Butler takes Birthday Win at Hickory Motor Speedway

 

(July 12, 2021) - The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series returned to the famed 3/8 mile oval at Hickory Motor Speedway with an action packed night of racing.

The Heritage Finance Street Stocks would hit the track first with race number one of their twin 20 lap doubleheader. Jesse Clark in the #5 would set fast time in qualifying and start from the top spot with Derek Fowler in the #31 second fast starting to his outside. Row two would see Marshall Sutton in the #64 and John Clark in the #5 side by side for the start. Jesse Clark would move to the early lead with Fowler, Sutton, and John Clark all wanting the top spot as well. The halfway point would see Jesse Clark, Fowler, Sutton, John Clark, and Ethan Johnson in the #2 as the top five. Jesse Clark would prove too strong and drive on to take the win. Fowler would finish 2nd with Sutton taking 3rd. John Clark would finish 4th and Cody DeMarmels in the #7 would grab a top five in 5th.

The Paramount Auto Group Limited Late Models would hit the track next for 50 laps in Round #7 of the Paramount Kia ’BIG 10’ Racing Challenge. Qualifying would be led by Max Price in the #22 who would start from the pole position with Akinori Ogata in the #14 to his outside. Mason Maggio in the #12 and Josh Stark in the #32 would make up row two for the start. Price and Ogata would duel door to door for the lead before Price would nose ahead. Maggio would pressure Ogata and move around for second. Ogata would move down to avoid losing anymore spots as Stark would nose to his inside. Stark would spin to avoid contact and bring out the caution. Price and Ogata would bring the field back to the green flag. Price would move back to the point with Ogata and Maggio battling for second. Stark would spin and bring out the caution on lap 7. The restart would see Price and Ogata door to door for the green flag. Price would pull back to the lead as Ogata and Maggio would battle it out for second. The pair would swap positions twice as the #24 of Bryson Ruff would pull up to challenge. Lap 20 would see Ruff move to third around Maggio. The #23 of Reilly Doyle would spin on the front stretch and bring out the caution on lap 20. The restart would see Price and Ogata side by side once again. Price would pull to the lead as Ogata and Ruff would battle for second. Ruff would take the spot as Ogata would settle into third. Maggio and Stark would battle for fourth and as caution would come out on lap 22. Price and Ruff would pace the field back to the green flag. Price would move to the point as Ogata would challenge Ruff for second. Ruff would take the spot and Ogata would face a challenge from Maggio for third. Maggio would move around for the spot, but see Ogata quickly challenge back for the position. Lap 30 would see Ogata move back around to take the spot as Maggio would settle in close behind. Price would drive on to take the win. Ruff would finish 2nd while Ogata would take a hard fought 3rd. Maggio would finish 4th and Doyle would finish 5th.

The Heritage Finance Late Models would roll off next for 75 laps of door to door action.  Sam Butler in the #81 would set fast time in qualifying and start from the top spot with Kaylee Bryson in the #1 second fast starting to his outside. Row two would see Ryan Millington in the #15 and Thomas Beane in the #31 side by side for the start. Butler would move to the point but be pressured by Beane for the early lead. Butler would pull ahead as Beane would be challenged for second by Millington. Millington would make the pass on lap 14 and set sail for the leader Butler. The #1 of Andrew Grady would pull to the pits on lap 20 as the field would stay under the green flag. Chase Janes in the #47 would move around points leader Josh Kossek in the #44 on lap 27 for fifth position. The battle for third would be spirited with Beane facing a challenge from Isabella Robusto in the #55. Lap 33 would see Robusto slow dramatically and pull to pit road with mechanical problems, ending her bid for a podium finish. The halfway point would see Butler, Millington, Beane, Janes, and Kossek as the top five. Janes would drive up to Beane’s bumper and give pressure for third. The battle for fifth would see the #22 of Whitney Meggs pressuring Kossek for the spot. Lap 63 would see Meggs take the spot. Butler would prove too tough on the night and drive on to the win. Millington would finish 2nd and Beane would grab 3rd. Janes would settle for 4th and Meggs would take 5th.

The Heritage Finance Street Stocks would finish out the night’s action with their second 20 lap feature of their doubleheader. Qualifying would be led by Jesse Clark in the #5 as he would start from the pole position with Ethan Johnson in the #2 to his outside. Marshall Sutton in the #64 and Derek Fowler in the #31 would make up row two for the start. Johnson would suffer damage in race one and be unable to race the second race. Fowler would nose slightly ahead on the backstretch, but Jesse Clark would motor by him in turn three to take the top spot. Jesse Clark, Fowler, Sutton, Cody DeMarmels in the #7, and John Clark in the #5 would make up the top five at the halfway point. Jesse Clark would complete the sweep and take the win. Fowler would finish 2nd and Sutton would take 3rd. John Clark would grab 4th and DeMarmels would come home 5th.

Next week will see the heavy metal hit the track as the FASS Big Rig Series rolls into town to make up their rained out event from June.

The NAAPWS rolls back into action in two weeks, on July 24th, with Matt DiBenedetto night at the races. The night will also see Dexter Canipe Sr. come out of retirement as he runs one last time against his son, Dexter Canipe Jr.

For more info check us out at www.hickorymotorspeedway.com, Facebook, Twitter, or call 828-464-3655.