Tag Archive for: #durhamnews

Orange County Speedway, Rougemont, Saturday, August 26

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Though Chris Denny started the night nine points behind division leader Terry Dease, after missing the rain-delayed next day conclusion of the previous Mike Bledsoe Mechanical Heating and Air Late Model Stock race at OCS only 49 days ago, he made up for it by winning both LMSC 35-lap twin races to on Saturday Night. Dease had his own measure of success, settling for second in both races after a fifth-place start in the first one and a fourth-place start in the second. Chuck Lawson followed that pattern by taking third in both events.

In race one Daniel Moss proved to be no lightweight, waging a strong battle with Dease for second until contact between the cars of those two, initiated by Dease, caused Moss to nearly spin his car on the backstretch twelve laps from the finish. Moss held on to finish fifth just behind the fourth-place car of Camden Gullie.

In race two, it was Lawson who got the action going when the nose of his car made contact with Gullie’s, spinning Gullie’s car into the fourth-turn wall, bringing out the caution before the first lap was complete. Gullie was able to continue, completing the night with a fifth-place finish. After the green flag fell on the next attempt to start the race, Moss decided on a little payback for Dease, bumping the rear of leader Dease’s car but almost spinning himself out in the process and dropping him to third, giving Dease a comfortable lead. From there, it was a battle between Moss and fourth-place Denny with Denny getting the best of that one. After a brief caution on lap 16, Dease lost the lead to Denny on the restart but kept his car on Denny’s bumper the remainder of the event.

An 11-car field for the Limited Sportsman race dwindled down to five lead-lap cars by the time the checkered flew on lap 35, giving 12-year-old Gage Painter of Statesville his first OCS win. Painter did it by outgunning cagey veteran Daryl Carver, winner of two races this season, but an owner of a second-place finish on Saturday, on his bumper the last five laps of the race. It was pole-sitter Carver and the other front-row starter Brent Evans, Jr showing their impatience that drew swift action from officials. After one or the other seemed to jump not only the start of the race, leading to a redo, but two more restarts, officials placed both cars at the back on a lap 10 restart. Evans worked his way back up to take third at the end of the race.

The night’s attrition first started when the cars of Austin and Corey Purnell got into each other in turn one on the second lap, putting the car of Austin out of the race and bringing out the night’s first caution flag. Corey Purnell did manage a fifth-place finish. After six more laps of action, the caution flag flew again for the spin and brief oil line fire from the car of Jacob Borst, putting that driver out of the race.
Two laps after the restart, the car of Tracey Chambers got into the one of Justin Newlin, which in turn brought the car of Jerry Hinesley crashing into those two between turns one and two. Hinesley got the worst of it, parking his car for the night with an eighth-place finish. Chambers was able to continue, salvaging a sixth-place finish, two laps in arrears. Newlin’s car sustained the least damage, allowing him to complete the night in fourth-place.

Pure Stock racers completed their 25-lap event with pole-sitter Chase Sandefur leading all laps except the last one, getting passed by division points leader and now four-time season winner Danny Winstead on the last lap, leaving Sandefur winless this year. A hard-charging Bobby Clayton, Jr used a fifth-place start to garner a third-place finish with Trevor Winstead finishing behind him. Lonnie Glosson took the checkered in fourth on the lead lap with Jamie Kerr the fifth-place car, five laps down. The most spectacular crash of the night happened when the cars of Thomas Penny and Taylor Tolar attempted to take the green but Tolar’s car plowed underneath the rear of Penny’s car, causing those two to crash into the inside wall of turn one, leaving Tolar’s car suspended on the wall and out of the race. Penny’s car made three more laps after the restart, retiring with smoke billowing from underneath the hood.

Hill’s Complete Carpet Care Super Mini-Trucks finished their 20-lap race under caution, giving points-leader John Comstock his third season win and leaving a seething three-time winner Jeffrey Martin in second. Breaking up the Martin clan was the third-place truck of Devin Parrott, followed by 13-year old Noah Martin, making his first OCS start, in fourth. Fifth-place went to the truck of Kiser Martin. Jeffrey’s disappointment was the result of Kiser’s truck spinning out on the last lap and ending the race under the yellow.

The 25-lap Smokey Dave’s BBQ Mod4s finished the night with first-time season winner Corey Purnell taking the checkered in front of the hard-charging car of pole-sitter Harold Summey, after stealing the lead from Summey at the start of the race. Summey had to recover from a lap one backstretch spin to finish second, a lap that included Randy Ayers spinning his car out at the start/finish line. Ayers finished the night in fifth, behind the car of Timmy Wilder. Dennis Capps, winner of the season’s last two races, started behind Purnell in third and finished the night in that position.

