SCARBROUGH MAKES IT 2-FOR-2 IN THE RTM SERIES
Full-time Langley driver and part-time RTM driver Joe Scarbrough became the first multiple winner of the 2008 season as he edged out fellow Langley driver Shawn Balluzzo Saturday night…both of them accomplished the feat the hard way.
The action began quickly at the fast flat Virginia oval when caution was waved for an incident involving Marlin Gunter, Joe Scarbrough, and Shawn Balluzzo on the third lap of the race. Gunter was hit from behind and spun end-first into the turn-1 wall pan caking the entire rear end of the #66 car. The impact was also damaging to the track itself, as the section of the wall that Gunter hit happened to be the entry gate to the track. The race was red flagged briefly as Gunter’s car was removed and the gate was repaired. Gunter was running second when the incident occurred. Scarbrough and Balluzzo were both sent to the rear of the field.
The green flag waved and AJ Winstead (who had started from the pole via inversion) pulled away with Billy Morris and Ronnie Davis hot on his trail. When on lap 11 Winstead, Morris, and Davis were all collected in a turn-3 wreck along with the lapped car of Rob Wells. After which both Morris and Davis retired from the event while miraculously Winstead managed to stay out and even more surprising stay in the lead position.
As the green flag waived once again, Winstead appeared to have not suffered any significant damage to his racecar again managed to stay in the lead and began growing a lead of several car lengths. Not to let AJ attempt to return to the dominance that he showed in the 2007 season, Langley driver Cameron Patrick positioned himself into second place and began methodically chipping away Winstead’s lead for over a 20-lap green period. That is until a resurgent Joe Scarbrough was able to work his way through the field (along with Balluzzo) and began challenging Patrick. Scarbrough successfully passed Patrick on lap 42 however it was all for not when Scarbrough was again involved in an incident when the lapped car of Gary Wheaton slid up into the rear quarter-panel of the #30 car spinning around in turn-4 and evaporating the advancement which he had tried so hard to make up.
Although this was a terrible break for Scarbrough, Patrick suddenly had opportunity land in his lap. Scarbrough was now behind his red & yellow #20 car, and Winstead had lost the distance he had built. As the green flag dropped, Winstead was unable to lose Patrick on the restart and the #20 Ford stayed with the leader ever carefully trying to pass him on the inside of the turns. Patrick and Winstead continued this dance for 29 laps until Patrick finally managed to get under the #99 in turn four of lap 72. Winstead wouldn’t let him go easily and the two of them ended up collected heading down the front stretch resulting in Patrick’s car popping a wheelie in front of the hometown crowd and leaving a lot of body damage to the #99. The skirmish unfortunately ended Patrick’s great run and resulted in the #99 car going to the back of the field.
Joe Scarbrough, who had recovered yet again from an earlier incident, now found himself as the leader with three laps to go. To his credit, Shawn Balluzzo who was sent to the rear after an incident on lap 3, had positioned himself into the second position. The green flag waved for the final time and Scarbrough headed towards the checkered with little challenge from Balluzzo or Aubrey Thurston. The #30 car made its way to the familiar victory lane of Langley Speedway and celebrated his win with the hometown fans. Exhausted and tired, Scarbrough had raced his way to the front from the rear of the field not once but twice.
Shawn Balluzzo came home in the runner-up position, followed by RTM regulars Aubrey Thurston, Hunter Slayton, and Doug Paasch to round out the top five. Due to another strong showing by both Thurston and Paasch, the overall season points have become very closely stacked. Doug Paasch is now tied with AJ Winstead for the lead, with Thurston in third place only fifteen points behind the duo.
The Rolling Thunder Modifieds presented by Red Man Moist Snuff leaves the coast of Virginia and will head West to the Blue Ridge Mountains in two weeks as the tour returns to Callaway, VA to compete at Franklin County Speedway on June 14th where the #30 team is scheduled to compete and will try to go 3-for-3 on the tour. But before that happens, it is back to business as usual at Langley next weekend for another edition of the B&C Seafood Modifieds at Langley Speedway.
Official Results:
- #30 Joe Scarbrough
- #02 Shawn Balluzzo
- #21 Aubrey Thurston
- #2 Doug Paasch
- #77 Hunter Slayton
- #99 AJ Winstead
- #06 Gary Wheaton -2 laps
- #27 Andy Kemp – 2 laps
- #20 Cameron Patrick - out
- #33 Rob Wells – 4 laps
- #2x Larry Penny – 4 laps
- #9 Tony Ingram – 6 laps
- #7 Tony Ingram II – 10 laps
- #55 Billy Morris – out
- #14 Ronnie Davis – out
- #43 Warren Lipford Jr. – out
- #66 Marlin Gunter – out
WD. #39 Toby Davis
Pole: #55 Billy Morris, 85.293 mph
