Butch McGill captures 8^th Annual Chuck Gear Memorial at the Elkins Speedway

By Bob Reed

Kerens WV.  7-5-2008. 

Butch McGill, West Union driving the Leggett  Motorsports Ford powered Rocket LM made his first victory of 2008 at the Elkins Speedway a big one as he captured the 35 lap 8^th Annual Chuck Gear Memorial and its $3008 winners prize.

Shawn Poling and McGill led the field to the green but 3 yellows cut the field by 4 before an official lap was recorded.  On the first caution Poling lost it in turn 2 and collected Steve Wilmoth, Dusty Hamrick and Gary Lyle.  Poling retired while Wilmoth went pitside and changed a rear tire.  On the second one Skip Hare and Lyle tangled in turn 2. Both continued but Hare retirined after only running 4 laps.  The third one involved Kris Southern, Tracy Sampson and Brad Hudson with all three done for the night.

On the fourth try at a start McGill and Chuck Harper led the field as Wilmoth who would have inherited the outside pole after all of these cautions was now on the tail.  McGill jumped to an immediate lead over Harper with Joe Loudin 3^rd, Jacob Hawkins 4^th and Senic 5^th.

The top 5 remained in this order until lap 22 when Hawkins finally got past Loudin for 3^rd and began challenging Harper.  The action was in the 2^nd 5 as Dusty Hamrick who had gone to the tail on lap 1 was charging.  On lap 2 he was 11^th, the next lap he was 10^th and almost a straight behind the 9^th place car of Steve Wilmoth.  By the 20^th lap he had run down Wilmoth and was challenging him.  On lap 23 he got by Wilmoth for 7^th and on lap 32 passed Charlie George for 6^th where he finished.

In the meantime Hawkins who was challenging Harper finally got by him for 2^nd on lap 24 and began chasing McGill.  Several times he showed McGill his nose in the turns but never made a real serious challenge for the lead.  Harper faded at the finish as Senic nipped him on the final lap for 3^rd.

At the checkered McGill led Hawkins, Senic, Harper and Loudin.  Heats. To Wilmoth and Poling.

Notes:  McGill’s #1MC is a Rocket chassis and is Ford powered.  His sponsors are Jenkins Ford, KFC, EC Construction, Buckhannon Discount Tire, NAPA and Poske’s.

Notes:  16 cars started the feature with 10 running after 35 laps.  6 cautions slowed the action.  Hard charger was Jacob Hawkins who started 8^th and finished 2^nd, a gain of 6 places. 

Notes:  One new car tonight was the #10 of Gary Lyle, Hyde Park, Pa.

Chad Green, Wendel, won his first ever J&M Grafix SL feature when he passed leader Mike O’Brien on lap 4 and led the final 17 laps for the win   O’Brien held off Anthony Arbogast for his best finish ever in SL with Kevin Keene 4^th and Tom Harris 5^th.  Heats to John Tallman and Keene.

Notes:  Only 10 cars tonight with 9 starting the feature.  3 cautions slowed the action.

Dusty Swecker won his 5^th PS feature of 2008 by leading all 15 laps.  After cautions on the first 3 attempts to start the feature, the fourth attempt was single file.  Swecker who was on the pole took off and led every lap.  Fourth starting Spec Yokum got to 2^nd on the 1^st lap but trailed by a wide margin the entire distance to finish 2^nd with Dave Riggs 3^rd , Mack Wimer 4^th and  Brian Blake from the rear 5^th.  Heats to Swecker and Yokum.

Notes:  18 cars in the pits with 15 starting the feature.  Only 9 running after 15 laps.  4 cautions with 3 before an official lap. 

Thomas Simpson won his 2^nd 4 Cyl feature of 2008 when he passed leader Zac Williams on lap 10 and led the final 3 laps for the win.  Williams from the outside pole looked to have his first ever win when he drifted high in turn 4 on lap 10 and Simpson dove under him and took the lead.  The next lap Williams did the same thing again in the same turn and lost 2^nd to Dickie Tharp.  Williams finished 3^rd with polesitter Travis Mullenax 4^th and Steve Sisler 5^th.  Heats to Steve Sisler and Thomas Simpson.

Notes:  Only 10 cars with all 10 starting and finishing the feature.  Mike Murphy got his #22 Pinto out of mothballs for the rest of the year.

David Bunnell won his first ever Hornet feature at the Elkins Speedway as he passed John Stinnett on lap 2 and led the final 9 laps for the win.  Lawrence Wimer passed Stinnett on lap 5 for 2^nd.  Stinnett held on for 3^rd with #11 4^th and Walt Foster 5^th.  Heats to Bunnell and David Wamsley.

Megan Davis won her 4^th Mini Wedge feature in a row and 4^th of 2008 at the Speedway.

For further information check the track website @www.elkinsmotorspeedway.com.

SUMMARY

CHUCK GEAR MEMORIAL – Butch McGill, Jacob Hawkins, Tim Senic, Chuck Harper, Joe Loudin, Dusty Hamrick, Charlie George, Steve Wilmoth, Gary Lyle, Josh Coffman, Steve Booth, Skip Hare, Brad Hudson, Tracey Sampson, Kris Southern, Shawn Poling.

Ht 1 – Wilmoth, Hawkins, Senic, Harper, Coffman, Booth, Sampson, Hare.

Ht 2 – Poling, Loudin, Hudson, McGill, Hamrick, George, Lyle, Southern.

J&M GRAFIX SL – FEATURE -  Chad Green, Mike O’Brien, Anthony Arbogast, Kevin Keene, Tom Harris, Larry Hoover, John Tallman, Mike Sturm.  DNS – Brad Harris, Derrick Blake.

Ht 1 – Tallman, Brad Harris,Green, Strum, Blake.

Ht 2 – Keene, O’Brien, Hoover, Arbogast, Tom Harris.

PURE STOCK –FEATURE – Dusty Swecker, Speck Yokum, Dave Riggs, Mack Wimer, Brian Blake, Robin Maxson, Brandon Kerr, Samantha Rogers, Ricky Vest, Rick Isner, Kenny Vest, Teresa Vaughn, Michael Vandevender, Jimbo Owens.  DNS – Dustin Isner.  DQ – John Isner.

Ht 1 – Swecker, Maxson, Owens, Blake, Rogers, Dustin Isner, Kenny Vest, John Isner.  DNS – Brandon Kerr.

Ht 2 – Yokum, Wimer, Riggs, Ricky Vest, Vandevender, Vaughn, Rick Isner.  DNS – Johnny Singleton, Robert Isner.

4 CYLINDER – FEATURE – Thomas Simpson, Dickie Tharp, Zac Williams, Travis Mullenax, Steve Sisler, Rick Kesler, Daniel Simpson, Alan Sisler, Mike Murphy.

Ht 1 – Steve Sisler, Murphy, Kesler, Daniel Simpson, Alan Sisler.

Ht 2 – Thomas Simpson, Tharp, Williams, Mullenax.

HORNETS – FEATURE – David Bunnell, Lawrence Wimer, John Sinnett, Walt Foster, David Wamsley, Donnie Wamsley, 9B, Anthony Lopez.

Ht 1 – David Bunnell, Walt Foster, John Sinnett, Lawrence Wimer, Donnie Wamsley.  DNS – Derrick Rogers.

Ht 2 – David Wamsley, 11, 9B, Anthony Lopez. 

MINI WEDGE – FEATURE – Megan Davis.  (Only results available.)