Greg Murphy claims first Carolina Speedway win!

Gastonia, NC (September 9, 2006) – Greg Murphy made a rare appearance at the Carolina Speedway on Friday night, September 8th and competed in the track’s new “Street Stock 4” division. The result was a first ever win at the track for the I-77 Speedway regular. The win was especially sweet because Sue and Greg brought their twins, James and Jared, to the race and they got to see their daddy take the checkered flag.

Greg followed up the win with a fifth place finish in the main event at I-77 Speedway on Saturday night. David Scott was feeling under the weather and did not compete in racing either night.

With the points season over and the racing action winding down, I took a couple of weeks off to go to The World 100 at Eldora (an AWESOME race, with favorite Earl Pearson, Jr. getting the win!) and to attend a good friend’s wedding. I plan to return to the I-77 Speedway on the night of September 30th for the Chester Shriner’s Club, Shrine Race. MacD Racing Partners and Team 65 are proud to be a sponsor of this year’s race.

The win photos from Carolina Speedway are courtesy of track photographer, Randy Houser.

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Back to mixed results for Team 65

Richburg, SC (August 28, 2006) – It was back to another week of mixed results for the team as consistency continues to plague David Scott’s Super Stock 4 #65. David had a good run in his heat, starting on pole and finishing second. He lined up fourth for the Main and ran about mid-pack for much of the race. He had gotten up to third place with just one lap to go when the clutch let go. David pulled into the pit under the white flag and did not finish. He was credited with a finish outside the top ten, one lap down. Jerry Oliver (#51) got a well deserved win followed by Kevin Garner (#17) and Bryan Crook (Flyin 0).

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Greg Murphy leads Bubba Albert into turn one.

Murphy Gets Second Win at I-77

Richburg, SC (August 14, 2006) – Greg Murphy (#65) was at the right place at the right time this past Saturday night to luck into his second win of the season in the Rookie 4 division at I-77 Speedway. The Rookie 4 guys went at it hard this week starting in the heat races. Greg had a bad draw and started last (9th) in his heat and managed to get up to fourth for a seventh place start in the Main. James Auton (#64) finished fourth in his heat, lining him up in the eighth starting spot in the Main. Heat winner and front row starter Kevin McAteer (#33) was looking really fast this week and was giving heat winner and pole sitter Bubba Albert (#29) all he could handle in the first few laps of the main. A controversial call on a restart resulted in a penalty to Albert, putting him to the rear of the field. With just two laps to go McAteer set the pace in the lead with Greg up to second, Johnny Laney (#3:16) third, Auton in fourth and Bubba back up to fifth place. Bubba got by Auton and at the checkered flag it was McAteer, Murphy, Laney, Albert and Auton. The track officials did a routine inspection of carburetors and found that McAteer’s carburetor was not right and he was disqualified, giving the win to Greg. It was a heart break for the McAteer’s who have battled back from some bad luck this year, which apparently continued this week. Greg and the Team 65 crew were still pleased to get the win and lined up late to get our win photos. The disqualification of McAteer moved Laney to a second place finish, followed by Albert in third and James Auton to fourth.

In the Modified 4 division David Scott (#65) started strong with a great draw and a heat win, lining him up on the outside pole beside pole winner Jason Dockery (#8) in the Main. David got out to an early lead as Dockery faded to fifth. The lead did not last long as he was passed by Robert “Black Flag” Baldwin (#3) and Chris Cantrell (#114). Baldwin retired early with an engine failure and the lead pace was set by Cantrell. Several slow restarts following yellow flags caused some transmission issues in the #65. On one particularly slow restart David missed a shift, got loose and allowed Jerry Oliver (#51) to get by, moving him back to third. Sumter Speedway driver Banjo Duke (#28) was on hand this week and with two laps to go he got by David, relegating him to a fourth place finish behind winner Cantrell, Oliver and Duke.

Sumter Speedway regular Banjo Duke visited I-77 this weekend.

It was nice to meet TrackForums.com regular Linsey Gaston (a.k.a. mhuey4 fan) this weekend. Linsey sells the DVDs she makes of the races each week. You can see Linsey’s videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/mhuey4fan and can buy them from her at the track. Nice to meet you Linsey!

David Scott buys videos from Linsey Gaston.

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String of Bad Luck Ends With A Win

Richburg, SC (August 7, 2006) – David Scott (#65) finally returned to the Winner’s Circle at the I-77 Speedway this past weekend following a string of bad luck that kept him off the track or out of contention for the past two months.

David started third in the Modified 4 feature, behind Kevin Garner (#17) and Mike Bates (#6). Jason Dockery (#8) started outside of David in the fourth position with Jerry Oliver (#51) starting fifth. Garner and Bates led the field out of turns one and two with David in third. Dockery and Oliver battled over fourth position. David got by Mike “Mock-A-Dew” Bates and started after Garner. Oliver moved past Dockery and then began got by Bates. Several cautions flew with Garner leading Scott, Oliver, Dockery and Bates. Oliver made several attempts to get by Scott but could not quite get by. David moved to the high side and got a run on Garner for the lead, taking over the top spot with three laps to go. Garner got loose going into turn 4 and Oliver tapped him just enough to send Garner around. It was clearly an accident but Oliver was charged with causing the caution and was sent to the rear of the field. David led the final two green flag laps and got the win with Garner finishing second, Dockery third, Bates fourth and rookie Richard Rose (#71) got his first top five in the Modified 4 division. Oliver wound up with a disappointing seventh place finish.

MacD with David Scott's winning trophy.

In the Rookie 4 division it looked like Greg Murphy (#65) was headed for a night of bad luck when a flat tire on the last lap of the heat sent him from the lead to dead last. James Auton (#64) fared better in the heat and got a good third place finish. James started sixth in the Main with Greg lining up ninth.

The Main event was marred by several caution flags again this week and two red flag situations. The first red flag was right at the start due to a bad wreck between Josh Duffield (#92) and Jamie Varnadore (#99 ½). Both drivers were unhurt but the cars were heavily damaged and unable to return to the race.

