KERANS — Gates opened at 3 p.m. this past Saturday, June 25, at the Elkins Raceway in Kerans, West Virginia as fans came out to the track in droves for an extra special night of gripping dirt-track. The scene at the raceway had a certain of air emotional gravity as the 2022 Elkins Raceway Wall of Legends inductees were in attendance for their ceremony, the fireworks display and the Richard Skidmore Memorial Super Lates Division race. The track opened early to allow fans of all ages to meet the track’s legendary guests of honor and join them for a celebratory dinner with the legends before the official 2022 Elkins Raceway Wall of Legends ceremony got underway. Following the induction ceremony, the youth mini-mod racers hit the track around 6:30 p.m. followed by the bigger cars an hour later around 7:30 p.m.
With that, the night’s action truly kicked off with the In the Younger Mini Wedges race, Adley Green held off the pair of Nelson and Hake Herron and find her way to victory lane in the first of two heats. However, Nelson Herron flipped the script on Green beating her out in featured race. In the older mini wedge race, Zaylynn Green won the first of two heats, before Gunner Binns picked up a win in heat two. After a fourth-place finish in the first heat, Brad Currence fought his way to the front and earned a huge win in the featured race.
The climax of Saturday night’s drama was unquestionably the Richard Skidmore Memorial Super Lates Division race for a massive $3,000 purse and bragging rights on the line. Cody Rodgers came out of the gates strong with a blazing fast qualifying run. Rodgers went on to grab a win in the division’s first of two heats, before Kyle Thomas and his #57 car took the second 10-lap heat. In the night’s Super Lates Division intense 40-lap main event, Rodgers held off the surging pair of Shane and Logan Hitt and make his way to victory lane, as his #22 car and team deservedly took home top honors in the Richard Skidmore Memorial race.
All other divisions also saw the purses for their respective events slightly increased this week, giving already highly-driven racers even more of an incentive to excite the fans with their daring risky maneuvers on the track.
In the Crates Division, Brent Trimble pushed his #32 car to the limits during his qualifying run, pacing the field with a lap time of 15.581. Despite this, Trimble couldn’t find a way to come up with a win in the first 8-lap heat, finishing just behind the first heat’s winner Lucas McDonald. Trimble sat out heat two, as Sparky Davisson picked up a win apiece in heat two. In the Crates 30-lap featured race, Trimble had rounded back into his earlier qualifying run form, again assuming his place as the field’s fastest car, holding off both McDonald and Davisson to take home the win in the main event.
In Modifieds Division action, Mitch Thomas, Phil Jefferies and Dave Defibaugh looked to be field’s strongest cars after qualifying, filling the top three spots by posting lap times of 16.079, 16.333 and 16.334, respectively.
In first 6-lap heat, Defibaugh held off Thomas for the win before Phil Jefferies coasted to a win in heat two. In the Modifieds Division 25-lap main event the two heat winners engaged in a heated duel, in which Jefferies came out on top, holding off Defibaugh for the win.
Next up in the Street Stocks Division, Kevin Keene’s #56 car and team stole the show, taking the pole after a qualifying run of 17.341. Keene went on to leverage, his starting position to take the first of two 6-lap heats. Dustin Atkinson took a win in heat two, before coming up just short in the 20-lap main event, finishing right behind Keene in second-place.
Finally, the Hot Mods Division closed out the night. Early on, it seemed that Rodger Hull would add to his already outstanding 2022 Summer season resume with another featured race win, as he earned the pole in qualifying and a dominate win in the first 6-lap heat. Daniel Helmick picked up a win in heat two before Joshua Simpson emerged from the pack to pull out a win in the Hot Mods
Division 20-lap main event.
