Kirk Way/Clarendon Citizen
Duke goes two for four in Sumter Speedway action
SUMTER – Manning’s Banjo Duke went two-for-two winning both the Stock 4 and GM Crate Late Model events in racing action at Sumter Speedway Saturday, April 17.
Duke was an eleventh hour entrant as he unloaded sister Sissy Duke’s car off the trailer and pulled into the last starting position for the 15-lap Stock Four feature.
Johnny Weeks lead the event as Duke carved his way to the front, taking the lead on lap 11. Jody Truett recovered from an off track excursion to take second. Truett’s teammate Rickie Dennis was third, Eric Greene fourth and David Rickard fifth.
Mechanical problems relegated Weeks to sixth and final position.
Duke bested third generation driver Gibb Gibbons for the pole in GM Crate Late Model action turning in a fast time of 16.605 seconds to Gibbons’ 16.795-second run.
When the green dropped, Duke bolted to a commanding lead while Tony Ayers was able to grab second from Gibbons on lap one.
The 20-lap feature ended with Duke taking the win, Ayers second, Gibbons third and David Rourke fourth.
After a rough start in the first two races of the year, D. J. Carraway found his way to the Rourk Plumbing Winner’s Circle, taking the win in the Young Guns class.
Carraway passed leader D. J. Welch on the 10th lap of the event for the win. Welch took second, Ray Ray Fagin drove Ace Casten’s car to a third place finish and Mikey Driggers took fourth.
Defending class champion Terrell Holloway took the win in Ridge Runner as he made his first appearance of the year over Craig Hall.
Hall, starting from the pole, fought all the way with Holloway making runs at Hall until finally taking the lead on lap 10. Hall had to settle for second, Mark Horne was third Cody Truett fourth and Curt Lee fifth.
In street stock, Timmy Kinsey took the win over Johnny O’Neal with Pat Davis taking third.
Kirk Way got past pole sitter L. E. Mooneyham on the first lap and went on for the win in the Bomber 6 class.
Daniel Morris had to settle for second after coming up short after several runs at Way for the lead. Grant Hill was third, Justin Hurst took fourth and a Danny’s Trophy Shop Hard Charger award for his efforts. Danny Norton was fifth.
Chris Scott took the lead from Adam Hill on lap 5 and led the rest of the way to take the win in Bomber 4. Hill had to settle for second, Cody McAllister took third, Landon Jefferies was fourth and Joey Ayers fifth. Paul Driggers took sixth, Taylor Bailey took seventh and a Danny’s Trophy Shop Hard Charger award, Marty Horne, Anthony McCullough, Dustin Baker, Brian White and Andy Driggers, who flipped his car after it went off the track on the backstretch rounded out the finishing order.
Driggers was uninjured in the wreck.
