Story by: Langley Austin ~ langley@RACE22.com

Radford, VA(July 1, 2010) -- Heading into this past weekends twin races at Motor Mile Speedway, the headlines were a plenty with Philip Morris' boycott of the speedway, Matt McCall's return, Brandon Dean in an FDJ Chassis, Nate Monteith's first start of the season after dominating the last two seasons at Lonesome Pine, Justin Johnson's second appearance and so much more.

Morris continued his boycott as his resevered pit stall #1, right beside of the Tech Garage and gas pumps remained empty and his chance at yet another Late Model Stock Car championship on the 4/10 mile track he's called home for years vanished. Morris' departure however was only the big story until race time came as it was business as usual and no one seemed to care that the "King" wasn't there.

McCall's return to Motor Mile was met with his first pole of the 2010 season in his second race this year. McCall, the veteran driver and a guy who could easily be the next "King" of Motor Mile Speedway showed that his fast practice times this week and his second place finish to Morris last time out wasn't a fluke and that he was going to be one of the cars to beat. However, McCall's Fat Head Racing entry found his time at the front from the drop of the green flag and on the track short lived as he fell out of the first race shortly past the lap 20 mark due to an engine failure.

Brandon Dean showed up this weekend in testing Thursday and Friday in an FDJ Chassis as the young driver recently made the decision to switch to FDJ with one of his cars after looking at Wayne Ramsey, Rusty Skewes, Justin Johnson and other FDJ cars out his front windshield. Dean's time behind the wheel of an FDJ Chassis however was short lived as the young driver had a mechanical issues with his brakes and slammed the wall in practice on Friday. Dean would race in one of his Pistone LTO chassis with setups from FDJ owner, Frank Deiny, Jr and would be a huge factor in the first race of the night.

Nate Monteith decided to look for greener pastures after a late race incident with Caleb Holman a week ago at Lonesome Pine Raceway where the two drivers got together on the track and then played demolition derby on the cool down lap. Monteith was also attacked by Holman's father while sitting in his car in victory lane after the race and a scuffle ensued on the track during post race activities. Monteith was looking forward to coming to Motor Mile later in the month of July, but this incident left the door open for the young driver to return to a track he used to call home while Holman was back at Lonesome Pine taking the checkered flag.

Justin Johnson was making his second appearance of the season at Motor Mile Speedway after his first appearance yielded one victory in twin races, Johnson was looking to repeat. Johnson is currently the points leader and has won the most races at South Boston Speedway, but with a week off was looking forward to competing at Motor Mile. Johnson's night was good right from the start and despite some bumps and bruises in the first race that left him finishing sixth, he returned to take the nightcap.

With McCall starting from the pole of race number one after timing in the fastest in qualifying, Dean was set to start along side him with a pair of FDJ Motorsports entries in Wayne Ramsey and Johnson starting third and fourth with Kelly Kingery fifth and another FDJ entry, Rusty Skewes starting sixth. From the drop of the green flag it was all Dean as he pulled out and away from McCall as the Kingery found himself in the middle on an FDJ sandwich as the three FDJ cars scrambled around him. With the running order pretty much the same up front, all of sudden McCall came to a quick slow down as everyone went by him and he made his way to pit road. McCall had engine troubles and that would end this race and keep the veteran from making a start in the second race.

Dean was out front and in charge as his car seemed to be on a rail, but Ramsey, who is no stranger to victory lane at Motor Mile Speedway was on the charge and ready to crack the whip as he closed in on Dean. On lap 75 of the 100-lap race, Ramsey muscled his way past Dean after the two raced hard for many laps and Johnson followed Ramsey through to take second. On the ensuing restart Butch Hamlet and Derrick Lancaster get together while battling for a top ten spot with Hamlet going spinning and Lancaster trying to avoid, slams into Tommy Lemons, Jr. and puts Lemons in the wall.

Ramsey was still out front with Johnson second, Dean third, Dennis Holdren up to fourth and Kingery in fifth with Jeff Oleen making the charge from the 20th starting spot all the way up to seventh. Through a couple of restarts Ramsey holds off Johnson before Johnson begins to fade after contact with Dean and as Dean was looking for a second place finish, Holdren snuck up there and passed him to finish second, his best career finish at Motor Mile Speedway. Dean settled for third with Kingery fourth, Lynn Phoenix fifth, Johnson sixth, Oleen seventh, Lancaster eighth, Monteith coming home ninth after starting 17th and Daniel Pope coming home in the top ten after starting 18th.

