wasted no time jumping out to the lead but it wasn’t long before Pennington was challenging. Several cautions slowed the event but on the long green flag runs “the Magic Man” would pull away from the pack.
Pennington had his hands full holding on to the second spot with challenges from several drivers including Nosbisch, Nipper and Eiland.
Nosbisch would get by Pennington and began to set his sites on Whitener but on lap 43 Pennington dove under Nosbisch in four, they made contact with Nosbisch going around. Nosbisch would break a rotor in the incident and end up thirteenth.
Another caution on lap forty-seven set up a three-lap dash for the win. Pennington who was looking for back-to-back weekend wins and Whitener looking for his second Clash win went at.
Whitener was able to hold him off to take his second UDLMCS run at East Alabama Motor Speedway, “I love this place,” he said in the winner’s circle. Pennington settle for second, third was Dewayne Johnson, fourth Dana Eiland and fifth from the last row in a back up car was the Hard Charger Johnny Collins.
“Magic Man” Mark Whitener
FINISHING ORDER
1. 5w Mark Whitener
2. 95.3 Travis Pennington -Fast Qualifier
3. 45 Dewayne Johnson
4. K9 Dana Eiland
5. 27H Johnny Collins - Hard Charger started 23rd
6. 46 Darrell Padgett
7. 7f Jason Fitzgerald
8. 2 Randy Hester
9. 7N Terrance Nowell
10. 14 Richard Stephens
11. 56 Kevin Durden
12. 1N Jordy Nipper
13. 101 Keith Nosbisch
14. 6K Kyle Bridges
15. 99.3 Larry Eldrige
16. P2 J. R. Mosley
17. 41 Mike Parkerson
18. 11 Steven Roberts
19. 6 Clay Bedenbaugh
20. 27 Larry Harrod
21. 26 Dillon Wood
22. 00b Russell Brown Jr.
23. 32 Phillip Cobb
24. 96 Todd Darda
25. 110 Ricky Culpepper
The Alabama weekend saw Jason Fitzgerald take over the lead with Whitener sitting seventy points back in second.
The next race for the United Dirt Late Model Challenge series will be at North Florida Speedway for the second annual North Florida State Championship. Defending Champion is Ivedent Lloyd.
For More info go to: www.uniteddirtlatemodels.com
All the races can be heard live on: www.realracinusa.com
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