Summer Slam Recap… Modifieds, Trucks, Sportsman and School Buses

June 3, 2018, Montgomery, Alabama: After several rainy days in Montgomery, drivers and fans stormed the track for events on the evening of Saturday, June 2nd. Classes included were the Southern Pro-Am Trucks, the Modifieds of Mayhem tour, the Blacksheep Woodlands Late Model Sportsman, and the latest addition to Montgomery Motor Speedway, the fast and loud school buses.

 

Pre-race ceremonies included a live rendition of our National anthem by Singer Beth Cooper and a tribute to the “Candy Man” #18x Butch Helms, the night was kicked off with a 50-lap showdown with a field of strong racing trucks. The trucks packed up nose to tail meet the green flag and the battle was on. Young Gun Grant Thompson #54 took the point and control of the field. On lap 3, the #12 truck of Kristen Wallace was off-pace with the rest of the pack and wound up going to pit road and retiring early in the event. By lap 6, the #9w of Alabama’s Chris Wagner had worked his way up to the front and, by the next go-around, passed the #55 of Ralph Wheeler, putting him a lap down. Meanwhile, the #21 of Jason Welch and #9 of Logan Boyett were fighting out for the second-place position. At lap 10, the top three cars were: 1st – 9w, 2nd – 9, 3rd – 31... By lap 26, there was a shuffle in the top three, with 31 in front, 9 in second, and the 9w following closely behind in third. Just over the halfway mark, the running order was:

  1. #31 Haddock
  2. #9 Boyett
  3. #9w Wagner
  4. #21 Welch
  5. #54 Thompson
  6. #48 Mengel
  7. #55 Wheeler
  8. #12 Wallace

On lap 31, the caution flag was waved as fluid from the #31 truck sprayed out the back, causing the 21 to spin around in turn 2. The 31 made a trip down pit road, while the 21 stayed on the track. The race officials allowed the trucks to make a trip down pit road to clean their windshields from any fluid that may have been obscuring the driver’s view. On lap 32, the #31 truck ended their night early, going off the track and would not return. It was reported that the fan came loose and damaged the radiator. A lap after the restart, the back bumper of the #21 truck flew off, clinging to the frame seemingly by threads. He made a quick trip down pit road and officials snatched the piece off and sent him back out to the track. On lap 40, a caution was brought out by the #21 after spinning on the front stretch. In the last few laps of the race, the Boyett #9 and Wagner 9w were dueling it out for the first place position. In a last attempt to seize the lead on lap 49, the 9w and 9 danced in tandem through turn one, moving around each other effortlessly fighting for the win. Ultimately, the 9 machine of Boyett won out the fight and the top three were #9 Boyett. 9w Wagner, and 54 Thompson, respectively.

Share this...
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter