Published: August 16, 2008 11:01 pm         

Johnson wins Raleigh County 30

Hornsby, Mullens only drivers to finish feature

With a full moon overhead, Beckley Motor Speedway provided some exciting and bizarre action Friday night.

First, Kenny Johnson dominated the field in the AMRA Modifieds’ Road Warrior Tour-sanctioned Raleigh County 30. That was followed by a Late Model feature won by Henry Hornsby Jr. that ended five laps early with only two cars running. The night was capped, though, by the return of Eddie Hambrick Jr. to victory lane in the KOM Pro Lates in his first night behind the wheel this season.

It was all Kenny Johnson in the Raleigh County 30. Johnson jumped to the lead from the outside of the front row at the start and waved goodbye to the rest of the 19-car field.

Robert Garnes was able to stay close to Johnson’s bumper for the first eight laps, but a flat right rear tire dropped him off the pace and finally ended his night on lap 16.

From there, Johnson, the veteran Parkersburg driver, fended off every challenger to roll to his seventh victory of the season.

“It was just my kind of track,” Johnson said. “The track was just a touch rough, but there was a lane through the middle there that smoothed out and kept a lot of bite. The car pulled hard all night. I think we were just dialed in where everybody else struggled a little bit.”

Mark Dickson and Louie Krushansky swapped second place back and forth late before Dickson nosed ahead at the stripe.

Scott Harper followed in fourth with Donnie Nething rounding out the top five.

Six out of eight Late Models on hand made the call for the feature event. It didn’t take long for the action to start.

As Eslie Bills and Mike Duncan jockeyed for position on lap 2, the duo got together in turn two and Bills went airborne. The Kincaid driver launched over the guardrails at the exit of turn two and plowed into the hillside behind.

Bills was uninjured in the accident but done for the night along with Duncan.

“I was a little too impatient there,” Bills said. “I was just trying a little bit too much. Duncan wouldn’t let off and I wouldn’t either and we were going for the same place. That’s just racing. It’s no big deal. I’ll be back next week.”

Bills related it wasn’t his wildest ride at the track.

“A few years ago, I was leading the feature here and jumped all three of the guardrails right down here as you go into two,” he said. “I went through the catchfence and ran into Gene McNeely’s trailer. That was a wild one.”

That left four cars running with Hornsby leading Chris Meadows, Tony Mullens and Robert McMillion.

Hornsby and Meadows pulled away for a two-car battle, but Meadows dropped out near the halfway point with what appeared to be power steering woes.

Hornsby would cruise to the checkered flag with Mullens and McMillion in tow. McMillion, though, would go up in smoke just short of the finish on the final lap.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had that before,” Hornsby said. “There wasn’t a lot of cars and then the track is rough. The guys (that work the track) are trying to fight the dust and they’ve almost got it a little bit too soft. It was a different night for sure.”

Hambrick returned to the track for the first time this season after a freak accident shattered his kneecap earlier in the spring.

The Oak Hill wheelman proved he hasn’t lost a step, though, going wire-to-wire in the KOM Pro Late feature event.

“I think the luck of the pill draw helped tonight,” Hambrick said. “If I had started back toward the rear, you probably wouldn’t be here right now.”

Aaron Barley charged from ninth to second but couldn’t close the gap on Hambrick in the final circuits.

Brad Jarrell, Chad Justice and Keith Bills complete the top five.

Rodney Cole had the field covered in the Outlaw Street feature and Matt Schoolcraft won the Pure Street Stock event.

Next Friday, Beckley Motor Speedway hosts the Henry Hornsby Sr. Memorial race.