LA: Vacation??? Man when can I take one of those? Maybe the boss(aka Kim) will let me do that soon. Well while you've been on vacation RACE22.com has been blowing up from the two huge stories of Matt DiBenedetto leaving Mitch West Racing to him landing a ride with Jamie Yelton and the Forest City Bad Boys ... plus a track-by-track title preview and even a preview of the upcoming release of the WP Racing Shocks Power Rankings Top 22 Drivers in Late Model Stock Car racing. Wow, Corey with all that happening you may need to go on vacation more often, LOL! Anyways, Matt D. will be able to get the job done that I'm sure of ... last year he went to Martinsville in an underfunded car and finished fourth ... his first time there! This year with Yelton and his team Matt D. may become the youngest driver(I think) to ever to win at Martinsville in the Bailey's 300.

CL: I leave for a few days and you get off your butt and do something, clap...clap...clap. Seriously, good work breaking the Matt D deal. I hope Matt really does good at Martinsville, he is one of the best talents I've EVER seen, but not getting in a car much this year has hurt his stock just a bit in some peoples eyes. I'm sure Martinsville will "re-open" a lot of eyes, I've yet to see him really make a obvious mistake on the track.The competition is going to be tough though, I'm looking for some people new to the front of the Martinsville field to emerge. I really just want to see the Rodney Cook and Jimmy Mullins of the world make it into the race, I think the underfunded veterans could get towards the front. At least Rodney himself will be dodging one bullet already before the race starts this year.

LA: LOL ... yeah, you know I figured the website need a swift kick in the butt right here before Martinsville and everybody who knows anything about Late Model Stock Cars is on here so I got us a few people that don't read every line thinking twice about that decision. Matt D will no doubt be up on the wheel, but I think the guy I will be looking at the most is Coleman Pressley. He's been impressive all year, but this is the true test for the young driver ... Greenville-Pickens and Hickory Motor Speedway with a crate engine is one thing, but the "The Ville" is a whole new deal. Pressley is a good driver, but things will be proven for him in Late Model Stock Cars with this race ... if he's at the test Wednesday and don't come back(like Chrissy Wallace last year) for the race he proves a lot to me, but if he comes back and runs good he proves even more and lets people know that the last name isn't the reason he's on the track.

CL: It really doesn't matter what he shows in the big picture, he's gone NASCAR Truck racing next year regardless. It would show some insight into the future of his career. He really started the year off on a roll, but it seems the competition stepped it up and came back on him. Winning the Bobby Isaac Memorial was exactly what he needed heading into Martinsville. A lot of the people that are on the Race22.com "22 Best" Power Rankings that will be released next week will be tough to beat there. Philip Morris is on the list....we all know that....will he be able to pull out the win at Martinsville or is running against the same competition all year going to hurt him?

LA: I know the deal with Coleman going NASCAR Truck racing, but the bottom line is we cover Late Model Stock Cars and that's all that matters to me ... if he doesn't perform at Martinsville well he proves a lot of his critics right that he doesn't deserve that ride ... Personally I think he deserves the ride and I think he will have a good run. Philip Morris ... is he the cigarette guy or is that, that guy running for his second National title this weekend? LOL, Philip will be tough ... he's always good at Martinsville, but the guy I'm going to be watching this year is Andy Loden ... some guys may say he's a one(or two) track driver, but the soon to be three time champion(TCMS, HMS and NC State champion) this season could break out at Martinsville and if he's going to do it ... this could very well be the year of his lifetime.

CL: Andy has pretty much did everything he set out to do this year, it is a "dream" season absolutely. Andy has something to prove at Martinsville, but the UARA regulars look like they are going to be very tough to beat. I think if Alex Yontz can keep the right front tire on his car he might just be putting his second grandfather clock up in his house. He is bringing his favorite car and it's already won at Bristol earlier this year, he really likes that Hedgecock car. It should be a great race, but until then, we'll let everybody know everything that happens at the test this Wednesday, all the way from speeds and interviews, to who brought an airplane motor this year (one was brought last year...almost). I'm looking froward to it, every year it gets better and better and this year looks no different. It does seem that this year has a much tighter field showing up, predicting the top 5 looks harder than ever.

LA: OK, Corey before we even go testing ... use your knowledge and give me one pick that will either win or give you a guaranteed top five??? I'll take Matt McCall or Jamey Caudill .... well I did say one pick .... OK, Caudill all the way. He's awesome on that track.

CL: Really going out on a limb there ain't you? Jamey is a top 3 pick, not top 5. Can I pick Dennis Setzer? I think Matt D will be good, and I'm hearing B.J. Mackey will be there in a new car. But I'm gonna go way out and pick Brad Brinkley for a top 5 finish. He qualifies in the top 10 almost every year, but bad luck stops him short every time, it has to end somewhere.

LA: WOW! .... I didn't go out on a limb because well have you seen me ... the limb would break, but dang dude I don't even think that limb will hold your little boys size body, LOL! ... OK, one last topic and we'll let the people hanging on every word that comes out of our mouths get back to work .... What the heck was Andy Mercer doing Saturday night???

CL: I was on Lake Erie, almost in Canada, What happened? Fill me in with the rest of us.

LA: WOW ... I guess it's probably the least talked about big deal I can think of, but .... Mercer was in a tight ten point battle for the championship at Hickory and not too many laps into the 50-lap race well apparently lets just say his helmet cut off circulation to his brain and he dumped leader and somewhat teammate, Lucas Ransone for the lead. Unfortunately for Mercer he couldn't get away from the spinning car and got damaged as well. Let me explain further ... Mercer's brother, David works for Ransone at least part-time if not full-time ... that complicated the situation a little I'm sure, but man that was a dumb move for a guy racing for the championship. The worst part is he may have caught up with points leader, Andy Mercer through last weeks race and this weeks, but now all Loden has to do(unless they get a bunch of cars and he finishes last) is start the race to take home the title. That's pure bonehead in my opinion and you know I'm not afraid to share my opinion!

CL: Well, like I was telling you the other night, Mercer has had one of the best sophomore seasons in a Late-Model in recent history. But that doesn't make up for his actions, he may be close to a rookie in the Late-Model ranks, but he has been racing for some time now. And he didn't come from u-cars, he was racing a Limited and a Late-Model truck. But you know how it goes, everybody makes mistakes and he'll surely learn from that one.

LA: Yeah, that's a costly one. My congratulations goes out to Loden and all the other track champions around the region and hopefully this weekend another Late Model Stock Car driver in Philip Morris will secure the NASCAR National Title ... we've got the best drivers in the world racing here and I'm just glad one of our own is in the hunt for that National Title. Plus look at the standings for the ASA National Title ... Rodney Cook and Jimmy Mullins from Franklin County Speedway just dominated the season ... congrats to Jimmy, but I hate it for Rodney that the rules say you have to be a track champion to secure the National title ... that's gotta hurt.

CL: And a get well goes out to Roger Lee Newton's, as his Dad Roger Sr. was severely injured in a accident on a bobcat this week. He will be back at the track in the near future, but he needs everybody's well-wishes to speed his recovery. That, and if the hospital can keep him from walking out and going to the racetrack. Get well soon Mr. Newton.

LA: I'll second that one ... Roger "Big Dawg" Newton is a friend of mine and I hated to hear of his bobcat accident, but if you know Newton very well you first wasn't surprised to hear of the accident and second that this won't keep him down long ... Until Next time Corey ... Keep it on the pavement ... cause you know Dirt's for farming or at least that's what they tell me.

CL: I've been trying to convince people of that. Some people never learn...........Later ya'll.