Story by: Corey Latham ~ corey@RACE22.com

Winston-Salem, NC(June 17, 2010) -- This past weekend at Bowman Gray was the "little guys" night to shine if you will, as the Stadium Stocks had their longest race of the season, the annual 50 lapper for the 4-cylinder cars.

And, while these cars may be down on power compared to the other divisions, the racing is usually some of the best of the night each week and Bowman Gray has no shortage of them, with right at 50 cars showing up each week forcing the track to split them into two different races. With one single big race for them this week, qualifying was held instead of the normal draw for positions they do weekly, and only the best of best were racing on Saturday. And when the dust settled, it was the guy who had been knocking on the door all season, Jason Keaton picking up the victory.

Keaton would start on the pole after a redraw from the top 6 starters, with actual pole winner Drew Moffitt to his outside, followed by former champion Charlie Curry, Brandon Brendle and Kenny Dixon completing the top five. While the top of the field was loaded with notables, name like AJ Sanders, Johnny Burke, Wayne Hill and Chris Lawing would be driving from the rear making the outlook for the night exciting.

As the field at the beginning of the season is divided into two groups before the highest ranking point drivers are moved to the "A" race, cautions are known to be frequent in the Stadium Stock division. But you could tell it was a different vibe this night, as the fastest cars there were in one race, and other than a harmless spin in the first ten laps, the race was green and racy. Keaton would take off to the early lead as Curry and Moffitt would fight for second, but they wouldn't lose sight of him as they started to reel him in at lap 21.

The leaders start to catch the back of the field at lap 24 and some very heavy traffic, as Keaton snakes his way through without pause. Moffitt isn't as lucky, and has problems going high and losing second to Curry. But that wasn't the end of his problems as the cars of Dixon, Brendle, Shane Southard, Dale Barneycastle and Jimmy Absher pass by as well. Moffitt would pull into the pits a few laps later calling it a night, ending a great qualifying run and what looked early on to be a promising evening.

As the race wore on, Keaton and Curry were trying to leave the field. Two noticeable things behind them were the veterans coming to the front, and the rough play towards the back of the lead lap. Dale Barneycastle was driving like a man possesed, as he broke into the top five with 20 to go getting around Brendle for fifth then going after Dixon. AJ Sanders was also making progress after starting deep in the field and getting inside the top eight, and doing most of it on the outside. Some of the best racing was back a little further though, as Joseph Swanson, Andrew Sanders and Wayne Hill were having a war, but at the same time you could tell they were having fun doing it. Lap after lap they jacked each other up in the corners, not spinning each other, but just trying to get each other loose to take that precious inside line. They would finish the race the same way, except with Hill in front of Sanders and Swanson, though the results do not reflect that.

The race has went virtually clean the whole way, only stopped for the occasional spin or parts failure, and Keaton was glad to see it as he was driving away.......that was until the end. The last 12 laps had four caution periods, and ultimately ended the race with a green-white-checkered finish. Not what Keaton wanted to see, but you could about bet that Curry's mouth was watering.

As they take the green the final time you could notice smoke from the rear of the Keaton machine. Rear end? Engine? Tire rub? We'll never know and he'll never tell, but he had a mirror and bumper full of Charlie Curry as they came around to take the white flag. Curry gets into the back of him off four and then again in turn one, but Keaton keeps his Mustang pinned to the inside of the track and gets a good run off turn two, getting himself some breathing room. And in the end, his first victory since 2005 at the stadium.

Keaton would take the checkereds, followed by Curry, Absher, Barneycastle and Dixon. The fifth place spot would change later on to Brandon Brendle as Dixon was DQ'd for oversized valves, as were a few other cars in the top ten. But the man smiling was Keaton, who had been fast all year but just was a tick away, but now he had it and could shut all the naysayers up. At least for a while.

When asked about the smoke at the end Keaton danced around it . "I was just relaxing there at the end, it was nothing at all, I pretty much knew I had them covered", said a grinning Keaton. "Everything was really good with the car, I just didn't want the driver being the one that lost the race. In the first 15 laps I really pushed it hard trying to get stepped out on Moffitt. Then I just took it easy and tried to focus on hitting my marks each lap and setting up the upcoming lap cars to pass".