The 600-horsepower Grand American Modifieds, sponsored by Quality Collision Solutions of Graham, roared around OCS for 35-laps with the car of Gary Young, Jr starting on pole and finishing out front, giving him his third season win. Young, Jr qualified in second but inherited the top starting spot after the pole-sitting car of Josh Nichols had a problem with pre-race inspection, placing him at the back of the field for the start of the race. Nichols made quick work of the field, squeezing past the second-place car of John Barilka, six laps in. Nichols held on to finish there with Barilka behind him, followed by the fourth-place car of Richard Thomas. Connie Ray Wallace took fifth, the last car on the lead lap.

The Allison Legacy Series, the much smaller NASCAR look-alikes, ran their 35 laps with Kyle Campbell starting out front and finishing there for the win. Brett Suggs finished behind Campbell with the car of Matthew Davey coming home in third, followed by Jake Garcia in fourth, the last car on the lead lap. Ethan Elder appeared to have the car to beat after starting sixth in the nine-car field. After making a bold move past Suggs for second on lap 24, Elder’s car inexplicably spun in turn four, violently slamming the turn four wall. Though uninjured, his car was too damaged to continue.

Jacob Clayton, driving a 1956 Chevrolet, took home the trophy in the Carolina Collector Auto Fest Vintage Sportsman 10-lap race.

Orange County Speedway, Saturday, August 26

Mike Bledsole Mechanical Heating & Air Late Model Stock 35 laps, 1st rac

1) Chris Denny

2) Terry Dease

3) Chuck Lawson

4) Camden Gullie

5) Daniel Moss

Mike Bledsole Mechanical Heating & Air Late Model Stock 35 laps, 2nd race

1) Chris Denny

2) Terry Dease

3) Chuck Lawson

4) Daniel Moss

5) Camden Gullie

Limited Sportsman 35 laps

1) Gage Painter

2) Daryl Carver

3) Brent Evans, Jr

4) Justin Newlin

5) Corey Purnell

6) Tracey Chambers (-2)

7)  Jared Gillis (-17)

8) Jerry Hinesley (-22)

9) Jacob Borst (-23)

10)Richard Hayden (-26)

11)Austin Purnell (-29)

Pure Stock 25 laps

1) Danny Winstead

2) Chase Sandefur

3) Bobby Clayton

4) Trevor Winstead

5) Lonnie Glosson

6) Jamie Kerr (-5 )

7) Thomas Penny (-22)

8) Taylor Tolar (-25)

Hill’s Complete Carpet Care Super Mini-Trucks 20 laps

1) John Comstock

2) Jeffrey Martin

3) Devin Parrott

4) Noah Martin

5) Kiser Martin

6) Dalton Martin (-4)

Quality Collision Solutions of Graham Grand American Modifieds 35 laps

1) Gary Young, Jr

2) Josh Nichols

3) John Barilka

4) Richard Thomas

5) Connie Ray Wallace

6) Roy Cook (-1)

7) Jonathan Cook (-1)

Smokey Dave’s BBQ Mod4s 25 laps

1) Corey Purnell

2) Harold Summey

3) Dennis Capps

4) Timmy Wilder

5) Randy Ayers

6) Mike Dudley (-4)

7) Darrell Haynie (-6)

Allison Legacy Series 35 laps

1) Kyle Campbell

2) Brett Suggs

3) Matthew Davey

4) Jake Garcia

5) Ashely Pantoulas (-4)

6) Kayla Lyons (-9)

7) Ethan Elder (-11)

8) Tim Niesen (-13)

9) Justin Taylor (-30)

Carolina Collector Auto Fest Vintage Sportsman 10 laps

1) Jacob Clayton

2) Paul Blalock

3) Kenneth Smith (lapped)

Steven Wallace and Deac McCaskill take home Mid-Atlantic Classic

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ROUGEMONT, NC (July 23, 2017) – Steve Wallace made the most of a late-race restart to muscle Bubba Pollard out of the way and fend off Matt Craig’s aggressive advances in the final two laps of Saturday night’s inaugural Mid-Atlantic Classic at Orange County Speedway, a $10,000-to-win event which drew a near-capacity crowd to the track outside of Durham, N.C., despite heat indexes above 100 degrees. Deac McCaskill dominated the late model stock portion of the event, a 100-lap dash to checkered which preceded the super late model feature.

LATE MODEL STOCK RECAP

Josh Berry blistered the Orange County Speedway for yet another Hedgecock Racing Pole Award and earned the right to lead the field to the green flag for the 100-lap late model stock car race.

