Posted by Langley Austin on October 8, 2007, 9:52 pm
Board Administrator

Fall Brawl, A Crown Jewel Race for Late Model Stock Cars by: Langley Austin/RACE22.com Hickory, NC ~ When Late Model Stock Car race enthuiast think about the Crown Jewel events of the season most look to the big three, Martinsville, South Boston and Myrtle Beach, but western North Carolina drivers will tell you that Hickory Motor Speedway's Fall Brawl is one of the events every Late Model Stock Car driver wants to win. NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Chase for the Cup contender, Denny Hamlin won the event in 2003 and many other big names are on the list of winners and this weekend there will likely be twenty-five to forty of the best Late Model Stock Car racers going for the prestigous victory. Last year, BJ Mackey added his name to the list by winning the event in his first season of racing Late Model Stock Cars. Mackey this year tried to add his name to the list of Bobby Isaac Memorial winners back on Labor Day weekend, but while running second fell victim to a transmission leak. With all the out of town racers coming in from other tracks and series, the local drivers are looking to take home the crown themselves including three time race winner this season, Chrissy Wallace, daughter of NASCAR Busch Series driver, Mike Wallace. Wallace has been on fire most of this season, first becoming the first female driver to win a Late Model Stock Car race at Hickory Motor Speedway and then backing it up with two more feature wins. Wallace also put on an incredible show in the Bobby Isaac Memorial race pitting several times during the race and racing through the field each time and then finishing third. Other local drivers looking for good runs in the Fall Brawl this weekend is 2007 track champion, Andy Loden, who has won 10 races this season as well as Kyle Grissom, who finished in the runner-up position to Loden in the Bobby Isaac Memorial 200. Other local drivers expected to enter include Duncan and Patrick Molesworth, Willy Evernham, Kyle Moon and Chris Lawson among others. Some of the UARA-STARS Series regulars are expected to attempt to run the Fall Brawl this weekend, but many of those drivers will be running the Mid-Atlantic Championship this weekend at Caraway Speedway as they prepare for the series to visit Caraway on November 3rd. PEPSI will once again sponsor the Fall Brawl this year and will have something special for the fans in attendance this weekend with the first public appearance for the new AMP Energy Drink #88 Chevrolet Impala that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will drive next season as well as have Mountain Dew/Dale Jr. giveaways for the fans. The Late Model Stock Car racers will also be in for a treat if they can win the $5,000 prize money as they will also be given a custom designed trophy by XTREME Trophies that measures 51" tall made of walnut and lucite and incorporates the "Brawl" theme by having a heavyweight championship belt and a boxing glove made into the trophy. The special annual event is a two day event starting on Saturday, October 13th with practice and qualifying for the Late Model Stock Cars as well as a special exhibition race for the "Old School Racing Series", which is a brand new racing series featuring cars that previously ran in the USAR Hooters Pro-Cup Series, but no longer meets the series specs, but is still plenty capable of competing at a high level and putting on a great show for the fans. Practice starts at 11am on Saturday with qualifying scheduled for 2pm and the "Old School Racing Series" event scheduled for 3pm. On Sunday afternoon they'll crank it up at 12:30 with an on track autograph session for the fans and the racing begins at 1:30pm. The first race of the day will be a 20-lap "Last Chance" race for the Late Model Stock Cars(if more than 32 cars attempt to make the field) followed by a 50-lap Late Model Truck race, then 250-laps for the Late Model Stock Cars and finishing up with a 50-lap Limited Late Model feature. If you need more information be sure to check out www.hickorymotorspeedway.com PREVIOUS WINNERS of the FALL BRAWL: 2001 - Keith Bumgarner 2002 - Dennis Setzer 2003 - Denny Hamlin 2004 - Matt McCall 2005 - Jamie Yelton 2006 - BJ Mackey 2007 - ????????