PRP hosts largest field of ‘22 season

0

With 113 race teams on hand this past Saturday, Portsmouth Raceway Park hosted its largest car count of the season, as 410 Winged Sprint Cars, Late Models, Modifieds, and Sport Mods gathered in Portsmouth for an evening of racing presented by The Desco Federal Credit Union.

Australia’s Lachlan McHugh prevailed in the Sprint Car Feature, Wheelersburg’s RJ Conley was the Late Model winner. Lucasville’s Jeremy Rayburn took the checkers in the Modifieds, and Chillicothe’s Kevin Wills was triumphant in the Sport Mods.

The Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association made its first of three scheduled visits to PRP in 2022. Twenty-seven entries were in attendance with drivers from Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Canada, and Australia.

Aussie Lachlan McHugh had a big night. He set fast time with a lap clocked at 13.327, which averaged out to a speed over 118 miles per hour. McHugh would go on to win his heat and the 25-lap feature. He started fourth in the A-Main and took the lead on Lap 13. Once he got out front, he never looked back riding the high side to the victory. Marysville, OH’s Jake Hesson placed second. Canadian Skylar Gee finished third. Orient, OH’s Bryan Nuckles was fourth, Fairmount, IN’s Brandon Wimmer rounded out the top 5. Completing the top 10 were Cole Duncan, Cale Conley, Kory Crabtree, Cale Stinson, and Nathan Skaggs.

The race was halted twice because of red-flag accidents, both of which occurred before the first lap was scored. In the first incident Hillsboro’s Logan Fenton got on his side in the middle of the first and second turns. In the second accident, B-Main winner Chris Garnes from Evans, WV flipped violently in the middle of turns 3 and 4. Both drivers walked away unscathed.

There were 26 Giovanni’s Wholesale Pizza Late Models presented by Impact Race Gear. RJ Conley dominated the A-Main leading all 25 laps en route to his first Portsmouth Raceway Park win of 2022. Conley’s victory kept an interesting streak alive, as PRP has yet to have a repeat winner this season in the Late Model Division.

Fellow Wheelersburg drivers Josh Bocook, Nick Bocook, and Rod Conley finished second through fourth respectively, while Olympia, KY’s Derek Fisher rounded out the top 5. Kevin Wagner, Audie Swartz, William Rose, Charlie Jude, and Larry Martin Jr made up the rest of the top 10.

RJ Conley won the Dash. Shane Bailey and Avery Taylor picked up Heat Race wins. Audie Swartz captured the B-Main, and Rod Conley set fast time.

For the second week in a row, Lucasville’s Jeremy Rayburn was victorious in The Local Happenings App Modifieds. The two-time PRP Champion led all 20 laps of

Saturday’s Feature. Seventeen-year-old Miles Cook Jr placed second. West Portsmouth’s Ben Adkins charged from 17th up to third. Kenny Johnson was fourth, and Anthony Slusher rounded out the top 5.

Rayburn, Cook, and Johnson won Heat Races. Matt Altiers took the B-Main, and Cole Cooper set quick time during The Dynamic Shock Service Modified Time Trials.

The Express Oil & Tire Engineers Sport Mod Division had the highest car count of any class with 31 entries. In his first-ever visit to PRP, Chillicothe’s Kevin Wills nabbed the checkers. Derek Richmond, Landon Barker, Dakota Rayburn, Joe McClain, Jamey Adams, Jeromy Brady, Davey Akers, Kasey Black, and Branden Colley rounded out the top 10.

Wills, Rayburn, and Richmond were all Heat Race winners. Colley won the B-Main.

Portsmouth Raceway Park will be back in action this coming Saturday as The Berndt-Murfin Insurance Agency and Sherman-Kricker Insurance Agency will present the annual Boone Coleman Memorial “Gator 50” which will provide the Late Model Feature winner with $5,000 and a guaranteed provisional starting spot in this October’s Dirt Track World Championship. The Late Model race this coming weekend will be sanctioned by The Valvoline Iron-Man Series. Also on the card this Saturday will be Modifieds, Limited Lates, and Sport Mods. Gates will open at 4 p.m. with racing at approximately 7:30.

No posts to display