No sooner than the race began, chaos ensued when Stefan Parsons and Tommy Lemons, Jr., got together in turn three on lap 8, bringing out the first caution of the night. Parsons and Lemons continued while Terry Dease was eliminated from the race due to crash damage.

Six laps later, a multi-car incident in turn three sparked by contact between Chris Denny and Ryan Repko eliminated Denny and Chris Davis while damaging the ride of Brandon Grosso.

After the last early-race restart, McCaskill motored around Berry and began to pull away from the field. During the mid-race run, Ronald Hill clawed his way to the front in the best run of his CARS Tour career and began to close in on McCaskill for the race lead.

McCaskill began to pull away from the field until lap 91 when Stefan Parsons and Ty Gibbs were involved in the scariest incident of the night. The pair made contact on the exit of turn two while racing inside the top ten and the aftermath sent Gibbs onto his roof, sliding the length of the backstretch in a shower of sparks and ultimately bursting into flames once the car came to a stop. Gibbs emerged from the accident unscathed. 

With nine laps to go, McCaskill was forced to fend off Ronald Hill on a restart, a task he handled with precision. As he pulled away to his fourth career CARS Late Model Stock Tour win, Hill dealt handily with Berry, Jared Fryar and Layne Riggs as he led them across the line to complete the top five.

“We had such a great racecar, and it kept getting better,” a clearly exhausted McCaskill said in Edelbrock Victory Lane. “It started to get a little tight in one and two, but I just had to back my corner up. We just had killer drive off tonight. I just can’t thank my guys for all their hard work yesterday when we got the car driving good, but it seemed like we worked on it more today to try to get the drive off the corner and it paid off. We’ve been working our butts off on this car, and we’ve been off and I haven’t been my normal self, but this race is special. I grew up racing here and learned from a lot of those guys. I think it’s been 2003 since I’ve won a late model stock race here.

“Ronald’s a tough guy and he’s hungry, he’s definitely hungry for a win” he continued when asked about his earlier days where he raced Hill and his father, among others, during weekly shows at the track. “We were up there talking about our age earlier, but this was a good run for him here with his hometown crowd, and he needed this living just a few miles from here. We really appreciate the CARS Tour and all these fans coming out, what a great turnout with all this hot weather.”

SUPER LATE MODEL RECAP

After winning his first career super late model race at Orange County a month ago, Cole Rouse picked up where he left off by winning the Mahle Pistons Pole Award in qualifying, placing him on the front row with Brandon Setzer for the start of the super late model race. In a new, unique format to super late model racing, the event was scheduled with four varying-length stages with breaks in between for adjustments and pit stops.

Rouse easily led the opening 35-lap segment from start to finish, but his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Christopher Bell was not so lucky. Racing with Brandon Setzer for third, Bell and Setzer made minor contact in turn three, sending Bell’s No. 4 into a spin which resulted in contact with the outside wall. Though able to continue, he was not a factor the rest of the night.

Rouse shot out to the lead once again in stage two until Stephen Nasse lost control of his car on the frontstretch and pounded the outside wall. On the ensuring restart, Rouse spun the tires and stacked up the field, giving Bubba Pollard the opportunity to lead for the first time on the night. Pollard held the top spot until the lap 100 break, earning an extra $500 for the mid-race stage win.

The vast majority of the field took tires during the lap 100 break to prepare them for the 50-lap dash to the finish. Those who took fewer tires started ahead of those who more, leaving Jeff Batten (none) and Tate Fogleman (two) on the front row. Chase Purdy and Brandon Setzer took three tires and restarted in row two ahead of a plethora of others who bolted on four sticker Hoosiers.

Fogleman quickly rocketed to the lead but it was short-lived when Bubba Pollard reeled in the No. 8 Ford and reassumed command of the race on lap 110. Pollard continued to set the pace handily over Steve Wallace who finished the penultimate stage in second prior to the final break on lap 135.

On the restart, Pollard nearly missed his turn-in point in the first corner, allowing Wallace and others to challenge for the lead, but he quickly gathered himself to begin pulling away for what appeared to be a $10,000 payday until a last-lap caution slowed the field prior to the checkered flag. Per CARS Tour rules, the entire field must take the white flag for the race to complete and a small handful of cars had not when Kodie Conner and Lucas Jones tangled in turn one to facilitate the final caution period of the night.

With two laps remaining, Pollard gave Steve Wallace the bottom lane into turn one and Wallace took full advantage of it. Pollard turned into the first turn early, making minor contact with Wallace, sending Pollard’s car up the hill and opening the door for Wallace, Matt Craig and others to shuffle around the Georgian as the field came to the white flag. Craig made a last-corner desperation attempt to steal the lead in turn three, door-slamming Wallace and sending both cars into a slide, but the No. 66 Ford of Wallace won the drag race to the checkered flag and the richest payday in CARS Tour history ahead of Craig, Rouse, Spencer Davis and Pollard.

