May 2nd and 3rd 2008 Press Release

Natural Bridge Speedway Kicks Off 2008 Racing Season With Weekend Doubleheader

A large gathering of people and machines converged on Natural Bridge Speedway as it opened its 2008 season with Friday and Saturday night shows after all racing activities planned for April had been washed out by Mother Nature.

Friday’s season-opening show attracted 20 late model machines for its 40-lap Spencer Home Center Late Model feature. Waynesboro veteran Joey Leavell was the quick qualifier, posting a lap pf 15.944 seconds (85.8 miles per hour), and started on the outside pole after drawing a No. 2 inversion pill.

Leavell powered past pole sitter Bobby Thompson on the first lap and never looked back, leading all 40 laps despite numerous caution periods and restarts. He successfully rebuffed the late charge of Covington’s David Bennett, who started sixth and moved through the large field to finish second behind Leavell by just over one-half second. Rounding out the top 5 were Ricky Knight, Walker Arthur and Jon Painter, respectively.

Late afternoon showers that passed through the speedway area may have prevented some drivers and fans from venturing outside, but those who did make the trip saw a dominant performance by Knight, who took the lead from Buena Vista’s Chris Barger on lap 5 of the 35-lap Spencer Home Center Late Model feature and dominated until he took the checkers, adding a trophy run to his third-place finish the previous night.

Arthur had another strong run, too, finishing second behind Knight after starting seventh. Barger finished third while Thompson and Fincastle’s Mike Ayers rounded out the top 5 Gladstone veteran Ricky Wells brought a new ride to the weekend’s season-opening Lee’s Auto Repair 25-lap Sportsman features. He had to like the results as he swept to victory both nights, though neither was a piece of cake. Wells started 10th in Friday’s 17-car field and rolled off sixth in Saturday’s grid. It took the double-winner but five laps to move to the lead on Friday. Wells snared the lead on lap 16 Saturday from Clifton Mays, who led the first 15 laps.

Friday’s Street Stock season lid-lifter was slowed often by caution while Saturday’s feature progressed with very few slowdowns, but both provided a wild four-car sprint to the checkers.

Defending Street Stock points champion David Brogan of Buchanan started the new season as he ended the prior by shooting to the lead of the 17-car pack and holding the lead for the first 18 circuits in the 25-lap feature before JR Overstreet grabbed the lead on lap 19, only to see Brogan regain the lead on lap 20. Overstreet, however, snaked past Brogan on the following lap and held him off until race’s end, grabbing the checkers by .486 seconds over runner-up Brogan. Troy Fitzgerald and Earl Brooks Jr. were coming in a hurry on the final lap, finishing third and fourth, respectively, less than a second behind the victorious Overstreet.

Brooks started on the Street Stock pole Saturday night, and the Madison Heights veteran led flag-to-flag. The winning wheelman, however, had to hold off a late charge by Overstreet, who crossed the finish line just .195 seconds behind Brooks. Gary Argenbright ran third and Skye Reynolds finished fourth, both less than a second behind Brooks. Brogan finished fifth on Saturday.
Spout Spring Pure Stock pilot Ricky Mayberry proved to be the lone defending points champion to earn a victory during the 2008 season’s opening weekend. Gary Cottee finished second behind the defending class champion in Friday’s opener. Buchanan driver Gerald Hostteter ran third.

Saturday Michael Bryant of Amherst started fourth and finally ran down Ronnie Martin Jr., who led laps 3 through 19, on lap 20 of the 30-lap Pure Stock feature. He led the rest of the way to take the checkers. Justin Williams finished second behind Bryant, and Mayberry snagged third place. Hostetter ran fourth to notch his second top 5 finish in as many outings.

Howard Hall had the field covered both nights in the BB&T All-American division (previously known as any car), winning both races by impressive margins. Derrick Ayers, sporting a new look with his car, and Jimmie Cunningham both had strong performances, too. The former finished second on Friday and third on Saturday while Cunningham, ran third Friday and second on Saturday.

David Brogan sponsored a bicycle giveaway. Winners by draw of the bicycles were Olivia Wright, Brent Dull and Chase Boxler. Missy Gayhart was the winner of Friday’s 50-50 drawing with Billy Harris holding the winning ticket Saturday.

Saturday’s show will feature a collection for the upcoming Rockbridge Relay for Life and a regular racing show.

Natural Bridge Speedway – Top 5 finishers on Friday, May 2, 2008
Spencer Home Center Late Model 40-lap results – 1) Joey Leavell; 2) David Bennett; 3) Ricky Knight; 4) Walker Arthur; 5) Jon Painter.
Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman 25-lap results – 1) Ricky Wells; 2) Ricky Fox; 3) Shad Cooper; 4) Mike Bryant; 5) Jimmy Breeden.
Street Stock 25-lap results – 1) JR Overstreet; 2) David Brogan; 3) Troy Fitzgerald; 4) Earl Brooks; 5) Lester Lyons.
Pure Stock 25-lap results – 1) Ricky Mayberry; 2) Gary Cottee; 3) Gerald Hostetter; 4) Jason Thompson; 5) Justin Williams.
BB&T All-American 20-lap results – 1) Howard Hall; 2) Derrick Ayers; 3) Jimmie Cunningham; 4) Robbie Barger; 5) CJ Goad.

Natural Bridge Speedway – Top 5 finishers on Saturday, May 3, 2008
Spencer Home Center Late Model 35-lap results – 1) Ricky Knight; 2) Walker Arthur; 3) Chris Barger; 4) Bobby Thompson; 5) Mike Ayers.
Lee’s Auto Repair Sportsman 25-lap results – 1) Ricky Wells; 2) Mike Bryant; 3) Steve Landrum; 4) Clifton Mays; 5) Norman Dudley.
Street Stock 25-lap results – 1) Earl Brooks; 2) JR Overstreet; 3) Gary Argenbright; 4) Skye Reynolds; 5) David Brogan.
Pure Stock 30-lap results – 1) Michael Bryant; 2) Justin Williams; 3) Ricky Mayberry; 4) Gerald Hostetter; 5) Joey Coleman.
BB&T All-American 20-lap results – 1) Howard Hall; 2) Jimmie Cunningham; 3) Derrick Ayers; 4) CJ Goad; 5) James Campbell