Champion Park Speedway
Adams holds off Cummings at Champion Park
By Bryan Wimberley
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Ronny Adams in victory lane. (Best Photography)
HAUGHTON, La. (Sept. 5) — Reaching victory lane for the first time in more than two years at Champion Park Speedway, Ronny Adams of Blanchard, La., nipped Kyle Cummings in a photo finish Sunday in O'Reilly Southern United Professional Racing action. The polesitting Adams earned $2,500 for the 40-lap victory, his first at the quarter-mile oval since July 4, 2008. | Postrace notebook | Slideshow
In a race that was split down the middle by a single caution, Adams stable lead near the end of the race was jeopardized by the onslaught of the ninth-starting Cummings, whose mad dash in the closing laps fell short by a nose.
"I tend to get a little cautious towards the end of the race there, when I am leading it, plus getting into lapped traffic too. You don't want to get too radical with the lapped cars. But give Kyle his due, he was really quick," Adams said. "I didn't know it was actually him ... It was probably four or five (laps) to go when I knew there was a car right there on me. Then of course, right there at the flag, I knew who it was."
Cummings was second at Champion Park for the third time this season.
"I felt like if we would have been able to start up front, it could have been different," Cummings said. "Ronny has still got it, he ran a good race. If we would have had a few more laps, I felt like we would have had something for him."
SUPR Rookie of the Year contender Alex Ashley of Zachary, La., was third for best series finish of his young career. Eighth-starting Jon Mitchell of Texarkana, Texas, was fourth and Odie Green of Fouke, Ark., completed the top five.
At the outset, Adams took the lead in front of Ashley and B.J. Robinson while fourth-starting Timothy Culp pulled off the track in the early laps.
Kenny Merchant took third from Robinson while Adams broke away to almost a two-second advantage on the younger Ashley by lap seven. Adams caught the back of the field on the ninth circuit as Merchant pressed Ashley two laps later for second.
Merchant tried everything to get around Ashley and eventually hit an infield tire barrier on the 20th lap, bringing out the race's lone caution and sending Merchant pitside with a broken spindle.
With Adams out front for the restart, Cummings came alive, moving up to fourth on lap 22 and hounding Ashley for second a few laps later.
Adams led comfortably with 10 laps remaining, but Cummings got up to second and cut the margin to just a few lengths in the closing laps. Exiting turn four heading for the checkers, Cummings dipped beneath Adams as they drag-raced to the flagstand. Adams held on by the closest of margins in front of an excited crowd.
Notes: Adams drives a MasterSbilt by Stuckey powered by a Robert Nealy engine and sponsored by C. Wrights Machine Tool, New Vision Graphics, Nealy & Associates, Jimmy Carl & Jackie Oney. ... Adams recorded his third SUPR victory at Champion Park. ... Adams is fourth on the all-time SUPR victories list with 36, only trailing Kenny Merchant, Doug Ingalls and David Ashley. ... The checkered flag flew on the 17-minute feature at 12:04 a.m. ... The battle in SUPR points got a little closer as Kyle Cummings gained 42 points on leader Rob Litton, who finished 10th. ... Drivers not making the feature: Mark Andrews, Morgan Bagley, Doug Begnaud, Troy Berdan, Jim Bryant, Wesley Chanler, Paul Joyner, Chris Tarrant, Donald Watson and Brock Williams.. ... Champion Park Speedway had 172 race cars in the pits, over six different divisions for their Labor Day special event. ... The SUPR tour continues Sept. 11 at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas, in a doubleheader with the Lucas Oil ASCS Lone Star Region sprints for a Patriot Day tribute.
SUPR @ Champion Park: (1) Ronny Adams, (2) Kyle Cummings, (3) Alex Ashley, (4) Jon Mitchell, (5) Odie Green, (6) Ray Moore, (7) Skip O'Neal, (8) Robbie Starnes, (9) Lee Davis, (10) Rob Litton, (11) Josh Danzy, (12) Kevin Sitton, (13) Allen Tippen, (14) David Ashley, (15) Chris Holley, (16) Jody Prince, (17) Jeff Chanler, (18) Nicholas Brown, (19) B.J. Robinson, (20) Robbie Stuart, (21) Kenny Merchant, (22) Timothy Culp. Heat race winners (among 32 cars): Merchant, A. Ashley, Adams, Culp. Consolation winners: Stuart, Moore. Provisional starters: D. Ashley, Holley.