“That was good, hard racing, man,” an exhausted and overheated Steve Wallace said in Edelbrock Victory Lane. “Me and Bubba have raced really hard over the last few years, but it is what it is, it’s a big win, we’re racing for 10,000 bucks right here. It just feels good to win. These Jet Tools guys work so hard, and it’s just me at the race shop, and we dig as hard as we can. All these boys come in and work their tails off for me, and we couldn’t do it without Jeff Fultz and Fury Racecars, they built me one hell of a machine. I’ve raced my whole life and never been this hot. It was scorching out there, but we won the race, and we sure as hell are going to win the party, I’ll promise you that. 

“I like Bubba, he’s a really good friend of mine, but I came here with all the friends I need and I’m going home with ’em too and I ain’t worried about it,” he continued when asked about recent scuttlebutt from Pollard on the way he has been raced across the country. “That’s just racing, man. All these fans paid a good amount of money to come see this race and I feel like we gave ’em one hell of a show tonight.”

The CARS Tour visits Hickory Motor Speedway for the inaugural Throwback 276 on August 5, an event featuring over two dozen throwback-themed paint schemes and at least a half-dozen NASCAR legends including Ned Jarrett, Waddell Wilson, Harry Gant, Robert Pressley, Robert Huffman and Jack Ingram. Fans are encouraged to don their own throwback attire for the race, a tribute to short track racing’s past by the stars of the future.

For more information on the CARS Tour, visit their website at www.carsracingtour.com. Fresh content and updates can also be found on the series Facebook page (@carstour), Twitter (@carstour), Instagram (@cars_tour), Snapchat (@carstour) and YouTube channel (/carstour). The series Roku app is also available for installation to see live and on-demand events by following the instructions available at www.carstour.tv.

NOTES OF INTEREST:

–          How popular was the race at Orange County in its inaugural format? Series officials pushed the start of the event back 15 minutes to accommodate the exceptionally long line at the ticket gate. Fans continued to fill the facility even after the green flag, reiterating the quality show they have come to expect from the series at Orange County.

–          With only three races remaining, the late model stock title fight drew even closer at Orange County. Unofficially, Layne Riggs, Anthony Alfredo and Josh Berry are separated by a mere 6 point margin heading into the Throwback 276. Alfredo won both duels at Hickory earlier this season despite a dominant performance by teammate Berry early.

–          The upcoming Throwback 276 has already had a number of schemes revealed including liveries paying tribute to the early careers of Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Richard Petty, Alan Kulwicki and more. A number of other regionally and nationally-famous schemes will be unveiled in the weeks leading up to the event.

 

THE FINISHES:

CARS Late Model Stock Tour
Mid-Atlantic Classic
Orange County Speedway – July 22, 2017

POS        NUM     DRIVER LAPS      REASON OUT
1.            08           Deac McCaskill  100
2.            74           Ronald Hill           100
3.            88b         Josh Berry           100
4.            81           Jared Fryar          100
5.            99           Layne Riggs         100
6.            8             Anthony Alfredo 100
7.            14           Ryan Repko        100
8.            32           Brandon Grosso 100
9.            28           Chris Hudspeth 100
10.          2              Myatt Snider      100
11.          98           Stefan Parsons  91           Accident
12.          18           Ty Gibbs               91           Accident
13.          44           Justin Johnson  60           Mechanical
14.          61           Justin Hicks         53           Mechanical
15.          42           Tommy Lemons 53           Mechanical
16.          1              Craig Moore       16           Mechanical
17.          2d           Chris Denny        14           Accident
18.          88           Chris Davis          14           Accident
19.          06           Terry Dease        8              Accident
CARS Super Late Model Tour
Mid-Atlantic Classic
Orange County Speedway – July 22, 2017

POS        NUM     DRIVER LAPS      REASON OUT
1.            66           Steve Wallace    151
2.            54           Matt Craig           151
3.            51           Cole Rouse         151
4.            55           Spencer Davis    151
5.            26           Bubba Pollard    151
6.            8              Tate Fogleman  151
7.            97           Chase Purdy       151
8.            6W         Matt Wallace     151
9.            99           Raphael Lessard 151
10.          49           Jeff Batten          151
11.          34           Nolan Pope        151
12.          4              Christopher Bell 151
13.          37           Mike Speeney   151
14.          16           Lucas Jones        149         Accident
15.          45           Kodie Conner     149         Accident
16.          5              Trevor Noles      147         Mechanical
17.          6              Brandon Setzer 131         Mechanical
18.          51N        Stephen Nasse  74            Accident
19.          118         Bradley McCaskill 61       Mechanical
20.          98           Jody Measmer  56           Mechanical
21.          28           Jared Irvan          10           Engine

Article Via CarsRacingTour.com

Photos by Jeremy Tyndall

NCCU and VGCC Launch Program for Early Childhood Teachers and Specialists

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DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Department of Human Sciences and Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) have signed an agreement to offer two education-related bachelor’s degree programs on the community college campus in Henderson, N.C.

