Story by: Corey Latham ~ corey@RACE22.com

Altamahaw, NC(April 14, 2010) -- WOW ... That was all that could be said after the Late Model Stock Car events at Ace Speedway last Friday night. And I'm still not sure if the "Wow" was even for the right things.

The racing on the track was a sideshow, the work being done in the pits and the tempers flaring was the main attraction. Brad Kurth and Rodney Cook were able to escape the carnage to pick up wins in the twin 40 lappers, but we all had to look up at the skies every so often to make sure a full moon wasn't showing. It was that crazy as wrecking seemed to be the action of choice on this night.

It was the second race of the season, and after Rodney Cook took home the $2500 season opener a week ago, twin 40's were on the bill for the Late Models. As the cars rolled in, it looked like another strong field, but it was who wasn't there that was the big surprise. Speedy Faucette, the multi-time track champion was absent after setting fast time the week before, and I had to find out why, so I gave him a call from the infield. I already knew the answer, but it was one of those things you didn't want to believe because he is such a big part of the show at Ace.

"I told you, that I wasn't running them all," said Faucette. "I wanted to run the first one and see what was next, I'm trying to figure out if it is really killing me not being at the track. I just don't have the means to run every event this year and I may just travel around some, run my own schedule if you will. I'll be back at Ace for sure on May 1st for the UARA event."

As Faucette was absent, another strong car in Brad Kurth was in attendance that wasn't there the previous week. Robert Turner was also back, after spinning a bearing in the motor a week before before qualifying even started, and was ready to go after getting a rental motor put in the car. However, Turner's bad luck just kept coming at him, as he expired the rental after just two laps of practice, ending his night before it got started once again.

"When it rains it pours," said Turner. "This one broke before I even got on it really."

Turner being unable to compete left the field with one less bullet to dodge, but the other cars in attendance were on top of their game as qualifying was very close throughout the top ten. Kurth was the man on the top of the board, as his new powerplant was a beast all night, followed by Dean Fogleman, Cook, Bobby Griffin and Ryan Gray rounding out the top five of the 12 car field.

As the field took the green, Kurth jumped out and tried to leave. That was short-lived as Kenneth Smithey, driving Rodney Cooks backup car, hits the spinning car of Kevin Parker to bring out the nights first caution only five laps in. Cook's backup has to be parked with front end damage punching a hole in the radiator, but after what happens next, Cook can almost be glad that it happened before the next restart.

Ahh, the restart. At Ace for 2010, double-file restarts are the new rule. As the cars get lined up to go, a major ruckus forms off turn two behind the leaders after the green, as Ryan Gray and a host of others simply wad up the entire field. Jason Payne's car gets pinched into the outside wall and becomes airborne, as a host of others pile in. Of those, Dustin Rumley was in the middle of the whole swarm, and when it was all said and done, the #88 of Rumley was completely destroyed, half burned to the ground. Luckily, Rumley was ok and walked away, because looking at the car, one had to wonder. That's when things got really heated.

As the red flag was displayed, nearly every car besides the top three were on pit road getting much needed body work done to continue. Tracy Chambers was missing his front end. Thomas Scott got some damage, as did John Moore. The three cars parked for good were Payne with heavy front end damage, Ryan Gray with just enough to keep him out of race one, and Rumley, who was just simply out of a car all together. As Rumley and Payne talked, the focus became on the new guy at Ace for 2010, Gray, as both drivers blamed him for the carnage.

As Gray walked down pit road to get his tires for race #2, Rumley and Payne let him know just how they felt about his driving. Some adult words were said and some pushing almost ensued, but cooler heads prevailed. Payne did continue to speak his displeasure to the officials, as the double-file restarts had became a hot topic after the melee. The week before had the restarts the same way, and no problem. I see both sides of it, but as exciting as the racing has been at Ace, maybe the double-file restarts are a tad too much.

As for Gray, he took all the flak in stride. As he was getting his tires from the shed, many drivers thought he was getting them to go home, and wasn't going to come back. Quite the contrary, as Gray explained.

"I bent my rims in the wreck, I'm putting my tires on to run the second race," said Gray. "They can run their mouths all they want, I'm the new guy, so I expect it. Don't any of them know what happened besides Rumley and they all just listened to one person and placed blame. He came in there and just pile-drived me, whatever, they ain't going to run me off that easy."

