WE ARE ...
LATE MODEL STOCK CARS!

Yelton Finally Gets What's Been Coming ... a WIN!

WE ARE ...
LATE MODEL STOCK CARS!

Story By: Corey Latham
Photos By: Langley Austin

"Forest City Bad Boys" whip OCS
Rougemont, NC ~ Wow ... Thats all that can be said about Saturdays running of the Strutmasters.com 150 at the super fast Orange County Speedway. Jamie Yelton was saying the same thing after the race, being that his car was on a rail and could be driven almost anywhere at will. While he was cruisin, the rest of the field was a racin and a fightin, and the later continued into the post race activities.

Yelton has been a man to beat this year early in the races, he went for the spin-cycle at Concord and at Motor Mile he dominated, only to be sidelined by engine failure while leading. He did the same as usual at Orange County, but this day the "gremlins" didn't show up, and Yelton finally got what he has deserved this year.......A WIN.

Why can't I Qualify?
As the field was set with the top 22 locked in on time, a heat race was needed because of the 31 cars at the track, only 28 start. Once again Brandon McReynolds dominated the heat race, seems that the race is no problem for him, but qualifying bites him every time. He was followed by Bobby Measmer Jr., Nick Pope and Kyle Moon. Casey Holt and Ryan Robertson took the 2 provisionals. Robertson was making his much anticipated UARA debut in a brand new car. Ryan's car was good in practice, but like many others, with the heat of the day making the track slick, the handling went away for time trials.

Brandon McReynolds(28) leads the field down for the start of the heat race and drove away from the rest of the field to win the race.

Dude, Where's My Car?
As the field was on track for the autograph session, the drivers were ordered to their cars to clear the track to get ready for the days action. Shaun Mangum, parked beside Ross Furr's #25, almost got into Ross's ride being that he has driven a #25 all his career. Ross said "go ahead". When Ross, the 2008 UARA champion, was asked how his car had been in practice, his reply was "junk". Ross rolled off 16th with Mangum right in front of him in 15th. Another surprise toward the back of the field was Roger Lee Newton, who struggled all day. On the other side of the spectrum, drivers turning in stellar qualifying performances were Scott Andrews in 3rd, Paddy Rodenbeck in 8th, and Brian Conforth making his UARA debut in 10th.

Darrell Wallace Jr., not really a surprise persay, was happy to start in the top 10 for the first time this year. After wrecking 2 cars and missing the show at Concord, then getting beat around like a ping-pong ball in the back of the pack at Motor Mile, it was nice to look out the front windshield and have most of the field behind you, Wallace started 7th. Your pole was taken by JR Motorsports driver Richard Boswell, followed by Yelton, Andrews, Motor Mile winner B.J. Mackey and points leader Jake Crum.

Richard Boswell put his JR Motorsports ride on the pole and was strong late in the 150-lap race.

Let's Get It On!
For anbody who has never been to Orange County, let me tell you, it's bad fast. With the high banking and the ability to run different grooves, you can really race there. And the UARA did not disappoint. At the green flag Boswell fought off Yelton to lead lap one. Being that it's 3/8ths of a mile and really fast, cautions are not rare, and the first one came at lap 3. In 3 laps the 18 of Scott Andrews had got shuffeled back a few positions and as Paddy Rodenbeck was moving under him in turn 3,they made contact (Andrews came down, Rodenbeck came up, depends on who you ask), and the #81 of Rodenbeck flew over the right front of Andrews causing heavy damage and ultimately ending Andrews day, Rodenbeck would continue, but suffered with engine troubles. Jake Crum and Justin Boston both get some bent sheet metal but continue. This was the first instance of a lot of bent sheet metal.

Paddy Rodenbeck(81), Scott Andrews(18) and Jake Crum(1) get three wide in the early laps of this race.  Just a few moments after this photo was taken Rodenbeck and Andrews got together ending Andrews day.

I Want To Lead....NOW
By lap 11 Yelton was was making a point, he really didn't like second. He hounded Boswell hard and on lap 18 took the lead and set sail. Another car in the early going that was looking strong was the #55 of Alex Yontz. The Walnut Cove NC driver started in the 6th spot and after disposing of Crum and Andrews early, he muscled his way into 3rd past Mackey in under 25 laps. Starting in 6th is a good thing, not many cars to pass. Little did he know he would pass more cars on Saturday than he has all year. By lap 60 while the #8 was riding up front, another car was beating his lap times, the #88 of Curtis Truex Jr. Truex started back in 12th, but at lap 67 he passed Wallace Jr. and moved into the 5th spot, he was coming in a hurry.

