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HAMPTON — Temperatures in the mid-40s, accompanied by 20 mph winds, resulted in the smallest Opening Night crowd at Langley Speedway in decades. Those who opted for warmth missed what surely will rank as one of the wildest laps of the track’s 73rd season.
It came on lap 24 of the 25-lapper in the often-overlooked Super Truck Division, upon the restart for a two-lap (green-white-checkered flag) finish. Chris Roberts, starting on the inside in third place, kicked off the excitement by dive-bombing onto the apron in Turn 1 to move beside leader Rick Proust in a battle for first.
Their side-by-side duel continued into Turn 3, where Roberts, still on the inside, drifted up and made contact with Proust. Then all hell broke loose at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway.
As Roberts and Proust slowed slightly upon banging doors, third-place Jacob Carr ran into the back of Roberts’ truck. Proust slid into Roberts a split-second later, flipping Roberts’ truck onto its roof before it rolled back onto its four tires.
As Roberts, who was unhurt, went airborne, Hunter Waltrip and Chase McAdams drove by the wreck on the high side, where McAdams clobbered the wall after contact with Waltrip. At the end of the six-truck wreck that included Bill Wallace, McAdams ran toward Waltrip’s truck on pit road, and a pushing-shoving melee involving several ensued.
Only four of the original 12 starters were on the track for the second attempt at a green-white-checkered. Carr started first and led those two laps for the triumph.
“I don’t even know where to start,” Carr said in Victory Lane, explaining that he didn’t procure his truck until Wednesday and spent until 5 o’clock Saturday morning building the motor. “I didn’t even know this truck, (and) the only lap I had turned in it was in qualifying.
“I don’t even have a crew. I don’t even have sponsors.”
Late Model Twin 50s
Connor Hall started on the pole in the first Late Model race and proceeded to dominate by leading every lap and winning comfortably.
Three-time defending division champ Brenden “Butterbean” Queen finished a distant second, with Mark Wertz, Woody Howard and Greg Edwards rounding out the top five in the positions they occupied much of the race.
“Racing with someone as good as Brenden is here, it’s a difference of hitting the nail (on setup) on the head or not,” Hall said. “Hedgecock Chassis gives us a great product — I can’t say enough about them — and my team worked their tails off today.”
Because of the eight-car invert, Hall started the second race in the eighth position. He patiently worked his way through the field, passing leader Queen on the 25th lap, and ran away to a second victory.
Queen finished second, Greg Edwards third, Howard fourth and Thomas Marks fifth.
“Luckily this thing turns really good on cool nights,” Hall said. “Probably got to work a little bit to get us good for the warm weather coming, but it was really, really good tonight.
“I’m just blessed, very, very fortunate to do what I do.”
Champ Kart 20
Defending division champion Dannie Wyatt edged Ryan Hudgins by a foot to win the first race of the night. Hudgins pushed Wyatt for 19 ¾ laps in their two-kart draft, then tried to slingshot him off of Turn 4 on the final lap for the win, but to no avail.
“Man, I don’t even know what to say,” Wyatt said. “We worked the past two weeks and were out (in the garage) till 1:30 last night.
“I got to bed at 3 (a.m.), got up at 9 and missed the first practice because I wasn’t ready. It just can’t be no better than this right here.
“This is hard work paying off.”
Super Street 40
Landon Abbott set a division record in qualifying and led every lap to win for the seventh time on Opening Night. Dale Nichols, the 2021 division champ, was a distant second, Gordon Weeks III was third, defending champion Jimmy Adkins was fourth and Jonathan White was fifth.
“There’s so much that goes into (preparing) this stuff, especially in the offseason,” Abbott said. “To come out and knock off a win right off the bat is something special.”
UCAR 25
Hayden Sheldon won a green-white-checkered shootout as pole winner Bill Eaker finished second, Charlie Bryant third, Dwight Nikles fourth and Tyler Borden fifth.
Enduro 30
Cody Bryant, the division runner-up a year ago, won the season opener. Kris Kane was second, Alex Floroff third, defending division champion Stephen Flinn was fourth and Charlie Bryant was fifth.
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Leaders from Saturday’s Opening Night at the 0.4-mile track in Hampton, with car numbers in parentheses.
Breaking News
Champ Kart 20 (12 drivers): 1. (18) Dannie Wyatt; 2. (4) Ryan Hudgins; 3. (47) Billy Dailey; 4. (46) David Phelps; 5. (06) John Snyder.
Enduro (19 drivers): 1. (08) Cody Bryant; 2. (48) Kris Kane; 3. (17) Alex Floroff; 4. (05) Stephen Flinn; 5. (88) Charlie Bryant.
Late Model 50 #1 (18 drivers): 1. (77) Connor Hall; 2. (03) Brenden Queen; 3. (55) Mark Wertz; 4. (41) Woody Howard; 5. (21) Greg Edwards.
Late Model 50 #2 (18 drivers): 1. (77) Connor Hall; 2. (03) Brenden Queen; 3. (21) Greg Edwards; 4. (41) Woody Howard; 5. (88) Thomas Marks.
Super Street 40 (14 drivers): 1. (70) Landon Abbott; 2. (8) Dale Nichols; 3. (20) Gordon Weeks III; 4. (71) Jimmy Adkins; 5. (30) Jonathan White.
Super Truck 25 (13 drivers): 1. (88) Jacob Carr; 2. (4) Gates Kobuszewski; 3. (19) Billy Dailey; 4. (9) Rick Poust; 5. (8) Chris Roberts.
UCAR 25 (11 drivers): 1. (13) Hayden Sheldon; 2. (22) Bill Eaker; 3. (88) Charlie Bryant; 4. (7) Dwight Nikles; 5. (36) Tyler Borden.