April
23, 2007 Hendersonville NC 
Mackey takes the Bad Boy Mowers 150
Presented by Corriher Implement Company
Tri County Motor
Speedway on Friday April 20, 2007.
The UARA-STARS bring
on the show once again with 35 late model stock cars
traveling to Hudson NC on a Friday morning to
compete in the most competitive late model stock
series going.
The day began with
the Mark Setzer machine having to change the
rear-end. Past UARA regular Nick Hutchins was on
hand to make his first show of the year but found
his hopes gone due to engine problems during early
practice. Ryan Salomon was another disappointed
driver due to engine problems during practice.
The Leicht brothers
of Arden, NC showed their strength by gaining the
Sunoco Pole and the Brisco Outside Pole Positions.
Kevin was on the point followed very closely by
Matt. Kevin’s’ time was 16.273 followed by Matt’s
of 16.274. Qualifying for the UARA-STARS events so
far this year has been a great accomplishment for
all of the drivers due to the competitiveness of the
series.
During the heat race
Alex Yontz who starts on the pole finds his car
spinning on the green flag lap in the first turn.
The caution flies and Yontz is relinquished to the
rear of the field having been the car that brought
out the caution. It was a downhill struggle from
there for Yontz who ends up missing only his second
race in his racing career.
Mikey Kile takes the
lead followed by Patrick McVay. Brandon Dean takes
the point on lap 6 of the 25 lap heat and conquers
the first transfer spot followed by McVay, Kile and
Clint Mills.
Heat
Race Results
|
Pos |
Car |
Name |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
09 |
Brandon Dean |
|
2 |
38 |
Patrick McVay |
|
3 |
28 |
Mikey Kile |
|
4 |
77M |
Clint Mills |
|
5 |
0 |
Scott Bishop |
|
6 |
74 |
Lance Gatlin |
|
7 |
57 |
Zeke Shell |
|
8 |
55 |
Alex Yontz |
|
9 |
91 |
John Gottsacker |
The heat race is
followed by a 25 lap Street Stock event won by Ernie
Harris followed by Jeremy Pelfry, Marshall Sutton,
Gary Dietz and Chris Kidd rounding out the top
five. The Fast’n Furious followed with a 15 lap
race won by Nikki Long.
The Bad Boy Mower
event started with a large crowd on hand to watch
the competition. Many of the fans were wearing the
Bad Boy Mower hats and tee shirts that were
distributed at our Hickory event. Young Matt Leicht
takes the lead for the first five laps with brother
Kevin and BJ Mackey charging right behind him.
Mackey takes over the lead on lap 6 and remains
there for the remainder of the event. One lap
later Travis Swaim making his first ever UARA-STARS
run takes the second position from Matt Leicht.
Barry Andrews and
Robbie Ferguson who are midway back in the pack are
putting on a good run for their respective
positions. Dennis Queen and Todd Goble are doing
some serious racing when the Goble car spins and
takes the Queen car with him bringing out the first
of four cautions. Both cars have plenty of damage
but manage to make it to the pits on their own power
but will finish their night at this point.
When the green flies
again the racers get down and serious. Matt Leicht,
Mark Setzer, Andy Johnson and Roger Lee Newton put
on a great show. Newton, Setzer and Johnson come
thru turn 3 & 4 three deep to the joy of the fans.
The BJ Mackey machine is moving right along but it
is the car of Travis Swaim that is showing the
fastest lap times on the computers. Mark Setzer
and Matt DiBenedetto are working on each other for 7th
place. DiBenedetto began his day on a live radio
show being on the air at 8:10 am and would end his
evening on a good note as the Melling Select Rookie
of the Race.
Daniel Pope II, Wade
Day, Lee Tissot and Jeffrey Earnhardt are neck in
neck going for positions. Tissot and Earnhardt put
on quite a nail biter running 4-5 laps side by
side. Young Earnhardt shows great style hanging in
there with the past champion and he will continue on
to pass the Pope car. Melling Select Rookie
contender Earnhardt is having his best run this
season and is improving week by week.
Barry Andrews gets
loose out of turn four but regains his composure
and continues on without a caution. Lap 50-52
finds Tissot and Earnhardt putting the move on Lucas
Ransone.
Up near the front
Andy Johnson, Roger Lee Newton and Matt DiBenedetto
are battling for positions. Johnson and Newton do
the side by side excitement for several laps with
Johnson coming out ahead with DiBenedetto following
shortly thereafter. Clint Mills and Clay Greenfield
are in a battle of their own while the cars of
Brandon Dean, Wade Day and Lucas Ransone are in a
three deep challenge for position.
One would think that
this track wasn’t cut out for three deep racing but
the STARS have proved differently.
At this point on lap
93 the running order is BJ Mackey, Kevin Leicht,
Travis Swaim and Matt DiBenedetto. Ten laps later
caution number two will fly as the Matt Leicht car
spins in turn 2 without contact. The field is back
to green on lap 107 but the third caution of the
night will fall on lap 114 as the Junior Franks car
spins in turn 4.
R.A. Brown making
his first UARA appearance this year passes Roger Lee
Newton and Mark Setzer shortly after the field is
back underway.
The final caution
will fly on lap 134 when Robbie Ferguson finds his
car going around in turn four. There is no contact
and the field will remain good for the restart
Mackey will finish
uncontested since lap 6 to take the Bad Boy Mowers
150 with great style in his Townsend built ARP
Chevy. He will come home as the RE Suspension Race
Winner and winner of the Sonic Most lap lead award.
Darrell Poe will be the Comp Cams engine builder of
the race having prepared the power behind the Mackey
car.
Matt Leicht who had
a great run going early in the race will come home
as the ARP Hard Luck winner.
Ross Furr was
awarded the Holley Performer of the race after
starting the race with an owner’s provisional and
moving up through the field and bringing home an 8th
place finish.
Bad Boy Mowers 150 Race
Results
|
Pos |
Car |
Name |
|
1 |
12M |
BJ Mackey |
|
2 |
32 |
Kevin Leicht |
|
3 |
2 |
Travis Swaim |
|
4 |
41 |
Matt DiBenedetto |
|
5 |
53 |
Lee Tissot |
|
6 |
20 |
Andy Johnson |
|
7 |
1 |
Jeffrey Earnhardt |
|
8 |
25 |
Ross Furr |
|
9 |
60 |
R
A Brown |
|
10 |
27 |
Mark Setzer |
|
11 |
33 |
Roger Lee Newton |
|
12 |
16 |
Daniel Pope II |
|
13 |
38 |
Patrick McVay |
|
14 |
09 |
Brandon Dean |
|
15 |
11 |
Barry Andrews |
|
16 |
77M |
Clint Mills |
|
17 |
31 |
Junior Franks |
|
18 |
28 |
Mikey Kile |
|
19 |
84 |
Clay Greenfield |
|
20 |
21 |
Lucas Ransone |
|
21 |
44 |
Robert Ferguson |
|
22 |
22 |
Casey Holt |
|
23 |
04 |
Wade Day |
|
24 |
23 |
Matt Leicht |
|
25 |
45 |
Justin Hill |
|
26 |
92 |
Jake Crum |
|
27 |
42 |
Todd Goble |
|
28 |
99 |
Dennis Queen |
The UARA-STARS will
take a break in action at this time and will return
to action on June 2 at Shenandoah Speedway in
Virginia.
For more information visit our
website
www.uara-stars.com or
call 828-692-3833.
Press
release by Wink Bodenhamer