Jamey Yelton(8) takes the lead away from Richard Boswell(72) early in the 150-lap race.

We Knew It Was Coming
Thru the first half of the race, the action was furious. 2 and 3 wide most of the time, and toward the back of the pack they were wrecking each lap without actually doing it. All those "saves" finally used themselves up on lap 79. Rookie sensation Andrew Carlsen was racing underneath fellow rookie driver, Nick Pope when the two made contact as the field raced through turn four, the track was blocked just for a second as the wreck continued and gathered up several more cars. When it was over the cars of Carlsen and Pope had been joined by a badly torn up Justin Boston and 2007 UARA-STARS Champion, Ross Furr. BJ Mackey and Joey Miller had gotten a peice of the action as well. Furr and Carlsen got some

Halfway: 1.Yelton 2.Yontz 3.Mackey 4.Boswell 5.Truex Jr. 6.Wallace Jr. 7.Jamey Caudill 8.Jake Crum 9.Rodenbeck 10. Andrew Carlsen

Nick Pope(26) and Andrew Carlsen(98) touch as they race through turn three and end up crashing just shortly past this point.

heavy damage but continued, while the #26 of Nick Pope had a completely destroyed racecar as well as Boston. The red flag was displayed and when the field went back under caution, second place runner (and the only car up until now that could run with Yelton) Alex Yontz had to pit with a flat right front tire. This will be his first trip through the pack.

Left: Joey Bryant(11) gets sideways trying to avoid the crash as he rearends Kyle Moon's car.
Right: The cars crash in.

Here I Come
In the first 100 laps, Jamie Yelton definately had the car to beat. But the #88 car of Truex had been inching closer all day. At lap 96 he made his move and motored around the damaged car of Mackey for second and set his sights on the lead. Behind him, while at the begining of the race most of the beating was at the back of the pack, it was go time and the top

10 showed they could do it too. Wallace Jr. gets into the back of Mackey for 4th and moves him up the track, Mackey returns the favor, Alex Yontz has muscled his way up to them from the back, they all try 3 wide and Jake Crum passes all of them at once. Whew!

All For Nothing
It was a 2 car race for the lead. Yelton had gotten a great restart after the red flag and had opened up some distance on Truex Jr., but Truex was cutting into it each lap. On lap 122 the great run for Truex came to an end. While trying to pass the lapped car of Ryan Robertson, who was a lap down from a previous spin, Robertson moved up in front of Truex off turn 4 killing his momentum and nearly causing the 88 to hit him from behind. a lap later with Robertson still running the 88 hard, Truex decided he had enough. Going into turn 1 Truex dumped the 31 into the turn 1 wall, but caused extensive sheetmetal damage to his own right front. As Robertson spun into the wall, the #19 of Kyle Moon plowed into the side and that ended both of their days. Under caution Truex tried to scrape the outside wall to rub the

mangled sheetmetal off, but to no avail. The black flag was displayed and the 88 had to hit pit road for repairs. Good day thrown right out the window for the young driver.

Alex Yontz(55) races back through the field as above passing Joey Bryant(11) and Thomas Hartsenveld(36).

Curtis Truex, Jr.(88) rolls into the pits at Orange County Speedway after running second, the fastest car on the track late in the race and getting together with a lapped car coming out of turn number two.

Alex Yontz(55) gets turned around by the front bumper of Roger Lee newton's #33 car late in the race as the battle from fifth to tenth raged hard.

Battle Royale!!!!
The race was over, but certainly not the action .... while Yelton awaited his post race interview and celebration, the excitement level went up a little just behind victory lane as the Yontz/Greenfield battle hit a pinnacle with crew members swinging and some nasty words being exchanged between crew members. This battle has been raging since last year at Tri-County Motor Speedway according to the parties involved.

UARA-STARS Officials work to get the field lined back up for the final restart of the race.

Thomas Hartsenveld(above) protested following the race and won his protest after series officials determined that he had not lost a lap.