Callaway, VA(June 9, 2009) -- Franklin County Speedway was the site of a unique Sunday evening event, a double-header with the ASA Southern Modifieds and the Late-Model Stock cars would also take to the track for 100 laps of their own.

The day started out with the Late-Models first and while it didn't look to be good with only 10 cars starting, we all still had no idea who was going to take home the checkered flag until the final 5 laps. It was a tremendous blend of legendary skill and maturity, against a fiery young up-and-comer without fear. The youngster would prevail on this day, but the veteran let it be known, that they will surely battle again in the near future.

The hot June day started out with qualifying to determine the starting positions for the "Old Dominion Shootout". Only 10 cars were there to take time, but it wasn't the number that was important, it was the names of who was there. The two names that will go down in history as some of the toughest ever in LMSC's were there, Rodney Cook and Jimmy Mullins, as well as another veteran of the Franklin County Speedway and former champion, Buster Carroll.

The youth brigade was represented by UARA-STARS 2008 Rookie of the Year, Darrell Wallace Jr., as well as 12 year-old Michael McGuire making his Late Model Stock Car debut. Rounding out the field of drivers was the most interesting driver of all, Melvin Smith. I guess you could say Mr. Smith is a veteran, he ran his first race 57 years ago where Motor Mile Speedway now sits, as then it was a half-mile dirt track. Mr. Smith may be over the 80 year mark, but he assures everyone if he had a good car, he could win on any day and I have no doubt of it. These days he's just out having fun, but if you ever see him at the track please stop and talk ... you will be so glad that you did.

Wallace Jr. had locked up the pole position, with Carroll second and the young McGuire 3rd. Rodney Cook and Jimmy Mullins had surprisingly bad qualifying runs, but everyone knew they would be a force when the race started. Cook wasn't there in his usual #14 Ford, but was driving the #34 out of the Travis Sharpe Racing stables. Sharpe owns Racing Dynamics, a developmental driving company and Rodney was there to give his veteran feedback on the car that currently races at Motor Mile Speedway.

The crowd on hand Sunday was a hefty one, with the stands filled up all the way around the track. They wanted some action and it didn't take long as on the first lap of green, Wallace Jr. gets booted to the high side and loses the top spot. One lap later, the field crowds together down the backstretch and cars go spinning, with the worst of the damage coming to Buster Carroll who has his front end removed and retires soon after.

The field gets sorted out under caution and the 12-year old, Michael McGuire is the new leader. Michael has already won a race this year in Franklin County's Crate engine based Late Model class and had won just the night before in a race at Orange County Speedway in the Limited Late Model division. All eyes were on him for this race, as the world wanted to see if he was for real where he was against some of the toughest around and at a track that isn't forgiving at all.

McGuire would take off and leave the field after the restart, but behind him things were happening at a very quick pace. 5 laps in and Mullins makes the move by Wallace Jr. for 5th and 3 laps later Nathan Wheat takes 2nd from Cook with Mullins and Wallace Jr. following his hole putting Cook back to 5th. All the while, the #22 of McGuire was pulling away, but it would be short-lived.

Lap 20 approaches and McGuire has gotten nearly a full straightaway on the field when his car suddenly falls silent. He coast around the track, barely making it to the pits and his day is over. Electrical problems would end his day, but we did get a brief glimpse of what the future would hold and that is the fact that the 12 year-old can hold his own against the Late-Model world.

Now Wheat was on the point, but the aggressive Jimmy Mullins was breathing down his neck each and every lap. Wheat would finally give in on lap 29 and on lap 42 Wallace Jr. and Cook would follow suit putting the #1 of Wheat back to 4th. Mullins was gone and Wallace Jr had his hands full with Cook and Wheat was out of the picture, it looked to be Mullins race to lose.. But time tells all.

