CONCORD LEGENDS - 9/8/07
By Jason Buckley
CODY BLACKBURN SAILS TO FIRST-CAREER LEGENDS VICTORY
Earlier this season, Cody Blackburn competed in the Bandolero Young Guns division at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in the Summer Shootout. The 11-year-old racer was biding his time until he turned 12 a few weeks ago and got behind the wheel of his Legends cars. Once he did, he has made the best of his first races at Concord Motorsport Park (NC) and Kentucky Speedway (KY), running up towards the front. That paid off Saturday as he won his first Legends race in the Chargers division.
“I had a great race,” said Blackburn. “I would like to thank God for a safe race and thank Chris Rogers Motorsports for giving me a great car. There weren’t many cars, but the best cars were out there. I had a great time out there. I had a hard time out there in Kentucky and would have done better there if I wouldn’t have gotten wrecked.
“I couldn’t wait to race Legends, and I am glad to get one this early on. I had a great time out here and I can’t wait to get back here next week.”
His victory meant even more after Friday night’s event, when he was black flagged by the racing officials for infractions on the track.
“I jumped the start a bit last night,” explained Blackburn. “I thought it was like the Shootout where you could get beside a car but not pass them until the line. I knew not to do that today. I had a talk with the track owner and he helped me out a bunch.”
Behind Blackburn at the checkered flag was Josh Turner, another recent first-time winner in the Chargers division. Turner moved up this season from the Bandolero Outlaws division to Legends, and has had a few early successful runs in the bigger car.
Cody Blackburn was happy to get his first Legends victory Saturday night at Concord. (Photo by Fastrac Images)
Josh Turner won earlier this year in the Bandolero Outlaws division at Lowe's Motor Speedway. (LN Photo)
“I started third, which was good starting on the inside,” said Turner. “Me and the #71 car (Blackburn) got a good start and pulled away from the #29 car (Landon Bullock). I was just riding behind him for a couple laps. I decided to step it up a little bit and run it a little bit harder in the corner and ended up hitting him, but it didn’t move him much so it didn’t hurt anything. I guess the tires started getting hot and went away, so I just rode after that. It was a fun race though.”
With a victory and second place in the last couple Legends events he has entered, Turner is enjoying the move up within the 600 Racing ranks.
“I like the power that Legends have and the throttle response,” said Turner. “They are a lot more fun than Bandoleros.”
After his win, Blackburn also expressed excitement about the move to Legends as well as his first-career victory by spinning the tires in celebration on the front stretch.
“I was dying to do that,” said Blackburn. “I tried to do that in Go Karts and Bandoleros and never have had a car that could do a burnout like that. My brother made me promise every time I went out if I won I would do a burnout, so that one was for my brother.”
PAHUD WINS SEMI-PRO FEATURE WHILE HEMRIC AND ZIMMERLY ARE LEFT DISAPPOINTED
Don’t beat yourself.
Christian Pahud in victory lane for the Semi-Pro feature event. (Photo by Fastrac Images)
It is one thing that drivers are taught, but easily forget when they strap on the helmet and race. From the local levels all the way up to the NASCAR ranks, a racer overdrives the car when they have a victory within their reach, which costs them the win.
Daniel Hemric now knows that feeling as he was in the lead of the Semi-Pro division feature looking for the checkered flag, only to lose it late in the race, giving the victory to Christian Pahud.
Hemric lead the majority of the race prior to his unfortunate incident with Zach Zimmerly and Pahud behind him. On a restart, Zimmerly’s good run came to a close off the bumper of Pahud, which sent him spinning.
“It seemed like the #69 car (Hemric) was on the brakes the whole time during a restart,” said Zimmerly. “I was just pushing him. I got on the brakes a little bit and the #63 car (Pahud) just jacked us in turn one and spun us out. We went to the back and luckily we got up to fourth. It is always frustrating when that happens, especially when you are running in second and you can taste the win, but oh well, it is racing.”
Pahud knew he got into Zimmerly, but didn’t mean to wreck him out. Still, he was fortunate as the track officials did not send him to the rear for the contact.
