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Tyler County Speedway
Middlebourne, WV
July 14, 2007
Photos by Bob Reed
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LM Winner Mike Benedum celebrates with his father and son Brett.
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SL Winner Arthur Payne.
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AMRA Modified winner Paul Wilmoth
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AMRA Modified winner Paul Wilmoth's car sits on the inside of the track
as Lou Ennis goes between the wrecked cars of JR Nolan (13), Randy
Gray (52), Shawn Davis (29), Dustin Sprouse (3D), Dale Keplinger (28),
Louie Krushansky (23) and Mark Dickson (0).
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Brothers Wilmoth (Paul B1 and Steve 13)
race each other hard during heat race action.
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Mike Benedum wins Tyler County and collects $1000 Bonus
By Bob Reed
Middlebourne, WV. 7/14/2007. Mike Benedum, Salem, won his 2nd LM
feature of the year at the Tyler County Speedway and also collected a
$1000 “Gambler’s Loot” bonus from BDS Promotions for breaking Paul
Wilmoth’s win streak.
Benedum when asked why he was so good. He answered: “I am using the
same setup tonight that I had on for last years Hillbilly. It works real well
here.” When asked about his pass of Irwin he stated: “He was running on
the top and I didn’t want to slide up into him so I just waited. I got the
chance in lapped traffic, took it and passed him.”
Benedum and Scott Irwin led the 20 car field to the green with Irwin using
the cushion in turns 1 & 2 to power around Benedum for the lead. Sixth
starting Wilmoth moved to third on the first lap followed by Steve Wilmoth,
Mark Banal and Dusty Hamrick.
The field was slowed on lap 2 when Dave Gorrell and Gary Midcap got
together in turn 4. Neither car had much damage and both continued. At
this point Irwin led Benedum, Paul Wilmoth, Steve Wilmoth, Banal,
Hamrick, Charlie Maloney, Corey Conley, Greg Baumberger, Rick
Conley, Donnie Dotson, Jason Edge, Richard Frazier, Bucky Rine, Steve
Weigle, Mike Eaton, Doug Eaton, Jim Quaigg, Midcap and Gorrell.
At the green Irwin took off followed by Benedum, Wilmoth and the field.
This green period lasted only 3 laps until Quaigg spun in turn 4. Edge took
evasive action, was hit by another car and spun. Something went awry in
the steering and Edge was towed off.
The next green session lasted until the checkered. Irwin on the cushion
was holding off Benedum who was running in the middle and diving under
Irwin every turn. Also Paul Wilmoth and brother Steve were putting on
quite a battle for 3rd. At one point Paul slipped in turn 3 & 4 and Steve
took the spot. Paul got going again on the top and passed Steve the next
lap. He then began putting distance between the two.
On lap 16 Benedum worked around Irwin in lapped traffic and took the
lead in turns 1 & 2. Irwin never let Benedum get much of a lead and ran
2nd until lap 21 when Paul Wilmoth got by and began closing on Benedum.
These two put on a show as Wilmoth got under Benedum several times but
lapped traffic on the final lap allowed Benedum to increase his lead and
win by a couple car lengths.
At the checkered Benedum led Paul Wilmoth, Irwin, Banal, Steve
Wilmoth, Hamrick, Corey Conley, Baumberger, Rick Conley and Dotson.
Heats were won by Benedum, Irwin and Banal.
Notes: With the new policy of inverting the top 4 cars in each heat only
Quick Qualifier Benedum won his heat. The 2nd quick qualifier Corey
Conley only managed a 3rd in his heat while 3rd quick qualifier Paul
Wilmoth did get to 2nd in his heat.
From the outside pole Arthur Payne took the lead and led all 20 laps of the
SL feature for the win. Fourth starting Kyle Thomas followed him the
entire distance with polesitter Sonny Conley dropping to 3rd on the start
and staying there for the distance.
