Whynot Motorsports Park
Boland earns $3,000 for victory at Whynot
By Roby Helm
StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series
MERIDIAN, Miss. (Sept. 1) — Mike Boland of Cuba, Ala., raced to a dominating victory in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series Coca Cola 50-lap Labor Day Bash at Whynot Motorsports Park. Boland came from the ninth starting spot to take the lead on lap seven, and then checked out on the field in front of a packed house.
Boland had a half-lap lead on the field until a lap-31 caution flag bunched everyone up. Despite two more late-race cautions, Boland was able to pull away each time and took the checkered flag with a half-straightaway lead over the second-place finisher David Gentry of Lewisburg, Tenn.
“After losing some close ones, it feels good to win here at Whynot Motorsports Park,” Boland said. “I didn’t know how big of a lead I had, but I knew Gentry was tough, and I figured he’d be there at the end. The car was really hooked up on the bottom, and I only had one close call with a lapped car.”
Frank Ingram of Woodstock, Ga., made a late-race charge to finish third. Ingram is now tied for the point lead with Gentry, the defending StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Champion, after 16 events have been completed in the 2007 season.
Polesitter and fast qualifier Jeff Smith of Rocky Face, Ga., finished fourth with Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, Miss., advancing 15 positions to finish fifth.
When the field went green to start the race, Smith and Derrick Rainey led the field into turn one, as Gentry dove for the bottom from the inside row three starting spot to make it three-wide for the lead. The field, however, was slowed for a three-car tangle in turn two.
Boland got under Gentry in turn four on lap two to move up to the third spot, and then shot under Rainey for the second position on lap four. Boland then quickly caught Smith, and took the lead on lap seven. From there, Boland quickly pulled away, and by lap 25 had a quarter-lap lead over the field.
Gentry got around Smith for the second spot on lap 25, as McDuffie, Rainey and Ingram gave chase at the halfway point in the race.
A caution flag came out on lap 31 when Rainey spun in turn two. By this time, Boland had put every car up to the 10th spot one or more laps down.
Keeton was the man on the move when the green flag came out, as he came from the seventh spot and passed Fields for sixth on lap 33. Boland pulled away as Gentry and Smith battled side-by-side for the second spot, with Gentry taking the spot on lap 35. A debris caution bunched the field back up on lap 36, but Boland pulled away again on the restart.
Ingram moved up to the third spot by passing Smith on lap 37, and was trying to chase down Gentry to battle for the point lead. With Gentry running second, and Ingram in third, the point lead was tied. By lap 40, Boland had pulled out to a full straightaway lead.
A caution flag came out on lap 46 when Chip Brindle and Jim Till tangled in turn one. When the field went back to green, Ingram got around Gentry for the second spot. But the pass was negated when the caution flag came out for debris in turn one.
Boland checked out in the five-lap dash to the checkered flag, as Gentry held off Ingram for second.
Notebook
Boland's Trak-Star Chassis is sponsored by Ware Construction. ..... During intermission, the Whynot Motorsports Park fans reached into their pockets to raise more than $3,500 to benefit the American Cancer Society. Fans made bids during an auction and bought raffle tickets to get a ride with their favorite drivers in the Ride For Life two-seat race car. ..... The series moves to Columbus (Miss.) Speedway for a pair of 40-lappers on Sept. 14-15. Both races pay $2,500 to the winner.