Wayne Heatherly (F1ame) and Bubba Albert set the pace with Greg making moves through the field from the back of the pack. James ran strong this week and was maintaining his position. With two to go Greg had worked his way back to fourth when Bryan Mullis (#67) spun causing another caution. Greg moved to third and pressured Albert for second. At the checkered flag Greg did his best to get by Albert on the outside but at the line it was Heatherly for the win, Albert second, just inches ahead of Murphy for third. Billy Milstead (#8) finished fourth and James captured fifth. Young Travis Caviness (#83) had a good week getting a strong sixth place finish.

Greg Murphy super fan Robbie Buckner visited this week.

Chris Bell (#92) dominated the Street Strock race this week. Chris was unbeatable as he quickly got to the front and never looked back. Congratulations Chris!

Maureen congratulates Chris Bell in the Winner's Circle.

Congratulations also go out to Furman Parton (6P) who won the Robert Pursley Memorial late model race this weekend. Furman is a great guy and one of my favorite drivers and it was awesome to see him get this big win. Ron Parker (#8) and Chad Paxton (#16), also some of MacD’s favorites, came home in second and third.

Murphy continues consistent finishes

Richburg, SC (July 30, 2006) – Following a career first win last weekend Greg Murphy followed up with a strong second place finish this weekend at I-77 Speedway in Richburg. Skies were dark and for the third week in a row rain threatened the running of the evening’s events but the rain held off and the entire program was run without delay.

David Scott did not have the engine work quite complete on the SS4 #65 this week so the team was on hand to support Greg Murphy and James Auton.

Greg and James both ran strong in their heats with Greg winning his, setting him up for the outside pole in the Main. James finished 4th in his heat, lining him up 8th in the Main.

The Rookies took the green flag with Josh Duffield (#92) on the pole with Murphy on the outside. Duffield held back and Murphy edged out in front. The track asked Duffy to pick up the pace over the raceceiver but Josh didn’t have a raceceiver so did not heed the track’s warning to speed up. Murphy took advantage and took the lead at the drop of the green. Duffield pushed high in turn two, scaped the wall and faded to the middle of the pack. Greg was chased quickly by Michael Adams in the Tony Slack #6 and Bubba Albert (#29). Adams got by Murphy and the field was slowed by several caution flags. At the checkered flag Adams got the win followed by Murphy and Albert. Bryan “Cheeseburger” Mullis came from a distant 15th starting position to finish fourth. James struggled this week and came home with a 13th place finish.

Sue gives Greg a big kiss after race.

Family and friends celebrate Michael Adams' win.

I was not able to be at the track last weekend when my awesome brother in law, Greg Murphy, got his first career Main event win. I had a family obligation that kept me from the track but I kept in touch with what was going on by telephone updates from Sue. She called after the Rookie 4 Main to tell me that Greg had finished second but the team planned to protest the race winner, Richard Rose (#71). I waited at home for the return call with the protest results. When she called to say that the #71 was disqualified and that Greg got the win I hooted and hollered joy but was also heartbroken that I could not be there for the team. I could not be more proud of Greg. He is a dedicated, loving father to his four kids, he is a wonderful husband to my sister Sue and I am not only lucky that he is my brother-in-law, I am lucky that he is my friend.

Greg gets his first win!

The team had extreme highs and lows last weekend as David Scott finally got the #65 (well, sort of) back on the track. David ran the car as the #117 for team friend Josh Harwell, who was unable to race that weekend. We are not in the points battle at I-77 so David ran the #117 to save Josh his points. It looked like a good payoff when David won his heat and started on the front row in the Main. He led every lap of the race but coming out of turn 4 the car shut down with a very serious carburetor failure. The next three cars in line passed him before they reached the finish line with David coasting home in fourth. Our engine builder, Lee Mintz, was on hand and is working with David to sort out what continues to be very frustrating problems with our motor. With some luck we will be back on the track, as the #65, this coming weekend.

Sadly, the Harwell family will not be returning to the track. It took considerable begging and pleading on my behalf to even get them back this weekend. Another in a long list of unfavorable calls by track officials ended with the Harwells packing up and heading home. They won’t be back. Team 65 will sadly miss our pit neighbors. We have become friends and not having them beside us every week is going to be sad. We wish young Josh the best of luck with the rest of his season up at Carolina Speedway and wherever else the team may run.

Jeff Harwell

Special “get well” thoughts go out to Ronda Harwell’s mom, Tonda, who fell and broke her ankle this weekend. Get well soon Miss Tonda!

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Another Week Without David Scott

Richburg, SC (July 17, 2006) – Team 65 hit the track again this week without David Scott behind the wheel of the Country Omelet, Superior Pressure Washing, MacD Racing Partners number 65 Super Stock 4. Work continues on the motor and although we had hoped to be racing this past week it looks the David will be back on the track Saturday, July 22nd.

Greg Murphy and James Auton represented Team 65 again this week in the Rookie 4 division. Greg started sixth in the Main and James started eighth. It was not the best night of racing for the Rookies. Right from the start there was trouble with cars spinning and crashing heading into turn two. There were three or four attempts to restart the field that all resulted in additional caution flags. The field was only capable of making three actual green flag laps when the flagman displayed the white and green flags together following yet another caution. At the checkered flag the win went to Gary Dillinger (#18) followed by Bryan Mullis (#67), Chuck Levister (#c7), Greg Murphy (#65) and Richard Rose (#71). James came home with a respectable seventh place finish in the #64.

Gary Dillinger.

Congratulations to Jay Sessoms for winning this weeks late model race. Jay had the Southern Pine Needles, American Tire & Racing #84 on a roll.

Jay Sessoms.

This week’s racing was at risk for some serious weather as severe thunderstorms moved in all around the area. We saw plenty of lightning and even had a drop of rain or two but the entire program was able to be run without delay.

I enjoyed visiting with Larrie Ervin from www.luvracin.com this week. Larrie is a great guy and can usually be found in the pits or in the stands of our local tracks taking pictures for the LuvRacin.com website. Be sure to say hello to Larrie when you see him!

Larry Ervin visits with MacD.

I-77 Speedway is having a big race for the limited late models this coming weekend with qualifying and heat races for all divisions taking place on Friday night. It should be a big crowd at the track this weekend for sure.

Birthday wishes go out to Josh Harwell this week! Josh’s 17th birthday is July 20th! He celebrated with his family down in Myrtle Beach and I was proud to join the Harwell family for the birthday celebration.

