Stephen Evans of Tyner, NC worked his way from his fifth place starting position and took the lead from Eddie Groome of Stuarts Draft, VA on lap 16 of the 35 lap feature. Evans had to hold off several advances for the lead from Anthony Kincaid before scoring his first victory of 2009 in the Victory Lap Late Model division at Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway.
On lap 21 Evans had to hold off Kincaid as the two raced back to the line with Evans holding on by inches. The move proved to be the decisive one for Evans as he was able to go on to the win.
“We have been working real hard this year to get back into victory lane; this hasn’t been the year we had expected. When you get a win here at VMS you worked for it,” commented Evans in victory lane.
Rounding out the top five were Anthony Kincaid, Stevie Long, Tom Cohick and Tommy Hoy. Although Kincaid didn’t win the battle tonight he did win the war picking up his career first Championship in the Victory Lap Late Models.
“I can’t tell you how happy this makes me, we have been working on this car for year’s and this year we just hit on the right combination of horsepower and set up. Most times this year it has been just me and my dad, I can’t thank him enough for what he has done for me,” commented Kincaid on his championship.
In the Victory Lap Late Model 35 lap feature Eddie Groome of Stuarts Draft, VA and Tommy Hoy of Waynesboro, VA led the field to green with it going three wide as they headed into turn 1 with Groome emerging with the lead.
Caution would come out on the next circuit when Vaughan Haywood hit the front stretch wall. On the restart Davis Lipscombe took second from Hoy as Stephen Evans and Tom Cohick got by Anthony Kincaid for third and fourth.
On lap 7, caution would fly again as Gene Snow, Brett Carlton and David Steele would get together on the front stretch. On the restart Evans dove under Lipscombe out of turn 2 for second. Caution would fly again on lap 8 for Chris Stacy who had come to rest on the backstretch.
Back under green Groome led the field to turn 1 as Lipscombe, Kincaid and Cohick went three wide at the line for third. As the trio headed into turn 2 Lipscombe would lose control of his car spinning and bringing out the caution once again.
On lap 9 Stevie Long would get under Hoy in turn three. On lap 11 Evans tried to get inside Groome heading into turn one, the two would make contact with Groome continuing with the lead. Groome’s car would break a upper control arm on the left front on lap 13. Groome would hold onto the lead for the next three circuits before Evans was able to get by in turn 4 of lap 16 to take over the top spot. Caution would come out for Groome on lap 19.
On the restart Evans led Kincaid, Cohick, Long and Lipscombe back to green. On lap 21 Kincaid rocketed to the inside of Evans out of turn 4 with Evans holding onto the lead by inches. Evans would get back out front in turn 1 as caution flew again on lap 22, this time for debris.
On the restart Evans and Kincaid pulled away from the field. On lap 24 Long looked inside Cohick in turn 2, the two raced side by side back to turn 2 before Long completed the pass for third. With five to go Evans began to pull away from Kincaid. Over the final five laps nothing could stand in the way of Evans as he went on to record his first victory of 2009. Rounding out the top five were Anthony Kincaid, Stevie Long, Tom Cohick and Tommy Hoy. With the win Evans picked up a $50 certificate from Keiser Aluminum Wheels.
Anthony Kincaid of Gloucester, VA picked up his career first Championship in the Victory Lap Late Models. Davis Lipscombe of Mechanicsville, VA is the 2009 Rookie of the year.
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