Keaton had caught some flak earlier in the year when some fans and drivers accused him of dirty driving, but took it in stride when asked about it. "If they are talking about me they must be letting somebody else rest, I must be doing something right so I really don't care. I feel like I have drove everybody clean this year, I have done what I'm supposed to do, maybe they are jealous, I don't know. I come to race every time I come in these gates, I'm not here to ride around. I just got to thank my crew for all they do or I wouldn't be here anyway, they work on this thing until the wee hours in the morning and it has paid off".

In other events, the featured Modifieds were in action for twin 25 lappers with Lee Jefferies taking the win in the first
 

event. The race only had controversy before the event and with two laps to go. Qualifying saw Tim Brown and Burt Myers in the very back of the 21 car field, with Terry Gaither sitting on the pole, Brown and Myers were some of the first to go out for time trials and complained of rubber being blown into the groove by the track workers. Jefferies would take the lead on lap two and never be challenged again. With two laps to go, Jr Miller gets into he back of Jason Myers spinning him off turn four. Under the caution Myers slams into the side of Miller pushing his nerf bar into his tire and forcing him to pit. It looks as if the classic Myers vs. Miller rivalry has started up once again for the 2010 season. To put good measure on it, Zach Brewer, another driver that doesn't have Miller on his Christmas card list, spins Miller out again on the very next restart. You got to love Bowman Gray.

In the second 25 lapper Johnathan Brown started on pole and found his way to victory lane, with Jefferies finishing a strong fourth, tightening the points lead held by Burt Myers who finished right behind him but 14th in race one. John Smith looks to be the strongest car that's not running for the championship, having great runs all year and finishing third in race one and coming home second to Brown in the other 25 lapper. No more fireworks from the Miller and Myers camp in this one as Jr. was in and out of the pits for the entire second race. Rupert Sink and Zach Brewer did tangle for a top five spot but both continued.

Taylor Branch won the first of two 20 lappers for the Sportsman cars, but not without witnessing a hard crash between Bryant Robertson and Keith McMichael, with the Winston Salem police having to restrain Robertson on the frontstretch. Branch was followed to the line by Kyle Edwards, Tommy Neal, point leader Ryan Robertson and winner last week of the big 100 lapper, Gary Ledbetter.

Race two saw Daniel Beeson start in the pole, and he did some masterful driving staying up front as long as he did with the veteran Barry Edwards getting him sideways in every turn for numerous laps. Edwards knows how to do it without wrecking a man though, and finally got him loose enough to make the pass and go on to victory. Edwards is a legend of Bowman Gray, and to see him with with his old school dirt track window net and open faced helmet brings many back to a time long ago when racing was just that, racing. Kevin Neal followed him to the line with Beeson, Mitch Gales, and winner the night before in the Limited division at Ace Speedway Kenny Bost in fifth. Ryan Robertson would have a bad night in the second event finishing 16th after a tangle with Tommy Neal, pushing Robbie Brewer to the top of the point standings.

The final race of the night was the Street Stock division, and a spirited battle up front between Reggie Doub and Jody Fritts, Doub had the lead and Fritts wanted it. Fritts seemed to be faster early in the race but couldn't ever get under him, until he finally did in turn four on lap seven. The only problem was he was literally under him, with his back tires off the ground and he goes spinning though the infield and back across the track collecting Matt Cotner and Doug Wall. Fritts would led from then on, with Kenneth Stimpson, Billy Gregg, John McNeil and Zach Cliffton chasing him to the end.

The "Madhouse" will be in action once again this week with $1 Ladies Night, with all female fans getting in for just a buck. The Modifieds will go for 100 laps, the Sportsman for twin 20's, Mini-Stocks for twin 15's and the Street Stock for 20 laps. To cap off the evening will be a demolition derby, and if anybody has never seen one here you need to try it, it will make you cringe from the hits just watching it.

Stadium Stock 50 lapper

1. Jason Keaton
2. Charlie Curry
3. Jimmy Absher
4. Dale Barneycastle
5. Branson Brendle
6. Gerald Robertson
7. AJ Sanders
8. Rob Young
9. Wayne Hill
10. Tyler Burke
11. Joseph Swanson
12. Adam Baker
13. Derek Taylor
14. Johnny Burke
15. Andrew Sanders
16. Kevin C. Neal
17. Jason Tutterow
18. Chris Lawing
19. Jordan Fleming
20. Gene Adams
21. Andy Southern