Happy Birthday Josh Harwell!

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MacD, Greg and David take a break.

Consistency is Key for Murphy

Richburg, SC (July 11, 2006) – It was another “off week” for David Scott as motor issues continue to plague the Super Stock 4 #65. Work continues on the motor and we hope to be back on the track at the front of the pack this coming weekend. The team supported Greg Murphy (#65) and James Auton (#64) this past weekend at I-77 Speedway.

Greg and James finished third and fourth respectively in their heat and lined up for the Main in sixth and eighth. Greg continues to finish consistently every week and is near the top when the checkered flag flies. This week he finished a respectable fourth, however, the winning car driven by Richard Rose (#71) was disqualified for refusing to tear down, this moved the second place finisher, Bryan Mullis (#67) to first, Bubba Albert (#29) to second and Greg up to third. James struggled in the main but held on for tenth place finish.

There was considerable attention paid to the rules this week by the track officials and Team 65 appreciates it. Several teams have taken advantage of the slack enforcement of the rules over the past few months, however, with Doug Ghant and the Mosley’s back in charge the rules will be applied much more consistently.

David Scott sat out the SS4 race this week so it was an opportunity to watch the race just as fans. Jerry Oliver (#51) finally broke through for the win at I-77 this week in an awesome, hard fought win over Ronnie Brown (#25), Dustin Sweatt (#s1), Russell Falls (#04) and Shannon Barnhill (#X). Robert “Black Flag” Baldwin (#3) gave Oliver all he could handle for many laps before fading with a flat tire at the end. Team 65 got to see Jerry win the big money Stock 4 race last week up at Carolina Speedway. That was on top of winning the Street Stock Main at Carolina on the same night! Jerry is on a roll this summer and we wish him continued good luck and success.

Jerry Oliver broke through with the win this week.

Josh Harwell (#one 17) was involved in a late race accident with veteran driver Perry Bumgardner (#5) and finished outside the top 10. Perry was shook up in the accident and took a ride to the hospital in the ambulance. His family reported back that he was treated and released and is doing fine. Perry is one of the nicest guys at the track and the entire team wishes him well and a speedy recovery.

Team 65 is privileged to get to park beside the Harwell family each week. They are a true racing family dedicated to helping young Josh do his best. This team is always willing to lend a helping hand and they have become good friends to the whole 65 crew. We look forward to seeing them every week and appreciate them saving our spots for us!

Josh Harwell's grandparents, Tonda and Ron Thompson.

Chris Bell (#92) picked up his first win of the season at I-77 Speedway in the Street Stock class. Chris was the class of his field in his heat race and started outside pole in the Main. Michael “Chicken” Outlaw (#13) started on pole with Ricky Taylor (#78) starting third. Outlaw and Taylor got by Chris and battled hard for several laps before spinning. Taylor was sent to the rear of the field and Outlaw sustained damage. Chris gladly took the lead and stayed in front for the remainder of the race. MacD Racing Partners is a proud sponsor of the #92 Morgan Motors, Bell Racing Monte Carlo. Chris also ran his Lancaster Street Stock car in the Super Stock race and finished a very respectable sixth! Way to go Chris.

Street Stock winner Chris Bell.

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MacD Racing Partners at the Skyler Trull Memorial

Gastonia, NC (July 11, 2006) – Mark (MacD) and Sam George made the trip up to Carolina Speedway on Sunday night, July 9th to watch the Skyler Trull Memorial race. Mark and Sam were met there by Mark’s nephew, Jason Lubin and his girlfriend, Camille House. Jason and Camille are big late model fans and can usually be found somewhere in Georgia, Tennessee or other spots in the southeast looking for a good race.

We were disappointed by the relatively small car count for the late model race (24) and some of the expected big name guys didn’t show, Ray Cook, Earl Pearson, Jr. among them. Still, there was a good field of strong drivers on hand and as always, the Ifft family ran a tight ship and kept the show moving.

The Stock 4 and Crate Late Model divisions were on hand to support the big late model race. MacD favorites Jerry Oliver (#51), Dustin Sweatt (#s1) and Greg Barker (#88) were in the field. Greg Barker and Damon Crump (#70) put on a dynamite race at the front of the field. The two black Toyota’s screamed around the track nose to tail lap after lap with Barker holding off Crump for the well deserved win. Oliver started deep in the field and got up to third place before running out of laps. Dustin Sweatt was involved in a hard crash into the front stretch wall that took him out early. Dustin was able to get back to the pits, change and get to the stands to see the remainder of the Stock 4 race.

The Crates took the green flag with Timbo Mangum (T1) on the pole. Timbo lead every lap and was never challenged for the win.

In the Skyler Trull Memorial 75-lap, $10,000 to win late model race fast time was set by Ricky Elliott (#91). The late models ran three heat races to set the field and all 24 qualifiers were eligible to start. Elliott broke in his heat and was unable to start the Main. It was clear right from the start that Chris “Smokey” Madden (#44) was going to be the man to beat and he wasted no time getting to the front. The track got pretty dusty fast and we were pelted with orange dirt pretty much the whole race. There were numerous caution flags, mostly for stopped cars as there were just a few minor wrecks. Mechanical failures took the biggest toll as one by one the 24 car field was whittled down to just six on the lead lap at the checkered flag. Madden got the win followed by Billy Hicks (1H), Jonathan Davenport (49), Petey Ivey (6) and Ricky Weeks (1). Sam and Camille took a bunch of pictures and I plan to have them posted in the “special races” section of this website soon.

Jason, Camille and I also went to qualifying night at Clary’s Speedway last week for their $20,000 to win late model show. Qualifying was good but the show rained out on the next night so the three of us left. They ran the mains a day late but due to other plans we were unable to attend. Camille did take some pictures up there though and I will post them on the Special Races section as soon as I get them.

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Highlights from I-77 Speedway

Richburg, SC (June 26, 2006) – Team 65 was ready to roll this past Saturday night. After a power failure cancelled last week’s Mains we carried over the heat race results to this week.

