Callaway VA (June 3, 2010) -- Left Turn Promotions came out of the blue last year and organized an event in under three months, and the inaugural "Old Dominion Shootout" at Franklin County Speedway was born.

The young company headed up by Kenny Lang and Joey Mills, had only that one event under their belt before trying to hold the second annual event this Memorial Day weekend. And after having a small field but great racing last year, they did it up bigger and better as a stout field of 18 cars were there to battle for the Late Model trophy. Drivers from Franklin County as well as other tracks were mixed in, but Jimmy Mullins pulled his old Dodge out of the garage for the first time this year, and there Isn't many tougher at the bullring than him.

Beautiful skies greeted the crews and fans, as the track began to fill up. Last year, the event was ran during the season, causing some drivers to miss the show in fear of tearing up their primary car in track points. But the idea of running on Memorial Day Monday this year was a no brainer, nobody was missing a show, and everybody has time to work on their cars before next weekends point event at their own track.

Some of the new faces this year included Motor Mile regular Mike Looney, who has ran Franklin County in the past and loves the track. That was evident with his pole run to take the top spot, as he blistered the field with a lap at 13.829. To his outside was an absolute first timer to Franklin County, as Lonesome Pine and Camping World truck series driver Nate Montieth was making an appearance, and had learned the track quickly being the fastest car in practice then timing in second. Another Motor Mile regular from the Limited division was Roger Parrish Jr. who started off third. Parrish is no stranger to big races as he took home the win in the Limited Late model 50 lapper at Martinsville last year. Then you had the young sensation Michael McGuire, track favorite Buster Carroll, then the two toughest dogs there, Rodney Cook and Jimmy Mullins. This was shaping up nicely.

At the drop of the green, Montieth was ready to go and grabbed the top spot from Looney before trouble broke out behind them. Franklin County is tight, small, high banked and fast so things happen with a quickness there, and Rodney Cook found that out before the first lap was done. Rodney is no stranger to the place, as his battles with Mullins over the past few years have become great stories, but contact with Buster Carroll and Roger Parrish Jr. had cut down his left front, and maybe his chances of victory. But since the caution was thrown, and caution laps not counting, he was right back in it he just had to do it from 18th now.

As we have a rash of cautions in the early going for minor spins and tire failures, we can definitely see a few things in the short green flag spurts. One is that Montieth and Looney are the fastest cars here, two is that Looney doesn't like being in second, and third is that he is continuing to smoke, and it is getting heavier the more they race. Danny Williard, the flagman extraordinaire in the stand, was keeping a watchful eye to the back of the Looney car each passing lap until the officials finally told them to go in and check it under caution on lap 24. He heads back out still smoking and only runs three laps before Rodney Cook cuts another tire down, the favorites were not having it easy in the early going.

As we approach the 40 lap mark, Montieth has his mirror full with another black car now, the #22 of Michael McGuire. Michael may only be 13 years old but he has been a terror in various series at Franklin County for the last few years, and was running away with this event last year before electrical problems ended his day. His move to the UARA series this year has not been what they had expected, and the kid just simply needed some luck on his side for once. He had a car to contend, as he gave Montieth all he could handle until the caution was brought out once more...........Rodney Cook with a flat tire, his third of the day, and all in the first 50 laps.

On this caution for the Cook spin, Looney is parked by the track, the oil leak had just got worse and worse, a bad valve cover gasket was the problem. This next restart was also a chance for one of the fastest cars in the field to make up some ground, as Roger Parrish Jr. had to pit on an earlier caution and was coming quick. He knocked Nathan Wheat out of the way for fourth, and set his sights on Mullins for third. Ha managed to get third a few laps later, but it wasn't from Mullins as luck ran out for the second place runner.

McGuire had been snake bit all year, and it continued on at his best track, as he was pressuring Montieth for the lead, he suddenly began to fall back as Mullins and Parrish went past. Wheat and Cook went by and McGuire headed to the pits, he was the next client in the flat tire club. His only problem was that he didn't stop on the track, and as the crew got him back out he was already two laps down and decided to park it. Such a shame, if things would go right for a whole race he could be right there with them.

Now Montieth had dodged the bullets of Looney and McGuire, but now it was the legendary Jimmy Mullins behind him, the original "Mr. Excitement" . Mullins has won races all over the Southeast, and has nearly won Martinsville on two occasions, but the last two years have seen him make very limited appearances on pavement as he is just having fun doing some dirt racing. But Franklin County is a track where he is very tough, and everyone knew that his seventh place starting spot meant nothing, he was going to be there before it was over.

