DJ VanderLey is all smiles in victory lane after winning Saturday night at Mobile International Speedway. Photo courtesy MIS
Double points night at Mobile International Speedway in Irvington, AL meant double the excitement as Manager-Promoter Rick Crawford called for full field inverts in all divisions putting the fastest cars at the back on a night that counted twice as much.
Starting at the back of the pack did not deter D.J. VanderLey, as he charged to the front and passed Bryce Dulabhan with two laps to go to win the Midwest Cooling Tower Pro Late Model feature at Mobile International Speedway on Saturday night – scoring his first win of the season and first since winning back-to-back track championships in 2010 and 2011.
VanderLey qualified on the pole but had to drop to the back with the full-filed invert.
VanderLey took advantage of a restart on lap 25 to move past Josh Bragg for second and paced himself for the next 13 laps. With two laps to go and after laps of pressuring Dulabhan for the lead, Bryce slid up the track off of turn four and VanderLey took the point with just two laps to go.
VanderLey held on and became the season’s third different winner – joining NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standout Max Gresham and Ricky Brooks.
“The key to tonight’s race was patience,” VanderLey said. “We got around Bryce just in time. That kid really impresses me.”
VanderLey was faced with several obstacles in addition to starting in the back. The first occurred on lap six when VanderLey and Bragg tangled sending the pair to the rear again.
“That was the last thing I wanted to happen,” VanderLey said. “The two leaders got together coming off turn four and it was just a chain reaction. Unfortunately Josh came out on the bad end of it, and we both went to the rear for it.”
Bragg and VanderLey immediately worked their way back to second and third respectively just as Jerry Huddleston spun in front of VanderLey’s No. 2 Ford. VanderLey danced through the accident and would pick off the leaders, after the caution, over the final 15 laps.
“There were a few cars that just gave us fits in traffic and spun around a few times,” VanderLey said. “They gave us some intense moments but I’m grateful that we made it through.”
VanderLey has appealed his suspension in the Miller Lite Super Late Model Series stemming from an incident at Pensacola 5 Flags Speedway earlier this season. Speedway officials are expected to rule on Vanderley’s appeal on Tuesday with the Miller Lite super Late Model Series returning to MIS this weekend.
Dulabhan finished second with Bragg, Junior Niedecken, and John Thompson completing the top-5. Bragg and Elliott Massey won their respective heat races earlier in the night.
Island Motor II Bombers
Rusty Powell Sr.’s first feature win of the season, and first since 2008, came at an opportune time on double point’s night. If there was ever a weekend to break the string of bad luck – this was it.
Powell was one of the few unaffected by the full field invert as he qualified his No. 65 mid-pack and quickly worked his way to the lead by lap 7.
Powell would be tested on a mid-race restart but the rest of the field had nothing for the wily track veteran with Brandon Tipton finishing a distant second and Matt Manuel a faraway third.
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Powell Sr. was first received by his wife and was immediately swarmed by his Hurrikane Motorsports crew, led by Derek Kane Long, their first feature victory as a team at Mobile International Speedway. Long himself made his season debut approximately one-year after an accident delayed his own career. Long was able to bring his No. 5 entry home in fifth and pulled up beside Powell in victory lane to celebrate with his driver. In a season full of feel-good moments, this may have been the most memorable one yet.
“The night started off pretty rough but my Hurrikane crew never gave up,” Powell said. “We went out for the feature with a pretty good car. Dodged a few wrecks early in the race and with five laps to go I remember thinking to myself, ‘what’s going to happen?’ We won!”
Brandon Tipton blew a motor in practice but finished second in a backup car owned by Jerry Goff. Matt Manuel, Tommie Blocker and Long rounded out the top-5. Manuel and Tipton won their two preliminary heat races respectively.
Bob’s Speed Shop Sportsman
Michael Moody took David McDade and Randy Thompson three-wide on a lap 5 restart and emerged with the lead and held on to take the checkered flag first in a wreck-filled Bob’ Speed Shop Sportsman feature race on Saturday night at Mobile International Speedway.
But Moody was disqualified in post-race technical inspection and will not be awarded championship points. Randy Thompson, who originally finished second, will be credited with the win. Thompson, the 2011 sportsman track champion, becomes the fourth different of the season.
Chad Robinson entered the night on a five-race winning streak but was caught up in several of the night’s key accidents. He finished 17th. Robinson and Moody won their respective heat races earlier in the night.
Alabama Pipe and Supply Modifieds
Donnie Hamrac started on the last row, but it made no difference as he came from last-to-first to dominate and win the Alabama Pipe and Supply Modified feature on Saturday night at Mobile International Speedway.
Hamrac and Gerald Wilkerson were the two fastest qualifiers and thus started at the rear of the field. It took just five laps for both drivers to get to the front and battle for the win over the final 15 laps. Hamrac was able to build up a two-car length lead and maintained it over the final green flag stretch to win his second race of the season.
Modified Heat Races
Donald Crocker completed one of the most emotional victories in the history of Mobile International Speedway, winning Saturday’s first modified heat just seven days after his mother passed away.
Crocker started second and immediately made the move for the lead over Brandon Howell and never looked back. Crocker was also allowed to pace the field prior to the start of the feature in his mother’s memory. Okie Mason led seven of eight laps of heat No. 1 to win his preliminary race.
Action continues at Mobile International Speedway, as the track prepares for Round 4 of the Miller Lite Super Late Model Series with a 100 laps of green flag racing for the Super Late Models and features for the Bob’s Speed Shop Sportsman, Praytor Realty Super Stocks-Trucks, and Island Motor II Bombers divisions.
For more info, visit MobileSpeedway.net.
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