|
|
CALE GALE WINS TWO IN A ROW AT HICKORY MOTOR SPEEDWAY
“FIRECRACKER 125” |
 July
2nd 2016 (Hickory, NC): When the hot July sun
settled behind the clouds Saturday afternoon, Cale
Gale and the rest of the Southern Modified Race Tour
teams kept things plenty warm with their own brand
of heat in the “Firecracker 125” at Hickory Motor
Speedway.
The afternoon started with Busch Pole qualifying.
Gale edged Josh Nichols for the top spot just ahead
of James Civali, Tom Buzze and Bobby Sheffield who
was making his first Modified start since early last
season. Darren Shaw, Drew Moffitt, Don Johnson and
Junior Miller completed the cars posting times. Ryan
Nelson and Jeremy Mayfield fought problems all
afternoon and fell in at the end of the field for
the start. Nelson had brake issues all afternoon and
Mayfield's new JGL Racing team changed engines in
the #8 car finishing the job just in time to grid
the car.
At the drop of the green, Gale jumped to the point
with Nichols, Civali and Buzz close behind. The
races first caution flew on lap three when Junior
Miller hit the turn four wall after suspension
issues sent the #11 hard into the concrete. Miller
was OK but the night was over early for the
many-time Modified Champion. Nichols, Sheffield,
Gale, Civali and Buzze satisfied their mandatory pit
stop obligations during this caution.
On the restart Shaw held the point but Mayfield blew
past on lap five for six laps before Shaw drove back
to the point for the next 15 laps. A quick caution
for the stalled car of Ryan Nelson who was running
in second spot saw Mayfield made his stop during the
caution period. Through the mid-point of the race
Mayfield, Shaw, Buzze, Civali and Sheffield took
turns at the head of the field. A spin by Don
Johnson on lap 80 changed the complexion of the race
as all the front runners hit pit road for tire
changes and adjustments. Action was about to pick up
as the leaders banged nerf bars on the restart
causing a spin by Shaw that brought out a quick
caution. Nichols and Gale put on a spirited battle
for the next 34 laps before Gale was finally able to
muscle his way by Nichols on lap 108. Gale held off
the field on the final restart on lap 122 after a
spin by Mayfield that ended a long day for his team.
Civali was able to hold off Buzze and Nichols at the
end with Shaw completing the top five. Moffitt was
the highest finishing Mod Lite car in sixth with
Johnson, Mayfield, Sheffield, Nelson and Miller
rounding out the eleven finishers. Scott Eberhart
was unable to start after experiencing rear end
problems with his modified.
“Hickory Motor Speedway promoter Kevin Piercy has
been the main-stay for the SMRT series since its
inception in 2014 when the track hosted the very
first SMRT event and was rewarded with another nice
crowd that turned out in the hot summer sun. We are
grateful that Kevin has always been the “big
picture” guy and gives us the opportunity to do what
we love” said SMRT spokesman Randy Myers.
Nichols posted the fastest lap of the race. Mayfield
was the SUNOCO Race Fuels Half-Way leader in a race
that saw sixteen lead changes between six drivers.
Johnny Johnson and Wayne Lawson were the winners in
the East Coast Flathead Fords feature. Former
Modified driver, Greg Butcher won the Classic
Sportsman Racing Association feature. Sheflon Clay
claimed the Hickory Super Truck win while Curtis
Pardue took home the win in the 4-Cylinders. Jantzen
Stirewalt took the honors in the Allison Legacy
Series 35 lapper.
Details on the next SMRT event will be announced
next week. The next event on the Hickory Motor
Speedway schedule is on July 9 th for race for the
Late Models with racing also on tap for the Limited
Late Models, Street Stocks, 4-cylinders and the
Classic Sportsman Racing Series.
|
|
|
SMRT RESULTS
POS / CAR# / DRIVER / LAPS
1. #95 Cale Gale 125
2. #79 James Civali 125
3. #5 Tom Buzze 125
4. #34 Josh Nichol 125
5. #17 Darren Shaw 125
6. #69 Drew Moffet 123
7. #16 Don Johnson 122
8. #8 Jeremy Mayfield 121
9. #9 Bobby Sheffield 100
10. #19 Ryan Nelson 35
11. #11 Junior Miller 3
|
Source:
Robert Everhart / Southern Modified Race
Tour
Posted:
July 3, 2016 |
|
|
