Lee Langford outdistanced the competition to score the Outlaw Late Model feature victory during the World Crown 300 weekend at Gresham Motorsports Park. Photo by Terry Spackman
JEFFERSON, GA – While the World Crown 300 took top billing at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, GA on Saturday, the track’s regular divisions showed up in force to race for the biggest purse in front of the biggest crowd of the year.
The Outlaw Late Models stole the show.
Drivers were warned in the pre-race meeting not to fight or retaliate against each other, or else they would be disqualified. Matthew Wragg and Jason Bates didn’t listen – or didn’t care.
The two local drivers’ feud came to a boil Saturday on the second lap. Bates turned Wragg off turn 4 as the two battled for the second position. Wragg spun across the track and collected Alex Leverett.
After taking a direct hit from Leverett, Wragg turned his car around and drove head-on into Bates’ machine under caution. Law enforcement and track officials intervened before the drivers could throw hands as the crews fought in the pits.
As a result, Leverett’s, Wragg’s and Bates’ cars were all destroyed, and Wragg and Bates were disqualified.
When racing resumed, Lee Langford wrestled the top spot from Russell Shore on the sixth lap and led the remaining 25 laps to score his second-straight victory.
Shore held on for second, David Murphy finished third and Shawn Simpson edged Brian Hardman for fourth.
Afterward, Langford – the 2003 World Crown 300 runner-up – finally got to put on the crown that eluded him for years.
“It looks pretty good, feels good to me,” Langford said, crown firmly on his head. “We had a good run and got lucky.
Curt Britt celebrates with family in victory lane after winning the Pro Truck feature. Photo by Terry Spackman
In the GMP Trucks division, Curt Britt rifled the truck he built from fourth to first in the first five laps of the division’s 30-lap feature. Britt withstood a late charge from Matt Vassar to take the victory, with Matt Vassar, Kevin Vassar, Jami Weimer and Cecil Flowe rounding out the top five.
Britt celebrated the win, a win that came on his 38th birthday, with an Alan Kulwicki-esque Polish victory lap and a handshake from the truck’s regular driver, Rodney Benefield, in victory lane.
“I told Rodney I really wanted to at least race one more time,” Britt said. “I built this truck to go to the Snowball Derby last year and put my heart and soul into this thing.
“Before this weekend, I only drove it seven to eight laps. So it’s rewarding to drive something I put so much into and have it work out like this.”
Gresham Motorsports Park is back in action on Saturday, Aug. 16. For more info, visit racegmp.com.
Gresham Motorsports Park – Jefferson, GA
Race Results – Aug. 9, 2014
Outlaw Late Models
1. Lee Langford
2. Russell Shore
3. David Murphy
4. Shawn Simpson
5. Brian Hardman
6. Stewart Smith
7. Hoyt Stephens
8. Alex Leverett
DQ: Matthew Wragg
DQ: Jason Bates
Pro Trucks
1. Curt Britt
2. Matt Vassar
3. Kevin Vassar
4. Jami Weimer
5. Cecil Flowe
6. Taras Hodirsky
7. Ronnie Wehunt
8. Matt Wortman
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