Prillaman, Florian, Alvis claim Arena wins

Published 9:56 pm Tuesday, December 2, 2008

HAMPTON — A week after failing to advance to the Top Dog race for the first time in almost two years, Suffolk’s Scott Prillaman returned to Victory Lane as he posted his second Top Dog win of the season in the 50-lap finale of Arena Racing USA’s Hampton Roads series on Saturday at the Hampton Coliseum.

Greg Pass was the pole-sitter for the start of the event and grabbed the lead as the field rolled into Turn 1 for the first time.

On lap 22, Prillaman swept by on the outside of Pass through Turns 3 and 4 to take over the lead. Following his teammate’s cue, Adam Florian also went to the high side and pulled into second place on lap 28.

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The second, and final, yellow flag waved on lap 30 when Aaron Leach looped his machine in Turn 4. As the race resumed, Prillaman and Florian broke away from the pack.

Florian pushed his machine to the front for the first time on lap 36. He drove to the inside of Prillaman in Turn 2 and nosed ahead at the line. Prillaman refused to yield the position without a fight, though, and returned to the front on lap 38, clearing Florian on lap 42.

With Prillaman and Florian locked in a door-to-door duel, Charlie Green, Spencer Saunders and Derek Miller closed in to make it a five-car battle at the front.

Florian launched his last bid for the win on lap 45, again pulling to the inside of Prillaman. The two were side-by-side all the way to the finish with Prillaman winning by half a car-length. Saunders was third to the line, while Miller was fourth. Green ended up fifth.

Driver’s Adam Florian moved out front on lap 22 and cruised to his second A Main victory of the season in a 50-lap event.

Curtis Hughes drew the pole for the start and cleared outside pole-sitter Robbie Davis off Turn 4 on the opening lap. Florian, who started third, bypassed Davis to take over second place.

On lap 5, Florian poked a fender alongside Hughes off the fourth corner. The two raced side-by-side until lap 18 when the first caution flag flew. Throughout their duel, Florian was able to pull up to Hughes’ door with the leader using the momentum off the top side to hang onto the top spot each time they returned to the line.

After a caution flag, the second one of the race, on lap 23, Florian set sail, quickly fashioning a two-length edge over Hughes.

The last of the race’s four yellow flags waved on lap 42. On the final restart, Florian pulled away from Miller by a little more than a car-length and he maintained that margin to the checkers.

Carrollton’s Denver Alvis started on the pole and wired the field to post his first win in the 50-lap B Main.

As the race got under way, Alvis roared into the lead, pulling ahead of Mike Dayton, his front-row partner.

Caution flags waved on laps 27 and 28, bunching the field. Preparing to go back to green, Alvis, Aaron Leach, Craig Carlton and Brittany Bangas held the top four spots.

The running order at the front remained the same until lap 46 when Mike Weddell tried to overtake Bangas for fourth. The two tangled and Bangas spun in Turn 4, prompting the last of the race’s five yellow flags.

On the final restart, Alvis and Leach again bolted from the pack, looking to make the battle for the win a two-way affair. At the checkers, Alvis was the winner, hanging on to beat Leach by a car-length.

Charlie Green took the lead on lap 28 and showed the way to his first feature victory of the season in the 50-lap C Main.