Story by: John Bowen ~ johnbowen@RACE22.com
 
Hickory, NC(August 1, 2009) -- Sometimes when you've got one guy that just dominates at one track it runs off the competition and the fans suffer, but at Hickory Motor Speedway the other competitors have taken it as a challenge.

On Saturday night, August 1st two of the drivers who have spent the entire season chasing Mercer were up to the challenge and made their presence known immediately. With 16 Late Model Stocks on hand qualifying would get under way at "America's Most Famous Short Track" and to everyone's surprise Jesse Lefevers would shake the bad luck monkey off his back by qualifying on the pole for tonight's feature.
 
Andy Mercer would start in an unfamiliar second place with Josh Wimbish, Cole Miktuk, and Grant Wimbish making up the top five starting spots for this 50-lap feature.

Mercer, the winner of 11 of the 13 races so far this season including an impressive streak of ten in a row that started in the second race of the season after finishing just a few feet behind LeFevers in the season opener. LeFevers season would get derailed after a few races into the season when he crashed his primary car or rather his only car and then purchased another Pistone LTO Chassis, but hadn't quite got the car figured out.

Jesse Lefevers would lead the field down to the green and off into turn one where Mercer pulls ahead of LeFevers and looks to again pull away from the field. Lefevers was determined not to let that happen as he stays glued to Mercer's bumper for the nine laps before powering back up door to door with Mercer. The two battle side by side with neither giving a inch with the very hungry Lefevers taking the lead on lap 14.

As the halfway point approached the battle for fourth starts heating up as James Goff, G. Wimbish and 8th place qualifier David Wilson begin to mix it up to see who would chase down the top three of Lefevers, Mercer and Miktuk. Lefevers and Mercer are back to battling for the lead as this time Mercer would be on the bottom but seems not to be able to take the lead. Miktuk has reached the back bumper of the leaders and the crowd is starting to stand up as they are witnessing something they haven't seen all year and that is a three-way battle for the top spot with less than half the race remaining.

As lap 35 approaches Miktuk has his nose to the inside of Mercer shaking things up for the 2nd position as Lefevers is still within a car length of the two. David Wilson has found himself in 4th and is catching the leaders. It doesn't take long for the young Miktuk to clear Mercer and already be door to door with the leader. The two make slight contact coming off turn 4 on lap 39 and this allows Mercer and Wilson to be within striking distance of the two battling for the lead.

What a race we have going here, as we have the young hot shoe of Cole Miktuk, who is a rookie this season, on the inside of the talented Late Model Stock Car sophomore, Jesse Lefevers battling door to door for the lead with 11-time 2009 winner, Mercer glued to their back bumper as is Wilson to his.

Lap 45 the two are still giving it everything they have. Lefevers looking to shake the bad luck monkey off his back and Miktuk looking to score his first career win. This race is going to get very exciting with just five laps to go. White flag waves, Miktuk trying to stay to the inside of Lefevers and Mercer sticking his nose to the inside of Miktuk to make it three wide for the win down the back stretch. As the three approach turn three Mercer pulls back in behind Miktuk who is still to the inside of Lefevers.

They come off turn four the top three make it three wide for the lead and Mercer spins as he gives it one final try to bring home the win, but nothing would stop Lefevers from taking home his second win of the season. Miktuk would finish second, Wilson would bring home third with Mercer sliding across the finish line in 4th and Goff rounding out the top 5.

I can only think of one word to describe this race ... WOW! Not one driver pulled out to a sizeable lead or for that matter ever even ran a full lap without a side by side battle. From Mercer leading the opening laps to Lefevers fending off side by side battles and at some times three wide battles from both Mercer and Miktuk the crowd was on their feet for the entire race. It was definitely a race that will be talked about for weeks to come.
 
Unofficial Results:
1) 43 Jesse LeFevers
2) 6 Cole Miktuk
3) 15 David Wilson.
4) 10 Andy Mercer
5) 33 James Goff
6) 92 Candace Muzny
7) 88 Dexter Canipe Jr.
8) 57 Grant Wimbish
9) 19 Kyle Moon
10) 51 Josh Wimbish
11) 28 Ryan Glenski
12) 22 Toby Parese
13) 99 Mike Sboro