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Best 9 of '09: Best Races of the Season
9th - Dwight Huffman at Hickory
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7/11/09 - The Dwight Huffman Memorial has evolved into THE mid-season biggie for Late Model Stock Car drivers, now it's no Bailey's 300, but with a few more years at the rate it's growing it could rival the legendary event. This years DHM was as good as you could have expected with season long dominator, Andy Mercer looking strong again, Matt McCall coming from the rear to win, Steven Wallace mixing it up as only he can and an impressive performance by Paddy Rodenbeck. There were crashes, tears, frustration and everything needed to make it a lasting memory for nearly every racer and fan!
8th - UARA 150 at Rockingham
4/18/09 - It was supposed to be nothing, but doom and gloom in a race on the one-mile Rockingham Speedway for Late Models, but what happened was one of the most magical races of the season. Corey LaJoie and Paddy Rodenbeck, two series sophomores duked it out side by side for the victory in one of the most thrilling races in the series' history. The cars and engines lasted, the fans were entertained and the UARA set a precedent on the track that no other series lived up to as the most exciting race of the 2009 season in Rockingham, NC!
7th - PASS South at Wake Co.
5/8/09 - Super Late Models on a 1/4 mile track ... "Are you Freakin' Serious?" WOW ... if you were a fan that got to see that race you had to be saying WOW! when this one was over with as the race displayed a little of everything. First it was 25 beast taking to the tiny track, then it was crashing, a little in race rivalry with young Ryan Blaney and veteran, Preston Peltier, but in the end it was veteran Jay Fogleman delivering a hometown victory in what was one of the best races that anyone could have asked for on the southeast North Carolina bullring!
6th - Twin 25's at "The Pine"
5/23/09 - Lonesome Pine Raceway isn't known for having the best Late Model Stock Car races and most people wouldn't expect a twin 25-lap night to be the best, but on that May night, Brian Blevins put on a clinic and produced the 6th best race of the LMSC season. Blevins spun out on lap 18 of the first of the twins and rallied using the outside line in a newly instituted pick and choose rule to go to victory lane just seven laps later. It was a moment that Blevins was frozen in time, he accomplished something few, maybe none ever have and gave us fans a lasting impression!
5th - LMSC 75 at Hickory
8/1/09 - Jesse LeFevers, Cole Miktuk and Andy Mercer put on one of the best shows of the 2009 Late Model Stock Car season at Hickory Motor Speedway on August 1st. LeFevers dominated the race, but not without challenges from Mercer and Miktuk throughout, but the defining moments of this race played out in the final ten laps as the trio ran as close as three cars could without crashing. LeFevers outside, Miktuk in the middle and Mercer rallying on the inside off turn four in an incredible finish as LeFevers wins and Mercer spins to third place finish ... an incredible finish to an incredible race!
4th - UARA 150 at Tri-County
5/22/09 - Tri-County Motor Speedway lends itself to incredible racing and incredible finishes and both of the UARA races there this season lived up to it's possibilities especially the May 22nd event. Paddy Rodenbeck dominated the race, but Brandon McReynolds had wore his bumper out running side by side for much of the race and working to try and get the lead, but the crafty veteran, Jamey Caudill laid back and overtook both those drivers. Rodenbeck then crashed racing with Richard Boswell for second in one of the best races of the 2009 season and one Caudill nor Rodenbeck will forget soon.
3rd - Limited 50 at Martinsville
9/27/09 - More than a race, the Inaugural 50-lap Limited Late Model race at Martinsville Speedway was a thrill ride and one that will surely pack the stands if the Limited cars are invited back to the half mile track. The first 15-laps were filled with incredible racing, side by side and exciting every minute and the next 30+ laps displayed the most carnage you could expect to see in any race and more like a demolition derby. The Limited Late Model race had put many of the previous Bailey's 300 races to shame and fans roared in the end as Roanoke, VA driver, Roger Parrish driver took his car to victory lane.
2nd - Mason Dixon at SoBo
10/17/09 - South Boston Speedway's Mason Dixon 250 was about as incredible of a race as any has have ever been staged on the tight 4/10 mile track. This race literally featured a little bit of everything from an early race crash involving the pole winner, David Triplett that stacked the entire field up to a show of frustration from NASCAR National Champion, Philip Morris who backed into Nick Smith's car under caution repeatedly. In the end it was an emotional victory by Eddie Johnson that left the fans reeling from one of the greatest races ever on the historic track.
1st - Bailey's 300 at Martinsville
10/4/09 - Late Model Stock Car racing's grandest stage is certainly the Martinsville Speedway and this years Bailey's 300 was one of the greatest LMSC races in history including all the great Bailey's 300 that had come before. The race featured some of the most incredible crashes, hardest hits, young drivers emerging and according to the track's public relations director, Mike Smith, a changing of the guard with three 18-year olds finishing 1,2,3! Winner, Jake Crum also displayed the greatest post race celebration as well doing a burnout multiple times then up against the wall and climbing from his car to climb the fence himself ... a story book ending to a great race for a young driver in an underfunded ride!
