| Painter Picks
up First Win at Eastside By RUSSELL
SCHMIDT
Waynesboro
- Jon Painter was patient in trying to pass
leader Petie Coffey, finally doing so with six
laps remaining to capture his first Late Model
win in over a decade on Saturday night at
Eastside Speedway.
Jon Painter (No. 71P) gives
chase to leader Petie Coffey (No. 01) during the
Late Model feature at Eastside Speedway. Painter
would later go on to pass Coffey and take his
first win in over a decade. (Photo by A.J.
MARSHALL)
"It’s
been a long time…I think it was back in 1994
for my last one (win)," Painter said.
"I don’t know what he’s (Petie
Coffey) done, but he’s got that thing
figured out. I kept being patient there, just
grabbing little bites of catching up at a time
until we finally got to him. The old Chevrolet
was running good!"
Earlier
in the night’s program, Painter picked up
his first CINTAS Quik Lap award with a fast time
of 19.422 in front of Kristen Looney and Jared
Almarode. On the Sportsman side, Daniel Brown Jr.
picked up the award with a time of 20.583.
The
Nu-Valley Fence Dash For Cash found Petie Coffey
in victory lane after leading the five-lap event
flag-to-flag giving the $150 award and trophy to
the Waynesboro veteran racer.
The C
& R Auto Service Grocery Getters feature
started with Eric Shifflett out front. By lap 3
however, R. W. Armstrong moved under the leader
off turn 3.
Armstrong
went on to capture his first win of the year in
front of Dave Barb, Eddie Moran, Tony Lam and
Mark Wetzel.
Armstrong
said, "It was a handling track and a
driver’s track and just about every lap I
thought I was going to spin out….luckily I
didn’t."
The
Cupp All-Parts Sportsman feature saw Mike Dudley
out front early, pulling away from the pack by
nearly half a straightaway. Late in the 25-lap
event, Daniel Brown Jr. reached the back bumper
of Dudley in turn 1, giving the leader a slight
tap, with Dudley slipping up the track.
Brown
Jr pulled away and into the winner’s circle
for the first time this year. Capping off the top
five finishers included Dudley, Ricky Fox, Chad
Click and Bruce Jamerson.
Brown
Jr said, "I didn’t mean to get into
Mike (Dudley) like that. I got into the corner a
little hot…tried to whoa it down and got
into him a little bit. Ain’t nothing but a
little bit of hard racing there. He let me know
he didn’t like down there in (turns) 3 and 4
and I can respect that, that’s part of
racing. If you can’t take being a little
roughed up, you don’t belong out here
racing."
Larry
Martin led the early laps of the Street Stock
feature before Shaun Wetzel made a pass on the
high side of turn 4 on lap 5 for the lead. Wetzel
was challenged briefly by Chad Click before
notching his second checkers of the season.
Click, Jonathan Burris, Dakota Riggleman and
Charles Wyant wrapped up the top five.
"The
track was slick…the car was better on the
top, but you don’t want to give Chad (Click)
the bottom or you’ll be finishing
second," said Wetzel.
The
Delmar’s Body Shop Late Model feature saw
Petie Coffey bring the field to the stripe with
Greg Roberson and Jon Painter close behind.
Lap
10 saw the yellow flags fly with a multi-car
wreck on the front stretch involving Dave Frazier
and Andy White. Frazier had bounced off the
outside wall, ricocheting right into the path of
White. Both cars were badly damaged, but the
drivers were OK.
Once
underway, Coffey had all he could do to hold off
Painter as the Lyndhurst driver looked for a way
by. With six laps remaining, Painter moved under
the leader off turn 4, going on to distance
himself from the pack and take his first win of
the year.
Almarode,
Coffey, Joe Leavell and Roberson wrapped up the
top five.
Eddie
Lawhorne took over the lead in the Cohron
Equipment U-CAR feature on lap 5 as he passed the
J.B. Breeden and Stephen Andes off turn 4.
Lawhorne
raced with Andes large in his mirrors to the end,
capturing his first feature win of the season
with Andes, Troy Breeden, J.B. Breeden and Dusty
Taylor capping off the top five.
"Sometimes
we could get off the corner OK and one time, he
(Andes) was right on me and I didn’t know
what to think," Lawhorne said.
The
Eastside Auto & Machine Shop Mini-Modified
feature had Brad Conner lead until lap 6 when
reigning champion Chip Glass made an outside pass
on the back chute for the top spot.
Glass
went on to take his third consecutive win with
Daniel Stickley close behind at the stripe.
Ernie
Alder, Gary Stiteler Jr and Jim VanGunten capped
the top five.
"It
was a blast out there….turn 4 changes have
made a world of difference," said Glass.
"There’s a great bunch of guys out
there, everybody race’s ya clean."
This
week’s schedule for the round track has the
first of three special race weekends for the Late
Models. The Two Track Challenge has the Late
Models competing at Natural Bridge three times
during the summer and three special races where
the NB racers compete at Eastside for special
large purses and extra lap features. In addition
to the special LM feature, the remaining five
classes will compete, including Sportsman, Street
Stock, Grocery Getter, Mini-Modified and U-CARS.
The first feature is slated to wave the green
flag at 6 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m.
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