Post by LMR on 06/03/12 at 3:36pm
Comp Cams Super Dirt Series
Riverside Int’l Speedway
June 2, 2012
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Johnny Virden Claims First Career CCSDS Win at Riverside Int'l Speedway
by Ben Shelton
WEST MEMPHIS, AR (06/02/12) – Racing veteran, Johnny Virden from Russellville, Arkansas is no stranger to Super Late Model racing and is definitely no stranger to winning. However, on Saturday night he notched his first career win with the COMP Cams Super Dirt Series (CCSDS) Super Late Models by topping the Bartlett Hardwood Floor Service Spring Fling 35 presented by O.H. Hendricks at Riverside International Speedway (West Memphis, Arkansas).
After setting fast time in his group earlier in the night and then winning the first heat race Keith Lawson earned the New Vision Graphics Pole Award for the feature event, with Johnny Virden, who set fast time in his group, fast time overall, and won the third heat race joining him on the front row. As the 35 lap, $2,000-to-win feature went green it was Virden, who bolted to the lead atop the 1/4 mile oval with Lawson, Nathan Brown, Jamie Elam, and Jon Kirby in tow.
The event's first caution would fly on lap five for a multi-car incident in turn four that began as Jamie Elam slowed from his top five spot. The ensuing pile-up included Jon Stinson, Terry Kerbough, TJ Hughes, and Dale Armstrong. At the time of the caution the top five in the running order included Virden, Lawson, Brown, Cook, Robert Baker, and Kirby.
On the restart Virden again motored away from the field as business began to pick up behind him for the second spot as Lawson looked to hold off a host of challengers. On lap 9 the event would be slowed again as Jamie Dacus spun off turn two. Following the lap 9 caution the event would maintain a long, green-flag run until lap 19, when top ten runner Dillon Knight saw his evening end in a puff of smoke.
The ensuing restart found Cook shooting past his teammate, Lawson, for the second spot, but would be unable to make up any ground on the leader, Virden, until the caution flew on lap 22 as series' point leader, Robert Baker slowed after contact with the turn two wall. The next attempt to get the race underway would see the red flag displayed as TJ Hughes was involved in a hard wreck and flip down the front stretch. He would be sore, but uninjured.
As the field lined up for their final restart of the night it was Virden, who led Cook, Lawson, Kirby, and thirteenth starting, Chandler Petty. Virden would go on to lead the last thirteen laps to claim the win over Cook, Lawson, Kirby, and Tommy Surrett.
A-Main
1 1V Johnny Virden
2 601 Curtis Cook
3 60L Keith Lawson
4 11K Jon Kirby
5 27S Tommy Surrett
6 47P Chandler Petty
7 51G Justin Glover
8 5 Jon Mitchell
9 99F Clay Fisher
10 17M Robert Baker
11 66K Terry Kerbough
12 19JR TJ Hughes
13 6 Dillion Knight
14 53 Dale Armstrong
15 15 Jamie Dacus
16 121 Jamie Elam
17 33 Justin Carter
18 115 Brandon Smith
19 26S Jon Stinson
20 3N Nathan Brown
B-Main #1
1 47P Chandler Petty
2 33 Justin Carter
3 27S Tommy Surrett
4 69 Larry Potter
5 15JR Thomas Dacus
6 1B Cory Bass
7 115 Brandon Smith
8 99F Clay Fisher
B-Main #2
1 53 Dale Armstrong
2 51G Justin Glover
3 19JR Tj Hughes
4 37 Wesley Crutchfield
5 74C Mike Carr
6 1R Derrick Richter
7 81 Lynn Irwin
8 86 Kyle Beard
9 101 Ricky Vandergriff
Heat #1
1 60L Keith Lawson
2 11K Jon Kirby
3 15 Jamie Dacus
4 15JR Thomas Dacus
5 115 Brandon Smith
6 27S Tommy Surrett
7 99F Clay Fisher
Heat #2
1 3N Nathan Brown
2 6 Dillion Knight
3 26S Jon Stinson
4 47P Chandler Petty
5 1B Cory Bass
6 33 Justin Carter
7 69 Larry Potter
Heat #3
1 1V Johnny Virden
2 601 Curtis Cook
3 17M Robert Baker
4 51G Justin Glover
5 81 Lynn Irwin
6 19JR TJ Hughes
7 74C Mike Carr
8 1R Derrick Richter
Heat #4
1 121 Jamie Elam
2 66K Terry Kerbough
3 5 Jon Mitchell
4 53 Dale Armstrong
5 37 Wesley Crutchfield
6 86 Kyle Beard
7 101 Ricky Vandergriff
