Crowd counts were high as fans rolled into Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Monday night for the track’s annual Miller Lite American Celebration. Drivers only had two days to prepare for competition after battling it out on Saturday night. It was a quick turnaround, but drivers from all divisions brought their A-Game on Monday, leaving it all out on the track.
The Wildcats were the first division to take to the stage, with Brian Caswell powering into the top spot after an early 3-wide battle for the lead. Young gun, Wade Kennedy, was on the move early, breaking the top 3 on lap 2. Joe Morse, Tucker Cole, Brian Caswell and Mike Roe were all involved in an incident on lap 2 in turn 4, bringing out the first caution of the night.
Wade Kennedy took the restart at the front of the pack, with Travis Burrows immediately challenging him for the lead. Ed Connolly joined the battle on lap 5, taking over the lead. Ryan Lund was also on a move in the late stages of the heat, moving into the runner-up spot on lap 8 after starting in the rear. Ed Connolly held off the competition for the remainder of the heat, taking home the victory.
Lewis “Dirty Lew” Anderson and Dave Cameron started on the front row for the second Wildcats heat. The two drivers nearly got into each other on lap 2 in turn 2. Both drivers saved it, but the incident powered Cody Webster into the lead. Lewis Anderson later took a spin on lap 6 in turn 2, bringing out a mid-race caution.
Cole Watson powered into the lead on the restart, eventually sailing away with the heat victory. Dan Bean and Cody Webster put up a great fight to the finish, with Bean beating Webster to the line for the runner-up spot.
Dave Oliver made his way into the early lead in the first 12-lap Pro Series heat. Scarborough Texas Roadhouse driver, Donnie Colpritt, filed into the runner-up spot in the early laps of the heat. Colpritt pulled alongside Oliver on lap 10, battling him for the lead. The two drivers finished the heat side-by-side, with Oliver beating Colpritt out for the heat victory.
Bill Rodgers pulled into the early lead in the second 12-lap Pro Series heat. Corey Bubar gave him a little bump on lap 4, pulling into the lead as Rodgers fell back to third. By lap 7, Dan McKeage had powered his way through the field and was battling Bubar for the lead. He claimed the top spot the following lap, later rolling into the heat victory.
Chasing the Checkered driver, Charlie Sanborn, started from the pole in the first Sport Series heat. Sanborn and Devin Curit battled it out side-by-side for the entire 12-lap heat, with Sanborn beating Curit to the line for the heat victory.
Alex Lacognata pulled off with the early lead in the final Sport Series heat. Terry Merrill moved into the runner-up spot on lap 3, returning to the track after overheating and ending his night prematurely on Saturday night. Bubba Pelton pulled off into the pits on lap 5, retiring from the heat race early. Alex Lacognata was able to stretch his lead, pulling away with the heat victory.
Ed Connolly and Ryan Lund started on the front row for the 30-lap Wildcats feature, with Ed Connolly pulling away with the early lead. Cole Watson was on the move early, moving into the runner-up spot on lap 4. Brian Caswell took a spin on lap 4 in turn 3 after contact with the #03 of Josh Childs, collecting Travis Burrows, Cody Webster and Dave Cameron. This led to the first caution of the feature.
Brian Caswell and Josh Childs made contact on the backstretch under caution, leading to Caswell getting out of his car and sharing a few choice words with Josh Childs before being escorted back to his car. This incident led to Caswell being booted from the track for the night, perhaps indefinitely.
Ed Connolly and Cole Watson restarted on the front row, with Cole Watson pulling away with the lead this time around. Dan Bean was on the charge, moving into the runner-up spot on lap 8. Josh Childs and Lewis Anderson made contact on lap 11 in turn 4, leading to yet another caution.
There was a massive pile-up on the frontstretch on the restart, collecting nearly every car but the leader, Cole Watson. Drivers involved in the incident included Mike Ramsey, Cody Webster, Lewis Anderson, Ed Connolly, Nate Leavitt, Dan Bean, Cody Childs and Ray Letellier.