NCCU will provide the second two years of study at VGCC for students with Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as provide support services and access to NCCU’s resources, such as the Shepard Library on campus. VGCC will recruit qualified students for the two programs and provide classrooms, labs and other resources as needed on campus.

The new offerings include a bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education, which typically leads to a teaching certificate for working in preschool and kindergarten programs in North Carolina. The bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Child Development and Family Relations focuses on child development and prepares graduates to work in a variety of settings, including individual and family counseling programs, youth centers, social services, child care agencies and others.

NCCU and VGCC have had an existing partnership for criminal justice majors called Eagle Voyage that started in 2016.

“We are excited about this opportunity to form an additional partnership with Vance-Granville Community College,” said NCCU Interim Chancellor Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye. “Preparing students to educate the youngest and most vulnerable among us is important work. We look forward to seeing these students soar to graduation, so they can begin to educate and inspire the newest generation of North Carolina citizens.”

“We are proud to be expanding our successful partnership with North Carolina Central University to provide new opportunities for our graduates to continue their training as educators and earn a bachelor’s degree here in our community,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “Providing clear academic pathways from the community college to the university level is one important way in which we support our Vanguards so that they can achieve professional success.”

Research has shown that high quality preschool and kindergarten experiences are instrumental in giving children, especially those from economically challenged backgrounds, a better chance to succeed in upper grades and throughout life. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2015 found the ability to master social-emotional skills in kindergarten was linked to adult performance in areas such as educational attainment, employment, criminal activity, substance use, and mental health.

Students who graduate from the four-year Early Childhood Education program must take the N.C. Teaching License exam to work in public schools with preschoolers or kindergarten classes. Prior to graduation, all students must have a directed teaching experience in a public-school kindergarten or a state or nationally accredited early childhood education program.

North Carolina Central University prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace. Flagship programs include science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, nursing, education, law, business and the arts. Founded in 1910 as a liberal arts college for African-Americans, NCCU remains committed to diversity in higher education. Our alumni are among the nation’s most successful scientists, researchers, educators, attorneys, artists and entrepreneurs.  Visit www.nccu.edu.

 

Shumate Named Next Voice of the Duke Blue Devils

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DURHAM, N.C. – David Shumate has been named the Director of Broadcasting for the Blue Devil IMG Sports Network and will serve as the play-by-play voice for Duke football and men’s basketball games, announced on Monday by Pat Streko, General Manager of Duke’s IMG property.

Behind the microphone, Shumate replaces Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Harris, who retired in March following 41 years as the Voice of the Blue Devils.

“I am extremely thankful for this incredible opportunity as I’ve admired and respected the Duke brand from afar for many, many years and could not be more excited to join two championship caliber programs,” Shumate said.  “I will strive to represent Duke University and IMG in the same manner as the legendary Bob Harris – his legacy as the Voice of the Blue Devils is unrivaled and I’m humbled to follow him.  I’m grateful to Pat Streko of IMG and Dr. White, Coach Cutcliffe and Coach Krzyzewski at Duke for their support and I can’t wait to get to work.” 

A native North Carolinian, Shumate spent the last five years as IMG’s Director of Audio Operations.  His broadcasting experience includes play-by-play duties for the Mid-American Conference championship football game (2010-16), SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament (2011-17) and SEC Baseball Tournament (2013-17).

Shumate, who also has handled basketball play-by-play responsibilities for Auburn, Connecticut, Duke, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Washington and West Virginia, graduated from Appalachian State University in 2006 with a bachelor of science degree in communication with a concentration in electric media and broadcasting.

“Our search to replace Bob Harris brought many excellent candidates into the fold, and David’s lengthy list of attributes placed him at the top,” Streko said.  “We are confident Duke fans worldwide will come to admire and enjoy David’s broadcasting style as he shares his view with great passion and poise.  We are absolutely thrilled about David joining the Blue Devil IMG Sports Network.”

Shumate will begin his duties on July 1.  Duke opens the 2017 gridiron season on Saturday, September 2 at home against N.C. Central.

