McElrath among local winners at HorsePower Park

After a soggy Memorial Day weekend, local racing returned on Saturday, May 30.

HorsePower Park fans had to wait a little longer last Saturday night thanks to a pop-up rain shower, but when the racing started, the crowd was rewarded with six divisions of action.

The main attraction was the Crown Vic feature that paid $1,100 to win. Alex Vance of Waynesville finished ahead of Drexel driver Homer Cook to take home the top spot. Valdese native Dustin Hyler finished third, with Weston Kerna and Chase Helderman rounding out the top five.

Morganton driver Justice McElrath beat Marion’s Freddy Frady to the checkered flag to win the 12-lap thunder bomber feature. Coby Lambert won the FWD main event ahead of Kevin Saam, and Jacob Carroll won his first-ever race in the young guns division by beating Braydon Saam.

Christian Jolly crossed the start-finish line ahead of Rusty Douville and Colton Miller in the renegade feature, and Drexel driver Clay Ross won the pro four event.

Racing returns to North Carolina’s fastest half-mile dirt track tonight (June 6).

ASA Tour takes on HMS

The American Speed Association (ASA) national touring series made its annual stop in the Catawba Valley on Thursday, May 21, with the Tar Heel 250 at Hickory Motor Speedway. Carson Brown led the opening 200 laps, with Spencer Davis running second the entire time. Brown lost the lead during the stage break, allowing Jade Avedisian to take over the top spot, but Brown was able to retake the lead by lap 216. Davis drove hard into turn one and made hard contact with Avedisian, and her night was over.

ASA officials afterward put Davis at the tail end of the field. Mooresville hot shoe Caden Kvapil passed Brown to lead on lap 241, but Brown was back in front by the next lap. Kvapil then stayed on his bumper and made the winning pass with just six laps remaining as Brown finished second after leading 227 of the 250 laps.

The ASA was scheduled to race Tri-County Speedway in Hudson on May 23, but Mother Nature forced the race to be rescheduled.

(Tri-County hosts a big night of action tonight (June 6) which will include nine divisions of racing. Gates open at 4 p.m., with an autograph party on the front stretch at 6 p.m., and the green flag dropping at 6:30 p.m.)

Weekly action then returned to Hickory on May 30, with five divisions of asphalt racing. Michael Bumgarner started a new winning streak in the 75-lap late model feature. He beat Billy Snodgrass, Hudson Sharp and Thomas Beane for the victory.

Tristan Barnes beat Greg Bohanon to win the super stock event. Dexter Canipe III withstood challenges from Don Carlton and Chase Pollard to win the 60-lap limited late model feature.

Cody DeMarmels won the street stock race, and Bumgarner stayed perfect in the super trucks series at his home track.

Action returns to America’s most famous short track on June 13.

Carswell wins at Harris

Valdese driver Brian “Meathead” Carswell won the street stock race at Harris Speedway in Rutherford County on May 30. Two other Burke County drivers were in the field with Carswell, as Damion Patton finished 10th and Rodney Lail brought his car home in 13th.