While one FDJ car was in victory lane and another finished second, Johnson made his way over to Dean for a post race chat as there was trouble from within the camp. Johnson was upset about the incident on the track that caused him to slip from second to sixth in the final rundown and he was met with an angry crew member from Dean's team who hit Johnson before the teams got eveyrone seperated. Cooler heads eventually prevailed, but it was the kind of thing that happens when "teammates" are all racing for the win.

For Johnson depsite being upset about the incident in the first race and the post race confrontation, it was time to focus on getting his car back ready for the second race and his second chance at another win on the 4/10 mile speedplant. Johnson by virtue of a redraw would start fourth alongside of Dean who was third and behind the cars of Holdren(pole) and Ramsey with Phoenix and Kingery making up fifth and sixth starting positions. Oleen, who finished seventh in race number one would start there in the second race, which was good for the young driver, who has struggled all season in qualifying with this being his rookie campaign in Late Model Stock Cars.

Holdren put his car out front right from the start of the second race as his storybook night seemed to only get better, but after several cautions plagued the start of the race, Holdren would be passed by Johnson, who was on a mission. Once out front, Johnson would only have to survive the challenges of his teammate and first race winner, Ramsey and Ramsey never seemed to be able to get the run he needed. The one time he had a great run on Johnson, Ramsey and the field were slowed by a caution and that ended his chances for victory. In the midst of all the cautions Holdren got turned around on one of the restarts by Kingery and thus ending what was a career night for the veteran driver.

Johnson would hold them off for one more restart and take home the win over Ramsey, Dean, Looney, Lancaster, Andrew Thomas, Skewes, Oleen, Jason Merriman and Lemons, who rebounded from the first race crash for a tenth place finish.

All in all it was a great night for FDJ Motorsports with both wins, two second place finishes and cars all over the top ten and even an in-team rivalry. And, all in all, no one missed Philip Morris, the world didn't stop and racing at Motor Mile will continue on with new faces in victory lane and maybe a few more people sitting in the stands because they won't know who's going to win before they get there.

Race #1:
1 - Wayne Ramsey #42
2 - Dennis Holdren #2
3 - Brandon Dean #5
4 - Kelly Kingery #57
5 - Lynn Phoenix #14
6 - Justin Johnson #44
7 - Jeff Oleen #48
8 - Derrick Lancaster #25
9 - Nate Monteith #4
10 - Daniel Pope II #81
11 - Jason Merriman #30
12 - Brad Cox #05
13 - DeWayne Howard #37
14 - Jamie Byrd #15
15 - Butch Hamlet #21
16 - Tommy Lemons, Jr. #27
17 - Kris Bowen #80
18 - Clay Campbell #55
19 - Andrew Thomas #69
20 - Rusty Skewes #41
21 - Zeke Shell #97
22 - Bob Davis #19
23 - Adam Long #3
24 - Scott Lancaster #29
25 - Preston McGhee #17
26 - Mike Looney #47
27 - Matt McCall #23
28 - Michael Vellines #10
29 - Brad Foy #87

Race #2:
1 - Justin Johnson #44
2 - Wayne Ramsey #42
3 - Brandon Dean #5
4 - Mike Looney #47
5 - Derrick Lancaster #25
6 - Andrew Thomas #69
7 - Rusty Skewes #41
8 - Jeff Oleen #48
9 - Jason Merriman #30
10 - Tommy Lemons, Jr. #27
11 - Butch Hamlet #21
12 - Dennis Holdren #2
13 - Zeke Shell #97
14 - Lynn Phoenix #14
15 - Bob Davis #19
16 - DeWayne Howard #37
17 - Clay Campbell #55
18 - Daniel Pope II #81
19 - Preston McGhee #17
20 - Brad Cox #05
21 - Kelly Kingery #57
22 - Michael Vellines #10
23 - Nate Monteith #4
24 - Brad Foy #87
25 - Jamie Byrd #15
26 - Scott Lancaster #29