Radio broadcasts on the Blue Devil IMG Sports Network can be heard on a network of stations across the state of North Carolina, on GoDuke.com and TuneIn Radio.  A complete listing of network affiliates may be found on GoDuke.com.

“To be sure, David Shumate will be a terrific addition to the Duke radio broadcasts. We lost a legend when Bob Harris retired from his position after more than four decades of brilliant service to Duke. We believe David can provide the same acute insight and unwavering integrity that Duke fans have come to expect, while providing his own unique voice and perspective to the broadcasts. This is an outstanding hire, and one that will benefit Duke student-athletes, coaches and fans alike for years to come!”

— Dr. Kevin White, Vice President and Director of Athletics, Duke University

“All Duke fans are in for a treat with David Shumate calling the action as his demeanor, consistency and passion will easily translate over the airwaves.  We could not be more thrilled to have David join the Blue Devil family – I am confident he will represent Duke with the highest level of professionalism and integrity.  We’ve made a home run hire.”

— David Cutcliffe, Head Football Coach, Duke University

“We are excited that David Shumate is joining the Duke family.  His tireless work ethic, abundant humility and professional patience have led him to this point. We know of his outstanding work first hand, and look forward a long relationship developing between our fans and David as he brings the games to life to those following Duke across the country. We’re confident they’ll like what they hear. And we know, as a basketball program, that we’re going to enjoy working closely with David on a daily basis.”

— Mike Krzyzewski, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Duke University

Oxford’s Terry Dease Scores First Win Since 2014 at Orange County Speedway

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by Jim Cribbs

An eery, orange full moon hanging above the turn one fence may have been prophetic as quite a bit of trouble for the drivers occurred in that turn.  Before the night’s racing began, what looked to be hundreds of kids got a thrill when all the drivers, loaded with several kids in each car, made a few easy laps around the track on Kids Ride Along Night at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont Saturday night.  After that, six racing divisions provided plenty of short track action.

When the checkered flag flew at end of the Mike Bledsole Mechanical Heating & Air Late Model Stock 75 lap race, the 2016 Track Champion for that division, Terry Dease, had his first win of the season and his first since the 2014 season.

At the start of the race, Chris Denny was on the pole as the fastest qualifier (14.414 sec, 93.659 mph) and Chuck Lawson was to his outside.  Dease was the third place starter with Daniel Moss beside him.  Starting fifth was the car of Stefan Parsons, son of former NASCAR racer Phil Parsons, and Camden Gullie was beside him.  Jonathan Hall took the green behind those two.  When the race was complete, it was Dease out front, followed by Parsons in second.  Denny had to settle for a third place finish, Moss was fourth and Hall came in fifth.  Taking sixth was Gullie and Lawson, the victim of motor problems 33 laps in, settled for seventh.

 

Before the field could get to turn one, Lawson snatched the lead from Denny and looked to be in a class of his own.  Fate would not see it that way as his car slowed drastically near the halfway point, then regained speed, only to drop back again and eventually retiring from the race with a smoking machine.  With Dease in the lead, caution on lap 38 brought the field back together.

 

On the restart, it was the cars of Dease, Denny, Parsons and Moss, first through fifth respectively.  Parsons made quick work of Denny, getting by him before that lap was complete.  However, it didn’t stay that way with Moss battling side by side with either Parsons or Denny for second place throughout the rest of the race.

 

Starting on the pole for the second time this season proved to be the charm for Daryl Carver in 35 laps of Limited Sportsman racing as he picked up his second consecutive win.  Brent Evans, the second place starter, finished in that spot.  The third and fourth place starters, Barry Beggarly, Jr and Gage Painter respectively, decided to change spots for the finish.  Painter, who hails from Statesville and was competing in his first OCS race, drove the number 12 car.  His nickname is 12 gauge and remarkably, he’s only twelve years old.

Back in the pack could have arguably been the best racing of the night as fifth place starter Tracey Chambers first defended charges by the car of Gary Young, Jr, who started seventh, and appeared to run Chambers up the track in turn 4 to take that spot fourteen laps in. A few laps later, Jerry Hinesley, from a sixth place start, did some fender rubbing with the car of Richard Hayden, who began the race behind him.  Hinesley, apparently suffering mechanical woes, left the race six laps from the end, finishing 10th.  At the finish, it was Chambers taking fifth after some contact with Hayden, who finished behind her.  The cars of Austin Purnell and Corey Purnell settled for seventh and eighth.

