Story by: Corey Latham ~ corey@RACE22.com

Altamahaw, NC(May 4, 2010) -- Some drivers go into a new season of racing with high hopes, and already being a marked man for success. That was definitely the case for Kyle Grissom, as he was already a threat, but with a new attitude and the addition of acclaimed crew-chief Nick Hutchins, he was already being called the man to beat for the 2010 UARA championship.

But, the finishes haven't shown that, the racing has though, as Grissom has definitely been a force to be reckoned with, but bad luck and broken parts have cast a small shadow on his early season. It finally all came together at Ace Speedway Saturday night, as Grissom utterly destroyed the field to pick up his first win of the 2010 season.

Twenty cars were on hand at the Ace bullring for 150 laps of some of the best racing in the Southeast. New faces to the UARA tour were local Ace favorites in former track champion Rodney Cook and defending champion Speedy Faucette. The two drivers have had the fiercest rivalry in the Late Model Stock Car ranks over the past few years and with their knowledge of the track, nobody was really surprised to see their names at the top of the boards throughout practice. Other names that looked good early in the day were Brennan Poole, Alex Yontz, and the 2004 UARA champion Jason York, making a rare UARA appearance. In the final round of practice it was Scott Turlington at the top of the board and coming off of two top five finishes, he was ready for more at Ace.

Brennan Poole had been the hottest driver as of late, coming off a very decisive win at Tri-County, and was very consistent in the practice sessions. He backed that up setting the quick time in qualifying, with the locals Faucette and Cook timing in second and third to give the fans what they wanted, their boys up front. Clint King and Kyle Grissom completed the top five, but King would not have the luxury of starting up front when the feature began. On his last qualifying lap, the 14 year-old had the transmission bind up and break a gear, forcing the team to make repairs, putting him starting shotgun on the field.

As the green waved it didn't take long for the cars that were going to be factors to assert themselves at the front. Poole jumped out to the early lead, but Grissom wasted no time in hounding the youngster who picked up his first UARA win one race ago. Faucette got off to a bad start and got freight-trained on the outside as Cook was able to get by, but redeemed himself with a move back to third on lap 12 bringing Alex Yontz with him.

Lap 12 turned out to be the turning point of the race, as this was when Grissom made his move by Poole for the lead and drove off into the sunset. It was short lived as Tyler English had a motor let go six laps later, but Grissom was able to put nearly 20 car lengths on Poole in that short amount of time. That was a preview of what kind of car that Grissom had and it continued into the night.

While Grissom and Poole pulled away from the field, cars behind them were seeing where there setups put them after some laps got on the tires. Jason York had a terrible qualifying run, but was steadily working his way up the ladder moving himself up to the top ten in the first 40 laps from 15th. On the other end of that, Faucette had Yontz get by for third on lap31, and soon after Lee Tissott, point leader Coleman Pressley and Cook flew by putting Faucette back to seventh. Faucette said that he thought he had something for them in the first 30 laps, and it was like somebody threw a switch, and the handle went away. Faucette runs weekly on the Hoosier tires, and it seemed that the long run cycle of the Goodyear rubber had helped in throwing them for a loop.

Coleman Pressley. He has been the man this year, finishing second by three feet at Hickory, coming home with a hurt motor in sixth at Kingsport, Winning at Dillon, and coming from the back to finish fourth at Tri-County. All the while leading many practice sessions and starting up front, picking up a pole on the way. He rolled off seventh at Ace, and before the race said he didn't like the place.

When asked if it was because the car was not good, he replied, "No, it's because the driver isn't very good here, I've about busted my tail three of four times already." And, I can attest to that, he looked as if he was going to crash in both practice sessions. Coleman however always adapts and as the race started, he was once again going to the front as everyone knew he would.

His battle with Lee Tissot was one of the best of the night, as the two went side-by-side for many laps, one lap Pressley would be high and Tissot low, the next lap it was reversed. Pressley was finally able to clear Tissot on lap 58, and set his sights on Yontz for third, but by this time the top three was a long way away.

