AUTO RACING: Stocks rise at Bristol Motor Speedway

Page 1C, 4-6-08

BY ALLEN GREGORY

BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

BRISTOL, Tenn. — There were crazy crashes, three-wide passes and standing ovations.

Welcome to the debut of the four-race Saturday Spectacular series at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Todd Kempf, a veteran weekly racer from Huntingtonburg, Ind., emerged as the star with his victory in the Frank Kimmel Street Stock 150. Kempf led every lap of the featured event, which was shortened to 75 laps due to rain.

"This is awesome," Kempf said. "If Jack Roush will give me a call, I will drive a [Sprint] Cup car for him.’’

The top three finishers were all former track champions at Salem Speedway, a famed Indiana track with high banks similar to BMS.

However, the car of runner-up Alan Huddleston was disqualified after the race for failing to use a device intended to limit the RPMs on his car.

Kempf, who weaved through several multi-car wrecks, used basically the same setup he relies on at Salem.

"We were the fastest in qualifying, in practice and on the track. We just hit the setup right," said Kempf, who posted a lap of 18.450 in qualifying.

Joe Williamson, a Shepherdsville, Ky. resident, who also competes in drag racing, was credited with a runner-up finish, with Jason Leatherwood (Waynesville, N.C.) in third.

A total of 54 cars competed in the race, and there was plenty of drama.

The mayhem began on Lap 7, when nine cars were involved in a incident on the back stretch. Multi-time Lonesome Pine Raceway champion Roger Neece (Clintwood) was among the drivers involved.

More suspense followed, as drivers used all sorts of racing lines. Alabama’s Marty Bean delivered the highlight sequence on Lap 43, when his car flipped over twice.

"I actually had one wreck in Alabama where I flipped the car five times after an axle broke, but the car didn’t get as high as this one did," Bean said.

Bean, who was not injured Saturday, described his misfortune.

"We were coming into Turn 3 three wide," Bean said. "The car on the inside tapped me. I held my line, then it looked like the car on the outside went up the hill before coming down and clipping my quarter panel

"That sent our car head-first into the wall. It was hang-on after that. Things got dizzy for a second. Hopefully, we can a highlight film out of that.’’

While his competitors were gradually forced out of the race, Kempf managed to work around slower cars while using both the high and low grooves. And Huddleston actually pulled off a rare four-wide pass.

"I used to run dirt enduro, that’s where I got all that practice in traffic," Kempf said. "My car was heating up at times. I wasn’t about to pull over, though."

Kempf, who gave his age as "a little over 40," is a two-time Super Stock champion at Salem Speedway, and also has experience at the high-banked track in Winchester, Ind. He celebrated his victory with burnouts and a victory lap in the rain.

"We brought an awesome car and had a lot of fun," Kempf said.

Jamie Whitt (Wise) finished 20th, while Meadowview’s Duke Bare (44th) and Neece (49th) were handicapped by mechanical issues.

Several of the cars featured paint schemes nearly identical to old Sprint Cup car.

"It was a really interesting race," said Frank Kimmel, mastermind of the Street Stock concept. "I hated the rain came because the action was really beginning to heat up.

"And I think we had a pretty daggone crowd considering all the obstacles we were up against. We hope to do even better next time."

Will Smith (Raleigh, N.C.) won the 15-lap Modified 4 cylinder event which featured just four cars. Smith, who drove a Ford Mustang, wore a driver’s uniform formerly worn by NASCAR Sprint Cup regular Scott Riggs.

"I got that for $75 on e-bay," Smith said. "I was a good deal."

Smith has experience with a variety of cars and tracks, including BMS. He held off his North Carolina rival Randy Freeze Saturday despite battling an injured hand which features 10 screws.

"I’ve watched Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt race here," Smith said. "To win here makes you feel 10 feet tall. It’s amazing."

Smith plans to return on BMS on Aug. 9 for the final Saturday Spectacular show which will feature the ASA Late Model series.

Abingdon’s Hershell Robinette experienced mechanical problems early in the Mod-4 race.

While the scheduled trailer race was doomed by the rain, the demonstration by the Bristol-based War Wizard Monster Truck earned a loud crowd response.

Driver Randy Moore performed a wheelie and jumped three buses with alcohol-burning, supercharged creation powered by tires that measure 43 inches wide.

"Big rubber and water don’t mix, but we still had an awesome time," Moore said.

In Bristol Dragway news, Saturday’s Southern Outlaw Tour event at was postponed by rain. That event has been reset for Oct. 10-12.

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