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Eldora...
Kramer, Craig,
James & Higgison capture Family Fun Night Honors
Huge Crowd Gathers for Multitude of Activities Topped by Gigantic
Fireworks Display
(ROSSBURG, OH – May 19) – Eldora Speedway’s Family Fun Night, presented
by Mobil 1, brought a huge crowd to the .500 mile clay oval, and they
didn’t leave disappointed as the multitude of events exemplified a true
meaning of the coined Eldora Experience phrase. Joey Kramer (UMP
DIRTcar Modifieds), Barney Craig (Stock Cars), Rick James (Vores
Welding Compacts) and Drew Higginson (US Legends) captured main event
checkered flags before the evening closed out with a huge fireworks
display.
In the 18-lap Modified feature, Scott Bowersock led the first lap but
found himself trading door paint with Kramer after only five laps.
Kramer, who started sixth, worked his way around Bowersock and into
lead by lap seven. He quickly added to that lead despite a pair of
cautions after nine and 14 completed laps put the field back on his
rear bumper. But the pack had nothing for him as he raced out to a
half-track advantage at times.
“I’d like to thank everybody for coming out tonight. I love seeing all
these kids,” Kramer said. “They are the future of this sport. It’s
awesome and I’m glad I’m here. There’s nothing like being on this stage
at Eldora Speedway.”
Scott Orr, Bowersock, Ryan Sutter and Brian Hayden rounded out the top
five, while Matt Westfall won the B-Main feature. Sutter, Orr and
Kramer all won preliminary Modified heat races.
In the Stock Cars, Craig maintained his cumulative points lead by
holding off several slide-job attempts from Dean Pitts in the closing
laps of the 15-lap main event. The start of the race was slowed by four
cautions in the first two laps. The action quickly heated up after that
and Craig, who started sixth, took the lead on lap seven. He never
relinquished that lead despite Pitts’ best efforts.
Craig and Pitts were running bumper-to-bumper on lap 10. With two laps
left Pitts pulled up to Craig’s door but couldn’t hold on to the
momentum. A caution bunched the field for a two-lap dash to the finish
and Pitts again peeked underneath Craig coming out of turns 3-4 on the
final lap, but Craig slammed the door on Pitts to record his second win
this season.
“There were a couple (of cars) that out-qualified us and we started out
tight at the beginning of the night,” Craig said. “We worked all night
to free it up. … It was more getting up top and getting around the race
track. I think we about killed the right rear (tire) before it was all
over. Hopefully we can come back and make it three in a row.”
Craig, Pitts, Rob Trent, Shawn Phillipi and Earnie Woodard made up the
top five at the checkered flag. Bradley Caudill, Paul Pardo and Craig
all won Stock car heat races.
“If I was a little more sensitive I’d have tears in my eyes right now.
This means the world to me,” said Rick James, winner of the Vore’s
Welding Compacts feature. “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever done
since I started racing.”
James jumped from fourth to first on the lead lap and held off a
furious challenge by runner-up Jake Wyman. Both Wyman and Greg Isbell
were in pursuit of James much of the feature, but Isbell dropped off
pace. Wyman was on James bumper with 10 laps complete and peeked inside
of James one lap later, but couldn’t find enough horsepower or momentum
to pull off the pass.
“I’ve never run dirt in my life,” James said from Eldora’s Victory Lane
stage. “This is a first for me and you know what? It’s a lot of fun.”
James and Wyman were followed by Mark Almon, Isbell and Aron Teegarden.
In the U.S. Legend Cars, Tyler Nuckles and Jack Dossey gave the crowd a
two-car battle as the field spread out. Dossey started closing on
Nuckles, but slowed as his right rear tire went down. With Nuckles in
the clear, Dossey kept completing circuits around the track with the
flat right rear tire hoping to salvage a strong finish. Nuckles crossed
the line first, but Legend series officials ruled Nuckles jumped a
restart during the race and docked him one spot at the finish.
That gave the win to Higginson, who started eighth. Nuckles, Byron
Stowe, Dossey and Pierce Foster rounded out the top five.
“Awesome,” Higginson said. “Thanks for having us, this is awesome.”
Bryan Nuckles and Dossey won the Legend heat races.
Family Fun Night took on added meaning prior to racing action as Dan
and Yvonne Rhoad said their wedding vows in front of an enthusiastic
grandstand crowd. The Antwerp, Ohio, newlyweds were high school
sweethearts and recently reconnected on Facebook. When it came time to
recite their vows, Dan could think of no place more fitting than Eldora
Speedway.
“I’ve been coming here for years and years and years. It’s my favorite
place on earth. It’s magical,” Dan said.
And Yvonne’s response?
“I told him if that’s where he wants to get married, that’s what we’ll
do,” said Yvonne, who fell in love with Eldora after her first race at
the track, the Kings Royal in 2011. “I told him you’re not going (back)
without me.”
In other activities, Ansonia High School won the cheerleading
competition.
A second Family Fun Night sponsored by Office Depot is scheduled for
Saturday, August 11.
Eldora Speedway returns to action with the Johnny Appleseed Classic
presented by Miller Lite on Sunday, May 27. The Sunoco American Late
Models, NRA Sprint Invaders, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Stocks will all
be in action for another great night of racing. Tickets and campsites
for the Johnny Appleseed Classic, the Feed The Children Prelude to the
Dream (June 6) and all other 2012 Eldora Speedway Major Events
including the $100,000-to-win Dirt Late Model Dream presented by Ferris
Commercial Mowers (June 8 & 9), $50,000-to-win World of Outlaws
Kings Royal (July 14) and 42nd Annual World 100 (Sept. 7 & 8) are
available through the speedway box office (937) 338-3815 or online 24
hours a day atwww.EldoraSpeedway.com.
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