PAINE AND BOLLAND TOP ECKERD 100 TWIN 50 RUNS; BOB McGANNON TOPS LOWES PRO-STOCK CHAMPIONSHIPS
CONCORD, NC...On Saturday, April 5, Steve Paine, from Waterloo, NY and Kevin Bolland, from Brighton, PA, each won separate 50-lap segments in the Eckerd 100 at Lowes Dirt Track just outside of Charlotte, NC. For Paine it was his second win at the track, his first coming at the inaugural race in 2001. For Bolland it was not only his first victory at Lowes, but his first on the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series.
In Pro-stock action, Bob McGannon, from Garnerville, NY, took top honors in the 20-lap DIRT Pro-Stock Championship. It was also his first win at Lowes. Chris Shultz took top honors in the special B-Main for Non-Qualified Modifieds. he held off a charging Chad Brachmann the entire race.
The first 50 took the green flag at 10:15 p.m., with Kevin Bolland grabbing the lead from his outside pole starting position. Pole sitter, and fast timer Tim McCreadie fell in second followed by Steve Paine and Kenny Tremont. Late comer Danny Johnson was the first to make contact with the Lowes outside wall on the first lap of the feature. He bounced off the wall and continued with sheet metal dangling from the right side of his car.
The first of five cautions flew when Bob McCreadie, newly inducted into the Lowes Dirt Track Walk of Fame, broke and slowed on the track. Kyle Strickler suffered a flat tire at this same time.
The restart on lap six saw Bolland hold off McCreadie. Two laps later the yellow flew again when Alan Johnson slowed on the top side of the first turn with a right rear flat tire. Paine was now able to take second with Tremont in third. Lapped cars caused the leaders problems as Paine became trapped behind a lapped car and Tremont slide high, and into the first turn wall on lap 21 to bring out the third caution of the race.
Concerns at this time rested with head starter Kenny Marshall, who was hit by flying debris. Marshall fell on the floor of the starter's tower, as assistant Dave Farney tried to help Marshall and watch the race. The Tremont caution allowed medical crews to see to Marshall. Marshall suffered a spilt lip and returned to the tower at the end of the race.
Paine took the lead from Bolland and tried to run away. Bolland would have none of that and hung tough on Paine's rear bumper. Billy Decker was now challenging Bolland, completing a pass for second at the halfway point of the race. The fourth yellow came on lap 27 when Deron Rust slowed in the second turn.
With just twenty laps remaining the order up front was Paine, Decker, Doug Hoffman, Bolland and Ron Smoker. The fifth, and final yellow came when Mike Adderly slowed on the track on lap 41. Following the green flag restart on lap 44, Paine cruised home the winner by ten car lengths over Decker, Hoffman, Bolland and Smoker.
In victory lane, Paine redrew to invert a number of cars in the second 50-lapper. The luck of the draw saw him pull the number 4.
The second 50-lapper thus found Bolland on the pole. The race was barely underway when Pat Ward slowed on the track with two flat rear tires to bring out the first of six yellow flags. The restart saw one of the worst looking accidents in DIRT Motorsports history. Bobby Varin was pushed sideways on the restart bunching the field behind him and Pierre Dagenais. Gary Tomkins had no where to go and was launched up into the air over the Varin machine, which was rolled over by the impact. Tomkins set a new DIRT Modified height record as he sail up and over the Varin car some 15 feet in the air, landing on the nose of his number 84. Also involved in the melee were Brian Swartzlander and Scott Prentice. The race was red flagged at that time to clear away the Varin machine.
On lap 24, Chuck Bower rejoined the Lowes upside down club when he slow rolled his car exiting the fourth turn. He refired his car and drove it to the pits, out of the race. Butch Tittle was caught behind Bower's machine, but was able to rejoin the back of the field.
Lap 32 saw Syracuse Eckerd 200 winner Vic Coffey sheered off a left front wheel in the third turn and spun into the infield. Jeff Heotzler also made contact with the yuk tire and came to a stop to bring out the yellow again.
All this time Bolland was holding off a charging Billy Decker at the front of the field. With a late race yellow Decker made one last desperate charge, avoiding contact with Bolland's rear nerf bar. This move allowed Bolland to stretch out a five car advantage at the end of the race. Decker held on for second with Hoffman finishing third for the second time on the night. Tim Fuller came home in fourth with Brett Hearn rounding out the top five.