As exciting as the pits had become, there was still a race to run. With over half the field looking like they had ran a 1000 lap race at Martinsville, the only battle on the track on this night was for second between Cook, Griffin and Moore, as Kurth was not going to be touched. Someone that WAS getting touched was the outside pole sitter Dean Fogleman, as he and Thomas Scott make contact coming to the green putting the #71 of Fogleman hard into the outside wall, ending his night, but he would not be the last.

On the next restart, Bobby Griffin gets into a mess in turn one and he comes back around to the pits with his front end missing. Griffin would continue and suck it up to be pretty fast, but as you can tell, we are starting a theme here. Moore would come back to get around Cook in a fierce battle for second, as Kurth took home the victory after a terrible season in 09', where everything that could have went wrong, did.

"We came down here and tested the other day, and to be honest, this thing was terrible," said the smiling Kurth. "It was good for a few laps and then it would chatter the nose bad. My crew chief Dean Ward wanted to change some things, and, I don't know, I think he changed all 4 springs. I was a little nervous about it, but it was great. I just wanted a stable car, and that is what we had, anybody could of drove that car tonight. This new motor was a beast, it was an absolute rocket down the straightaways, we bought it right before Martinsville so this is it's second race. Last year we had chassis' flexing, no motor, we just pretty much came to the track unprepared and embarrassed ourselves. This year we have great equipment, and have done some testing to get better. I've just got to thank the guys, that win goes to them, they deserve it."

As Kurth celebrated and made minor adjustments for race #2, most other teams were just trying to get their cars salvageable to make a start. Eight cars were able to make it out for the second 40-lap affair, and after a redraw it would be a lineup of Scott, Griffin, Cook, Moore and first race winner Kurth. Dean Fogleman's crew would thrash to try and make the second event, but the damage proved to be too much for the 2008 Ace Champion.

Thomas Scott would prove to be no match for Cook up front with his damaged car, as he gets put by the wayside rather early. Cook stretches out to a healthy lead, as he knew he couldn't out power Kurth on this night, his team made some much needed chassis changes for the second race. Kurth had moved into second followed by Moore and Gray just after the ten lap mark.

We get to lap 25, and Ryan Gray slams the outside wall just at the start finish line. After an impressive runner-up in the
 

$2500 to win race the week before, the Orange County regular was having a hard time on this night, and it was finally over as his car made the trip back to the pits on the wrecker. Mark Rumley, Dustin Rumley's father ran over to the wall to make sure he was ok, a very sportsman-like sign, as Rumley had been irate at Gray since the accident in the first race. No matter the circumstances, no racer wants to see another racer injured, cars can be fixed, sometimes people can't.

The field would go under yellow once more as Kevin Parker and Bobby Griffin would get into a skirmish in turn one, but after that it was all Cook. Rodney knew he had to get up off the corner better to beat Kurth in the second race, and that is what he did, as Kurth admitted that he tightened his car up way too much. Cook was all smiles after his second win in as many weeks.

"That first race, we just missed the handle a little bit, but my hats off to Brad(Kurth) and those guys, they were on it tonight," said Cook. "We knew we had to beat him up off the corner, so we tweaked a little and got it where it needed to be. This season is starting off great, a top 5 at SoBo and two wins here, we just have to keep it rolling. Staying up front is a definite bonus, I'm glad I didn't get into all that mess behind me."

Now Ace Speedway has two weeks off before the next round of excitement with a weekly show on Friday, April 30th, followed by the big UARA-STARS Series 150-lap affair on Saturday, May 1st. Let's just hope It's a full moon for those, after Friday night I think we need reverse psychology to calm things down a bit.

1st LMSC Results:
1. Brad Kurth #9
2. John Moore #4
3. Rodney Cook #14
4. Bobby Griffin #85
5. Thomas Scott #8
6. Kevin Parker #10
7. Dean Fogleman #71
8. Tracy Chambers #27
9. Ryan Gray #04
10. Dustin Rumley #88
11. Jason Payne #9
12. Kenneth Smithey #14

2nd LMSC Results:
1. Rodney Cook #14
2. Brad Kurth #9
3. John Moore #4
4. Bobby Griffin #85
5. Kevin Parker #10
6. Thomas Scott #8
7. Ryan Gray #04
8. Tracy Chambers #27