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Text Box: Concord Ross Furr Text Box: Bristol Motel Information Text Box:         2007 Champion           Ross Furr Text Box:       Text Box: Text Box:   Motor Mile Entry FURR CLAIMS SEASON OPENER AT CONCORD The UARA-STARS came some 43 strong to try and gain a starting position in the 28 car field for the season opener Whitley Truck Equipment 150 at Concord Motorsport Park Saturday 3-29-08. The weekend began on a beautiful hot sunny Friday with 38 cars showing up for the pre-season opening practice.  With many new teams coming on board with the UARA for 2008 the practice day went very well.  Saturday morning comes along with the rains in tow.  Schedule changes were enforced and the team received only one practice session instead of two and then qualifying was delayed about 30 minutes for teams to get their race tires in place and prepare to go.  It was decided that due to the cool temperatures that each car would have two laps without times and then take the green, white and checker for their qualifying times.  The top 22 were secured on qualifying times and two point provisional positions were guaranteed.  The remaining cars were scheduled for the heat and four cars would advance from there.  With drivers excited to get into the main event the green flew.  Joey Bryant spins out on the green lap and hits the inside wall head on ending his hopes.  The second attempt to start finds Darrell Wallace, Jr.; Nicholas Pope and Brandon Bonnett spinning out in turn four.  Wallace’s hopes go up in smoke as his car starts overheating and he hits the pits on lap 13.  Matthew Godley spins on lap 22 in the middle of turn 3 and four.  In the last ditch effort to advance on the last lap Anthony Anders makes contact with Bobby Measmer, Jr. which results with Bonnett, Scott Andrews, Jr. and Bryan Dauzat spinning out of turn four. Curtis Truex, Jr.; Thomas Hartensveld, Nicholas Losito and Kyle Moon will be the advance drivers.  Next on the grid are the Fast ‘n Furious cars for their 25 lap event.  Bradley Kimrey won followed by Brad Ballard, Estes White, Sean Simpson, Wayne Harrington and Eric Kimrey.  The UARA thanks these drivers for braving the cold, wet day to be a part of the show.  Clint Mills with the Sunoco Pole and Shaun Mangum with the KLB Race Cars and Parts outside pole will lead the field to the green at 8:55. This action packed event will find Mangum claiming the lead for the first lap, followed Mills, B.J. Mackey, Jamie Yelton and Jake Crum rounding out the top five.  Mangum will maintain the lead for the first 29 laps.  Cars are battling all through the field.  Melling Select Rookie Paddy Rodenbeck and veteran Jamey Caudill hook up and seem to be on the prowl working their way up through the field and putting pressure on Casey Holt.  Alex Yontz joins the gang and he and Caudill make the pass on Rodenbeck and Holt. Out front the Mangum car is on the move and stretching his lead.  BJ Mackey is second followed by Mills Yelton, Crum, Richard Boswell II, Ross Furr and Kenneth.  Mackey will close the gap however and take over the lead on lap 30 and will appear to be the man of the night for the next 78 laps. Battles are rampant all through the field.  Yelton seems to be really fast and passes the Mangum car.  Then on lap 41 caution one of ten flies as Yelton spins coming out of turn four after having contact withRoss Furr.  It’s just hard racing going on here. The field is back to green and right back to yellow on lap 47 as turn one becomes a demon collection the cars of Melling Select Rookies Brandon McReynolds, Corey LaJoie and Rodenbeck.  McReynolds car is hard hit straight into the wall.  McReynolds is the son of TV announcer Larry McReynolds.  The senior McReynolds had worked in Martinsville during the day and as soon as the cup cars were off the track he headed to Concord to attend his son’s debut with the UARA-STARS.  At right Larry McReynolds looks over the damages to son Brandon’s car.Caution three falls on lap 56 as the Nick Losito car spins out on the front stretch. When the green flies again it appears that Clint Mills is slow on the start and Furr scrambles to keep in shape.  Mackey keeps sailing out front, claims the Mel’s Ignition half way award and lead then caution 4 falls on lap 76 as the Daniel Pope II machine hits hard into the front stretch wall.  