Younger Mini Wedges- Heat 1
1. Adley Green
2. Nelson Herron
3. Jake Herron
4. Jaelee Green
Feature
1. Nelson Herron
2. Adley Green
3. Jaelee Green
4. Jake Herron
Older Mini Wedges- Heat 1
1. Zaylynn Green
2. Kris Wyatt
3. Blake Tasker
4. Brad Currence
5. Grace Collins
Heat 2
1. Gunner Binns
2. Kolby Sullivan
3. Nevin Bennett
4. Coda Vance
5. Declan Carpenter
Feature
1. Brad Currence
2. Gunner Binns
3. Kris Wyatt
4. Kolby Sullivan
5. Zaylynn Green
6. Coda Vance
7. Declan Carpenter
8. Nevin Bennett
9. Grace Collins
10.Blake Tasker
Super Lates- Heat 1- 10 laps
1. 22 – Cody Rogers
2. 27 – Michael Lake
3. 5 – Shane Hitt
4. 23 – Derek Rogers
5. 7 – Billy Holbert
Heat 2- 10 laps
1. 57 – Kyle Thomas
2. 2 – Logan Hitt
3. S2 – Tom Senic
4. 21T – Chad Tasker
5. 38 – Kenney Hamrick
Feature- 40 laps
1. 22 – Cody Rogers
2. 5 – Shane Hitt
3. 2 – Logan Hitt
4. 27 – Michael Lake
5. 57 – Kyle Thomas
6. 23 – Derek Rogers
7. S2 – Tim Senic
8. 21T – Chad Tasker
9. 38 – Kenney Hamrick
10.7 – Billy Holbert
Crates- Heat 1- 8 Laps
1. 44 – Lucas McDonald
2. 32 – Brent Trimble
3. H20 – Luke Hyre
4. 14L – Dustin Luzier
5. 9C – Chandi Currence
6. K2 – Kris Southern
7. 28N – Noah Whited
Heat 2- 8 Laps
1. 1 – Sparky Davisson
2. 27S – Derrick Shaw
3. 27 – Hayden Jacobs
4. 29 – Ryan Hare
5. M16- Michael Moreland
6. 54 – Eddie Starkey
Feature- 30 Laps
1. 32 – Brent Trimble
2. 44 – Lucas McDonald
3. 1 – Sparky Davisson
4. 27S – Derrick Shaw
5. H20 – Luke Hyre
6. K2 – Kris Southern
7. 29 – Ryan Hare
8. 9C – Chandi Currence
9. 28N – Noah Whited
10.14L – Dustin Luzier
11.27 – Hayden Jacobs
12.MC16 – Michael Moreland
Modifieds- Heat 1- 6 Laps
1. 77 – Dave Defibaugh
2. 97 – Mitch Thomas
3. 14R – Josh Rovello
4. 8A – Anthony Arbogast
5. 52 – Shane Sanders
6. 862 – Mitch Ward
7. 47 – Sam Henderson
Heat 2- 6 Laps
1. J4 – Phil Jeffries
2. 42 – Nate Young
3. 19 – Troy Frazier
4. D11 – Zachary Deyton
5. 0K – Kenny Rowback
6. 5 – Ryan Gum
7. 99 – Jeff Fornash
Feature- 20 Laps
1. J4 – Phil Jeffries
2. 77 – Dave Defibaugh
3. 42 – Nate Young
4. 14R – Josh Rovello
5. 0K – Kenny Rowback
6. 862 – Mitch Ward
7. 19 – Troy Frazier
8. 97 – Mitch Thomas
9. 52 – Shane Sanders
10.D11 – Zachary Deyton
11.5 – Ryan Gum
12.8A – Anthony Arbogast
13.47 – Sam Henderson
Street Stocks- Heat 1 – 6 Laps
1. 56 – Kevin Keene
2. 19 – Randy Bohan
3. 35 – Randy Thornhill
4. 68X – Ronald Pyles
5. 97 – Thomas Simpson
6. 306 – Michael Ayersan
Heat 2- 6 Laps
1. 6A – Dustin Atkinson
2. 17B – Rusty Ball
3. 07 – Kevin Cooper
4. 00S – Todd Simmons
5. C8 – Robin Maxson
6. 31 – Terry Loughry
Feature- 20 Laps
1. 56 – Kevin Keene
2. 6A – Dustin Atkinson
3. 19 – Randy Bohan
4. C8 – Robin Maxson
5. 306 – Michael Ayersan
6. 17B – Rusty Ball
7. 97 – Thomas Simpson
8. 46 – Randy Thornhill
9. 31 – Terry Loughry
10.07 – Kevin Cooper
11.68X – Ronald Pyles
12.00S – Todd Simmons
Hot Mods- Heat 1- 6 Laps
1. 21H – Roger Hull
2. 11 – Trent Speicher
3. 79 – Joshua Simpson
4. 08 – Junior Wiant
5. 14H – Joshua Hymes
6. 17M – Josh Mullenax
Heat 2- 6 Laps
1. 11H – Daniel Helmick
2. 36S – Santino Loretta
3. 9 – Michael Simpson
4. 97 – Daniel Simpson
5. 93 – Jason Phillips
Feature- 20 Laps
1. 79 – Joshua Simpson
2. 36S – Santino Loretta
3. 14H – Joshua Hymes
4. 97 – Daniel Simpson
5. 93 – Jason Phillips
6. 11H – Daniel Helmick
7. 11 – Trent Speicher
8. 21H – Roger Hull
9. 08 – Junior Wiant
10.9 – Michael Simpson