Posted by Langley Austin on November 9, 2007, 3:13 pm
Board Administrator

Asheboro, NC ~ While Ross Furr was busy collecting congratulations and celebrating his championship and the teams of Roger Lee Newton and Jake Crum were busy arguing, BJ Mackey was celebrating with his new team in victory lane at Caraway Speedway. In what might just turn out to be Mackey's final run behind the wheel of a UARA sanctioned Late Model Stock Car race the veteran driver showed his competitors why he calls the 1/2 mile speedplant in Asheboro, NC his home as he led the race flag to flag behind the wheel of a Lucas Ransone Racing Chevrolet for only the second time this season. Mackey, who began the season driving for MGM Racing and team owner, Allen McClellan and even drove to two wins for his former team was let go from the ride when McClellan decided to quit racing to spend time with his family. The decision temporarily left Mackey without a ride to finish the UARA season in with only two races to go while he was contending for the championship. Mackey, who is just about as good turning the wrenches on these Late Model Stock Cars as he is driving, then took a job to crew chief for 17 year-old, Lucas Ransone, a job that would also allow him not only to finish out the season in the UARA, but also run some of the bigger Late Model Stock Car races next season. Mackey was excited about the venture into the new job and his job for Ransone showed immediate results at Caraway Speedway with Lucas Ransone being one of the fastest cars on the track during the midpoint of the race before getting spun down the back straightaway. Mackey's dominating performance started off with he and Mark Setzer making contact on the first lap of the race, which resulted in Setzer losing control of his racer and ending up nose first into the outside wall in turn two, but not making much contact with the wall. Setzer, who was the points leader now found himself back in the back of the pack on the first restart of the day, but he wasn't alone his closest contender for the championship, Ross Furr was already back there after a bizarre qualifying crash. Furr was crashed during his qualifying run, when Ryan Salomon, a rookie on the tour this season spun in turn two on his one and only lap of qualifying after he was penalized a lap in qualifying, turned around on the track after he went down the pit access road in turns three and four. The crash resulted in a heated exchange between the two drivers and crews, but when the dust settled Furr qualified 18th thus putting him near the rear of the field. The first lap altercation with Setzer put Mackey in a position to capitolize on the points championship as he would be the leader if the race had ended during the lap three red flag, but obviously the race, raced on. Mackey and Setzer had totally opposing views of the first lap incident with Setzer claiming that he was run into by Mackey and Mackey saying he felt contact from behind and wasn't sure what happened to Setzer as UARA announcer, Alan Dietz interviewed them under the red flag on in car communications provided by Racing Electronics. When the race resumed Mackey put a little distance on the field as Caraway Speedway local, Travis Swaim and former UARA-STARS series champion, Jason York made their way through the field to positions two and three respectively. York and Swaim would battle for second for several laps before contact was made and Swaim ended up crashed and unable to continue. After the track was cleaned and the race was resumed York could stay with Mackey for the lead, but was unable to get a fender a long side him. While Mackey was busy lapping cars, York wasn't having as much cooperation out of the lapped cars and found himself sandwiched between another former UARA-STARS series champion, Lee Tissot and former Concord Motorsport Park champion, Shane Bradford. As the trio exited turn two York ends up spun with Tissot and Bradford able to continue after Tissot got into the side fo York. York continued, but parked the car shortly after this incident. Shortly after the halfway point Mackey got his one and only challenge when 2007 Melling Select Rookie of the Year, Matt DiBenedetto got along side him on a restart, but DiBenedetto didn't have enough to stay there and fell back settling for second in the end. With Mackey out front the cautions were flying often and with six laps to go Todd Goble spun as he tried to stay out in front of the points championship battle between Furr and Setzer as those two cars closed in on him. Furr and Setzer both missed Goble's car as it spun and would be ready to go for a green, white, checkered finish. Furr got the jump on Setzer on the restart as the duo headed for turn one, but as the reach the corner, both drivers cars got sideways, but both collected themselves and continued on. As they raced toward turn three Roger Lee Newton and Jake Crum got together and Crum lost control crashing hard in turn three and in the mess Setzer was taken out as Furr narrowily missed the crash and continued on back to the caution. Mackey meanwhile crusied back to the caution, which would end the Marlowe Racing Chassis 150 with Mackey in victory lane behind the wheel of a Marlowe Racing Chassis and it would be a one two sweep for Marlowe as DiBenedetto finished second in another one of his cars. Newton came away from the incident with Crum without major damage and would finish third just ahead of Matt McCall, who had a close call in the final lap crash and Furr finished fifth and claiming the 2007 UARA-STARS Series championship. After the crash Setzer wound up 15th, originally credited with 16th and Crum, who was third on the final restart would be credited with a 16th place finish and would leave with a heavily damaged car. Zeke Shell in one of his best finishes of the season wound up sixth followed by Daniel Pope II, Lucas Ransone, Paddy Rodenbeck and Clay Greenfield rounding out the top ten finishers. For Mackey the dominating performance wasn't enough to help him overcome the fifty point deficit that he came in with as he trailed Setzer. Mackey although was credited with second in the points after he and Setzer tied for second position trailing Furr after the calculations were finalized by twenty points. Mackey was given second over Setzer due to his series leading three wins and Setzers lone victory.