Buckingham “Breaks the Trend” as the only Repeat Winner in 2007 and Shatters three records!
The Series has seen some of the most competitive racing ever since its 2004 inception with the astounding results in 07 as having 13 different Winners in as many Touring Events; but Buckingham became the first “repeat winner” of the 2007 season. Buckingham also broke another record Saturday night as he became the first recipient of the FASTRAK `engine claim’ rule. Buckinghams engine was claimed and the 44 team gladly pulled the engine and sold it to the protesting team during “post race” tech. Record three: The announcer was informed during the winners “check presentation” that driver Buckingham and fiancée Amanda Rowland were to be married this coming Thursday and that announcement was also made before all the fans at Wythe setting the pace for the `first ever marriage ceremony’ announced at a FASTRAK event.
“I didn’t realize until after the race we had broken the record for 2007 said Buckingham. Having no repeat winners until now in 07 shows just how competitive crate racing has become. Its not getting easier to win, it is actually getting harder. Everyone is getting faster and the drivers are getting better. No one comes to a crate race anymore and just wins by mistake. You had better be on top of your game when you come to one of these races. Being the first repeat winner and this late in the season proves just how tough it really is. Our team has done a great job this year and it sure helps when you have a great team behind you. As for breaking the record for the first engine claimed, well that’s one record I could have done without but
FASTRAK does a good job and claiming engines is just part of the deal. If that’s what it takes to keep this racing fair, then I am all for it”.
Car Owner Tom Buckingham stated during post race tech “I appreciate the engine claim rule FASTRAK has. It keeps the sport fair for everyone and FASTRAK does a good job with tech. We have been running FASTRAK for three years and every year they learn and improve in technical knowledge. The new cam doctor they have is the best thing I have seen yet. FASTRAK can check the “complete cam profile” now with the cam still in the engine. That’s pretty technical for a regional racing series if you ask me. That kind of effort only ensures
everyone is equal and that helps this type of racing. I was up into the early hours of the morning before we got finished with tech having to take the engine out and sell it, but I had rather do it that way and go home knowing everyone is 100% legal”.
Buckingham claimed the Goodyear “Top Gun” award as the fastest qualifier however, through the Old 29 Golf Karts inversion, he was sent to the 5th place starting position. The kids inversion really mixed up the starting grid with the T1 of Mangum now on the pole, 93 of Bradsher outside, 22P of Peeples, 7 of Cook, 44 of Buckingham and 57 of Cooper making up the first three rows.
29 cars started the main with the T1 of Magum taking the lead early on only to have a tire slowly going down to bring him into the pits on lap 21. Buckingham in the meantime had made his way through the field taking the point with Jason Lawrence in the 54 running closely in 2nd place and Cooper in the 57 right on his bumper the entire race. As the top 3 started making their way through lap traffic the 54 and 57 cars got very close but not enough to make a solid bid for the top spot.
Matt Long of NC was having his best finish of the season but got involved in a late race incident with the 54b of Umberger. Vic Chandler of NC in the 88 finally had a little luck on his side with a 6th place finish. “Man was I glad just to finish said Chandler. Hopefully that monkey is off of our back once and for all. This is the first time this car has ever been on the track and looks like its going to be a good one”. David `Bad Boy’ McCoy passed more
cars than anyone during the night earning him the SUNOCO “Hard Charger Award” McCoy had a flat early in the race having to go to the rear of the field but made his way back to an 8th place finish. The Modern Chevrolet “Tough Luck Award” went to John Llewellyn. Although Llewellyn took the 4th of July win at Antioch Speedway as luck would have it, things just did not go his way this weekend. Llewellyn came into this event leading the points in the FASTRAK Mid East Regional Championship but tonight certainly did not help his efforts. The 93 of Donald Bradsher of NC had a 4th place finish making it his best finish of the season after destroying a car at an event June 16th in Toccoa GA. Local hero Kenny Peeples was gunning for a $1000 bonus if he could win the event. In an award put up by track owner Fred Brown, Peeples had won the two previous weekends at Wythe but unfortunately experienced a mechanical failure.
