Smith, Saunders sweep Langley

Published 11:00 pm Thursday, August 29, 2013

Spencer Saunders, second from left, driver of the Saunders Family Racing Team car, celebrates with family and crew after his win in the second of the Twin 25s in the INEX Legends Series at the Langley Speedway on Saturday. The win gave Spencer a three-point lead and the 2013 track championship as the Legends closed out its 2013 season. (Bill Carr/MotorSports Photo News Service)

Spencer Saunders, second from left, driver of the Saunders Family Racing Team car, celebrates with family and crew after his win in the second of the Twin 25s in the INEX Legends Series at the Langley Speedway on Saturday. The win gave Spencer a three-point lead and the 2013 track championship as the Legends closed out its 2013 season. (Bill Carr/MotorSports Photo News Service)

Nick Smith notched his seventh and eighth victories, sweeping both ends of the Twin-63s for the Late Model Stock Car class in Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program at Langley Speedway.

Smith started the first race from the pole, at 90.023 mph, and led all the way, surviving a pair of late restarts en route to the win. Greg Edwards was second to the line, nearly half a straightaway behind the winner.

Points leader C.E. Falk rebounded from a spin on lap 54 to finish third, nipping fourth-place Matt Waltz at the checkers. Casey Wyatt was fifth.

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By virtue of his win in the opener, Smith also started the nightcap from the pole. After an early caution period, Smith eased away from the pack, stretching his lead to better than half a straightaway.

That margin vanished when the second yellow flag flew on lap 60. On the final restart, Smith fought off a bid from Waltz, and then outdistanced Falk to win by three lengths.

Falk was second, wrapping up his fourth Langley Late Model crown in the process. Edwards was third, followed by Waltz and Wyatt.

With one race left on the 2013 Late Model schedule, Falk holds an insurmountable 48-point edge over second-place Smith and locks up the late model championship for the fourth time.

Spencer Saunders posted his first two wins as the INEX Legends closed out their 2013 campaign with Twin-25s.

In the first race, a national qualifying event, Saunders took the lead on lap five and showed the way to the checkers. Chris Hildebrand, Tommy Jackson Jr., Cody Scott and Matt Dail rounded out the top five.

In the second race, Saunders led all the way from the pole to complete the sweep. Jackson was the runner-up, followed by Steve Keesee, Connor Hall and Scott.

With the victories, Saunders overcame a six-point deficit and claimed the division championship by three points over Hall, 224-221.