Morgan Avoids Trouble, Wins CARS Opener At Anderson

J.P. Morgan spent most of Saturday night looking at the back of Jeff Agnew’s Ford, and it looked like he would follow the Floyd, VA native all the way to the checkered flag at Anderson Motor Speedway in Williamston, SC.

But fate intervened when Agnew spun off the front bumper of the lap car of Allen Purkhiser with 43 laps to go.  That would put Morgan out front, and that’s where he would stay as he scored the season opening victory for the CARS Pro Cup Series in the Palmetto State 250.

Purkiser had lost several laps early on due to a cut tire, and with 43 laps to go, he was trying to get one of his laps back when he tagged Agnew, sending the leader spinning in turn one.

Morgan would be the leader on the final restart, and would go unchallenged the rest of the night.

”You never know how these things are going to work out,” said Morgan in Anderson’s victory lane.  “This is the best way to start a season.”

Morgan started the night in the fifth position.  Pole sitter Tyler Young would lead early, trailed by Purkhiser, while Morgan charged to the third position early.

After trailing Young in the opening laps, Purkhiser would make the move around the Midland, TX driver to take the top spot on lap 12.  Morgan would maintain third, with Gus Dean, in his first CARS Pro Cup start, running fourth and Agnew in fifth.

The front pack would run mostly single file until the first caution of the night came out on lap 46 for a spin by Tom Finney in turn two.  Finney was able to continue.

While several of the leaders came to pit road, Agnew chose to stay out, inheriting the top spot.

On the restart on lap 54, Agnew would lead, followed by Nathan Russell and Bryan Silas.  Young was on the charge, and would soon move to second behind Agnew while Morgan worked his way to third.

Meanwhile, Purkhiser had to make a green flag pit stop for a cut right rear tire, and was issued a drive through penalty as well, leaving him some four laps down.

Dean saw his night come to an end on lap 77, when transmission troubles sidelined his Chevrolet.

As the race approached the 80 lap mark, Young began to lurk Agnew, looking for an opportunity to challenge for the lead in lap traffic.  But Young’s chances for a victory were derailed with brake trouble, which brought him to pit road for an extended period.

The caution would fly again on lap 110 for debris.  That gave the leaders a chance to come to the pits for tires.  But when most of the lead pack returned to pit road for fuel, Morgan chose to stay out, moving him into the top spot for the first time on the night.

Morgan would hold off a strong challenge from Agnew for the top spot on the restart, with the two leaders racing side-by-side for several laps.  Morgan would finally clear Agnew’s Ford to settle into first.

But just a few laps later, Agnew would sweep past to retake the lead.  Morgan would hound Agnew over the middle portion of the event, but Agnew had the advantage off the corners each time.

The race would be slowed again by caution on lap 161 by rain.  Agnew would lead Morgan, Russell, Dalton Hopkins, and Harrison Rhodes on the restart.  Russell would have to hustle to hang on to his car after contact from the lap car of Finney but was able to continue.  The two would tangle again in turn three about 10 laps later, this time bringing out the caution.  Both were able to continue.

Agnew would take off again on the restart, with Morgan giving chase.  Russell ran third with Hopkins fourth.  Hopkins would see his chance at a top five go away a few laps later, as he made an unscheduled pit stop.

Meanwhile, Purkhiser was on the move.  He had made up one lap by passing the leader under green, and had picked up another on the wave around.  He charged his way past Morgan around the 200 lap mark, and set his sights on the leader.

He tangled with Agnew as the two raced into the first turn.  Agnew spun, but was able to continue.  Morgan inherited the lead, and would go on to score the victory unchallenged.
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Russell finished second, with Agnew third, Silas fourth and Rhodes in fifth.

The CARS Pro Cup Series returns to action on April 21, as the tour moves to the Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory, NC.  For more info, visit carsprocup.com.

In other action, Austin Northcutt led the field to green in the BM Modified feature.  Third place starter Alan Mitchell put a strong charge on early, storming around second place Will Ragsdale, and then stalking the leader.

Mitchell would finally get a run on Northcutt off of turn four on the 13^th lap.  Northcutt would try a cross over move, cut couldn’t make it stick.

As the laps wound down, Northcutt was stuck to Mitchell’s back bumper, but couldn’t find an opening.   Mitchell would hang on for the victory, with Northcutt in second, Ragsdale in third, Jared Ivan in fourth and Casey Tucker in fifth.

In the Mini-Stock feature, pole sitter Chad Campbell moved out front early, while Ryan Howard and David Darnell slugged it out for second place.  That fight would come to a head on lap six, when Darnell tagged Howard off turn two, sending Howard’s car sliding high off turn two, bringing out the caution.

On the restart, Darnell would try to get a run on Campbell’s outside, but couldn’t make it work.  Meanwhile, Dylan Hall moved to second, with Ben Kay to fourth.  Howard quickly made his way around Jeff Turner to take fifth.

Up front, Hall put a ton of pressure on Darnell for the second spot, but could not find the real estate he needed to make a run for the position.

When the checkered flag fell, it was Campbell scoring the win, with Darnell, Hall, Howard, and Kay rounding out the top five.

Action returns to Anderson Motor Speedway on Friday, March 30, as the track will play host to the first race for the new SouthEast Super Truck Series, along with action in the B and C Mini-Stocks, the BM Modifieds, Renegades, Front Wheel Drives, and Super Renegades, along with the 2012 opener for the Legends.

For more info, visit andersonmotorspeedway.com.

CARS Pro Cup Series
Anderson Motor Speedway – Williamston, SC
Palmetto State 250 – March 24, 2012

1. J.P Morgan
2. Nathan Russell
3. Jeff Agnew
4. Bryan Silas
5. Harrison Rhodes
6. Allen Purkhiser
7. Tom Finney
8. Dalton Hopkins
9. Mike Williams
10. Tyler Young
11. Gus Dean