In the Stock 4 division David Scott (65) started 12th in the main. This back of the pack start was a result of his engine failure in last week’s heat race. Heat winner Robert “Black Flag” Baldwin (3) started on the pole and quickly took the lead. Coming out of turn two Baldwin got tapped in the rear by a very fast Josh Harwell (One 17). The resulting yellow flag sent Harwell to the rear and gave Baldwin his lead spot back. Baldwin, Jerry Oliver (51), Kevin Garner (17) and Perry Baumgardner held the top four as David Scott moved up from his 12th place starting spot. Harwell also started a charge from his restart at the back. Jerry Oliver tried to get a run on Baldwin for several laps but was unable to make the pass. At the checkers the win went to Baldwin, followed by Oliver, Garner, David Scott and Josh Harwell.

In the Rookie 4 race James Auton (64) started 8th and Greg Murphy (65) started 12th. A first lap crash in turn two collected the front of the field and also caught James, who got tapped by the spinning cars while trying to get by the wreck. The damage to the 64 was pretty bad so James was unable to continue and he was brought to the pits on the hook.

James got into the wall off turn two.

The 64 sustained heavy front-end damage.

Greg managed to avoid the wreck and started coming through the field. Several more cautions kept the field bunched together as Greg continued to gain spots. At the checkered flag the win went to Wayne Heatherly (F1ame), followed by Billy Anthony (24), Chuckie Levister (e8), Bubba Allen (29) and Greg Murphy. The Allen team submitted a protest of the top three cars. The F1ame car declined the protest so was automatically disqualified by the track. The track officials were checking carburetors this week and found that the second place finishing Anthony had an illegal carburetor and was also disqualified. This moved the win to Chuckie Levister, this week driving the E8. The disqualifications moved Bubba Allen up to a to second place finish and Greg Murphy to third.

Rookie 4 winner CHuckie Levister.

The track ran a non-previous winner’s Dash for Cash in the Rookie 4 division this week with 9 cars taking making the field. The line up was set by the draw and Greg drew last place. Billy Anthony drew the pole. After being disqualified in the Main the Anthony team quickly changed their carburetor and were fired up and determined to win the Dash. Billy would not be denied and got his first win. Congratulations Billy and team!

Billy Anthony and team ready to race and win.

 

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A Championship for Greg Murphy

Richburg, SC (June 19, 2006) – A surprising announcement was made this week prior to the racing events on Saturday. As was reported previously, the Lineberger Racing arrangement at I-77 Speedway has come to an end with the Mosley family resuming operations at the race track. To close out the season run under the Linebergers, the Mosley’s chose to award points championships for points gained up to last week. The “Mid-Year Championships” were awarded this past Saturday night with our own Greg Murphy walking off with his first ever first place Championship award. Greg has won the “Mid-Year Rookie 4 Championship” and Team 65 and MacD Racing Partners could not be more proud. Greg has had a strong, consistent run this year with only that first big win still eluding him. Now that a championship is in the bag we will all be looking forward to the next big celebration when Greg gets that win.

Greg's car gets a new sticker for his championship.

The remainder of the news from this past Saturday isn’t that good. During intermission an electrical transformer at the track blew out power on the front stretch. They were unable to repair it so all of the Main event races were cancelled and everyone went home. The Mains will all be run this coming weekend with the results of this week’s heat races transferring to next week’s Mains. This wasn’t such bad news for David Scott. During the Stock 4 heat race David had engine trouble and he would not have been able to compete in the Main had it been run. The team is working on the motor this week to see what can be done. If they get the car repaired David will have to start at the back of the pack in the Main since he did not finish his heat.

Greg finished sixth in his heat race and James Auton (64) finished ninth so they are set for the run in the Rookie 4 Main next week.

Team 65 friend Josh Harwell had a new body on his number “One 17” this weekend. The car looks great and so does Josh’s performance as he gets closer to that first big win.

Josh Harwell's hot new look.

David Scott Returns To Carolina

Gastonia, NC (June 19, 2006) – David Scott made his first start of the season at Carolina Speedway this past Friday night. The two-time track champion is preparing a car to participate in the upcoming “Robbie Knight Memorial” Stock 4 race as well as the “Skyler Trull Memorial” so he brought the car to the track on Friday for a “test and tune”. David finished second in his heat and came home a very close second in the Main. Not bad for a car that up to this week was sitting knee high in the weeds. The team will do some additional work on the car to get the performance even better and we plan to bring it to Carolina again this Friday for the final test. The Robbie Knight Memorial is Friday, June 30th and the Skyler Trull Memorial is Sunday, July 9th. The team thanks good friend Don Denton for his invaluable assistance with the motor. We literally could not have done this without him. David put some new sheet metal on the car and added some new graphics, which look terrific. The car should have all of the graphics and decals before the upcoming big races.

New graphics on "Beauty".

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Team 65 Makes Big Improvements

Richburg, SC (June 4, 2006) – After closing for several weeks due to the serious illness of track promoter Jim Lineberger the gates at I-77 reopened to one of the biggest car counts this year. Many teams were looking forward to getting back on the track and it showed. Sadly, Jim continues to be very ill and is still hospitalized. Thoughts and prayers go out to Jim and the Lineberger family. Track owner Ronnie Mosely has announced that due to Jim’s illness the Mosely family will take over running the track again starting June 17th. This is great news for fans and teams at I-77 as the Mosely’s put on a great show. There won’t be any racing the weekend of June 10th as the Mosely’s work on transitioning back into their old jobs. Welcome back Ronnie and Velma!!

The night started with the Stock 4 class with David Scott (65) jumping out to a quick lead in the first heat that he never let go. The heat win set him up on the pole for the Main. Jason Dockery (8D) was very fast in the second Stock 4 heat and won it to claim the outside pole in the Main. The Stock 4 Main was an exciting one with Scott and Dockery starting on the front row followed by Jerry Oliver (51), Kevin Garner (17) and Josh Harwell (One 17). Russell Falls (04) was on hand this week but due to a spin in the heat was coming from the back of the pack. At the green Dockery got the best of Scott going into turn one. David’s car was loose in the turns and after the first lap he slipped back to fourth and then fifth. The field ran strong with Dockery out front with Oliver, Garner and Scott and Harwell jockeying second through fifth. A very fast Russell Falls would have no part of the field running away from him and he quickly sliced through the pack and with two laps to go was challenging Dockery for the lead. Going into turn three of the last lap Falls moved under Dockery but did not make a clean pass and he made contact with the 8D sending them both into the wall in turn four, also collecting third place running Jerry Oliver and fourth place running Kevin Garner, who mostly tried to avoid the wreck. The result let David Scott drive low in the turn and miss the wreck completely. He crossed the finish line first, however, the track rules protect the leader of the race during the last lap and Dockery was clearly taken out by Falls. The track gave Dockery the win and David was scored second. Jerry Oliver was third followed by Josh Harwell fourth and Kevin Garner fifth. It was a wild and exciting finish with Dockery getting carried to the scales and the winner’s circle on the wrecker. Congratulations to Jason for getting his very first feature win.

