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HANK DEWALD HERALD STAFF WRITER

BRINKLEYVILLE, NC — Steve Bigley made the long drive from Coolsville, Ohio well worth his while as he retained his championship at Clary's Speedway this weekend, but he had to do it the hard way after mangling his front suspension during his first heat race on Sunday. Rain changed the two-day event at Clary's into a three-day, all-weekend event as all of the Friday night races had to be moved into full night of racing and qualifying on Saturday, with the finals on Sunday, but the rain and rather chilly weather did not keep the crowd away. The 2008 Brickdirt Super Street Nationals presented by title sponsor Nash Brick actually had a lot of different good stories besides just Bigley fighting his way to retaining his title and winning $3500. 19-year-old Littleton driver Buddy Isles, Jr., who has already convinced most locals he can drive a race car, had an amazing weekend by driving to the front in both Super Street and Limited Late Model classes, claiming second in the Brickdirt Nationals and actually winning two of the Limited Late Model races, The 15 lap dash Saturday and the feature event Sunday. What was really surprising about Isles' performances was how easy he made it look. While most competitors beat and banged through the qualifying and heat races, Isles kept both of his cars intact and well out in front every time he took to the track. Isles began his attention grabbing weekend by winning his first Limited Late Model race on Saturday night, coming from mid-pack to the front, putting some really good moves on some really good veteran drivers. After working hard to pass the leader cleanly, Isles was re-passed after being held up by lapped cars, but regained the lead with a slick move three turns later and then driving away from the pack.

Partial-paraplegic driver Tim Totherow also had a very successful weekend and proved to everyone his disability has not diminished his skills as a race car driver.

“I really feel like I brought a knife to a gunfight,” Totherow said Saturday night, after battling with some of the best dirt track drivers on the east coast.”

His rather stock looking number 39 camaro seemed a little out of place among the more modern looking Super Street cars, but Totherow managed to race his way into the main event the hard way, through the "B" mains like winner Bigley did. Totherow moved up to as far as 10th just past the half way point, eventually finishing 16th in the National Championship race after overheating and going to the pits.

In the Super Street National on Sunday, Buddy Isles, Jr. looked as if he was on his way to another easy win, leading most of the way through half of the 35 lap race, but Bigley was quietly working his way through the field and seemed to come out of nowhere to grab the lead, the win and the big Nash Brick Brickdirt National Championship trophy and the $3500.00 payday.

“It was a really great weekend of racing despite the weather and we're really happy with the turnout,” said Clary's Speedway announcer John Hunsucker, who was also the defending Carolina Packer Dirt Dog Packer hot dog eating champion. Hunsucker was not able to retain his championship though. Local Dirt Packer Kevin "The Goat Man" Harris forced down 11 Carolina Packer hot dogs in just 6 minutes to take Hunsucker's title by more than two dogs.

Clary's will host trophy night for the racers this coming Saturday at the "Ring of Fire". So come out and support your driver and track. Asphault is made for parking while dirt is made for racing.

Overall official race results were not available at press time, but the

Brickdirt Super Street National Championship results were:

1. Steve Bigley, 2. Buddy Isles, Jr., 3. James Raynor, 4. Scott Chew, 5. Britches Liles,

6. Buddy Isles, Sr., 7. Brad Row, 8. Maurice Floyd, 9. Eddie Woodruff, 10. Scott Pearce,

11. Jimmy Jesner, 12. Amy Byrd, 13. Cameron Norris, 14. Michael Norris, 15. Cy Nelms,

16. Tim Totherow, 17. Derek Pleasants, 18.Greg Munn, 19. Kris Dunlap, 20. Barry Williams

RECAP OF BRICKDIRT NATIONALS

Buckeye Bigley Claims Win at 2nd Annual Brickdirt Super Street Nationals at Clary’s Speedway.

Clary’s Speedway, located in the serene countryside hamlet of Brinkleyville, in Northeastern North Carolina was host to the 2nd Annual Brickdirt Super Street Nationals. After Mother Nature gave a rough start to the Brickdirt on Friday and caused the two day event to be held on Saturday and Sunday, she cooperated with sunshine and cool weather as the checkers fell for Steve Bigley of Coolville, Ohio when he captured his second consecutive National Super Street Championship title.

