The weekend of June 4 was a bit wide open for short track racing. The choices were all open. The dirt at Natural Bridge or Wythe was on and South Boston was running a “triple crown” preview for the upcoming Thunder Road Harley Davidson 200.
However… Motor Mile in Radford was running hot on two levels. The Saturday night speedway action for June 4 Heroes Night presented twin Late Models and Limited Sportsman races with Super Street, U-Car and Pure-4. The oval action had fast company with a full weekend running the straight line on the drag strip. Motor Mile Dragway also had a full paddock so the choice was made to double down in Radford,
The Drag Strip is running a full local schedule for 2022 so there is time to catch it. Friday Night Fury and Brackets are on tap into August with local street challenges and more sprinkled in. The paddock and staging has a large area for competitors with a call tower and VIP suite at the start line. There is plenty of seating on both sides of the lanes for spectators. We had a window to check it out before action got started at the oval.
Test and tune went off Friday with the Brackets getting on Saturday and into Sunday. It took a few runs and some questions to get it straight but we caught up. The variety of racing was wide open. Classics, vintage and street were all mixed in during the day while the oval was getting the teams to the infield. There were even some juniors racing and they were just as quick on the throttle as the adults. This will be on the list for a follow up visit.
Motor Mile Dragway – June 4, 2022 – Photo Gallery
The oval at Motor Mile Speedway was set for a full Saturday evening beginning with a tribute to all who have served in the military and in public safety. Racing went off on the evening schedule on time but quickly set the stage for some excitement. Points racing for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series was on tap with support series filling the schedule.
The “Total Car Care” Mod-4 were shaken up under the green flag as Jonathan Hall got turned around on the start. The restart came off OK and, despite a banged up race car, Jonathan Hall managed a third place finish. Doodle Lang put his #22 in Victory Lane as Kevin Canter came in second.
The next challenge ran the first of two Collision Plus Limited Sportsman races. The finish was not much different from the start. There were some deep challenges but most fell back as the top three at the finish started in the top four positions. The winner, Daryn Cockram, also started on the pole. Karl Budzevski and Jacob Porter finished second and third. Brad Foy, who started outside of Cockram, fell back a bit to hold sixth at the end.
For Super Street, presented at Motor Mile by DCT Towing, brought the challenge as the front starters fought for position early on. Daniel Eakin and Scooter Hollandsworth were close but the #16 of Hollandsworth lost some tack and fell back. Hard charging a few spots back, Bryce Blake managed to climb up for a second place finish behind Eakin. Scooter held on for third.
We’re mid-season at Motor Mile and the Price’s Body Shop Late Model division is showing signs of growth. A track this size with this kind of facility should be drawing more drivers. Granted… Late Model racing is not a cheap run but for southwest Virginia there is not a lot of racing but for the dirt at Wythe and some hot laps in coal country at Lonesome Pine. So… Bring it on!
For the first of the twin 50 lap features, it was another front challenge for Kyle Dydley and Mike Looney. Bryan Reedy started on pole but couldn’t keep the chargers in the mirrors as Cory Dunn made it by. Dunn and Looney raced the front for several laps but a fiery caution brought the race to a stop. Zeke Shell likely had a fluid leak that sparked up into a front end fire in turns three and four. Shell came out of the #1 OK but was out for this one. The restart allowed Kyle Dudley to get back into the challenge and as the final laps wound out, Dunn fell back to third as Dudley and Looney traded the front by bumper lengths. For race one, it was Dudley, Looney and Dunn in first, second and third. Pole starter Reedy put the #17 in for fourth.
The second Collision Plus Limited Sportsman event rolled out and shook up. The field chased the front from the mid and forward. The pole starter, Drew Bond, fell back to fifth at the finish. Karl Budzevski took the win as Dale Cline and Jacob Porter came across the line in second and third.
With racing well under the lights, the Blue Ridge Church U-Car / Pure 4 combined to make a couple of restarts to get around for lap one. At the finish, it was Cary Thomason on top for UCar and William Hale took the top spot in Pure-4.
The final feature of the evening brought the Price’s Body Shop Late Models back to the track. Early racing bunched up in turn three and four and the attrition for late racing began. Kyle Dudley, who had won the first Late Model feature, got jammed up in it and was out of the contest. With Dudley out, the front was contested by Mike Looney and Cory Dunn but it was Looney that held the lead at the end. Dunn held the second and Bryan Reedy came up for third.
Motor Mile Speedway – Heroes Night – June 4, 2022 – Full Gallery