Stock 4 winner Jason Dockery and his battered 8D.

The Rookie 4 guys also put on quite a race this week. James Auton (64) had a strong 3rd place finish in his heat and Greg Murphy (65) came from the back of his heat to finish fifth. This put James starting in sixth and Greg 10th in the Main. A first lap wreck involving Josh Duffield (92) and Bubba Albert (29) took out the front row and several other cars. The field struggled through several more yellow flags as James moved up to second place behind leader Richard Rose (71) while Greg moved up to third. The field managed to make the final two circuits under green as Rose collected his first feature win followed by James Auton in second, his strongest finish to date, and Greg with another strong finish in third. Team 65 was ecstatic over James’s awesome finish week. James made the decision he wanted to protest the Rose car but the track again claimed that they did not have the technical tools needed to do an engine inspection. They would not accept the protest so the finish stood. Congratulations to young Richard Rose on his first feature win!

Rookie 4 winner Richard Rose.

I had a chance to meet and talk you young Richard this week. He is an up and coming driver in the Rookie class and has a bright future ahead of him. Richard teams up with bad boy driver Dom Thomas (71D) who seems to be generating a lot of talk at the track and on the chat forums. Dom should be careful of the reputation he creates for himself as a bad one can stay with you for a long time.

 

Rookie 4 driver Dom Thomas.

Congratulations go out to Rookie 4 “sheriff” Josh Duffield and his girlfriend, Diana, as they announced their engagement this week.

Congratulations newly engaged Josh and Diana!

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Closer, but still not a win for Team 65

Richburg, SC (May 15, 2006) – After lots of concerned posts on the internet this past week about the racing program at I-77 Speedway collapsing the pits were actually pretty full. The stands remain mostly empty and bringing them back is going to take some serious promotion. Hopefully the drivers will do their part by coming to the track every week and putting on a great show like the one we had this past weekend.

After a lousy run last week David Scott was fired up to get the 65 on the track to see what it would do. David started on the pole in his heat and won it easily, setting him on the pole for the Main. From the drop of the green David had the lead well in hand as second through fifth fought hard amongst themselves for position. With just one lap to go David slowed just enough to let a very fast closing Kevin Garner (17) catch him. Garner and Scott fought for the position through turns one and two and then down the back stretch with Garner getting the best of Scott going into turn three. David tried to come back on the inside coming out of turn four but at the line the win went to Garner. Scott got second, followed by Jerry Oliver (51) third, Jason Dockery (8D) fourth and Josh Harwell (117) fifth.

Modified 4 winner Kevin Garner

In the Rookie 4 division Greg Murphy started mid pack in his heat and right from the start he found the 65 to be down on power. Greg struggled to keep up with the front runners and at least maintain his 5th place starting position. Due to several attempts to get this race completed the track red flagged the event on the last lap, freezing positions from the last completed green flag lap. This was lucky for us as Greg had a flat tire going into turn three going to the checkers. He limped the car back to the pits but was credited with a fourth place finish, setting him in 7th for the 21 car field Main. In the Main the winner of the first heat broke at the end of the heat race and was unable to make the feature. This moved his line up one, advancing Greg to a 5th place start.

Greg jockeyed between fourth and seventh place in the Main, which was marred by another rash of spins and wrecks that brought out several yellow flags. When the checkered flag flew Greg wound up fifth with Bubba Albert (29) getting his first win, followed by Chris Loos (76), Brandon Cody (04) third, and Kevin McAteer (33) in fourth.

Bubba Albert got his first win this week.

James Auton had an awful run this week in the 64 car. James went around in the heat with a little help and wound up nose first in the fence, deep in the mud. The team worked hard to get him into the main where he managed to finish but it was the end of a very long night for James.

James comes in on the hook

Working on James' car

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Team 65 Searches for Answers

(May 7, 2006 – Richburg, SC) – It was a beautiful night for racing at the I-77 Speedway this week. The question is for how much longer will anybody be racing there? As the promoter allows the program to deteriorate with questionable choices for the racing program and unprofessional application of technical and safety rules it does not seem feasible that the track will last the season. It's a shame. Team 65 loves the speedway and we are proud to call the track our home.

It was announced last week the Limited Late Models (LLM), which the promoter, Jim Lineberger, had planned to eliminate, would be allowed to run with a smaller purse if the cars would show up to race. A dozen guys showed up last night but that must not be enough as the LLM drivers were told they were done and they would not be back next week. That's a shame as these guys are awesome and belong on the program. Instead, the struggling Crate Late Model (CLM) division, which had six cars this week, will now be the headline class. I like the crates too but think the two can coexist. We will see what an impact this will have on the number of cars in the pits and more importantly, the number of fans in the stands. I suspect both will continue to dwindle to the point where the track will be in jeopardy of closing.

The lack of knowledge of the technical director regarding four cylinder cars is unacceptable. The two four cylinder divisions have more participants than several of the other classes combined. It is imperative that the tech man knows what he is doing regarding the Modified 4 and Rookie 4 divisions so that application of the rules is enforced and understood. The tech man must know what is legal and illegal and should be able to perform an examination of the parts during a protest with confidence and good judgment. Anything less is unacceptable and unfair to all drivers, teams and fans. It is the responsibility of the track to have someone perform this duty who knows what is doing!

I have also seen that the track does not enforce its own safety rules and depends on other teams to point out when something is wrong. The track should make a visual inspection of each car as they get into the line up chute. This isn't a full on inspection but a visual of some of the basics such as bumpers, driver in full driving suits, helmets and window nets. The track managed to take over 20 minutes confirming the Rookie 4 cars had RaceCeivers this week but didn't notice clear violations of safety rules.

