Overstreet Victorious in Ben Cross Memorial

The Natural Bridge Speedway racing season picked up the crossed flags Saturday night indicating the halfway point in the 2010 schedule.  Fans and drivers alike flocked to the speedway to celebrate the 4th of July holiday weekend and to honor the late Ben Cross with a 40 lap late model special event.  All other divisions were on hand competing in feature events with double points on the line.  The Virginia Sprint Series also made its first of two visits to Natural Bridge in 2010 Saturday night.  Finally, a huge fireworks display capped off the night’s festivities.

The late model division was the featured class of the night.  Twenty one drivers signed in to do battle in the Ben Cross Memorial paying $1,000 to the winner.  The race was also round number two in the two track challenge series between the drivers of Natural Bridge Speedway and the drivers from Eastside Speedway.  The first order of business for the late models was hot lap qualifying.  Walker Arthur, of Forest, turned the fastest lap of the night with a time of 17.606 seconds.  Arthur then would draw a number four pill for the inversion.  JR Overstreet would benefit from the inversion as he would find himself starting from the pole for the forty lap feature event.

Overstreet and David Watts, last weeks feature winner, brought the field to green with Overstreet darting to lead as the field headed into turn one.  Overstreet took command of the race early on and never looked back.  Watts, one of the hottest drivers in recent weeks, kept Overstreet in his sights and often closed up to the back bumper of Overstreet.  However, the determined Overstreet was smooth and never faltered as he went on to lead flag to flag to claim his first victory of the 2010 season.  Previously this season, Overstreet had finished in the runner-up spot three times, including the last two late model feature events.  Watts held on to pick up his second runner-up finish of the weekend.  C.S. Fitzgerald, the defending Eastside Speedway track champion crossed the line in third.  Greg Roberson, the current two track challenge point leader, finished fourth and Joey Leavell rounded out the top five.

The two track challenge points battle is shaping up to be a great one.  After two rounds, Greg Roberson, Joey Leavell, C.S. Fitzgerald, and David Watts are all within four points of each other atop the point standings.  Rounds three and four of the two track challenge series will be held July 30th at Natural Bridge Speedway and July 31st at Eastside Speedway.

The first lap of the street stock feature event proved to be the most interesting.  Lester Lyons and Troy Fitzgerald brought the field to the green flag. For the second week in a row the two made contact and both cars went spinning.  Both machines were parked for the night.  Michael Taylor and Earl Brooks inherited the front row for the restart.  Brooks got the jump on Taylor and led the first lap.  Taylor used an inside move off of turn two on the second lap to take the lead from Brooks.  Taylor went on to claim his third victory of the season.  Brooks held on for second, followed by Tom Guthrie, Stephen Campbell, and Scottie Hostetter.  Campbell’s late race charge from 6th to 4th helps him maintain his point lead over Tom Guthrie.
The sportsman drivers also competed in hot lap qualifying Saturday night.  Eric Groah turned a lap of 18.642 to claim the top spot.  However, Groah who won the previous week could start no better than 6th in the feature event.  A pair of Rockbridge County drivers paced the field to the green flag.  Shad Cooper blasted to the lead over Toby Stalnaker heading down the front straightaway and sailed away from the field to claim his second victory of the season.  Eric Groah patiently worked his way through the field and closed to the back bumper of Cooper in the closing laps.  Groah had only one opportunity to make a run at Cooper on the final lap but came up just short.  Cooper’s margin of victory was just 0.259 seconds over Groah.  Stalnaker held on for third and Michael Alderman finished fourth.  Sportsman point leader Clifton Mays had trouble early in the feature event but rallied to finish in fifth.

The top five drivers in the pure stock points standing all finished in the top five in Saturday’s feature event.  Howard Hall and Johnny Deal were on the front row for the start.  Deal quickly fell back through the field.  Hall took the lead on the opening lap but Justin Williams was on a mission from his 4th place starting position.  Williams was in second at the end of lap one and went to work on Hall.  Williams made his move on lap five and took command of the race.  Ronnie Martin started 5th and stormed through the field as well.  Martin found himself in the runner up spot on lap thirteen and he set his sights on Williams.  A late race caution bunched the field up and gave Martin one shot at Williams.  But on this night Williams was just too strong and cruised to victory.  Following Williams and Martin across the stripe were Ricky Mayberry, Howard Hall, and Todd Garrett.

Brandon Link picked up his first victory of the 2010 season in the All-American division.  It took Link just under twelve minutes to complete the twenty-lap feature.  The only thing that could slow Link down was the caution flag.  Ryan Kassab brought out a caution on lap seven when his machine dumped fluid down the front straightaway.  Back under green Link once again extended his lead.  His margin of victory was just under a second over Daniel Barbour.   Jeremy Boxler, Jeff Mays, and Brian Newton rounded out the top five. 
The Virginia Sprint Series brought fifteen drivers from all over the state of Virginia to complete in their 25 lap feature event.  Anthony Linkenhoker, of Louisa, picked up the victory for the Virginia Sprint Series. 
Natural Bridge Speedway will have regular feature events for all five divisions coming up this Saturday night.  Also on the schedule this Saturday night will be a special “Powder Puff” feature event for the ladies. 
Gates are scheduled to open at 4:00 p.m. with the driver’s meeting beginning at 6:00 p.m.