By Gary Daughtrey
Special to the News-Herald

HAMPTON — With a pair of former champions in his mirror, Brad Hancock turned in a dominating performance to win the 40-lap INEX Legends Fall Classic for the Cycle City Corp. Legends Cars, the headlining event of Saturday’s racing at Langley Speedway.

Hancock earned the pole position with a lap at 79.659 mph. Nick Smith was second-fastest.

As the race got under way, Hancock and Smith sped door-to-door into Turns 1 and 2. Exiting the second corner, Hancock gained the upper hand.

Steve Ward, Cameron Patrick and Woody Howard made for a four-way battle for second by lap 3. The joust for second allowed Hancock to drive off by half a straightaway.

The race’s only caution flag flew on lap 15 when Ward took a hard run to the inside of Patrick at the entrance to Turn 1. The two made contact and spun.

As the event resumed, Smith rode Hancock’s bumper until they reached the second corner. Spilling onto the backstretch, Hancock opened a two-length advantage, then began to ease away.

By the halfway mark, his lead had grown to six lengths over Smith, Howard and Steve Keesee, who were nose-to-tail.

At the finish, Hancock was the winner by 2.289 seconds — better than half a straightaway — over Smith. Howard was third to the stripe, followed by Keesee and Spencer Saunders.

“We didn’t have to worry about the points. The past couple of races, we’ve been stressing about the points. We’ve got a lead and we’ve made some mistakes and this was a night that we could come out here and kinda just let it all hang out,“ Hancock said in Victory Lane.

“Nick and Woody, man, they’re two of the best to ever sit in a Legends Car, period. I mean, they’re the best. And, to beat them like we did and to have a run like that, it’s awesome. It feels good,“ Hancock said.

The win, which was worth $2,000, was Hancock’s fourth of the season at Langley and, while it didn’t count in the championship standings, it does provide him with a boost of momentum heading into the Oct. 22 season finale. He owns a 22-point lead over Keesee and can nail down the title by finishing 11th or better in the last event.

In the evening’s other featured events:

Closing in on a track title, Tommy Nixon assumed the lead on lap 16 and showed the way to his seventh win of the season in the 25-lap Larry King Law Super Truck feature. The Super Trucks will conclude their 2011 season next Saturday.

Landon Florian started on the pole and wired the field for his eighth victory of the season in a 25-lapper for the EZ Auto of Newport News UCARs.

The UCARs will complete their season with Twin 20s on Oct. 22. Florian can seal the championship with a pair of 15th-place runs on the final night.

In the 30-lap Standard Welding Pro Six race, Doug Warren qualified on the pole and smoked the field, leading all the way for his seventh win of the year.

The final Pro Six race is slated for Saturday. Warren goes into the finale with a six-point lead and can claim the division crown by finishing fourth or better.

Macy Causey sailed to her third win of the season and the season title in the 15-lap points wind-up for the CBX Modular Homes INEX Bandoleros. Causey won the championship by 16 points over Darrell Adkins.

Jake Harberts motored to his first win of the year in the 20-lap Rhonnda Claiborne, Realtor HRKC Pro Winged Champ Kart race. With the victory, he became the ninth different winner in nine events.

Corey Berkstresser was the winner in a 25-lap contest for the Virginia Mini Cup Racing Association.