Race results for Team 65 were mixed again this week. Last week the Rookie 4 division was unable to run their Main event due to the curfew so it was run this week. The guys lined up according to how they qualified last week, which put Greg on the pole. Drivers that did not race last week were relegated to the rear of the field. Greg and Josh Duffield (92) pat battled at the front lap after lap with Greg trying his best to get by Duffield but to no avail. At the checkered flag Duffield got the win with Greg following closely in second and Billy Anthony (24) third. Team 65 protested the Duffield win and asked the track to inspect the cylinder head and clutch flywheel assembly of the 92. The parts in question were found to be legal and Josh kept his win. This protest only added fuel to the fire regarding the inadequacy of the technical man. David Scott was in the protest room representing Team 65 and the tech man asked David what size the valves are supposed to be on the head. They are supposed to know that! How else are they able to tell right from wrong? They also never actually pulled any valves out of the head because they don't have the proper tools to do so. David had to use a flashlight and check them himself! That is supposed to be the job of the track, not the team that filed the protest. The tech men also told David and me they don't have the proper tools or the knowledge to properly check the valve guide symmetrics. That's unacceptable and unprofessional and I-77 Speedway should be ashamed. How the heck can anything ever be determined to be illegal if the tech man has no clue what he is doing? All teams, not just the four cylinder teams, should be extremely concerned about this.

Another strong second place finish for Greg

James Auton took the week off so did not race the 64. James's friend Jamie Seymour drove the car and after starting at the back got up as high as fifth place in the Main but a busted radiator hose sent him to the pits and ended his night.

In the Modified 4 division David drew last place in his heat - again. He finished fourth in his heat and seventh in the Main. David got a flat tire while attempting a pass for fifth place on Jason Dockery (8D). He restarted 13th with just a few laps to go but managed to get back to the top five for a fifth place finish, disappointing but better than not finishing for sure. The race was won by Russell Falls (04) followed by Kevin Garner (17), Jerry Oliver (51) and Dockery. Josh Harwell (One 17) got a bent gas pedal early in the race and struggled to maintain his position. He managed to hang on the finish in sixth place. One of the biggest heartbreaks of the night came for Mike "Mock-a-Dew" Bates (6). His car got pretty badly damaged following a heat race incident in turn three with Jerry Oliver and Robert Baldwin (3).

 

Mike Bates brings his damaged ride to the pits

 

Mock-a-Dew's nose got crunched.

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Frustrating Weekend at I-77 Speedway

Richburg, SC (May 1, 2006) – It was a tough weekend for Team 65 at I-77 this past weekend. The track was closed last week so officials could add new clay and reconfigure the banking. The results were good with the track getting a new look that I thought made it potato chip shaped with new entrances and exits on and off the turns. The teams seemed to like it too and except for a rough patch that developed in turn one it looked like it held together pretty well.

David anticipated how Bruiser would race on the new configuration and did some work on the gear he was running in the #65. The combination wasn’t optimal as he appeared to be down on power the whole night. He managed a third place finish in his heat which put him in 5th place for the Main. He stayed right around his starting spot through the feature and wound up with a fourth place finish.

The feature was a good one, however, with Robert “Black Flag” Baldwin (3) getting another win followed very closely by Russell Falls (04) and Jerry Oliver (51). Early in the race Falls was battling with Kevin Garner (17) for the lead when the two of them spun coming out of turn four. Falls was charged with the spin and was sent to the back of the pack. Garner held his position in the front but two laps later had a flat tire and after getting it changed he also restarted at the back. Falls quickly came through the field followed closely by Wes Helms (98) and Garner. Attempting to pass Josh Harwell (117) for third Falls and Harwell had contact that included Wes Helms. Harwell spun and got a flat tire. He restarted at the back. Falls maintained second and while he challenged for the lead he was unable to catch Baldwin who got the win. Harwell raced his way through the field and came from the rear up to fifth for a good top five finish.

Greg has his #65 looking very fast this weekend. He started on the pole in his heat and never looked back, getting the win and setting him up for a pole starting position in the Rookie 4 Main. Unfortunately the entire program ran too long this week and the Rookie 4 Main was cancelled. It will be run this coming weekend.

Congratulations to Ricky Taylor (78) for his awesome sixth win in the Street Stock division this week. Ricky drew some bad luck two weeks ago going for six in a row but was back on target this week landing in victory lane. Way to go Ricky!

Ricky Taylor leads the Street Stocks into Turn 1

Congratulations also go out to Ray Dockery (8D) in the Late Model division. Ray put on a great show collecting his second win in a row at I-77 Speedway. Some of the best excitement of the night comes from seeing the Dockery/King team cheering on Ray to the win. Awesome job, Ray!

Late Model winner Ray Dockery

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Team 65 news from I-77 Speedway.

(April 17, 2006 – Richburg, SC) – I-77 Speedway took a week of racing off this past weekend. The first annual Colossal 100 late model race was held at the Dirt Track at Lowe’s Motor Speedway this weekend so Jim Lineberger took advantage of an anticipated small crowd to work on the racing surface. The regular racing program kicks back into high gear this coming weekend.

Photos from the Colossal 100, which I attended with my nephew Jason and his girlfriend Camille, will eventually be posted on the Special Races gallery on this website.

(April 10, 2006 Richburg, SC) - It was another crazy night of racing at the I-77 Speedway this weekend. Hopes were high that David Scott would return to the front after a disappointing mechanical failure gave him an awful finish last week while running second.

Unfortunately, things don’t always turn out the way you planned. David was very strong in his heat and won it, giving him the pole for the feature. Robert “Black Flag” Baldwin (3) won the second heat and started on the favored outside front row. Baldwin got the jump on Scott and led the field into turn one. David tried time and again to catch Baldwin but was held back by several yellow flags that kept him from gaining. Just after the halfway point a plug wire came loose on the 65 and David had to pit under green. He returned to the track but finished near the back, two laps down. Black Flag captured the win followed closely by Josh Harwell (One 17) and Jerry Oliver (51).

Team 65 pits beside the Harwell family every week and we have become great friends. Young Josh continues to impress and we will all celebrate when he gets his first big win very soon.

