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June 18, 2007 Hendersonville, NC Jake The Snake Takes
His First UARA Win at Coastal Plains Young Jake Crum followed up his great second place finish at Shenandoah going one up and taking the win quite impressively at Coastal Plains on Saturday 6-16-07. Crum proved to the crowd just how much stuff he had with his Marlowe built Five Star Chevy. His powerhouse was built by Darrell Diamond earning Diamond the Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race award. The UARA hit the road some 26 strong for the long haul and gave the crowd the show they anticipated. Mother Nature was kind indeed for the show with no rain this year. Kevin Leicht set the pace with the Sunoco Pole time of 15.976. Mark Setzer was close behind landing the Brisco Outside Pole of 16.003. Kevin Leicht took the lead on the green but only remained there for three laps before Mark Setzer took the point on lap 4 and appeared to be the man to beat holding that position for 62 laps. This race was a no holds barred type of event with action all through the field. At some points they were coming out of turn four three and four deep. The drivers were set on delivering some great racing without giving an inch. The field was fierce and plenty strong. It was any man’s show and they all wanted that top spot. Melling Select Rookie leader Matt DiBenedetto sees his evening ending as his car erupts down the backstretch with engine problems. DiBenedetto will however retain the Melling Select lead. Second place rookie Daniel PopeII had his hands full during the night as well but will remain in second. Matt Leicht will move from 5th to 3rd in the rookie standings. When the night is finished young Casey Holt will come home victorious as the Melling Select Rookie of the Race winner with his best UARA finish thus far in 2007 of 10th. This nights first of seven cautions falls on lap 8 when the car of C.E. Falk spins in turn four after getting into some of the fluids dropped by the DiBenedetto car. The front runners of Setzer, Alex Yontz, Kevin Leicht, Ross Furr and Jake Crum are doing some serious racing when caution 2 falls on lap 25. Matt Lassiter making his first run with the UARA-STARS for 2007 finds the wall in turn two and watches as the field flies by him. Lassiter’s evening will end there. By lap 35 the leader group has several changes within the top six as Setzer sets the pace up front getting a small lead. Furr passes Yontz for second followed by Crum and Roger Lee Newton dropping pole setter Kevin Leicht to 6th. Leicht has his hands full of machine as four laps later B.J. Mackey and Lucas Ransone roar past him. Ransone’s car seems to be the one on the move at this point after qualifying 17th. A few laps later the Crum machine blasts out to second with the Setzer car in his sights. Crum is cutting Setzer’s lead down and by lap 62 is looking to make a move. They run side by side a couple of laps and Crum takes the lead on lap 66. Caution three falls on lap 68 when the Daniel Pope II car spins on the backstretch. Crum and Setzer set sail on the green with Yontz, Furr, Newton, Ransone and Mackey fighting with all they got for position three. These drivers really have it going and catch back up to Setzer as Crum drives on to a good lead. Yontz takes the second spot from Setzer and then the freight train is on from there. Ransone, Furr, Newton, Mackey, Kevin Leicht and Lee Tissot look like they are all joined on a string as the fly around the speedway. A short distance behind that group Matt Leicht, Barry Andrews, and Joey Miller are fighting a battle of their own. Andrews will take the spot followed by Miller. The action doesn’t stop there as Ryan Salomon, Johnny Gottsacker and Casey Holt have a race of their own as well. Gottsacker gets high in turn one and makes contact with the wall leaving his fender up against the wall out of the racing groove. Officials decided that this was no danger to the racers so the caution doesn’t fly and the show goes on. Gottsacker will earn the ARP Hard Luck Award for the night. Meanwhile out front Jake Crum has a sizeable lead and Ransone has progressed to the 3rd position. Caution four falls when Casey Holt spins in turn two on lap 110. After the restart Ransone passes Yontz for second followed by Roger Lee Newton who in turn passes Yontz and Ransone. These guys are on a mission and giving it their all when Ransone does a 360 out of turn four down the front stretch bringing out caution number five on lap 119. Ransone does some agricultural driving past the start finish line and keeps on digging to blend right back in with the field loosing only about three positions. This will earn Ransone the Tri County Graphic Solutions “Smooth Move of the Race” award. The freight train begins again but shortly thereafter caution six flies on lap 129 as the Joey Miller car spins on the backstretch. Ransone is still showing his strength but has only 13 laps to go with Crum setting sail with no intention of giving up an inch of his lead to anyone. The final caution of the night comes on lap 140 as Ross Furr spins on the front stretch during this intense action ending his hopes of another top five finishes. The event ends with a reversal of the Shenandoah top two. Crum comes home victorious claiming the RE Suspension winner award and Roger Lee Newton claims the Racing Electronics Second to None award for second position. Barry Andrews comes home winning the Holley Performer of the Race Award after gaining 18 positions during the night and coming home with his best finish of 2007 at 6th place. Other awards: Nut Slinger: 1st Jake Crum, 2nd Roger Lee Newton, 10th Casey Holt Hypercoil: 3rd Kevin Leicht Circle Wheel: 4th Alex Yontz Sonic: Most Lap Leader Jake Crum, 5th Lucas Ransone, 10th Casey Holt Performance Tees: 6th Barry Andrews Joe Gibbs Oil: 7th B.J. Mackey KLB Race Cars & Parts “Git r Done”: 8th Lee Tissot Fidelity Printing Hero Cards: 9th Zeke Shell CV Products: 4th Alex Yontz, 11th Mark Setzer The UARA-STARS will be in action again at Ace Speedway June 29, 2007 for the Strut Masters 227. For more info visit www.uara-stars.com or call 828-692-3833 Press Release by: Wink Bodenhamer
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