Following a safety and technical inspection, the teams qualified for heat race starting position on Saturday night. Able to stop the clock with the fastest time for the second year in a row was the 2 car of Greg Munn from Roanoke Rapids with a time of 16.588. Maurice Floyd of Middleburg, NC came up 0.002 seconds short of the pole position with a 16.590. Other drivers getting the pole position for their heats were Derrek Pleasants of Creedmore, NC with a 16.769 and Ricky Dickens of Roanoke Rapids with a 16.787. There was less then a second separating the top 27 qualifiers.

Since the teams were able to leave the track with their cars Saturday night, they underwent a second full technical inspection Sunday morning under the capable eye of NASCAR Certified Inspector Mike Bushee. Late arriving teams that could not participate in the festivities on Saturday were permitted to enter the racing events on Sunday, provided they passed tech inspection and tagged on the rear of the heats. There were 41 race teams, representing 6 states signed in this year. In the house, were several Track Champions and other event champions, such as Barry Williams who had just claimed the win at the Small Car Nationals.

The racing began under full sun and brisk conditions at the “Ring of Fire” with the 4 heat races. In the first attempt to start heat #1, pole sitter Munn looped his ride in turn 2 and the rest of the field skillfully avoided the sitting duck as the caution came out. Last years winner of the Brickdirt was unable to whoa his mount in time to avoid contact with the already slowed “Littleton Mafia” ride of Buddy Isles Jr. The contact resulted in Bigley retiring pitside for some emergency attention of his “Coolville Mafia” crew for his destroyed right front. As the 8 lap heat race continued on the track, a second caution waved on lap 6 as Munn, Maryland’s Jamming Jimmy Jesmer and Castalia, North Carolina’s, Cy Nelms piled into each other. The top 3 finishers transferred into the feature which was the 11jr of Isles, the 5 of Barry Williams from Pasadena, Maryland and the 2 of Munn.

In heat race #2, Floyd started on the pole, flanked by the only female competitor in the event, “leadfoot” Amy Byrd of Wake Forest, NC. The first caution waved as Athens, Ohio’s Tom Hendrix, got the crowd on their feet when he took a roller coaster ride up the backstretch wall, along the fence, hard back down onto the track, nose first, spinning completely around and landing on all four wheels and heading toward turn 3 wide open! Hendrix also retired to the attention of his pit crew following his amusement park caliber ride to the disappointment of many in the stands. Transferring to the main from heat #2 was the 98 of Floyd, the 9th starting Brad Row of Stockport, Ohio driving the 5r and the 34 of Byrd.

Pleasants and Michael Morris of Roanoke Rapids brought the field of heat race #3 to two failed starts and the field was forced to line up single file. Caution flags flew on laps 1, 3 and twice on lap 6. Transferring to the feature from the heat was the 07 of Pleasants, the 3 of Morris, and the 57c of Scott Chew from Caldwell, Ohio.

The pole sitter of the 4th heat race was supposed to have been the #82 of Dickens, however he suffered severe damage in the early practice session and was unable to answer the call. Also unable to compete was the 50 of Everett Dunlap of Concord, NC after he suffered power plant problems in Hot Laps. After 2 cautions on lap number 2, the caution waved yet again on round 3 for Eddie Woodruff of Roanoke Rapids the winner of the Brickdirt Preview, – which had guaranteed him a starting spot in the feature event. After running home to replace the engine he blew in practice on Saturday, which prevented him from qualifying, he found himself at the rear of the field again with 5 laps to get to the coveted transfer spot. Skillfully slicing through the heavy traffic Woodruff found himself in the 3rd and final transferring position as the checkered flag waved from the capable hand of flagman Charlie Hansen. Joining him in the feature from this heat would be the R22 driven by another Buckeye, Jim Raynor and Countyline Raceway’s own Britches Liles from Bailey, NC, driving the L2. Liles is the reigning Thunder & Lightning Track Champion at Countyline.

Those competitors that had not secured a starting spot in the feature, found themselves striving for one of final 6 starting spots by competing in one of the three 10 lap B-mains. After cautions flew on laps 1,2,4, twice on lap 5 and again on lap 6, two of three remaining cars transferred to the feature. They were: the 5 of Kris Dunlap from Concord, NC and the 10 of Nelms.

