A Friday night spent enjoying dirt track racing at Chatham's Fast Trax Speedway is a night one won't soon forget. Some of the best drivers in Northern Louisiana pound the clay oval in search for the checkered flag in six classes of competition each week.
The Street Stock class was first on the track for a twenty lap Feature event. Heat race winners, Casey Hobson (7) and Jesse Mills (10) held front row positions as the Flagman waved the green flag to start the show. Mills took a quick lead over the ten car field and led the pack through twenty laps of caution free racing action.
At the checkered flag, Mills took the win followed by Hobson in second place, Shane Walker (10W) in third, Justin Decuir (12J) in fourth and Joe Rachal (210) in fifth place. Taking sixth place for the night was former Modified driver Rhodney Cook in the 137 car. The seventh place finisher, Jamie Ford, has been away from the racing scene for several years now, but made his return Friday night in the 37J car. He was a little bit rusty, but with a little time it will all come back to him real soon.
Next on the track was the twenty-three car field that made up the Sport Mod class. Heat race wins for this class went to Mark Underwood (82), Clint Minchew (59) and Scott Duke (99D). Once the green flag dropped Underwood took the lead, but the field quickly endured the first of several caution delays. Just past the mid-way point of the race, Duke was able to get around Underwood and hold the lead position for a brief two laps before Underwood took his position back.
Though many race fans were keeping their eyes on the race between the first, second and third place cars, there was side by side racing action throughout the entire field. The lap that matters most at the pay window is always the last lap, and it was Underwood who would take first place honors Friday night. Underwood stated he decided to give his asphalt car a try on dirt, apparently it worked out pretty good for him.
Scott Duke (99D), a part of the "Good Ol Boys" Race Team, took second place for the night, with David Edwards (D3) claiming third place. Clint Minchew (59) fell back from a second place starting position to finish fourth. Randy Joe Branch (5x) of West Monroe, rounded out the Top 5 in his Mullins Motorsports car. The sixth place driver came through the pack from a twentieth place starting position, great job by Darty Smith in the 7s. Brian Craighead (17) grabbed the seventh place finishing position, with Jonesboro's Ben Leedy (B99) hot on his tail in eigth place at the checkered flag. Ninth place went to the 95 car, driven by Brandon Barrett of Ruston, who was trailed closely by tenth place finisher Lane Stewart (1x), also of Ruston.
The Pure Stock class held twenty exciting laps of racing action for the race fans. In the Heat race, James Shirley (00s) grabbed the win which also gave him the Pole Position on the start of the Feature. Shirley and his passenger (and 7 year old son), Kyle Shirley took off in search of a victory, leading fifteen laps only to blow the engine as they were coming down the front straight.
With the 00s out of the competition, it left Summer Futch (B1) out front for a brief time before she was also out of the race. This moved Stanley Patrick (24) to the front and he was able to maintain the lead to take the checkered flag win. Taking second place was Mike Lavespere (0), climbing up from a fourth place start. Third place went to Jamie Shirley (00), followed by Jason Page in the 20 car taking fourth.
All race fans have one thing in common, the love of fast cars. And that was what hit the track next. The Modified class is the fastest class of cars on a weekly basis at Fast Trax Speedway. They keep the fans on the edge of their seats with their three-wheeling, three-wide racing action making sure the fans get a good show. Even though there were only eight Modifieds for Friday nights race, these eight drivers had their eyes set on checkered flags and their hearts set on pleasing the crowd.
James Harper (88) of Monroe took the Heat race win, earning Pole Position in the Feature with Lee Patton (JP5) of Quitman sitting in the outside position of the front row. Harper took the lead as the flagman started the race, but Patton took over first place position before making it back around the track. Patton led the show, grabbing yet another FTS Victory. Bud Mullins (X) began this race in the eigth place starting position and worked his way up to a second place finish. The third place finisher for the night was Randy Thompson (47) who started just ahead of Mullins in seventh.
Chris Huckabay (D6) of Wide Open Motorsports fell back from a third place start to take fourth at the finish line, followed by James Harper (88) in in fifth place. Nicholas Brown (c3) of Quitman took the sixth place spot of the nights finishing order, with David Butler (007) in seventh.
The Stocker class held five entries Friday night. Starting on the inside of the front row in the Feature line-up was Heat race winner Nick Murphy (M12) from Eros, sitting to his right was Ricky Jordan (90) of Jonesboro. With a win the previous week, Murphy was in search of a repeat to victory lane, while the others were searching for their own wins.
However, at the finish line it was Murphy who claimed victory once again. Jordan (90) held off the others to take second place, with Randy Trimm (15) crossing in third place. Fourth place went to 11 year old Taylor Baker (0) of West Monroe. Austin Trichell (5T) experienced mechanical problems and was not able to start the Feature race.
The final Feature event of the night would bring three drivers to the track who have anxiously awaited rolling onto the tracks surface. The Young Guns class held some talented little drivers with dreams of racing and having a great time.
Tanner Kellick (3K) won the Heat race, started in front of the Feature and maintained his position to take the win for the night. This was Tanner's second Feature win of the 2009 Season. Second place position went to Eddie Underwood (4) who was last weeks winner. The third place driver was Dalton Patrick (21jr), son of Late Model driver Darin Patrick.
To see these drivers, and many others, in action take the short drive to Fast Trax Speedway in Chatham, grab yourself a seat and sit back to enjoy a great night of racing action under the lights of FTS. This weeks show will be a 4th of July Special and will feature extra money in all classes. More money means more drivers so be sure to be a part of the fun and excitement that can only be found at Fast Trax.