Posted by Langley Austin on October 7, 2007, 2:36 pm
Board Administrator

Greenville, SC ~ Brandon McCarson hadn't competed in a race since the UARA's visit to Greenville Pickens last season, but there was no rust on this young veteran driver as he wheeled his car into victory lane on a night that was tough on UARA regulars and points leaders. It was a big turn around for the UARA-STARS tour after their dissapointing trip to Franklin County Speedway two weeks ago where only 19 cars showed up and most of them left mad over one situation or another. The field was 35 strong and after a heat race widdled the field down to 28 things got even more exciting. 13 year-old rookie, Darrell Wallace, Jr. missed a gear on the start of the race while starting third and a chain reaction behind him caused a huge crash that damaged a huge chunk of the starting field that included third place points man, Ross Furr. Other points leaders Mark Setzer and BJ Mackey made it through this incident without damage, but the most amazing thing in this incident was when 16 year-old Rookie of the Year, Matt DiBenedetto, who started on Wallace's bumper got into the back of Wallace and then managed to get his car ahead of Wallace and made it through without damage. Also getting damage through this huge wreck was the cars of Marty Ward, Todd Goble, Clay Greenfield, Lucas Ransone and the incident took out the cars of Kevin Leicht, Barry Andrews, Matt Leicht, RA Brown, Randy Porter, Jake Crum and Blair Addis. Meanwhile outfront as the field continued under caution once the red flag was lifted was Sunoco Pole winner, Anthony Anders. Anders held the point for much of the race until another Greenville Pickens Speedway regular, Kenneth Headen took the point, but his stint out front was short lived as McCarson was on the prowl and hungry for the lead. McCarson took over the point as the two previous leaders began to free fall through the field. Once the cautions began to fall after the halfway point in the race the UARA regulars began to shine as Wallace, Roger Lee Newton and Furr began to make it through the field and into the front half of the field. Once Wallace discarded of Headen for second he began to close in on the leader and a caution with about ten laps to go would put him on McCarson's bumper for the restart. Wallace on the restart had nothing for McCarson as he fell back three or four car links and settled for second, his best career UARA-STARS finish. With McCarson taking the win and Wallace second provisional starter, Newton would come up to finish third surviving the 150 lap race. Local favorite and 2007 track champion, David Roberts came from deep in the field after winning the heat race despite starting in the rear of the field in the heat as well to finish fourth with Furr coming back from his major damage on the start of the race to finish fifth gaining several points on points leader, Setzer, who finished 12th and second place points runner, Mackey who finished tenth. Rounding out the top ten was DiBenedetto, Headen, outside pole sitter Matt McCall, Mikey Kile and Mackey. Despite ripping the entire front end off of his car on the start, Lee Tissot came home in 11th, two laps down, Setzer 12th, Daniel Pope II was 13th, Marty Ward 14th and Jimmy Mann, Jr rounded out the top fifteen. Complete Results: 1 - Brandon McCarson 2 - Darrell Wallace, Jr 3 - Roger Lee Newton 4 - David Roberts 5 - Ross Furr 6 - Matt DiBenedetto 7 - Kenneth Headen 8 - Matt McCall 9 - Mikey Kile 10 - BJ Mackey 11 - Lee Tissot 12 - Mark Setzer 13 - Daniel Pope II 14 - Marty Ward 15 - Jimmy Mann, Jr. 16 - Todd Goble 17 - Austin Dillon 18 - Clay Greenfield 19 - Lucas Ransone 20 - Anthony Anders 21 - Randy Hawkins 22 - Kevin Leicht 23 - Barry Andrews 24 - Matt Leicht 25 - RA Brown 26 - Randy Porter 27 - Jake Crum 28 - Blair Addis DNS Zeke Shell Casey Holt Scott Bishop Jimmy Doyle Stephen Gahagan, Jr. Stan Robinson Robbie Mew