 

In the third start of his career and after inheriting the first place starting spot, Taylor Tolar improved on his fourth place finish a couple of weeks ago, earning his first win in the 25 lap Pure Stock event.  Danny Winstead was the fastest qualifier but was required to start sixth, the result of two consecutive wins this year.  He looked to have a third straight win until faltering on a lap 15 restart and getting a not-so gentle push from the front bumper of third place starter Bobby Clayton, spinning Winstead’s car into the first turn wall and out of the race for a sixth place finish.  Clayton ended up finishing in third with Jamie Kerr, who started behind Clayton, getting around him for the second place spot.  Trevor Winstead followed in fourth with OCS first-timer Lonnie Glosson’s car the fifth place finisher.

 

The Super Mini Trucks competed for ten laps, not once, but twice.  Jeffrey Martin, one of four Martin family members in the race, walked away with the win, not once, but twice.  John Comstock was the fastest qualifier for his third consecutive race but was relegated to a sixth place starting spot, the result of two consecutives wins this year.  At the end of race one, it was Martins taking second, third and fifth, Wesley, Scott and Kiser, with Devin Parrott sandwiched between the last two.  After taking the win for the first race, Jeffrey started fourth in race two, as the top four finishers from race one were inverted.  That didn’t prove to be a problem for Jeffrey, as he quickly motored to the top spot, holding for his second win of the night. Comstock faired a little better this time around, taking second.  Then it was the trucks of Wesley, Kiser and Scott finishing third through fifth.  Parrott, after spinning on the last lap, took sixth.

 

The Quality Collision Solutions Grand American Modifieds competed in twin 20 lap races.  Newcomer Dillon Harville, not only proved to be the fastest qualifier for the first race, but turned out to be the dominant driver, taking the win in both races.   Gary Young, Jr, the next quickest qualifier, was required to start sixth after winning the previous two races of the season.  Starting second through fifth were Richard Thomas, Todd Massey and Roy Cook, in that order.  Michael Roney and Larry Cook started behind those two.

 

At the finish of race one, it was Thomas, Roney and Cook, taking second through fourth.  Larry Cook and Todd Massey finished in the next two spots.  Young, Jr took the checkered in second but post-race inspection led to a disqualification.  That problem was fixed, allowing Young, Jr to start the second race.

 

Harville started fourth in the second race, as the top four finishers from race one were inverted.  After contact with second place starter Thomas going into turn one on the second lap, Harville bolted out front and never looked back for his second win of the night.  Thomas recovered to take second.  Finishing third through sixth were Young, Jr, Roney, Massey and Larry Cook.  Roy Cook did not start the race.

 

Kenneth Smith was the winner of the ten lap Carolina Collector Auto Fest Vintage Sportsman ten lap event.

Cover and Above Photos by Jeremy Tyndall

Mike Bledsole Mechanical Heating & Air Late Model Stock 75 laps

1) Terry Dease

2) Stefan Parsons

3) Chris Denny (Pole)

4) Daniel Moss

5) Jonathan Hall

6) Camden Gullie -1 (lap down)

7) Chuck Lawson -42

Limited Sportsman 35 laps

1) Daryl Carver (Pole)

2) Brent Evans

3) Gage Painter

4) Barry Beggarly, Jr

5) Tracey Chambers

6) Austin Purnell

7) Cory Purnell

8) Richard Hayden

9) Gary Young, Jr -4

10) Jerry HInesley -7

Pure Stock 25 laps

1) Taylor Tolar

3) Jamie Kerr

4) Bobby Clayton

5) Lonnie Glosson

6) Danny Winstead -10 (Pole) (started 6th, 2 consecutive wins)

Hill’s Complete Carpet Care Super Mini-Trucks 10 laps, First Race

1) Jeffrey Martin

2) Wesley Martin

3) Scott Martin

4) Devin Parrott

6) Kiser Martin

7) John Comstock (Pole) (started 6th, two consecutive wins)

Hill’s Complete Carpet Care Super Mini-Trucks 10 laps, Second Race

1) Jeffrey Martin

2) John Comstock

3) Wesley Martin

4) Kiser Martin

5) Scott Martin

6) Devin Parrott

Quality Collision Solutions Grand American Modifieds 20 laps, First Race

1) Dillon Harville (Pole)

2) Richard Thomas

3) Michael Roney

4) Roy Cook

5) Larry Cook

6) Todd Massey

Gary Young, Jr (started 6th, 2 consecutive wins) (disqualified post-race inspection)

Quality Collision Solutions Grand American Modifieds 20 laps, Second Race

1) Dillon Harville (Pole)

2) Richard Thomas

3) Gary Young, Jr

4) Michael Roney

5) Todd Massey

Chris Denny Captures Late Model Stock Win at Orange County Speedway

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Orange County Speedway would like to thank all the fans and race teams that came out Saturday night for the 4th Annual Sherry Love Johnson Memorial Race. These are the unofficial top three finishers in each division.

