Yeatts Picks Up Opening Night Feature Win .
Kevin Yeatts from Powatan Va. continued his dominance at the Old Dominion
Speedway Saturday night as he picked up the win in the Legends Cars Of Northern Virginia
40 lap feature for the motorcycle powered machines. Yeatts started on the outside of row
one, and grabbed the lead entering the first turn on the initial lap, and held on for the
win, and went home with the $1000.00 purse.
Qualifying was led by Mike Gwaltney from Richmond Va., making a rare appearance at ODS.
His lap of 17.365 (77.741 mph) was good enough for the pole, and was a track record for
the Legends cars. Yeatts was a tick slower with lap of 17.565. The green waved over the 30
car field, and Yeatts darted out in front entering turn one. Gwaltney followed closely
behind for the entire 40 lap event, but was never able to edge closer than the rear tire
of the #27 machine of Yeatts. " My car got a bit loose towards the end of the event.
I knew if I was going to pass Kevin, it would have to have been on the outside. I bumped
him a few times, but Kevein ran a perfect race, and I congratulate him. I waited for him
to slip, but that never happened," Gwaltney said. Yeatts also had nothing but praise
for Gwaltney. "He wore me out. Every time I would look in the mirror, he was right
there. He ran an extremely clean race, and I appreciate that. Had this race been 42 laps,
well, I might not have made it," Yeatts added. The win was the perfect cure for
Yeatts, who last season had the track championship in his grasp. But a motor that went
south early in the final race of the year dropped him to the second spot at seasons end.
Rounding out the top 10 were Darren Scherer, Brian Dillon, James Ramsey, Kyle Hendershott,
Nick Carlson, Billy Simmons, Dave Hendershott, and Steve Ramsey. The first ever Legends
only night was marred by chilly temperatures, but the fans did enjoy some close racing
throughout the event. In all, 6 states were represented from the 40 cars that attended.
The BDE Racing Series Mini Cup cars were also on the schedule, and it was 15 year old Curt
Tori who led flag to flag to take home the win in the 30 lap event. Tori started on the
pole with a fast lap of 19.312 (69.867 mph) and took the lead from the start. David
Miller, who started back in the field, charged to the front and appeared to have enough to
overtake Tori, but lapped traffic with just 3 laps to go gave Tori the advantage he needed
to take the win. Crossing the stripe behind Tori and Miller were 2000 track champ Pete
Neimier, Jacob Coffin, and Mark Weeks.
Next Saturday night, the Old Dominion Speedway hosts a 100 lap feature for the NASCAR
Weekly Racing Series Late Model Stock Cars, a 50 lap feature for the Redman Fleet Service
Grand Stocks, 30 laps for the D&K Electric / Aldie Construction Mini Stocks, and 25
laps for the Gaston Automotive Speedway Sportsman. Lustine Chevrolet Quick Qualifying
begins at 5:15 PM, with racing action set for 7:00 PM.