Overcast conditions greeted the drivers, but certainly didn't dampen the mood on what would become an awesome night for racing. This nice facility would take on two distinct grooves in turn three and four allowing for many side by side battles throughout the race.
Heat races went by fairly uneventful, except for one big issue in heat 2. BLS_BLZ came from the back to the front and nearly won the race before coming home just behind VLR_18 in second. It was revealed after the heat races that he managed to accidently load up his Gen 3 late for the heat race unnoticed by anyone, and race.
While it was an accident, this mistake relugated him to have to give up his spot in the feature and start last in his b main. BLZ would not be happy at the outcome, but understood the decision had to be made. This wouldn't be the last we'd hear of BLZ, however.
After the heat races and B Mains were ran, it was time for ten of the best dirt racers online to converge and see which one had what it took to stand in victory lane at the end of this summer night.
In what was a surprise to many of the drivers, it was first time VLR racer BLS_Cyclone lining up on the pole for the 45 lap feature event. The fact that it was Cyclones first VLR race and first race on the pole was not the actual surprise, however.
The surprise is that Cyclone is only ten years old and has only been racing the game for about a month now. His father is VLR legend, McGee, though, so he has been taught well.
Now that the feature lineups were set, the grid looked like this. Starting on the pole was the ten year old Spartanburg Cyclone BLS_54. To his outside was another young gun, but a veteran at dtr2, Brookfield, WI. driver VLR_18.
On the inside of row two was the #22 of WFO_Dustin, and he was looking to pull out of a tie with VLR_McGee for first in the point standings. Starting to his outside was Omaha, NE. driver VLR_KP in his second start of the crates season.
A pair of Tennessee drivers dotted row three, with Crossville's VLR_Shock starting fifth, and BLS_Superman of Dandridge alongside him. Row four was Spartanburg, SC's VLR_McGee, and National City, MI. driver BLS_BLZ, who after being forced to start last in the b main managed to work his way to the front and win to make the feature event.
The final row was made up of East Moline, ILL. racer WFO_Rainman, and Texas native IFRT*Starnes.
Finally, it was time for 45 laps of mayhem, with one driver to be standing on top at the end. The race started with BLS_54 and VLR_18 quickly taking the top two positions, and fifth starting VLR_Shock saw an opening early and went to the bottom in the first turn on the first lap and suddenly found himself up to third.
VLR_KP's fourth starting position didn't hold up very good for him as the three wide battling into turn one startled him and he went for a bit of an off track excursion on the start.
BLS_54 held the lead at the end of one circuit with VLR_18 and Shock close behind. Lap two saw another car go off the tight track surface when the points leader #22 of WFO_Dustin received a tap from behind that shot him into turn one at a bad angle and up the track. Dustin would come back on in last place behind VLR_KP, who had gone off the lap previous.
With five laps in the books it was VLR_18 and VLR_Shock who made the pass under the 10 year old phenom BLS_Cyclone to take over 1st and 2nd, respectively. Cyclone gave the drivers plenty of room as he was just trying to log some laps.
After ten laps were complete, BLS_Cyclone was running in third position, but that was all about to change. Heading into turn 1 his car caught the inside berm of the track and shot in front of BLS_BLZ and VLR_McGee who were in a side by side battle at the time.
McGee had nowhere to go and caught him in the back end which shot him back down the track on the back straightaway, and his car careened off the track in turn 3, where there is no wall directly attached to the track, thus ruining Cyclone's first VLR start.
Things would calm down for a couple of laps, but VLR_18 and VLR_Shock were the two to beat by lap 15, as they were running nose to tail. BLS_BLZ and WFO_Rain were steadily working their way to the front, as they had managed to move into 5th and 6th place.
Heading into turn three on lap 15 would be a different story. WFO_Rainman went for a slidejob on the #12 of BLS_BLZ. He didn't quite clear him, though, as BLZ smashed into the rear of the x59 and nearly looped it in turn 3, ruining his chances for a top 5.
The action was still hot over much of the track after twenty-five laps of racing, and the two teammates in the VLR stable of 18 and Shock continued to battled side by side for the lead every single lap, but it was the 18 who would nose ahead at the start finish line each lap.
Shock decided it was time to go, however, as he picked up a good run in turn 3 and tried to slide in front of the 18. The incident was similar to the BLZ and Rainman incident, but Shock cleared 18 enough for both to continue, and we had our third leader of the race.
While all this great battling was going on for the lead, sixth starting BLS_Superman was closing in quickly on the leaders after chopping down the distance from a straightaway to only two car lengths.