Mike Bledsole Mechanical Heating & Air Late Model Stock

1) Chris Denny (Pole)

2) Brandon Setzer

3) Terry Dease

Limited Sportsman

1) Ross “Boo Boo” Dalton

2) Gary Young, Jr.

3) Tracy Chambers

Pole-Daryl Carver

Pure Stock

1) Danny Winstead

2) Chase Sandefur (Pole)

3) Jared Gillis

Smokey Dave’s BBQ Mod 4’s

1) Dennis Capps

2) Harold Summey, Jr. (Pole)

3) Corey Purnell

Hill’s Complete Carpet Care Super Mini-Trucks

1) John Comstock (Pole)

2) Kiser Martin

3) Wesley Martin

Allison Legacy Series

1) Justin Taylor (Pole)

2) Kyle Campbell

3) Jake Garcia

Quality Collision Solutions Grand American Modifieds

1) Gary Young, Jr (Pole)

2) Todd Massey

3) Richard Thomas

Carolina Collector Auto Fest Vintage Sportsman

1) Dusty Wall

2) Wayne (the Flame) Smith

3) Jacob Clayton

Our next race at OCS will be Saturday, April 22nd as the CARS Tour returns!

Again special thanks to everyone coming out!

Cover photo courtesy of speed51.com, which is the premier source for short track racing news across the United States.

Vance County Coop Director Morris White to Head Durham Extension

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Vance County,

I have bittersweet news. The good news is that on April 3, 2017, I will begin a great new venture as the County Extension Director for Durham County!  My email address will remain the same and I will continue to serve as the point of contact for the two major programs taking place in Vance County; ECA District Day on April 20th and the Vance County Community Resource Fair on April 27, 2017.

In addition, while Vance County begins its search for the next director, our Vance County 4-H Agent (Turner Pride) has been appointed by our District Director to serve as Interim Director.  It is my sincere hope that you will show Turner and the entire team the same support you have shared with me over the years.

The sad portion of the bittersweet news is that I will truly miss Vance County.  Over the last four years, you all have greatly impacted both my professional and personal life.  I have become a better person as together, we have accomplished so much.  From the Vance County Community Resource Fair​ to the ​Voices of Vance, Community Voices project, I ​thank you for allowing me to serve as your leader.  I know from the sacrifices you all have made to make our work successful that it is because of people like you “Goodness Grows in Vance”.

So let us continue to remain in touch as Vance County continues t​o be a place where the seeds of goodness can continually grow.

With sincere gratitude,

Morris White

Morris F. White, III

County Extension Director

NC Cooperative Extension
Vance County Center

305 Young Street

Henderson, NC 27536

Butterfield to Host Community Discussion on Feb. 25

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WASHINGTON, DC – Tomorrow, February 25, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) will host “Forward Together,” a community discussion, in Durham, North Carolina in the First Congressional District.

During the discussion, the Congressman will offer a Washington update, take questions from residents, and hear ideas about how we can resist efforts to take our country backward and fight for a jobs and justice agenda that moves us forward.

This is the first in a series of events Congressman Butterfield will host to engage residents in a dialogue about a positive agenda for our future.

WHAT:          “Forward Together” Community Discussion

 

WHO:             Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)

 

WHEN:          Saturday, February 25, 2017

                        1:00 p.m. ET

WHERE:       Hillside High School Auditorium

                             3727 Fayetteville Street

                             Durham, NC  27707

https://butterfield.house.gov

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Krzyzewski Undergoes Successful Lower Back Surgery

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DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski underwent successful lower back surgery on Friday, Jan. 6, to remove a fragment of a herniated disc.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Allan Friedman at Duke University Hospital. The anticipated recovery time for Krzyzewski is up to four weeks.

“Surgery went exactly as planned,” said Friedman. “Coach is in terrific physical shape and we expect a full recovery.”

Krzyzewski has won a Division I men’s basketball record 1,056 games in 41-plus seasons as a college head coach, owning a 1,056-323 overall record and a 983-264 mark in 36-plus seasons at Duke. He has led Duke to five NCAA championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015), the second-most national titles by a coach in NCAA history.

Krzyzewski guided the United States National Team to an 88-1 record and seven total medals (six gold) as head coach from 2005-16. He is a seven-time USA Basketball National Coach of the Year and the only coach – men’s or women’s – to lead a country to three consecutive Olympic basketball gold medals.

Krzyzewski was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

#GoDuke

Cory Walton

Senior Associate Sports Information Director

Duke Athletics