July 3rd HMS Results (I1)
Fireworks On and Off the Track at the Hardeeville Motor Speedway HARDEEVILLE, S.C. (July 3, 2002) - Racing fans were treated to a full scale display of action during the Mid Season Championships showcasing all local division racing talent and a spectacular array of fireworks immediately after the last race of the night. Tom Haidon from Hilton Head, SC picked up his first win of the season in the O.C. Welch Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Late Models. David Taschner of Summerville, SC also picked up his first victory of the season in the Xtreme Stock Cars. Stephen Moore of St. George, SC was victorious in the Mini Stock Division along with Andrew Smith from Savannah, GA in the Legends Cars. James Beckett of Ridgeland, SC bested the field in the Street Stocks. In Road Warrior action, Tim Padgett of Hardeeville, SC and Peter Frank of Bluffton, SC both won features. The fireworks on the track started from the drop of the green flag for the Road Warriors first feature called the Interstate Construction Race. Todd Harvey of Hardeeville, SC started the night on a roll as he flipped his car onto the roof on lap six but was able to continue after the track cleanup crews rolled the car back onto its wheels. Harvey wound up fifth as Hardeeville's Tim Padgett came away with the win over Peter Frank of Bluffton, SC and special guest driver Chris Beach of Hardeeville, SC. Beach is a regular in the NASCAR Late Model Stock Car series in Concord, NC and former competitor at HMS. In the Legends A-Main feature where the points battle in the Semi-Pro division was less than 100 points between 1st and 6th place, saw Andrew Smith of Savannah, GA best the field for the second week in a row, narrowly ahead of Jimmy Lang of Bluffton, SC and Billy Tysinger of Hardeeville, SC. Coming into tonight's action, Jonathan Haidon of Hilton Head, SC had pulled ahead of Lang for the top spot in the points battle by 8 points, but due to a mechanical problem the youngster settled for a 12th place finish. Several wrecks in the Legends race started fireworks again on the track, at one point wrecks were causing pileups in Turn 2 as well as the dreaded Turn 4 of the high-banked asphalt 1/3 mile track at the same time. The O.C. Welch Ford-Lincoln Mercury Late Models were on hand for 50-lap feature with Walter Reardon from Savannah, GA narrowly gain the pole ahead of A.J. Frank of Bluffton, SC. Frank quickly disposed of the young Reardon before the first lap was done and held on for the lead for the first 10 laps until the car retired with engine failure. Reardon took command of the lead again for the next 37 laps until Tom Haidon of Hilton Head, SC capped the top spot with the ailing car of Reardon. Reardon retired to the pits with only three laps remaining. Able to hold off the hard charging Tommy Porter, Jr. of Savannah, GA., Haidon held on for his first victory of the season in this class. Coming in a strong third was Randy Cook of Guyton, GA as Corey Fletcher of Bloomingdale, GA was DQ'd during post race inspections. The Road Warriors ran their second feature as a clockwise race with Peter Frank of Bluffton, SC holding off Chelsey Carr of Martinez, GA and Chris Beach for the win. Carr will be entering the Demolition Derby on Saturday, July 13th at HMS and during the post race interview said, "since I'll probably be the only girl out here, I'm going to win." The fireworks didn't stop there as the Mini Stock class started in full gear as race winner Steven Moore of St. George, SC went from leading the race to spinning out and going to the rear to coming all the way back around the track and holding off Johnny Brown of Bluffton, SC and Joseph Duncan of Ludowici, GA for the win. The Xtreme Stock cars lit up the track with a heated points race as all eyes were on Don Dean of Sheldon, SC, current points leader, who led 15 laps and appeared to be headed for the win until a late race altercation with Tim Dasher of Bluffton, SC, sending both to the rear of the field. That put David Taschner of Summerville, SC on the point who held on for the win over Dean and Buster Kleckley of Riddgeland, SC. Kelckley failed to report to post race technical inspection thus moving Dasher into the third spot. During the post-race