The race looked as if it would go caution free, as the cars got somewhat strung out, but we all know that never happens. First a caution for the slowing car of Julia Dawson, then the big one hit after the restart. As Rodney Cook was going under the lapped car of Matt Kurzejewski, the two made contact with Kurzejewski spinning in the middle of the track collecting Ronnie Bassett Jr., John King, Michael Rouse, Garrett Campbell and Alex Yontz. Yontz can't seem to buy a break this year as when he doesn't get wrecked he loses the handle during the race, but even with a missing fender, the Barber Automotive car would come back strong at the end.

From then on it was the Kyle Grissom show, as Grissom pulled away from the field with ease. Jason York and Garrett Campbell were making a charge behind him as they get past Turlington for fifth with 60 to go, and then Campbell pounds his way past York 20 laps later. That battle dwelled on to the very end as York never let Campbell get away, and the two made contact with three to go spinning Campbell in turn four and setting the stage for yet another green-white-checkered finish.

If only you could have seen the look in Nick Hutchins eyes as he watched the race from inside turn four, it was total disbelief, his driver had totally killed the field all evening and now it could be taken away in the blink of an eye. As Grissom gassed up to go, he gets a little loose going into turn one and slides up the track, giving Poole at least an option to look inside. But that wasn't an option for Poole as he said his motor felt like it was laying down at the very end and he was just hanging on, and he tried his best to keep his roommate Pressley behind him. But it happened, it eventually would, no way these best friends can race near the front all year without contact, as Poole tried to slam the door Pressley was already there, and sent Poole spinning. The rest of the field made evasive moves with others spinning and generally making the whole finish unknown until a few minutes after the race.

Pressley took second, and Yontz was able to fight back to third. Robert Johnson, who has had a terrible year so far with torn up cars, got a well deserved fourth and Rodney Cook salvaged fifth after losing his handle just past halfway. Grissom was the man on this night, but the caution did scare him, or should I say he scared himself.

"I just about wrecked it going into turn one on that last restart" said Grissom. "I hated to see that caution, I thought you have to be kidding, to have car this good and then have the chance of losing it at the end. It was good all night, it fell off just a little at the end, but it was a rocket off the corners all night".

Pressley was shaken about his contact with Poole, but came out in the end with his typical humor.

"I was all the way under him and he just came down, there was nothing I could do", Pressley said with his head down. "This car was great all night, it was probably better than what it showed, as I just don't get around this place very well. Is Brennan mad?"

I replied that he wasn't happy for sure and to that Coleman joked, "Well I hope he isn't too mad to help pay the bills this week." (The two drivers are roommates and constantly jab at one another.)

Poole, always calm and collective, thought it could of been his fault but thought at the same time Coleman could have given him a little more room.

"I'm not happy, but I'm not really mad either" said a disappointed Poole. "I had the car feeling like the motor was laying back on me there at the very end but thought I had enough to keep my position. He was there for sure, but I felt like he dive-bombed me going into the corner to get there".

While they might have a rivalry of sorts brewing between friends, they had better figure out what to do with Grissom, because if he has found that stride that we all were waiting on his team to hit, it might be a hard road ahead for the competition. We'll see in two weeks at "The Rock", a track Grissom tested at very good.

Results:
1 - Kyle Grissom #32
2 - Coleman Pressley #59
3 - Alex Yontz #98
4 - Robert Johnson #11
5 - Rodney Cook #14
6 - Lee Tissot #44
7 - Scott Turlington #48
8 - Jason York #78
9 - Clint King #07
10 - Garrett Campbell #12
11 - Michael McGuire #22
12 - Brennan Poole #5
13 - Matt Kurzejewski #10
14 - Speedy Faucette #37
15 - Ronnie Bassett #04
16 - Michael Rouse #23
17 - John King II #21
18 - Julia Dawson #1
19 - Tyler English #18
20 - Grant McGinnis #41