At the checkered Payne led Kyle Thomas, Conley, Joel Prosser, Mike
Griffin, Robbie Thomas, Billy Brown, Gary Knollinger and Brian Rush.
Heats to Conley and Payne.
I asked Payne why he was puffing and panting. He said: “This is hard
work.” I also asked him what happened when Kyle Thomas got up beside
him about 5 laps from the finish. He said: “I almost lost it!”
The AMRA modified feature got off to a bang when outside polesitter
Mike “Bird” Wilson lost it in turn 4, came down into the side of Paul
Wilmoth and caused a 9 car pile-up. Wilson was unhurt while Wilmoth
received extensive damage to both sides of his car and the rear spoiler.
Also involved were JR Nolan, Louie Krushansky, Shawn Davis, Dustin
Sprouse, Mark Deitch, Randy Gray and Mark Dixon. Nolan drove to the
pits while Sprouse and Gray were towed off.
On the restart Wilson took the lead followed by polesitter Darren Glover
and Wilmoth. On lap two Glover and Wilmoth touched going into turn 3
and Glover Spun in front of the field but everyone got by unscathed.
On the next start Wilson was the leader but before the lap was completed
Wilmoth with a damaged car went under him in turn 3 & 4 and took the
lead which he never gave up. Wilmoth running the extreme top moved his
lead to almost a full straight with 5 laps to go but seemed to slow and
Wilson closed the gap to 4 car lengths on the last lap and even closer at
the line.
Wilmoth won with Wilson 2nd followed by Davis, Krushansky, Donnie
Nething, Tom Sigler, Dixon, Dale Keplinger, Dusty Boley and Lou Ennis.
Heats were won by Glover, Wilson and Gray.
SUMMARY
LM
FEATURE – Mike Benedum Paul Wilmoth, Scott Irwin, Mark Banal,
Steve Wilmoth, Dusty Hamrick, Corey Conley, Greg Baumberger, Rick
Conley, Donnie Dotson, Charlie Maloney, Steve Weigle, Richard Frazier,
Doug Eaton, Mike Eaton, Bucky Rine, Jim Quaigg, Gary Midcap Jr,
Dave Gorrell, Jason Edge.
Ht 1 – Benedum, Maloney, Baumberger, Rick Conley, Rine, Mike Eaton,
Gorrrell.
Ht 2 – Irwin, Hamrick, Corey Conley, Dotson, Frazier, Midcap, Quaigg.
Ht 3 – Banal, Paul Wilmoth, Steve Wilmoth, Edge, Doug Eaton, Weigle.
SL
FEATURE – Arthur Payne, Kyle Thomas, Sonny Conley, Joel Prosser,
Michael Griffin, Robbie Thomas, Billy Brown, Gary Knollinger, Brian
Rush, Mike McGinnis, Chad Green, Brad Clark, Randy Clark, Matt
Flesher, Randy Gibson. DNS – Ron Deitch.
Ht 1 – Conley, Prosser, Robbie Thomas, Rush, Knollinger, Randy Clark,
Flesher, Deitch.
Ht 2 – Payne, Kyle Thomas, Griffin, Brad Clark, Brown, Green, Gibson,
McGinnis.
AMRA MODIFIED
FEATURE – Paul Wilmoth, Mike Wilson, Shawn Davis, Louie
Krushansky, Donnie Nething, Tom Sigler, Mark Dickson, Dale Keplinger,
Dusty Boley, Lou Ennis, Mark Deitch, Darren Glover, Dave Monteleone,
Sonny Stutler, Scott Jones, Randy Gray, JR Nolan, Dustin Sprouse, Mark
Deitch. DNS – Mike Sprouse.
Ht 1 – Glover, Wilmoth, Nolan, Keplinger, Ennis, Boley, Stutler.
Ht 2 – Wilson, Davis, Dickson, Nething, Mike Sprouse, Gerald Deitch,
Jones.
Ht 3 – Gray, Krushansky, Sigler, Dustin Sprouse, Mark Dietch,
Monteleone..
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