Story by: Mason Dunn ~ mason@RACE22.com
Photos by: Bruce Albin/PicYerPhotos

Hampton, VA(May 12, 2010) -- After two weeks of no racing action due to a combination of poor weather and the scheduled off week for the NASCAR races in Richmond Langley Speedway returned to action with a 100 lap main event from the Late Model Stock division. Twenty-one cars filled the pit area during the day but only 20 would make up the starting lineup as complications during his qualifying run led to a scary crash for driver Kevin Cunningham whose car was too damaged to make the call.

After qualifying was completed C.E. Falk claimed his second pole of the season with a time of 16.045 seconds at an average of about 89 miles per hour. Greg Edwards and Brandon Gdovic barely missed taking the pole from Falk with times of 16.061 seconds and 16.091 seconds respectively. Dean Shiflett and Wes Falk would round out the top five running times of 16.123 seconds and 16.125 seconds respectively. The times posted from first to 15th were only separated by exactly two tenths of a second with John Staton placing 15th with a time of 16.245 seconds.

Early in the race C.E Falk began to flex his muscle putting room between himself and second place runner Greg Edwards. Meanwhile, Wes Falk was making some moves of his own moving up into third place past Brandon Gdovic and Dean Shiflett. After Wes Falk and Mark Wertz got past Gdovic, Gdovic began to slow up and shows signs of a possible issue. Brake issues and a flat tire lead to a pit road visit on lap 25 for Gdovic under green setting himself several laps down to the leaders.

Leader C.E. Falk began to encounter lap traffic on lap 26 beginning with the machines of Robbie Babb and Mitch Sarvis all the while being chased around by Greg Edwards. As the field approached the halfway mark still under green the top two cars had remained unchanged from the start while Wes Falk, Mark Wertz and Woody Howard occupied third through fifth on the track. As the field received the cross flag signal from the flag stand, 19 of the original 20 cars remained on track while only 13 remained on the lead lap.

As the green flag laps continued to tick away so did Falk and Edwards as they continued to maintain a full straightaway advantage over third place. Falk himself enjoyed about a 5 car length lead until he encountered a group of lapped cars running side by side slowing Falk's pace for several laps and allowing Edwards to pull back up to Falk's rear bumper.

With 20 to go it was a race between C.E. Falk and Greg Edwards for the win as only nine cars remained on the lead lap with third place Wes Falk still remaining about a full straightaway behind the two leaders. Meanwhile, both Woody Howard and Danny Edwards had moved past Mark Wertz to move into fourth and fifth respectively on the track. Danny Edwards did mount a challenge on Howard for fourth in the late stages of the race even at one point getting past Howard but Howard would reclaim the position.

At the end of 100 lap caution free race, C.E. Falk claimed his second straight win at Langley Speedway and third straight win overall with Greg Edwards, Wes Falk, Woody Howard and Danny Edwards rounding out the top five. With Falk's win he moved himself from fifth place back up into second place in points only two points behind new points leader Greg Edwards. On the other end of the spectrum with his mechanical issues leading to a 19th place finish, Brandon Gdovic fell from sixth in points down to ninth 48 points behind Edwards.

The Late Model Stocks at Langley Speedway have a scheduled off week this coming weekend before returning to action on May 22nd with twin 75 lap races on the schedule.

Race #3 Results
1. 40 C.E. Falk
2. 21 Greg Edwards
3. 41 Wes Falk
4. 82 Woody Howard
5. 26 Danny Edwards
6. 55 Mark Wertz
7. 29 Casey Wyatt
8. 7 Dude Gibbs
9. 38 Duane Shreeves
10. 84 Joe Gaita
11. 17 John Staton
12. 01 Jeff Shiflett
13. 90 Terry Carroll
14. 06 Dean Shiflett
15. 64 Rick Gdovic
16. 88 Mitch Sarvis
17. 45 Doug Warren
18. 44 Robbie Babb
19. 46 Brandon Gdovic
20. 21B Shawn Balluzzo

Top Ten Points
1. 21 Greg Edwards 140
2. 40 C.E. Falk 138
3. 41 Wes Falk 134
4. 55 Mark Wertz 132
5. 26 Danny Edwards 132
6. 82 Woody Howard 120
7. 7 Dude Gibbs 104
8. 01 Jeff Shiflett 94
9. 46 Brandon Gdovic 92
10. 38 Duane Shreeves 88