Cole Watson pulled into the lead once again on the restart, but trouble was brewing behind him. Paul Lund and Ray Letellier both went around on lap 12 in turn 2, leading to another caution.
Cody Webster then took a spin on the backstretch on lap 13 after making contact with Josh Childs, resulting in another caution. Lewis Anderson later took another spin on lap 21 in turn 1 after making contact with Nate Leavitt, leading to Anderson getting T-boned by Mike Ramsey in Dave Turner’s #21 car. Ramsey’s car ignited in flames after the impact, resulting in Ramsey coming to a slow and jumping out of his car in turn 1.
After the extended caution, race control called single file restarts for the remainder of the race. Josh Childs made his way to the inside of Dan Bean for the runner-up spot on lap 24, completing the pass the following lap. Cole Watson eventually sailed into the victory, followed by Josh Childs, Dan Bean, Ed Connolly and Nate Leavitt.
Dan Bean and Ed Connolly made contact in turns 1 and 2 after the race was complete, ending the first leg of competition with a bang.
David Oliver and Donnie Colpritt started on the front row for the 50-lap Pro Series main event. David Oliver pulled off with the early lead, but Gary Smith was on the move early. Smith made his way around Donnie Colpritt for the runner-up spot on lap 6, later challenging David Oliver for the lead. Smith advanced to the lead on lap 10, pulling away from the field.
After a strong performance all night, Donnie Colpritt pulled to the pits on lap 17, ending his chances of a top-5 finish. After starting back in the twelfth position, Curt Gerry advanced to third on lap 20. He quickly made his way into the runner-up spot, setting his eyes on Gary Smith at the front of the field.
By lap 30, Gerry had cut down Smith’s lead to just 3 car lengths. He caught up to Smith in just a few laps, challenging Smith for the lead on the outside on lap 33. He completed the pass that lap, pulling away from the competition. Nick Cusack pulled into the pits on lap 38, retiring his car for the night.
By lap 40, there was a 2-car breakaway at the front of the field, with Gerry and Smith fielding a full-straightaway lead over the rest of the pack. On lap 44, Bill Rodgers finally cracked the top 5.
Curt Gerry sailed into the victory, taking home his second Pro Series win of the 2018 season. Gary Smith, David Oliver, Wayne Helliwell, Jr. and Bill Rodgers followed, rounding out the top five.
Charlie Sanborn and Devin Curit started on the front row for the final feature of the night, the Sport Series 35-lapper. Charlie pulled ahead to the lead early as Alex Lacognata quickly made his way into the runner-up spot. Lacognata made his way to the inside of Sanborn on lap 5, challenging him for the top spot.
As the two leaders battled it out for position, Frank Wear broke the top 5 on lap 7 after starting ninth in the feature. By lap 10, he had advanced to the fourth spot. Lacognata finally cleared Sanborn for the lead on lap 16. As Charlie fell back a few spots, Terry Merrill joined the battle for the top spot. Frank Wear wanted in on the action, hanging closely behind the two leaders on lap 26.
Alex Lacognata got sideways on lap 28 in turn 2, powering Terry Merrill into the race lead. Lacognata later took a spin in turn 4, leading to the first caution of the feature.
After the first restart was called off, Frank Wear pulled to the front after battling it out with Terry Merrill for a lap. Taylor Lampron took a spin on lap 29 in turn 3, bringing out a late-race caution.
Terry Merrill and Frank Wear led an intense battle for the top spot right from the restart, battling it out until the last lap. Frank Wear finally pulled away from Terry Merrill on the final turn, taking home the feature victory. Charlie Sanborn, Devin Curit and Matt Dow followed, rounding out the top five.
Drivers from all 3 divisions brought the heat to Beech Ridge on Saturday night.
The racing action continues this upcoming Saturday, July 7th, with the Pro All Star Series 150 in addition to the Wildcats and Sport Series.
Get out and support your local short track.
We hope to see you there!
Thank you again to Drown Excavation and Four Season Synthetic for their endless support for Chasing the Checkered. Contact Drown Excavation for all of your demolition and excavation needs and Four Season Synthetic for all of your oil, lube and filter needs!
