Immediate release: Hendersonville September 18, 2006 

Brandon Ward takes the win at Newport 

The night began with a six lap trophy dash for four of the Street Stock drivers.  Participating was Ricky Ford, Roger Henderson, Michael Lee and Marvin Green.   Marvin Green came out the winner followed by Ford, Henderson and Lee.

The Mini Stocks took to the track second.  The Tony Stewart look alike car of Blake Orr was definitely the car on the move and the eventual winner.  Driver Charles Metcalf found himself without a wheel which in effect raced on it’s own down the track over the guardrail and into the right front of the Ricky Ford Street Stock Car sitting in the pits.  This will cause Ford to miss the main event of the Street Stock division for the night.  Blake Orr suffered a spin and still managed to come from the rear to win. 

The third race of the evening is the Street Stocks main event followed by the UARA-STARS for the Food City 150.  

Kyle Grissom took the checkered flag at but in the end it was Brandon Ward who came out as the Comp Cam winner. 

Immediately following the finish of the race a scoring protest was posted.  The officials reviewed the individual score cards and the official score sheets and it was documented that Grissom had passed several cars during a caution period. The UARA has a blend rule when cautions come out and whether you stop to avoid an accident or are involved and cars pass you at that time you are to blend in at whatever point you get moving again.  You fall in line where you rejoin the pack.  You do not go back to the position you were in at the time the caution comes out. Grissom should have lined up in front of the Queen car at this time.  Due to these facts it was determined that  Brandon Ward indeed was the official winner Stephen Gahagan finished second and Kyle Grissom was third.  This decision is based on the guidelines layed out in our 2006 rule book page 5 section 48. 

The race had some very good battles going on with some serious position changes without incident until lap 38. Scooter Hillis spun in turn two bringing out the first of five cautions.  Lucas Ransone had his share of trouble at this time suffering body damage causing him to be in and out of the pits to make adjustments. Lucas managed to finish on the lead lap after all the efforts of his crew. 

Caution number two fell on lap 49 when the cars of Steve Carver, Jake Crum and Dennis Queen spin in turns 1 & 2.  Josh Hale gets the lucky dog at this point of the race.  On the restart Alex Yontz apparently misses a gear causing the remainder of the field to do all kinds of evasive driving to continue on without incident and costing Yontz the lead.  Yontz will continue and regain the lead on lap 101. 

Caution three also occurs with action in the 1 and 2 turn with the cars of Jamie Yelton, Clay Greenfield, Kyle Grissom and Dennis Queen involved.

Racing continues with the Jake Crum car bumping into the Steve Carver.  A few laps later the Lance Gatlin car gets loose and Lucas Ransone’s tire must have connected with Gatlin’s causing the Ransone car to become semi airborne.  They both continue on without a caution flying at this time. 

Lap 111 finds the Josh Hale car slowing with a flat tire on the backstretch.  His transmission locks up and he comes to a stop.  The caution flies and Josh manages to get his machine back into gear and continue on to the pits.

Lap 143 the cars of Jason McMahan and Mark Setzer have a serious wreck in turn three. Jamie Yelton and Scottie Hicks get together on the backstretch when Hicks slowed to avoid the wreck of McMahan and Setzer causing serious damage to Hicks car.  Due to tempers flaring after the race fines and suspensions will be posted on the UARA website in a later press release.    

 Lavell Marrow & Wink Bodenhamer      Melling Select Rookie Challenger Zeke Shell 

The Augusta Spartans arena football player Lavell Marrow definitely got to see action at his first appearance at a UARA-STARS event.  Lavell came as a special guest of Melling Rookie challenger Zeke Shell who had problems in the beginning of the race having to pit early and lose 6 laps.  When Zeke returned to the track he ran a great race showing what a talented driver he is. Zeke was holding his own with the leader bunch and would have had a great finish if not for his earlier car problems. 

Following the UARA-STARS the Hobby Stocks and the Pure Four Front Wheel Drive cars ran. 

The Melling Rookie of the Race was Barry Andrews.

Alex Yontz won the Sunoco Pole Award.

Jeff Myers was the Holley Performer of the Race

Brandon Ward was the Sonic Most Laps Lead winner 

For more info visit www.uara-stars.com or call 828-692-3833.

Press release by Wink Bodenhamer 9-18-06

Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you will land among the STARS