On lap 28, just three laps after Shock passed 18, these two were back at it again. VLR_18 tried to copy Shock's slidejob out of turn three, but this time it would not be as pretty for the #0 of Shock. VLR_18 would not clear Shock on the slider, as his right rear met the left front of Shock and sent him off track in turn three.
VLR_Shock regained his composure and came back on the track in third, just in front of VLR_McGee and WFO_Rainman. BLS_Superman had now taken over second, and was only four car lengths out of VLR_18's mirror.
18 began to pull away a little each lap, while the damage to the left front of Shock's car had him all over the track, and VLR_McGee made a pass on him for third. There was a three car race for third now between VLR_Shock, VLR_McGee, and WFO_Rainman.
The next 10 laps were rather uneventful with VLR_18 slowly pulling away from Superman. Things would get a lot more interesting with just two laps to go.
VLR_McGee dipped under Shock, who had just taken back over third, and this time WFO_Rainman came with him in turn four and passed both of them, and Shock held on the outside to come out in fourth. Heading into turn one on the final lap, VLR_18 was leading followed by BLS_Superman, WFO_Rainman, VLR_Shock, and VLR_McGee.
In turn three, the NOS Energy Toyota driven by VLR_Shock went for a difficult slidejob to take third back from WFO_Rainman. Good idea, bad technique. In a move similar to his incident with VLR_18, Shock's right rear slammed into the left front of WFO_Rain sending him off track.
This move cost Rainman to fall from third to sixth at the finish, and heated words were exchanged between these two passionate drivers.
It was smooth sailing for VLR_18 after his troubles with VLR_Shock, though, as he crossed the line over a second ahead of second finishing BLS_Superman, who grabbed his highest finish of the season.
After the race VLR_18 had this to say about his run, "I had a good car today and just got in a good position early in the race. I got into Shock but I thought he done the same move to me so he shouldn't be mad about that. If he would have let off and crossed over he would have passed me back, but I guess he didnt want to do that for some reason. I got to thank NOS Energy and Dodge for the car. It was a good run.
BLS_Superman was happy about his finish, "We had a pretty good run. I was hoping Shock and 18 would keep racing there because we were running them down. It looked like 18 did a little slidejob on Shock, and that allowed me to gain one position, but I wasn't able to catch VLR_18 for the position I really wanted. It was a good race, looked like good racing all over the track. It's a fun track and I can't wait until the Gen 3's on Sunday."
VLR_Shock had a run up to third, but it didn't come without some controversy.
"I don't know what to say about that one. I got into Rain on the last corner, but I was just kind of not paying attention there I guess. I was mad about how VLR_18 was with us for the lead up there but I think I had a little bit of lag so I'm not going to say something I"ll regret. Just disappointed because I thought we were faster than him and should have won but didn't. We gained a couple points though, and that's always good."
Fifth place WFO_Dustin lost his points lead to VLR_McGee, and sits two points back heading into Friday nights race at DW_Cumberland 2k10
"Yeah I started third and got killed on the start, went back to tenth, and worked my way back up to fifth. It's a fun track but we got some people in here that's careless. We didn't lose much in the points I guess is the good part."
WFO_Rainman quickly left the track after having a brief talk with VLR_Shock about the last lap incident between the two, and was unavailable for comment. However, BLS_BLZ didn't hold back in his interview.
"(expletive) Rain," BLS_BLZ said when asked for his thoughts on the race tonight, referring to the incident between him and WFO_Rain early on that relegated him to a seventh place finish.
Rounding out the final three finishers were IFRT_Starnes, VLR_KP (who had mechanical issues all night), and pole sitter BLS_Cyclone. Overall it was an exciting race, with some post race drama.
A lot of the drivers seemed to be upset with WFO_Rainman, but after watching the replay several times, it was determined that he really only had a major incident with BLS_BLZ during the feature, and no penalties were determined necessary.
This Sunday the VLR Gen 3 series will be in action once again at this exciting track, and next week the traveling series will go down to Maryland to race at DW_Cumberland 2k10 in what should be another exciting show, with the points battle still tight.
For more information on the Team VLR Crates series, visit www.crates.teamvlr.com.
Top 10 results of VLR Crates Series ‘McKean County 40’ (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed):
1. (2) VLR_18
2. (6) BLS_Superman
3. (5) VLR_Shock
4. (7) VLR_McGee
5. (3) WFO_Dustin
6. (9) WFO_Rainman
7. (8) BLS_BLZ
8. (10) IFRT_S77
9. (4) VLR_KP
10. (1) BLS_Cyclone
Rookie of the Race: BLS_Superman