The 20-lap Pro-stock feature saw 29 cars take the green from Dave Farney. Pole sitter, Bob McGannon quickly took the lead from race promoter Ron Morin. Morin held onto the rear bumper of the McGannon machine but was never able to make a challenge for the lead that would stick. Morin saw his great race come to an end late in the event when he was helped sideways exiting the fourth turn.
McGannon took the win followed by Gilles Godard, Dave Bissonnette, Jipp Ortiz and Steve Miller. Four caution periods slowed the race significantly.
LOWES DIRT TRACK- ECKERD 100 WEEKEND DAY 2 SUMMARY
EMPIRE SPORTS NETWORK PRO-STOCK Consi: Roger Chrysler, Brett Beldon, Jody Swamp, Louis Jackson, John Rutkowski, Billy King, Scott Liese, Joey Ladouceur
PRO-STOCK CHALLENGE (20-laps): BOB McGANNON, Gilles Godard, Dave Bissonnette, Jipp Ortiz, Steve Miller, Ken Gates, Allan Cheney III, P.J. Peters, Jim Langenback, Dave Shutlz, Pete Gullick, Tom Kuck, Brett Beldon, Joey Ladouceur, John Lazore, Ron Morin, Jamie McGannon, Dave Teidman, Billy King, Mitchell Jock, Jody Swamp, Pete Stefanski, Roger Chrysler, Fred Dennis, Louis Jackson, Phil Reiter, Tom Cannizzaro, James Henry, John Rutkowski.
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: Vic Coffey, Bob McCreadie, Scott Prentice
HEAT 2: Brett Hearn, Alan Johnson, Tim Fuller
HEAT 3: Ron Smoker, Kevin Bolland, Brian Swartzlander
HEAT 4: Gary Tomkins, Kenny Tremont Jr., Mike Perrotte
HEAT 5: Steve Paine, Billy Decker, Ronnie Johnson
HEAT 6: Tom Sears, Jr., Matt Sheppard, Jeff Heotzler
CONSI 1: Lee Gill, Kyle Strickler, Deron Rust
CONSI 2: Mike Adderley, Chuck Bower, Butch Tittle
CONSI 3: Pierre Dagenais, Steve Poirier, Jerry Higbie
ADDED: Pat Ward (g), Bobby Varin (p)
ECKERD NON-QUALIFIERS B-MAIN (15-laps): Chris Shultz, Chad Brachmann, Jimmy Phelps, Frankie Caprara Jr., HJ Buntting, Jeff Isabell, Bob Lineman, Alan Rudalavage, Brian Kressley, Art Adams, Frank Jashembowski, Steve Hulziser, Sparky Lowe, Vince Vitale
1ST ECKERD 50 (50-laps): STEVE PAINE, Billy Decker, Doug Hoffman, Kevin Bolland, Tim Fuller, Ron Smoker, Brett Hearn, Vic Coffey, Matt Sheppard, Tom Sears, Jr., Lee Gill, Brian Swartzlander, Pat Ward, Alan Johnson, Mike Perrotte, Steve Poirier, Gary Tomkins, Bobby Varin, Tim McCreadie, Danny Johnson, Scott Prentice, Butch Tittle, Kenny Tremont, Ronnie Johnson, Pierre Dagenais, Kyle Strickler, Deron Rust, Chuck Bower, Jerry Higbie, Mike Adderley, Jeff Heotzler, Bob McCreadie.
2nd ECKERD 50 (53-laps): KEVIN BOLLAND, Billy Decker, Doug Hoffman, Tim Fuller, Brett Hearn, Steve Paine, Alan Johnson, Ron Smoker, Matt Sheppard, Danny Johnson, Steve Poirier, Kenny Tremont, Lee Gill, Pierre Dagenais, Tim McCreadie, Deron Rust, Butch Tittle, Kyle Strickler, Pat Ward, Jerry Higbie, Jeff Heotzler, Tom Sears, Jr., Vic Coffey, Chuck Bower, Bob McCreadie, Brian Swartzlander, Bobby Varin, Scott Prentice, Gary Tomkins, Mike Perrotte, DNS: Ronnie Johnson, Mike Adderly.