In the Rookie 4 race Greg got a back of the pack draw and James got a front of the pack draw. They both finished about in the middle of the pack in their heat, with Greg just ahead of James. The Rookie 4 feature was filled with crashes and yellow flags this week. This group had been doing great this year with few cautions but that was not the case this weekend. On just the third lap there was a big crash coming out of turn two that involved the lead pack. Greg was in sixth at the time and slowed to avoid the wreck but got tapped from behind and spun. Greg was eligible to get his position back since he did not cause the wreck; however, he had a tire rubbing on the right front fender. The track worker could not pull the fender off the tire so Greg had to pit for the team to fix it. This meant Greg had to restart at the back of the 19 car field. There were several more caution flags so Greg was unable to advance from the back. The time limit for the race ran out so the flagman signaled there would be a “green, white, checker” finish. Greg moved from the rear of the field to fifth place in those two laps. James continues to get some lap time in the 64 car and he improves his finishes each week.

MacD Racing Partners was proud to sponsor the win in the Street Stock division this week. Friends Jeff Graves (Y-44) and Chris Bell (92) came to I-77 Speedway to see if they could take the win from five times in a row winner Ricky Taylor (78). In heat two Taylor and Graves got together with Graves getting the worst of it. A broken rear end and a drive shaft rolling down the turn looked like it would end Jeff’s chances. Taylor went on to win the heat, starting outside pole beside heat one winner Darrell McLaughlin (08). The Y-44 team worked very hard over the next hour and managed to put the pieces back together to make the feature, starting in the rear.

McLaughlin was very fast and he got the jump on Taylor from the start. Ricky worked hard lap after lap trying to get the nose of the red 78 inside McLaughlin. Coming out of turn one they got together causing them both to spin. Taylor was sent to the back of the pack for causing the spin. Another wreck a few laps later collected a big group in the middle of the pack and it included Taylor whose night ended with a broken radiator and the hopes for a six in a row “six pack” of wins ending. The race win went to a very happy Darrell McLaughlin, followed by Joe Stephenson (j0e) and Chris Head (00). Jeff Graves had worked his way up as high as fifth but the quick repair work had taken its toll and he rolled to the pits early. Chris Bell was as high as fourth but a spin sent him to the rear with only a few laps to go.

Mike Huey (4) got the win in the Crate Late Model division. Mike drives a County Omelet car so it’s always nice to have our sponsor’s car’s in the winner’s circle. Congratulations Mike!

A long time coming, well deserved win in the Late Model division went to veteran driver Ray Dockery. It was awesome to see this team finally have some good luck, beating Big John Pursley for the win.

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David Scott nabs second win of the year.

Richburg, SC (April 3, 2006) – A beautifully sunny sky brought race fans and teams to the I-77 Speedway this past weekend. With the Crate Late Models racing in Modoc and the Super Stock division on hiatus the field of cars was almost as low as the fan count in the stands. Still, those that came enjoyed some great racing.

David was fast from the start this week getting a third place finish in his heat lining him up fifth in his Main. The heat races were won by Jerry Oliver (51) and Josh Harwell (One 17).

Heat action with Robert Baldwin, David Scott, & Mike Bates

In the Main the field headed off into turn one at the drop of the green flag with Oliver getting a good jump on the lead. Harwell slid high in turn two as did Robert “Black Flag” Baldwin (2) who started in third. This gave David the inside lane and he took advantage of it moving quickly to second place. He followed Oliver, challenging him for the lead time and again. Just past the halfway point David got the nose of the 65 inside Oliver and he got the pass completed diving into turn one. He held on to get his second win of the season. Following across the finish line was Oliver in second and Jason Dockery (8D) in third.

Greg was supposed to start his heat in fifth; however, none of the top four cars would take their place in line. The flagman tried three times to line up the field and finally Greg moved up to take the pole position. Everyone then fell in line behind him. The flagman gave Greg the green flag and he held onto first place for the heat win, lining him up on the pole in his Main. James Auton (64) had a great run in his heat, coming home with a strong third place finish.

Greg Murphy off to a great start this season.	Rookie 4 winner Josh Duffield.

In the Rookie Main Greg was on the pole with Josh Duffield (92) lining up outside. Duffield got the better of Greg going into turn one and Greg held onto second for several laps until he was passed by the #29. That did not last long as the #29 blew up and Greg got past him. At the checkers Duffield collected the win with Greg in second followed by Richard Rose (71) in third. James had some throttle issues this week and popped the front end of his ride into the inside wall on the backstretch. That eliminated him from the race, which is too bad because he had the 64 moving this week. Better luck next week James!

Big congratulations go out to Ricky Taylor (78) in the Street Stock division who claimed his fourth win in a row. Way to go Ricky!

It was awesome to see the Ifft family at I-77 Speedway this week. Brandon Ifft (27) had a great run in the Late Model feature coming home with a second place finish. We were pleased to have Melissa Anderson join us in the Team 65 pits. Come back anytime,

MacD with David Ifft

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Team 65 race results from I-77 Speedway

Richburg, SC (March 27, 2006) – Fans and race teams braved the cold at I-77 Speedway this week, the last of the preseason daytime races to be held this year.

David and Greg both had bad draws for their respective heats and started in the back in each.

David started sixth in his heat and only managed to get to fifth at the checkered flag, giving him a ninth place start in his feature. Right from the start of the feature David was in trouble as a spinning car in front collected David, putting a huge hole in the right front and broke one of the bumper support braces. There was also some damage to the right rear. The track official pulled the sheet metal from the tires so David was able to continue but the car was nowhere near as competitive as it was last week. David got up as high as fourth on the last lap but slid high coming out of turn two allowing Josh Harwell (One 17) and Mike Bates (6) to get by. David finished sixth. The race winner was Kevin Garner (17), followed by Chris Cantrell (114), Jerry Oliver (51), Harwell and Bates.

Front end damage to the 65.

The back end also got a pretty good dent.

Jeff Graves made the trip to I-77 this week.

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David Scott Gets First Win of the Season

Richburg, SC (March 18, 2006) After a somewhat lackluster performance last week David Scott returned to the front of the pack to capture his first win of the season in the MacD Racing Partners, Country Omelet number 65.

David Scott gets win trophy #1 for 2006!

