Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
The full moon effect was certainly in full swing at Sunset Speedway on Saturday night as it’d be an evenful filled feature. In the end, it’d be Chris Morrow making a trip to victory lane for the fourth time in 2014.
Last Saturday’s feature winner Billy Zardo won the first heat ahead of Sean Cronan, Mike Bentley, Travis Hallyburton, Mat Box, Nick Goetz, Ernie Fumerton, Paul Maltese, Britney Gresel and Mike Wilkinson.
The second heat would not go smoothly and perhaps was a sign of what was to come as contact between Brandon Watson and Dwayne Baker on lap one in turn one sent Watson for the spin. Once restarted, contact would continue as Taylor Holdaway and Tom Walters traded a shot or two, with Walters spinning with no help from others in turn one. Then on the restart, Walters would get into the back of Dave Bartlett as Bartlett got loose, sending him for a spin. Jason Witty took the win ahead of Morrow, Holdaway, Baker, Lane Zardo, Watson, Walters, Thayne Hallyburton, Bartlett and Gary Elliott.
The b-main didn’t go smoothly, either, as Walters would get into Goetz on lap three, resulting in Goetz going for a spin. After experiencing mechanical issues last week in practice that left him sidelined, Thayne Hallyburton bounced back with the win ahead of Goetz, Elliott, Walters, Maltese, Gresel and Wilkinson.
Witty would go for the daily double with the ‘Dash for Cash’ victory ahead of Billy Zardo, Morrow, Cronan, Bentley, Holdaway, Baker, Box, Watson, Fumerton, Travis Hallyburton and Lane Zardo.
Come feature time, Ernie Fumerton would start on pole ahead of Mike Bentley, Travis Hallyburton, Dwayne Baker, Nick Goetz, Sean Cronan, Lane Zardo, Billy Zardo, Taylor Holdaway, Brandon Watson, Chris Morrow, Jason Witty, Thayne Hallyburton, Mat Box, Gary Elliott, Tom Walters, Paul Maltese, Brittney Gresel, Mike Wilkinson and Dave Bartlett.
Bentley would grab the advantage on the start to put the No. 51 Latitude Land Effects Late Model out front as Fumerton and Baker battled for second. Baker would clear Fumerton on lap six, bringing Cronan through with him. Billy Zardo would then move into fourth on lap nine, as Fumerton continued to fall back through the field. By lap 10, the top four ran single-file as Watson and Witty battled for fifth. Watson would get by Witty at lap 11, challenging Zardo for fourth at lap 11. Witty ran solidly in sixth, ahead of Holdaway, Morrow, Goetz, Fumerton, Thayne Hallyburton, Travis Hallyburton and Box.
As the laps continued to tick on, Bentley continued to stretch his lead out, still leading at lap 14, ahead of Baker, Cronan, Billy Zardo, Watson, Witty, Holdaway, Morrow and Goetz. Holdaway would get alongside Morrow for seventh at lap 15, completing the pass a lap later. Maltese would pit with mechanical problems at lap 21, while Cronan got alongside Baker for second at lap 22. Cronan would grab the spot on lap 24, ahead of Baker, Zardo, Witty, Holdaway, Morrow, Goetz, Fumerton, Thayne Hallyburton, Travis Hallyburton and Box as Bentley continued to lead. Morrow would pass Holdaway back for seventh, while Zardo got alongside Baker for fourth at lap 32, completing the pass a lap later.
At the front of the field, Cronan would begin to reel Bentley in as the pair fought through lap traffic. Bentley would struggle for a few laps to get by both Gresel and Bartlett, before finding himself clear. Cronan came up on the back of Bartlett to lap him at lap 38, when Bartlett would get loose. Bartlett would come across Cronan’s nose, making contact with the turn one outside wall. Cronan would be sent to the back for the restart with 12 laps to go as an involved car – a decision that received plenty of boos from the crowd. As a result, Zardo would be restarting on the outside of Bentley for the restart ahead of Baker and Watson.
On the restart, Zardo would clear Bentley heading into turn one to take the lead in his No. 46 Holmes on Homes, National Exhaust, Big Chute Marina, Round One Transport, Hassell Automotive, Better Contracting, Georgetown Signworks, Smart Screen Gutter Protection Late Model, when Bentley would make contact with Zardo’s bumper. Zardo would go for the spin, collecting some front end damage as Watson got caught up in the wreck in the process. Zardo would head to pit road for repairs, while Bentley would be sent to the back as an involved car.
That would allow Baker to inherit the lead in his No. 48 Baker Performance Parts, Wild Wing South Barrie, Nissco National Leasing, Zancor Custom Homes, Clearview Heating, Four Valley’s Excavating Late Model. Watson was supposed to start alongside Baker, however was brought down pit road with a mechanical black flag due to a bar hanging off the back of his car.
When everything was said and done, it’d be Baker restarting as the leader ahead of Morrow, Witty, Holdaway, Goetz, Fumerton, Thayne Hallyburton, Travis Hallyburton, Box, Walters, Cronan and Bentley.
Baker would choose the outside for the restart, however wouldn’t have enough to hold Morrow back as Morrow put the No. 11 CRS Rentals, Advance Landscapes, Duraflo Ventilation, Halls Service Center, Morrow Electric Late Model in front of the field at lap 39. Baker solidly ran second, ahead of Witty and Holdaway while Goetz and Fumerton battled for fifth as Walters exited the track at lap 41. Fumerton would hold off Goetz for fifth as the Hallyburton brothers battled for seventh while Watson exited the track at lap 44. Little brother Travis would get by Thayne for seventh, then got alongside Goetz for sixth with four laps to go. He would complete the pass with three laps to go, bringing Cronan through with him.
At the front of the field, it was all Chris Morrow as he scored the win ahead of Dwayne Baker, Taylor Holdaway, Jason Witty, Ernie Fumerton, Travis Hallyburton, Sean Cronan, Mike Bentley, Nick Goetz, Thayne Hallyburton, Mat Box and Gary Elliott.
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RT @OnPitRoad_: Chris Morrows wins crazy Late Model feature at Sunset Speedway by @ladybug388 http://t.co/7acnZH27yh @Sunset_Speedway