Local driver wins state UCAR title

Published 9:19 pm Monday, October 13, 2008

HAMPTON – Suffolk’s Adam Florian took the lead on lap 25 and showed the way to his second straight win, picking up the victory in the 75-lap Virginia State UCAR Championship race on Saturday night at Langley Speedway.

Allen Dail started on the pole, at 71.862 mph, and paced the first six circuits before giving way to Chris Hildebrand on lap seven. On lap 10, Florian, who started fifth, teamed up with Renno Marchetti IV to bypass Dail and take over second place.

After caution flags at laps 13, 19 and 24, Florian and Marchetti again joined forces to overhaul Hildebrand at the start/finish line.

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The race was a hard-hitting affair, as the yellow flag appeared nine times. By the end, more than half of the 30-car starting field was parked in the pit area.

During the last 50 circuits, Florian and Marchetti circled the track in tight formation, with Marchetti just waiting for the leader to slip. Florian held a firm grip on the lead, however, and actually gained his largest separation in the closing laps.

At the finish, Florian was the winner by two lengths over Marchetti. Doug Hockaday was third to the line, while Michael Chapman and Robbie Salas completed the top five.

Tommy Sweeney grabbed the lead on the 66th circuit, survived two late restarts, and rolled to the win in the McDonald’s 75 for the Bass Pro Shops Super Streets, the featured event of Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program.

Anthony Kincaid was the fast qualifier and led the first 65 laps. On lap 66, Sweeney forced his way to the inside of Kincaid in Turns 1 and 2, launching a bid for the lead. Returning to the stripe, Sweeney was the new leader by a nose.

Before lap 74 was in the books, the seventh caution flag of the race appeared, setting up a two-lap sprint to the finish. As the field gathered, Sweeney enjoyed a two-car buffer between himself and Kincaid. He took full advantage of the situation, darting out to a five-length lead.

A single-car spin in Turn 4 prompted the eighth, and final, caution flag and bunched the field for another try at a “green-white-checkered” finish. This time, only one lapped machine separated the first- and second-place drivers.

On the final circuit, Sweeney and Kincaid made contact in Turn 2. Sweeney refused to become rattled, however, and held on to win by a single car-length.

Dannie Wyatt moved out front on lap 6 and rolled to his sixth victory of the season in the 20-lap King of Champ Karts race. 

Justin Brashears took the lead on lap 30 and sped to the win in the 40-lap Standard Welding Pro 6 feature.

George VanGuilder started on the pole and led all the way to win in a 35-lapper for the Wolf Contractors Wolf Trucks.