Mullins had a full straightaway lead over Wallace and Cook was slowly falling back from second with an ill handling car. As the laps wore down, it looked as if Mullins was maintaining the lead, until 25 to go. From then on it seemed as if Wallace Jr. had found his groove and was chopping a car-length off each lap. 20 car-lengths, 15, 10, 5, with 15 to go Wallace was there, he was at Mullins back bumper, but passing him would be another giant problem, as Jimmy wasn't there to finish second either.

We get to 12 to go and Wallace Jr. is all over the #57 of Mullins for the lead. He tried the low side off turn 2 a few times, but either the door is shut on him, or he just can't get enough bite off the corner to complete the pass. 9 to go and Wallace gets the bite off the bottom of turn 2, he pulls even with Mullins down the backstretch and the two cars make contact into turn 3.

Coming off turn 4, Wallace has a fender ahead as contact is made again and Mullins brushes the outside wall allowing Wallace Jr. to take the lead for good and he never gave it up the remaining 8 laps taking the win. Mullins gives the youngster a nudge down the backstretch to let him know his displeasure in the winning move, but at the same time Mullins knows it was just racing, he just hates to lose like anyone else.

Victory lane was an emotional one, as the entire Wallace crew and family were overjoyed. after having an astonishing rookie season in Late-Models last year, 2009 has been one to forget for the 15 year-old. Troubles out of their control have made this season a dreary one, but on Sunday the confidence looks to be turning in a new direction. Sure, it was a 10 car race, but anybody that knows racing, knows that if you beat Jimmy Mullins and Rodney Cook at Franklin County, you have done something that many can't.

Everyone in attendance at the track was certainly

impressed with the show that the Late Model Stock Cars put on and none of this would have happened without the blood, sweat and tears put into the event by Kenny Lang and Joey Mills of Left Turn Promotions. From listening to the drivers talk with the promoters after the race it's clear we may be having another Sunday evening show later in the season and maybe we'll have another classic battle between Mullins and Wallace!

Quotes:
Darrell Wallace Jr: "It feels good. coming back here to Franklin County where we got our first win last season and now we picked up our first win this season here again. I'm just relieved, the way this year has gone this is big for us."

DWJ on racing Jimmy and Rodney for the win: "That was awesome. Jimmy(Mullins) is always tough here and so is Rodney(Cook), it was great to beat those guys for the win. My dad was on the radio and was telling me that Rodney was starting to lose the front end and 5 laps later he was 3 car-lengths behind me, then I started focusing on the leader. Jimmy came over and said I roughed him up, but he roughed me up quite a bit last year, actually ending my night completely. I just forgot that the wall goes in and out down the front stretch, I held my line. I just didn't move over for the wall coming out and he had no where to go. He knows I wouldn't run him dirty and he came over said it was payback he guessed, so now we can start racing and having fun now."

Jimmy Mullins: "I'll tell you, I had to drive this thing hard today. Our car was overheating real bad, and we had to get out front early. Starting 6th, we used up a lot of equipment getting to the front. Once we got in front, the water temperature stayed around 240, we were just biding our time, but I drove real hard to get up there, figured it was better out front than to hang back and risk getting tore up. Wallace had a good car, we had a good car, but we really needed a caution there towards the end to cool our tires off, I think we started with a little too much air pressure."

"Coming out second I can't complain, I gave him room when he got beside me, then he cut me off into the wall going down the front stretch. If I could have caught him, he wouldn't have won the race, but you know what, that's just racing. It's hard for us country boys to come here and compete against that (Joe)Gibbs stuff, but we do what we can. I just have thank all these volunteers that help me and all my sponsors, without them you wouldn't even see me here today."

Official Results:
1. #76 Darrell Wallace, Jr.
2. #57 Jimmy Mullins
3. #34 Rodney Cook
4. # 1 Nathan Wheat
5. #11 Kevin Smith
6. #85 Bobby Griffin
7. #61 Frankie Kelley
8. #10 Melvin Smith
9. #22 Michael McGuire
10. #45 Buster Carroll