Coeburn, VA(May 26, 2009) -- In twin 25-lap races Saturday night at Lonesome Pine Raceway Brian Blevins and Wayne Hale split time in victory lane, but it was Blevins who stole the show and the night overall.

In the first of the two Late Model Stock Car races a field of 14-cars strong took to the flat 3/8 mile track for 25-laps of racing with David Hopkins and defending track champion, Nate Monteith sharing the front row. Monteith quickly jumped out into the lead and looked to be unstoppable, but as the cars raced around under the green flag for the first 18-laps a storm was brewing.

That storm first hit the ground when Royce Peters made a diving move under Brian Blevins and the two drivers made contact sending Blevins spinning. Blevins was then set to restart at the rear of the field, but that's when the race procedures at Lonesome Pine come into play ... the track utilizes double file restarts with a "pick and choose" rule which allows the first, second, third and so on position drivers to choose whether to start in the outside or inside lane. Drivers can go to whichever they choose, but must do so fast as the cars come by the start/finish line a lap before going green.

Blevins spin turned into a positive as he lined up in the outside lane and went from the rear of the field to fourth without even completing a lap after another caution was brought out before the next lap was completed. Blevins then quickly jumped into third and a lap later passed Kirby Goble for second as the caution flew again. Blevins again jumped up on the outside and this time he was alongside of Monteith for the lead, but Monteith was certain to be the toughest car he had to pass.

A battle to the end was what everyone thought would happen with Blevins on the outside and Monteith on the inside, but Blevins was just too strong for the defending champion. Blevins took the lead and held it down to the end over Monteith and Goble in an impressive win after spinning just seven laps earlier. Mitch Gibson and Caleb Roark completed the top five finishers in the first of twin races.

Late Model - Twin #1
1. 40 Brian Blevins
2. 44 Nate Monteith
3. 9 Kirby Gobble
4. 49 Mitch Gibson
5. 7 Caleb Roark
6. 38 Royce Peters
7. 19 Wayne Hale
8. 55 Mardy Roberts
9. 88 David Hopkins
10. 94 Jeff Woodward
11. 63 Nicholas Cole
12. 25 Jeremy Pike
13. 5 Wayne Salyers
14. 21 Burton Martin
15. 75 Steve Wright(DNS)

The second race was on tap next, but the damage from the first race looked to be taking it's toll on a few cars including Peters and Jeremy Pike, who worked feverishly to get back out for the start of the second race. The second race saw Blevins starting from the pole with former track champion, Wayne Hale starting on the outside and many thought Blevins would jump out front and just dominate the race, but that wasn't to be.

Hale quickly spaced himself out in front of Blevins on the start and Blevins found himself in a battle for second with Monteith which was eventually won by Blevins at the start of the race, but these two weren't done with one another yet. It was lap 18 before the caution flew in race #2 again and it was Blevins who had just slipped to third in the running order behind Monteith who jumped out in the outside line alongside Hale for the lead on the restart.

Again it was Hale, who pulled out into the lead showing his strength up front, but another quick caution came out when Caleb Roark got together with another car down the back straightaway and ended another good run for the young driver who finished fifth in the first race. Blevins found himself on the outside of Hale and this time he put his car out in front of the field and looked to be headed to his second straight win of the night, but then ...

Monteith was battling to the inside of Blevins, but the two made contact and Blevins went for a spin just like he did in the first race. Blevins went to the rear for the start and so did Monteith after he was black flagged for the contact. That put Hale back out in front of the field for the double file restart with Goble on his outside, Peters third and Blevins fourth for the restart. Monteith would restart sixth right behind Blevins on the oustide line.

Contact between Peters and Goble sent Peters spinning in front of the field in turn four and put Blevins and Monteith back within reach of Hale, who had been dominant thus far in the second race. Blevins went backwards in a hurry dropping to his final finishing position of fourth as Peters made a great move on the start and made his way back up to second with Monteith third and thats how they finished behind Hale. Goble completed the top five finishers in the second 25-lap main event.

For my first trip up to Lonesome Pine Raceway for a regular weekly event in almost two years it was an incredible race and with the double file "pick and choose" restarts and the twin-25 lap format the races were ... AWESOME! Harold Crook, Jeff Roark and the rest of the folks at "The Pine" are doing a great job and with the race procedures they have put in place anyone who hasn't been there certainly need to make the trip there.

Late Model - Twin #2
1. 19 Wayne Hale
2. 38 Royce Peters
3. 44 Nate Monteith
4. 40 Brian Blevins
5. 9 Kirby Gobble
6. 88 David Hopkins
7. 25 Jeremy Pike
8. 5 Wayne Salyers
9. 94 Jeff Woodward
10. 7 Caleb Roark
11. 55 Mardy Roberts
12. 63 Nicholas Cole
13. 49 Mitch Gibson
14. 21 Burton Martin(DNS)
15. 75 Steve Wright(DNS)