Donna Solesbee/Clarendon Citizen
Gibbons gets first late model victory at Speedway
SUMTER – Following in the tire tracks of his father Ed and grandfather Slick, Manning’s Gib Gibbons took his Rocket chassis late model to the Roark Plumbing Winners Circle after scoring his first late model victory at Sumter Speedway Saturday night.
Gibbons got off to a great start after taking the lead from pole winner Tony Ayers on the opening lap.
Gibbons opened up a substantial lead but midway through the race Ayers started closing the cap between him and Gibbons. With five laps remaining, Ayers was in a position to retake the lead if Gibbons made a slip.
However, Gibbons maintained his line during the closing laps to take the win with a hard charging Ayers taking second. David Rourk was third.
Heather Welch, who’s driving career was left in question from injuries she received in a crash four weeks ago, made her return to the Young Guns class and took the win in her first race with Dale Carraway Racing.
Welch started from the pole led until Mikey Driggers took the lead after a restart on Lap 3. Welch got back to the point on Lap 6 after cooling problems sidelined Driggers and she led the rest of the way to take the win. Ray-Ray Fagin was second, Allen Ridgeway third and Mikey Driggers fourth.
Jody Truett got past pole sitter Kiri Way of Manning on the opening lap of the Stock Four race, but Way made her Honda’s presence known by hounding Truett for the entire 15 laps of the race. Way made it a drag race to the line only to come up a car length short behind Truett at the stripe. Rickie Dennis brought his Nissan home third, Raymond Hodge was fourth, Ricky Ardis fifth and Keith Lindsey sixth.
Way’s determination and clean driving style earned the 16-year-old a Danny’s Trophy Shop Hard Charger award.
A hard crash by Charles Ridgeway on the opening lap of the Ridge Runner event, along with mechanical problems suffered by Joey Ayers, set up a two-car race between Cody Truett and Mark Horne for the win. Truett and Horne raced each other hard for the lead until Truett lost control of his Camaro with three laps to go setting up a green-white-checkered run for the win. Horne jumped out front on the restart to lead the final two laps with Truett finishing a close second. Ayers scored in third and Rideway fourth.
Bomber Four got off to a rough start as Landon Jefferies ended up on his roof as his car ran off the embankment at the exit of turn one on the first lap.
On the restart, Andy Driggers grabbed the lead from Adam Hill. Hill was able to retake the lead on Lap 10 bringing Chris Scott with him. Scott made a last lap run at Hill but came up short with Hill taking the win over Scott. Bubba Johnson recovered from a flat tire earlier in the race to take home third, Cody McAllister brought his ill-handling Honda home fourth, and D. J. Welch took home fifth in his first start after moving up from the Young Guns class. Driggers ended up seventh as his car faded in waning laps of the race, Marty Horne took home eighth and a Danny’s Trophy Shop Hard Charger award, and Wallace Hodge was ninth.
After rough start for the 2010 season, L. E. Mooneyham got back to his winning ways in Bomber Six by holding off challenges from Kirk Way, Justin Hurst and Adam Hill.
After numerous cautions, the race was called at the time limit with Mooneyham taking the win. Kirk Way was second, Justin Hurst third, Adam Hill fourth and Grant Hill fifth. Daniel Morris, Donnie Roberson and Angie Logan of Manning rounded out the finishing order.
Timmy Kimsey grabbed the lead from pole sitter Pat Davis on the opening lap to grab the win in Street Stock. Davis held on the finish second, Mark Mancini was third, and Michael Roberson was fourth. Michael Gainey was disqualified after his car did not meet the minimum weight limit during post race inspections.
In the kid’s bicycle races Laura Geddings won the 4-7-year-old class with Desiree Kelley second.
David Rourk won the 8-11-year-old class with Tyler Walston second and Charles Geddings third. 13-and-over was won by David Rourk with Zachary Dennis second.
Drivers Doug Myer and Bob Courtwright gave fans a sneak peek at what to expect on June 5, when Sumter Speedway will host a vintage modified race. These cars will give fans a taste of what racing was like in the 40s and 50s during this special event.
The Speedway will be running Memorial Day weekend with gates opening Saturday at 5 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Active duty military with a valid ID receive free admission to the grandstands. Also starting this Saturday, fans 65 and older with proof of age receive grandstand seating for $5.