interview, an emotional Taschner said "I live right behind the track in Summerville but because the greatest race fans are at the Hardeeville Motor Speedway, I choose to race here. Thank you all for coming here to see us race." The final race of the evening was the Street Stocks as they made their return trip to HMS. James Beckett of Ridgeland, SC bested Scott Russell of Charlotte, NC and Glenn Mappus of Ridgeville, SC. With the win and third place showing of Mappus, Beckett takes over the points chase at the Mid Season Championships. There will be no racing on Saturday, July 6th, however racing will return on Saturday, July 13th with the O.C. Welch Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Late Models, Legends Cars, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Xtreme Stock Cars and Road Warriors. The finale for the evening will be a demolition derby featuring Road Warrior "superstar" Chelsey Carr from Augusta, GA. Gates open at 4:00 p.m., qualifying begins at 6:00 p.m. followed by the National Anthem at 7:00 p.m. General admission ticket prices are $10.00 for adults; $6.00 for Juniors (ages 13-16), Seniors (55 and older) and Military (with proper I.D.); $2.00 for children (ages 6-12); and children under 5 are free. The Hardeeville Motor Speedway is located three miles south of I-95 (exit 5 in SC) on Speedway Blvd./Highway 17 or just ten miles north of Savannah on Speedway Blvd./Highway 17. For more information, contact (843) 784 RACE (7223) or visit online at www.hareevillespeedway.com. Hardeeville Motor Speedway Race Results from Saturday, July 3, 2002 O.C. Welch Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Late Models (50 laps): 1. Tom Haidon (Hilton Head, SC), 2. Tommy Porter, Jr. (Savannah, GA), 3. Randy Cook (Guyton, GA), 4. Shane Jenkins (Statesboro, GA), 5. Keith Wells (Charleston, SC), 6. Hubert Into (Ridgeland, SC), 7. Walter Reardon (Savannah, GA), 8. Dusty Lee Garus (Ridgeville, SC), 9. A.J. Frank (Bluffton, SC); DQ- Corey Fletcher (Bloomingdale, GA); Fast Qualifier - Reardon (15.015 seconds). Legends Cars A-Main Feature (30 Laps): 1. Andrew Smith (Pooler, GA), 2. Jimmy Lang (Bluffton, SC), 3. Billy Tysinger (Hardeeville, SC), 4. Darren Gordon (Hilton Head, SC), 5. Trey Carr (Evans, GA), 6. Jerimiah Dennen (Beaufort, SC), 7. Jason Colson (Rincon, GA), 8. Brent Crapse (Estill, SC), 9. Billy Schilling (Hilton Head, SC), 10. Heywood Barton, Jr. (Guyton, GA), 11. Adam Congrove (Hilton Head, SC), 12. Jonathan Haidon (Hilton Head, SC), 13. Jim Reyburn (Charleston, SC), 14. Johnny Gnann, Jr. (Springfield, GA), 15. Frank Fegal, Jr. (Kingsland, GA), 16. Tad Segars (Hilton Head, SC), 17. Zach Tysinger (Hardeeville, SC), 18. Russ Brown (Beaufort, SC), 19. Randy Forehand (Sylvania, GA), 20. Steve Desimone (Hilton Head, SC), 21. Chris Coker (Sumter, SC), 22. Steve Simms (Athens, GA); Fast Qualifier - Gordon (16.803 seconds). Legends Cars B-Main Feature (15 Laps): 1. Desimone, 2. Lang, 3. Carr, 4. Schilling, 5. Simms, 6. Cocker, 7. Segars, 8. Barton, 9. Brown, 10. Dennen, 11. Z. Tysinger. Street Stock Feature (20 Laps): 1. James Beckett (Rigeland, SC), 2. Scott Russell (Charlotte, NC), 3. Glenn Mappus (Ridgeville, SC), 4. Fred Alexander (Ridgeville, SC), 5. Jason Stephens (Hardeeville, SC), 6. Robert Myers (Ridgeville, SC), 7. Michael Driggers (Ridgeville, SC), 8. Walter Myers (Ridgeville, SC). Xtreme Stock Car Feature (20 Laps): 1. David Taschner, (Summerville, SC), 2. Don Dean, (Sheldon, SC), 3. Tim Dasher (Bluffton, SC), 4. Joe Wright, (Summerville, SC), 5. Randy Crews, (Estill, SC), 6. Jim Swanson, (Hilton Head, SC); DQ- Buster Kleckley, (Ridgeland, SC). Mini Stock Car Feature (20 Laps): 1. Steven Moore (St. George, SC), 2. Johnny Brown (Bluffton, SC), 3. Joseph Duncan (Ludowici, GA), 4. Doug Butler (Hardeeville, SC), 5. David Carr Jr. (Martinez, GA), 6. James Groover (Bluffton, SC), 7. Bobby Duncan (Ludowici, GA). Road Warrior Feature #1: Interstate Construction Race (8 Laps): 1. Tim Padgett, (Hardeeville, SC), 2. Peter Frank (Bluffton, SC), 3. Chris Beach (Bluffton, SC), 4. Chelsey Carr (Martinez, GA), 5. Todd Harvey (Hardeeville, SC), 6. Stacy Williams (Hardeeville, SC). Road Warrior Feature #2: Clockwise (8 Laps): 1. Frank, 2. Carr, 3. Beach, 4. Padgett, 5. Williams. # # #