Pope was loose coming out of the turn four and in trying to avoid hitting the Casey Holt car he spins into the wall.Green falls on lap 82 and caution five files once again on lap 83 as the Kenneth Brooks car comes to a stop on the backstretch with what looks to be engine failure. Brooks had been running in the top ten showing promise of a good finish when trouble fell upon him.The field takes the green with Mackey making a strong showing on lap 89.  John Gottsacker, Brad Kurth and Andrew Carlsen crash in that dreaded turn one on lap 96. Gottsacker like McReynolds earlier finds his machine hard into the wall bringing out caution six.  All drivers are ok and the show will get back underway on lap 106.  When the green flies Ross Furr is putting the pressure on Mackey for the lead.  Furr will claim that position on lap 108 and not look back. Mackey, however, will claim the Sonic most laps lead award for his run. Furr may not lead the most laps but he will lead the lap that means the most.  The field looks like a huge freight train as the engines roar with Furr out front followed closely by Mackey, Jake Crum, Clint Mills, Richard Boswell II, Clay Greenfield, Roger Lee Newton, Shaun Mangum, Jamey Caudill and Jamie Yelton.  Greenfield puts the move on Boswell followed by Mangum.  It appears that Boswell will fall victim to a right front flat tire ending his hopes for a top ten finish.  Boswell will be the Aluminum Racing Products Hard Luck Award winner for this event. Scott Turlington spins on the backstretch bringing out caution 7 on lap 113.  Back to green on lap 119 and Jake Crum puts the move on Mackey for second.  Mackey seems to be slowing from his earlier super fast pace.  Roger Lee Newton the eventual Holley Performer of the race passes Mackey next.  Newton who had rear-end problems during practice did not get to qualify and started the race with a provisional in the 28th position.Newton was strong and fast throughout the event just inching his way on up through the field.Clay Greenfield and Clint Mills also fly by Mackey.   Caution eight flies as there is a huge spin in turn one collecting the cars of Curtis Truex Jr., Brad Kurth, Kyle Moon, Jeff Melton, Casey Holt, and Cliff Daniels.  Daniels will manage to come home as the Melling Select Rookie of the race.  Racer leader Ross Furr is slow on the restart and it is on from there as cars spin everywhere on the front stretch.  We have the green flying with flagman Gregg Walker bringing the caution right back out again on lap 134 before the cars even get to turn one. Thomas Hartensveld, Jamey Caudill, Jeff Melton and Andrew Carlsen are all involved. Hartensveld comes out the worse for wear after this with his car looking more like a modified with all front sheet metal missing.The tenth and final caution will fall when Brad Kurth finds his machine spinning on lap 143 in turn three.  Walker will call for the red flag so the track crew can get the liquids etc. from Kurth’s car cleaned up.This spin will bring the field to a green, white and checker finish and Furr will bring it on home as the     RE Suspension winner of the Whitley Truck Equipment 150. Billy Banks will claim the Comp Cams engine builder of the race award.The racing was hot, the racing was fierce and Mother Nature, try as she may could not keep the UARA-STARS down.  The fans that braved the dampness and cold definitely got their moneys worth of short track UARA-STARS action. Thanks to RaceRap and Speed 51 for attending and doing live updates for the UARA.  Hats off to you both for great coverage.  The UARA-STARS will be in action again at Motor Mile Speedway April 12, 2008. For more info visit www.uara-stars.com or call 828-692-3833 Press Release by: Wink Bodenhamer         1 25 Ross Furr 150 2 1 Jake Crum 150 3 33 Roger Lee Newton 150 4 84 Clay Greenfield 150 5 8 Jamie Yelton 150 6 5 Shaun Mangum 150 7 55 Alex Yontz 150 8 2 BJ Mackey 150 9 30 Cliff Daniels 150 10 77 Clint Mills 150 11 88 Curits Truex Jr 150 12 19 Kyle Moon 150 13 50 Jamey Caudill 150 14 22 Casey Holt 150 15 98 Andrew Carlsen 150 16 6 Jeff Melton 150 17 72 Richard Boswell II 150 18 48 Scott Turlington 147 19 36 Thomas Hartensveld 144 19 9 Brad Kurth 142 21 91 John Gottsacker 95 22 3 Chuck Crump 85 23 54 Kenneth Brooks 82 24 16 Daniel  Pope II 75 25 64 Nicholas Losito 58 26 81 Paddy Rodenbeck 48 27 71 Corey LaJoie 47 28 28 Brandon McReynolds 47 Melling Rookie of the Race Cliff Daniels with  Miss UARA Brittney Poe Sunoco Pole winner Clint Mills with  Miss UARA Brittney Poe Comp Engine Builder of the Race Billy Banks Holley Performer Roger Newton with Miss UARA Brittney Poe