Winning the second B-main was the T-39, skillfully driven using hand controls, by Tim Totherow, the paraplegic racer, also the winner of the longest tow award – all the way from Signal Mountain, TN! Joining Tim in the feature would be Hammerdowns’ own Cameron Norris driving the C3. Norris had also tagged the rear of his heat as he was unable to attend the event until Sunday and impressively raced his way into the Big Show lineup.

After suffering poor luck in his heat race, the sly old fox Buddy Isles, Sr. of Littleton, NC, piloting the 11sr, found himself on the pole with one last chance to make the feature. He knew last year’s winner was starting a couple of rows behind him and that was where he wanted Bigley to stay! Coolville Mafia crew member, Hank the Crank had spun enough wrenches on the 33 ride to get him back in action. After a record 9 cautions, Buddy brought the field to the green with Bigley in tow. The two veteran drivers had the crowd on their feet as they raced door handle to door handle lap after lap! One small slip by either driver would have resulted in a pile of scrap metal for Isles sponsor, CJ Auto Salvage, to pick up as they raced wide open with hardly any room for daylight between them! Finally, on lap number 7, Bigley was able to out fox the master of the “Ring of Fire” and take the lead. The two leaders then pulled away from the field and both earned a spot in the Big Show. A fan was observed jumping off the picnic table following this race and exclaiming, “I just got my $15 worth right there! That was some of the best racing I have ever seen!”

This left two empty spots for the feature event. Don Bowden, Chairman of the Competition Committee, drew the card from his hat that said the last two spots would be awarded to the two fastest qualifiers that had not raced their way in. Unable to answer the call again was the 82 of Dickens, so next on the list was the 47 of Jesmer and the 4 of Scott Pearce from Roanoke Rapids, NC.

The start of the big show was every bit as good as it had been hyped up to be! When the flagman dropped the green the power plants came alive and the fans were on their feet for the best 6 laps of racing ever seen! The skillful drivers were racing 3 and 4 wide, giving and taking, slicing and dicing, all while fighting for the National Championship! The first caution waved as the field was trying to make their 7th circuit for the 5 of Dunlap. The field lineup was checked and crosschecked with the information supplied by the 3 scorers to ensure it was correct before the leader; 11jr was permitted to refire the field. After a short run, the caution waved again on lap 8 when the 5 of Williams broke and the L2 had to replace a flat tire. Caution again slowed the field on lap 9 when Dunlap had trouble. Caution was out again on lap 11 for the 47 and the L2. The field was able to stay green with Bigley charging through the field with the 11sr in tow, as they had fought their way into the top 10 when the convoy was slowed for another caution on lap 14, as the 3 of Morris had slowed in turn 4 and then the 98 and 2 made hard contact in turn 1. The 98 and 2 had to give up third and forth positions to seek the attention of their pit crews as a result of that contact. The 2 was the third casualty of the event, while the 98 was able to rejoin the tail of the field. The fans were treated to another green flag run as they watched the 33 of Bigley work his ride on the high side and the low side of the dry slick track. As the caution waved on lap 21 for the 4 of Pearce, Bigley found himself trailing the lead car of Buddy Isles Jr. after having just passed Raynor on lap 20. The L2 lost a left rear tire during the caution which collided with the wrecker, forcing Mr. Hansen to throw the red light. As the field set on the backstretch, the running order was the 11jr, 33, R22, 57, 99, C3, R5, 11sr, 10, T-39, 98, 3, 47 and 34. After a melee on the restart, the 07 and L2 made contact forcing the 07 to retire from the event and sending the L2 back to the tail. Caution again on lap 23 for the 98, which also found the T-39 heading pitside with overheating issues. The 11jr finally surrendered the lead on lap 27 to the 33. Woodruff’s weekend of bad luck continued on lap 29 as the caution was waved on his behalf and he rejoined the tail of the field again. Lap 30 found the C3 with a flat tire as the 10 relinquished 7th position with mechanical problems. The last five laps were uninterrupted green flag laps with the only positions changing was the 98 and 99 working their way around the 4 of Pearce. The running order under the checkered flag was the 33, 11jr, R22, 57c, L2, 11sr, R5, 98, 99, 4, 47, 34, C3 and the lap car of the 3. Of the starting 20, only 6 did not finish the race!

Congratulations to the 33 auto sales team on defending their title at the 2nd Annual Brickdirt Super Street Nationals.