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Bissette Wins Three in a Row with Limited Sportsman Victory

Elm City, NC – A beautiful spring day played host to an evening of dirt track racing excitement at Elm City’s County Line Raceway.  Five divisions of action were on tap and kept fans on the edge of their seat for the entire night.

 

First up would be the Super Stock Four Cylinder division.  After winning their heat races, Austin Holcombe and John Carroll would start on the front row.  Carroll would have the lead by a bumper heading into turn two on the first lap, until he and Holcombe would make contact sending both cars spinning bringing out the first caution.  Both cars would be able to continue, however, they had to start at the rear of the field.  Back green Holcombe was on the move until lap two when the 2 car of Lee Hicks would get out of shape in turn four leaving Holcombe no where to go.  He would hit Hicks’ car, ending the night for both drivers.  Back green the battle was on.  Another caution, for the C8 of John Carroll, would slow the pace on lap 9.  It would be an eleven lap battle to the finish.  Hunter Bailey would bring home his first win of the season and keeping the trend with no repeat winners so far in 2015 for this highly competitive division.  Bill Winstead came home second, followed by Eric Hill, James Manning, and Damien Bryant rounding out the top five.

 

Next up would be the Pure Stock V-8 division.  After being sidelined a few weeks due to illness, Gary Whitley would take heat win number one and start alongside Phillip Lamm who won heat two.  Before the field would take the green, they honored one of their own, Dewayne Whitley, who passed away two weeks ago by forming into the ‘missing man formation.’  A quick caution would wave on lap one for the 41 of Austin Ferrell who spun in turn two.  Under the caution, the #24, last week’s feature winner, Joshua Bryant would put down fluid on the track which would force him to the pits.  Back green another quick caution would wave on lap four for the 96 of Michael Lamm, who would pit and not return.  Back green the racing was heating up as the field got the halfway signal.  Brandon Whitley, in his first start of the season would go three wide for the lead.  Another caution would wave on lap 12 for a tangle between the 44 of Jerry Williams and the 55 of Glenn Stocks.  This set up a three lap dash to the finish.  Whitley would hold off challenges for the lead and take his first win of the season.  Gary Whitley came home second followed by Phillip Lamm, Kevin Beard, and Amanda Liles rounding out the top five.

 

The ARCO Restoration Limited Sportsman division was the evening’s special event as they would run for an $800 payday.  Qualifying would set the evenings feature lineup with Lane Proctor setting fast time turning the track in only 16.034 seconds.  Matthew Bissette would take the outside pole.  Twenty laps would make up the distance in the evenings feature.  They would go green until lap 9 when the 20 of James Meredith would slam the outside wall in turn one when his steering wheel came loose, fortunately, the damage was not severe and he would be able to continue.  A caution on lap 14 for a spin in turn four would be the only other to slow down the feature as ‘The Farmer’ Matthew Bissette would remain undefeated this season on this way to his third victory.  Polesitter, Lane Proctor took home second followed by John Proctor in third, Mark Boykin fourth, and Walt Gibson fifth.

 

The DRU Auto Sales & Service Pure Stock Four Cylinders were next out onto the track.  Cooper Edwards and Thomas Holbrook took the evenings preliminary heat races setting up the front row for the 15 lap feature event.  Holbrook, making his first start of the year, took the lead early.  There were battles going on all over the track.  Two and three wide racing was the standard in this event only slowed by one caution, for the 7x of Jesse Richardson Jr who slowed on the front stretch on lap 11.  A short sprint to the finish would see Holbrook continue to lead taking his first win of the season.  Cody Keith came home second followed by Michael Webb, JP Brantley and Cooper Edwards rounding out the top five.

 

The powerful Late Model division would round out the night’s racing action.  Sixteen cars were signed in for competition.  After two laps of qualifying, Derek Francis and Michael Batten would start on the front row.  This race was action packed from the start of the green flag.  At the line on lap one, the cars would be three wide for the lead as Brad Hamm was able to take second place.  A caution would slow the field on lap 11 for the 2 car of Carlton Toney.  The field would remain green until lap 28 when the 44 of Virginia’s Brent Robinson would slow forcing him to the pits, setting up a green, white, checkerd finish.  Batten would hold off the challenges winning his second feature of the season.  Brad Hamm would come home second, his best career Late Model finish.  Derek Francis took home third, followed by Christian Joyner and Damon Kotke rounding out the top five.

 

County Line Raceway returns to action this Saturday night with the return of the Open Wheel Modified division.  Also on tap are the Late Models, ARCO Restoration Limited Sportsman, Pure Stock V-8, and DRU Auto Sales & Service Pure Stock Four Cylinders.  Pit gates open at 4:00, grandstands at 5:00 and cars hit the track at 7:00.  For more information on this event, visit the website at www.countylineracewaync.com.

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