The laps clicked off, and Mullins inched closer and closer to the lead. On lap 57, Mullins took the top spot as Montieth got pinned behind a lapped car, but Montieth came fighting back and nearly regained it as the two raced side-by-side for numerous laps. Mullins was able to pull away eventually, but Montieth would have one more bullet in his gun before this one was over.

The real battle in the second half was for third, as Cook, who had three flat tires and two spins had worked his way back to the front. Nathan Wheat, another Franklin County regular had the third spot and Cook wanted it as the two went after it for nearly 20 laps. Cook would prevail and then challenge Montieth, but the hard racing from the back three times had done a number on his tires, they were junk at this point. Absent from this whole front battle was Parrish, who had dropped out with no brakes. The young driver had been one of the fastest cars coming back to the front from earlier tire trouble and was convinced that he had the winning car, as he said he was just riding. But no brakes at Franklin County is not a good thing.

Mullins had drove off from the field as we got our longest green flag run of the day, and then Caleb Roark decided at about the lap 100 mark that he would do some doughnuts a few times to bring out two cautions. Could this have been the break Montieth needed? It certainly didn't hurt, as he had his hands full with Cook before, he could now focus on Mullins for the lead. Mullins would shoot out to a four car length advantage, and looked to be driving off again, but Montieth was cooling his tires for one more charge.

We get to ten to go and Montieth is right there, each passing lap he looks for the right time to make his move, but Mullins is not the easiest car in the world to pass anyway, you have to work for that spot. Two to go and Montieth gets the inside line off turn four and pulls to his door, but that was as far as he would get as Mullins pulls him off the corner by two car lengths. The checkered falls and Jimmy Mullins adds his name to the list with Darrell Wallace Jr. as the winner of the second annual "Old Dominion Shootout".

Third place Rodney Cook was really wore out after this one. "This thing is all bent up, I did that from the first lap on" said a very hot Cook. "That's the way this place is, you cut a left front going down the backstretch and that wall is all metal there, I smacked it pretty good. Today was all about the crew, these guys worked on this thing and kept putting tires on it. That is what disgusted me the most, I knew the car was good, but those tires we put on had over 80 laps on them, I knew I was at a disadvantage because we didn't have any special tires, just spares. I still thought I might have a shot at it there at the end if those two got to racing a little harder, but we'll take third. I'm not greedy, I have had a dream season so far and to come back from all the problems we have had today I am as happy as can be".

Nate Montieth came home second, and showed everyone that he is a force on the tight bullring. "We let him get in front there a little too easy there on that pick move with the lapped car. He took off and we cooled our stuff down to

make a run at him there at the end and thought I had something for him but he was just a little too strong. I have watched this guy race at everywhere from Martinsville to South Boston and to finish second to him here on a track he is so good at isn't that bad. I really used my stuff up those first 50 laps trying to stay in front of Looney until he had his problems, but it's in one piece so we can't complain too much today. We'll just come back next year and finish one spot better".

And then we have Jimmy Mullins, who showed he can still get the job done as this was the first time his car had been off jackstands since last year. "Last year we started with too much air pressure, we led a bunch but the tires gave up, but this time we had it just right" said a smiling Mullins. "I just got to thank Packaging Products, and especially Billy Banks, he does an awesome job on building these motors. My crew did a whale of a job, they are all free labor, country boys just out having a good time, but they do great work to help get my cars right. I really want to thank Kenny Lang and Joey Mills for putting this event on, I hope they can do some more".

"Nate(Montieth) was tough today, he went up high on that one lapped car and I just stuck it to the inside and that turned out to be the winning pass. He raced me hard but clean, beating and banging is fine, but wrecking a man is another thing and he never once came close to that, I had a lot of fun racing with him and want to congratulate him. That last caution kind of screwed me up since I was running such low air pressure and it took a few laps to get going, but we managed to pull it off."

I then did what I always do when Jimmy races and questioned him when his next asphalt race would be. And like he always does he stalled me, but you can see in his eyes, winning always makes you want more. He said he would be running dirt this weekend, but that the asphalt thing is up in the air until money comes in. As I walked away he made sure he got one last line in, "Wait until Martinsville, we'll have something there for them". We had no doubt Jimmy, no doubt at all on that one.

Results:
1. Jimmy Mullins #57
2. Nate Montieth #44
3. Rodney Cook #14
4. Nathan Wheat #1
5. Eddie Young #62
6. Calvin Brooks #00
7. Caleb Roark #7
8. Frankie Kelley #61
9. Teddy Lawless #5
10. Rusty Gaspard #23
11. Kyle Dudley #84
12. Roger Parish Jr #07.
13. Doug Williams #77
14. Mike Looney #47
15. Michael McGuire #22
16. Brian Blevins #40
17. Buster Carroll #45
18. Bobby Gillespie #18