Wythe Raceway
Buckingham overcomes Umberger, gets $10,000
RURAL RETREAT, Va. (Sept. 27 ) — Capitalizing on a late-race caution, Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, Tenn., overtook fast qualifier and hometown driver Brandon Umberger late in Sunday's sixth annual Fastrak-sanctioned Pro Late Model Nationals at Wythe Raceway.
Buckingham earned $10,000 his fifth special event Crate Late Model victory of the year in the 80-lapper delayed by rain on Labor Day weekend and again on Saturday.
Umberger, who led most of the race, lost the top spot after a 30-lap duel with Buckingham and settled for second. Lee Cooper of Woodruff, S.C., recovered from hitting the wall in practice to finish third while fellow Woodruff driver Owen Osteen and Chris Steele of York, S.C., rounded out the top five.
Notes: Buckingham's Bloomquist Race Car is sponsored by Rusty Wallace Toyota and S&S Millwright. ... Phil Gann of Mayodan, N.C., made a 19th-to-seventh charge for Chicago Pneumatics Hard Charger honors. ... Only 18 of the original 20 locked-in drivers returned for the event; Donald Brasher and Hunter Peacock didn't come back. ... Next up in Fastrak action is the first night of the Grand Nationals. The Southern event is Oct. 2-3 at Lavonia (Ga.) Speedway.
Pro Late Model Nationals: (1) Shanon Buckingham, (2) Brandon Umberger, (3) Lee Cooper, (4) Owen Osteen, (5) Chris Steele, (6) Larry Timms, (7) Phil Gann, (8) Daniel Baggerly, (9) Dale Ball, (10) Matt Long, (11) Ron Parker, (12) Ryan Adkins, (13) Jerry Broyles, (14) Chad Hale, (15) Steve Cooke, (16) Chip Brindle, (17) David Watts, (18) Tam Topham, (19) Travis Blackwell, (20) Jensen Ford, (21) R.J. Otto, (22) John Broce Jr., (23) John Stamper, (24) Kenny Peeples Jr., (25) Anthony White, (26) Tim Byrd, (27) Clinton Cook, (28) Vic Chandler, (29) John Harrell, (30) Barry Arnold, (31) Royce Bray, (32) Trevor Cregger. Consolation winners: Gann, Brindle.
