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Cone Wins Wild One at Waycross
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By Rick Anges
Waycross, Ga. The teams of the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series rolled into the Historic oil based ˝ mile of Waycross Motor Speedway for race number nine of the season.
Just as the last group of the UDLMCS was getting ready for their first practice a monsoon like rainstorm swept over the track. The rain caused over an hour and a half delay on the nights events.
The surface was almost similar to an asphalt track and the speeds showed it. Twenty-eight teams took the track for qualifying for the nights fifty lap Scotbilt Homes Classic.
Several cars dipped into sixteen-second range. Dusty Cone looked like he would come away as the Zeigler Racing Engines fast time with a 16.97 lap. Then rolling out as the twenty-fifth qualifier, “The Locomotive” Johnny Collins fresh off his Scott Thompson Memorial win would click off a 16.68 to take the top spot.
 Four Heat Races would start off the evenings racing. Scott Johnson would take the win in heat one with Jordy Nipper taking the second spot, third was Jamie Bowen, fourth Mark Carter and fifth Roger Crouse.
Heat two saw “The Magic Man” Mark Whitener cross the stripe first, Dusty Cone ran in the second spot, third across the stripe was Keith Nosbisch, fourth Shan Smith and fifth Michael Murray.
Keith Tuten was the winner of heat number three; Tom Jones Jr. was second, third Travis Grant, fourth Bo Johns and fifth Jackie Nosbisch.
Point’s leader and fast qualifier Johnny Collins beat Russell Brown Jr. to the line for the win in the final heat. Third was Adam Bedenbaugh, Troy Walker was fourth and rounding out the top five was John Strickland.
Twenty-Six cars lined the front stretch in preparation for the fifty lap 1st annual ScotBilt Homes Classic. The top four drivers all drew pills for starting positions. Keith Tuten drew the number one pill, Johnny Collins pulled pill number two, three went to Mark Whitener and number four was Scott Johnson.
The top four drivers were given the option of going to the rear and if they were to come out on top would collect an extra $2,000 to make the winners share $5,000. None of the drivers took the challenge and the field rolled off just after midnight.
The start of the race was delayed due to a blown motor in the previous local race. The drivers had to work in the sand to dry the oil. The field finally gave the four wide salutes to the fans. Several drivers still were not happy with the condition of the track and took a few more laps.
UDLMCS WAYCROSS RACE PHOTO GALLERY
Confusion would ensue as the field was given the one to go sign Tuten fired out of four, the rest of the field-followed suit. The yellow light came back on the track but the field was already at speed. The leaders slowed coming out of two causing a huge pile up in turn one.
Mark Carter, Shan Smith, Jackie Nosbisch, Adam Bedenbaugh and several others were caught up in the melee. Nosbisch was unable to continue taking the twenty fifth spot. Carter ended up twenty third. Bedenbaugh was able to continue but still had a disappointing twentieth spot finish.
After the track was cleaned up the green came out this time there was a pile up in turn four before the first lap was completed.
UNITED DIRT LATE MODEL CHALLENGE SERIES Real Racin USA Interviews with Shan Smith, Dusty Cone and Promoter Ken Kinney
The race finally got underway Collins made his way to the front and looked like he was going to make it two in a row. Mark Whitener and Scott Johnson got together. Johnson was sent to the rear of the field.
Speeds were over a 130 mph as the race went on. Whitener had caught up to Collins but coming from the sixth spot was Dusty Cone. Collins caught the tail end of the field and Cone took advantage getting past the Locomotive.
Cone was able to pull away and hold off Collins to take his first win in UDLMCS. “To win here you have to have good equipment, good motors, good crew and everything”.
Collins finished second, third was Mark Whitener, coming from tenth and finishing fourth was Keith Nosbisch and coming from the rear of the field was Scott Johnson.
1. Dusty Cone
2. Johnny Collins
3. Mark Whitener
4. Keith Nosbisch
5. Scott Johnson
6. Shan Smith
7. Bum Nelson
8. Andy Taylor
9. Roger Crouse
10. John Strickland
11. Travis Grant
12. Brandon Spradley
13. Tom Jones jr.
14. James Bowen
15. Scott Crews
16. Russell Brown jr.
17. Evan Becton
18. Jordy Nipper
19. Keith Tooten
20. Adam Bedenbaugh
21. Bo Johns
22. Troy Walker
23. Mark Carter
24. Michael Murry
25. Jackie Nosbisch
26. Justin Choquette
The next race up for the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series is “The Battle on the Blacktop” at Charlotte County Motorsports Park.
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