David looked strong from the drop of the green flag in his heat quickly moving from the fourth place starting position to the lead, ending the race with the win. This set him up to start outside the front row in the Main. David quickly got past the pole sitter, Bryan Crook (Flyin' 0) going into turn one and held the lead for the remainder of the race. Crook took home second place followed by Dustin Sweatt (#1).....

In the rookie 4 division Greg started his heat way back in 8th place with James starting in 9th. At the checkered flag Greg got up to 4th and James was relegated to the final spot in the field.

For the Main Greg started 8th and James started 19th. As usual, the Rookie race was very exciting and included some crashes and spin outs. Greg managed to avoid two spins that took place right in front of him and got up as high as fifth at the checkered flag. The apparent winner of the race, Wayne Heatherly (F1), winner of last week's race and second place finisher Heath Ivey (#11) were both disqualified on technical inspection by the track officials for having hood scoops that were not stock in appearance, eliminating them from the finish. The win went to Steve Hinson (#10) making his first appearance at I-77 followed by Jonathan Warlick (#W4) and Greg, who moved up to a third place finish for the night. The disqualification was unusual since Heatherly had won with the same hood scoop that he had on the car last week when his win stood.

Rookie 4 winner Steve Hinson. Beautiful graphics done by Blake Perry!

James's car has a factory installed hood scoop that is non-functioning. It was included as a factory installed option back in the 80's on the model Capri James got it from. It was non-functioning when it was a street car and is non-functioning now but to be compliant with this visual rule we will put a different hood on the "Frank N Stein" car so it won't be an issue. James continued to struggle with the #64 car and while he gained some good track time making laps he finished at the back of the pac...although not last!

Results for all divisions are on the results page at www.I-77Speedway.com

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Season Opens at I-77 Speedway

Team 65 hit the track running this past Saturday as the non-points racing season kicked off. There will be three weeks of non-points racing on Saturday afternoons in March. In April the track will move to the regular Saturday night show and the points season will begin.

In the Super Stock 4 division David Scott got a bad draw for his heat and started at the back of the pack. He only advanced a few spots, setting his starting place in the Main back in sixth place. David ran as high as third in the feature but was passed by Robert “Black Flag” Baldwin driving the Russell Williford #1, relegating him to a fourth place finish. The race was dominated by Sumter’s Michael Boykin (#61). Boykin clearly had the fast car of the night as Kevin Garner (#17) and Bryan Cook (Flyin’ 0) could not make ground on him. With just a few laps to go Boykin succumbed to mechanical failure and pulled off the track. The first win of the season went to Kevin Garner, followed closely by Bryan Crook, Baldwin, Scott and Mike Bates (#6) rounding out the top five.

Greg Murphy’s night in the Rookie 4 division proved to be exciting again. Greg started 8th in his heat and within three laps was leading the field, getting his first heat win of the season and securing the pole starting position for the main. Nineteen cars took the green flag in the Rookie main. Greg looked great out front and had the MacD Racing Partners, Country Omelet Mustang rolling. With just two laps to go Greg’s foot slipped off the gas pedal coming out of turn two, that let closely following Wayne Heatherly (F1ame), Tony Slack (#6) and Josh Duffield (#92) close fast and take evasive action. The result was a crash that put Duffield to the rear. Greg did not escape unharmed however, as Heatherly’s right front caught Greg’s right rear and gave the #65 a flat tire. Greg was forced to give up his lead and pit for a tire change. Team 65 gives big thanks to Mr. Henry Duffield for running to the Team 65 pit to help change the flat tire.

At the restart Josh Duffield and Greg both started at the back and came tearing through the pack. A last lap crash collected several top running cars, including Duffield and Blake Perry (#15), who had an excellent top three finish in the bag. Duffield was given his spot back giving him the third place finish and Greg managed to salvage fifth. Perry, unfortunately was the loser in this incident and was relegated to an 11th place finish. Wayne Heatherly (F1ame) took the checkers and his first ever feature win. Way to go Wayne! Billy Anthony (#24) got second, followed by Duffield, Johnny Toney (#T4) and Murphy. Watching Duffield and Murphy slice through the pack from about sixteenth to third and fifth was some of the best racing of the night. Way to go Greg. We know you will have that first win very soon.

Rookie 4 first time winner, Wayne Heatherly

Team 65 crew member James Auton brought his #64 “Frank N Stein” car to the Rookie 4 field for the first time this week. From the start the motor just wasn’t right and James struggled most of the night. James did a great job piecing this car together from the bones of the many Team 65 parts cars. The name “Frank N Stein” certainly fits this race car. Look for James to improve every week.

James's "Frank N Stein" #64

Greg and Sue’s twins, James and Jared, came to their first race ever to see their daddy run up front. These boys are learning early and love to work on the race cars.

 

The Murphy twins, James and Jared

Team 65 congratulates Ricky Taylor (#78) on his very exciting win in the Street Stock division. Taylor and Brandy Baker (#06) put on some of the best and most exciting racing of the night.

 

Street Stock winner Ricky Taylor.

Results for all divisions are on the results page at www.I-77Speedway.com

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Champion Takes a Break at Carolina

Following several very successful seasons at the Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, NC, including back to back Championships in 2004 and 2005, David Scott is taking the 2006 season off and will not compete at Carolina on a weekly basis. The decision was a difficult one for the veteran driver of the MacD Racing Partners, Country Omelet, Superior Pressure Washing Stock 4 Mustang #65. This will be the first season in many years that the familiar black mustang will not be seen at Carolina on a weekly basis. Scott accumulated tenvictories at Carolina in 2005 and it capped off his best season ever.

The entire team is sad not to be returning to Carolina, a track we all love. I am especially sad about not returning as Carolina is where my interest in dirt track racing was renewed. However, the commitment to our families and businesses put racing on consecutive nights very difficult. For me racing at Carolina meant getting off work at noon every single Friday to make the long four hour trip up from Myrtle Beach. In 2006 we will focus all of our efforts on racing Saturday nights at I-77 Speedway where we will be running three cars.

Our thanks and gratitude go out to the entire David Ifft family and especially Melissa Anderson for being a great friend to Team 65. Your dedication to putting on a great show for the fans is unmatched.

We may show up for special races from time to time so you have not seen the last of David Scott and Team 65.

We wish the best of luck to the friends and teams we competed with every week at Carolina.

 

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