Fireworks at Southern Raceway

EAST MILTON — The top-points drivers from six different classes came out to battle it out for bragging rights in the mid-season championships Saturday at Southern Raceway.

Durrence Layne Street Stocks

The Durrence Layne Street Stocks top five winners:

1. Howie Reeves of Crestview
2. J.C. Wilson of Harold
3. Frank Wilson of Harold
4. Justin Hamilton of Crestview
5. Jesse Smith of Panama City

The Durrence Layne Street Stocks provided the most excitement as Howie Reeves and Frank Wilson vied for victory lane.

Despite starting on the pole, Wilson would take the second spot as both cars came to the start-finish line to complete lap number one.

Reeves appeared to use up his tires as he jumped out to a six to eight car length advantage over Wilson until lap 22 when the veteran racer from Harold managed to take the lead.

However, Wilson did not keep the lead for long.

Coming off of turn four, Wilson’s car got loose and while he got it back under control, both Reeves and his son J.C. Wilson passed him and remained there for the final two lap of the feature.

Reeves took the checkered flag for the win followed by J.C. Wilson.

Frank Wilson had to fend off a challenge from Justin Hamilton, but by the last lap he was comfortably ahead of the fourth place finisher.  Jesse Smith rounded out the top five.

Pure Stock

The Pure Stock top five winners:

1. Tally Warrick of Jay
2. Jake Moore of Pensacola
3. Jessica Donaldson of Fort Walton Beach
4. Jason McDaniel of Munson
5. Tucker Byrd of Silver Hill, Ala.

In the Pure Stock Division some driver’s worst "nightmare" became a reality.

Jay’s Tally Warrick started the 25-lap feature on the outside of row six and worked his way up to the lead by lap 10.

Warrick would check out on the field cruise to his seventh win of the season and finish with a 15-car length advantage over Chandler Shaw.

Jake Moore, Jessica Donaldson and Jason McDaniel would survive the nine cautions during the race to round out the top five.

During post-race inspections, Shaw’s car was disqualified and moved Tucker Byrd up to the fifth spot.

Byrd participated in and won the Pure Stock B-Main to start Saturday’s action to earn a spot in the 22-car field.

Byrd would start at the tail-end of the nine-car, 10-lap B-main and cruised to victory. Rounding out the top five in the B-mail were Justin Adams, Lane Heaton, and Aaron Tugmon.

Jack Rodrigues just missed out on edging out Tugmon for the final transfer spot.

Vintage

The Vintage top five winners:

1. Ricky Haugen of Pace
2. Kraig Crossley of Milton
3. Kevin Mitchell of Pensacola
4. Aleck Alford of Pace
5. Greg Burton of Pensacola

In the vintage series the top two drivers in the field – Ricky Haugen and Kraig Crossley – accounted for 10 wins so far in 2018.

By the time the dust settled, the other 16 drivers watched Haugen and Crossley put on a clinic when it came to racing the open-wheeled replica cars.

Crossley and Haugen competed for the lead until Crossley gained the momentum coming off turn four to take the lead on the opening lap.

While Crossley tried to pull away, Haugen was right on his back bumper and keeping the winner of the last two vintage events in his sights.

On lap eight, Crossley slipped just enough to allow Haugen opportunity to take the lead, and from that point on it was all Haugen, who claimed his eighth win of the season.

On lap 13, a red flag was flown for Jerry Jordan's car who lost control and barrel-rolled down part of the backstretch after coming off turn two. Jordan was okay.

For the final 12 laps of the 25-lap feature, the drivers were competing under a green flag which set up more drama as they came to the stripe.

Coming off turn four, Hunter Ward and Kevin Mitchell made contact. Mitchell spun while Ward continued on to cross the line in third place followed by Bobby Resmondo and Mitchell, who ended up spinning across the finish line.

Ward was penalized for driving through the Mitchell car and was placed on the tail end of the lead lap, which gave Aleck Alford the fifth and final position.

Stinger

The Stinger top five winners:

1. Charles Simmons, no city given
2. Thomas McMullen of Pensacola
3. Russell Estain of Pearl River, La.
4. Lee Fuselier of Cantonment
5. Josh Douglas of Cantonment

In the stinger division, Thomas McMullen entered the race as the point’s leader, but he could not close the deal as he ended finishing second to Charlie Simmons, who took win number three on the year.

One red and one yellow flag slowed the race.

Racing came to a halt on lap six when Jeremy Buchanan ended up on his roof on the front stretch. Buchanan was okay, but the flip ended his evening.

Rounding out the top five were Dave Smoot, Russell Estain and Lee Fuselier.

Smoot would be disqualified for failing post-race inspection and thus Josh Douglas was moved up to fifth.

Ironically for Douglas, he earned the fifth spot while in the pits as he brought out a caution on Lap 22 which ended his night.

Open-Wheeled Modified

The Open-Wheeled Modified winners:

1. Ryan Fowler of Pace
2. Osman Jones, no city given
3. Joey Bartlett of Ebro
4. Kevin Mitchell of Pensacola
5. Lucas Morris of Chipley

In the Open-Wheeled Modifieds it was the Ryan Fowler show as he battled Nathan Ingersoll for the lead in the early laps, but would later check out on the field.

Ingersoll, who was competitive for most of the night, left the track with issues on lap 20 of the 25 lap feature.

Osman Jones would finish second followed by Joey Bartlett, Kevin Mitchell, and Lucas Morris.

Sportsman division

The Sportsman winners:

1. Johnathon Joiner of Milton
2. Colton Leyendecker of Holt
3. Joe Richbourg of Cantonment
4. Josh Kimmons of Jay
5. Jason Douglas, no city given

In the 602 Sportsman Late Model feature Taylor Jarvis and Colton Leyendecker battled for the lead in the opening lap, but before the cars could finish the opening lap Jason Douglas spun at the bottom of turn one on the three-eighths mile track.

Jarvis would suffer a flat tire on the first unofficial lap and had to go to the pits for a new tire, while Leyendecker and Johnathon Joiner would become the new front row.

Leyendecker and Joiner would battle it out for a few laps until Leyendecker got loose coming off turn two and Joiner took the lead for good.

Leyendecker would end up finishing second while Joe Richbourg, Josh Kimmons, and Kevin Mitchell would round out the top five.

Racing action at Southern Raceway will resume on July 7 with racing action in the late model, pure stock, street stock, vintage and stinger divisions. Race fans can also use the evening to help cram the van with school supplies to help students in the upcoming school year.

Southern Raceway is located at 9359 Nichols Lake Rd. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Admission is $10 for adults, military and seniors is $9, students (13-18) $7, and children (6-12) $5, and kids 5 and under are free.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Fireworks at Southern Raceway