“I think he (Zimmerly) was all the way up against Hemric and I didn’t think he was there,” said Pahud. “I was just going to bump him a little bit to get him out of the way, but he was up against Hemric and it just picked the whole car up and he went around. I got real lucky there. I don’t think they (the officials) realized what I did, or that I got into him. I think they thought he just lost it.”
Daniel Hemric (left) and Christian Pahud (right) both are fast at Concord. (Photo by Fastrac Images)
Once the drivers restarted, Hemric once again pulled ahead of the field with Pahud in tow. Entering turn three with a few laps remaining, Hemric lost control of his car, sliding up the track allowing Pahud to get by.
“I drove in a little too hard going into three and I let the #63 (Pahud) get by me,” said Hemric. “Oh well, it happens and we will move on and go next week. I can’t thank Chris Rogers enough for giving me a good car tonight. We had the car to beat. I just beat myself there at the end.”
Hemric’s loss was Pahud’s gain as he cruised on to the checkered flag, driving his #63 Dan Snyder Racing Legends to victory lane.
“We started last and ran up through the field,” said Pahud. “I got to third and I just rode. After the restart Hemric screwed up going into three and four and lost it completely. I was able to get by him.
“It feels great. Last night we ended up spinning in the heat. We had to start in the tail and were able to work our way back up to third. Tonight was even better starting from the tail and working our way up to the lead.”
CLAY HAIR AND BRANDON TEMPLE TAKE VICTORIES IN MASTERS/PRO COMBO EVENT
Friday night at Concord Motorsport Park, 13 drivers took the green flag in the combined Masters/Pro division race (six Pros, seven Masters). Jordan Anderson took the overall victory, giving him the win in the Pro division. Meanwhile Clay Hair was the best finishing Masters, snagging his first win of the weekend.
Unfortunately, due to racing elsewhere, the Masters/Pro divisions’ race Saturday night had a much smaller attendance. Only seven drivers took the green flag (two Pros, five Masters), making for a fairly uneventful race. When the checkered flag flew, it was Hair taking the overall victory for a perfect 2-0 weekend while Brandon Temple crossed the line in third, getting his first Pro division victory at CMP.
Hair started from the pole and never looked back the whole race. Getting two wins out of the weekend meant a lot to Hair, who looked to wrap up the National points championship.
“We needed a couple more wins to clinch the national points deal,” said Hair. “We had a good enough lead. We had like 22 100 pointers. We were just trying to get a perfect score so that way we do not have to worry about it.”
Clay Hair used Concord to shake down his Vegas nationals car. (Photo by Fastrac Images)
Not much happened during the race as the drivers got strung out. While it seemed to be a boring event for the fans, it wasn’t boring for Hair behind the wheel of his car.
“When you get to other tracks you have to use what you learn at this track to better yourself or get the car to turn,” said Hair. “You have to get it to where you want it to be competitive to win. It is never boring. There are all types of things that can go wrong, like this year at Lowe’s I didn’t make an A Main.”
It only took four tries at CMP for Temple to get a win. (Photo by Fastrac Images)
Finishing in second behind Hair was Charles Kiser, who finished second in division to Hair the night before. Kiser was happy with the progress of his racing program, but wants to get that edge on Hair.
“Second to Clay Hair again,” said Kiser. “We finished second to him last night also to Clay. He just checked out on us again, but it is good to have him here. I like racing against him.”
Kiser knows if he gets to the bumper of Hair that it might not be easy to pass him clean, if at all, but Kiser will not wreck Hair for a win. At least he doesn’t think he will.
“I race people like they race me,” said Kiser. “I don’t start anything unless they start with me. I respect the hell out of him (Hair). He would never race me that way, but you never know if I could get to the back of his bumper I just don’t know what I would do.”
Meanwhile, Brandon Temple was one of only two Pro drivers that showed up to race. Temple is still getting used to Concord Motorsport Park in just his fourth race at the track, and finishing third overall snagged him the Pro division victory.
“Well, I am never going to complain about getting a trophy, but I really wish there would have been more cars out there,” said Temple. “I was really expecting a big car count here this weekend, but I guess a lot of people went down to Lanier (GA) tonight. I cannot complain though. I got my first Pro win here.
“I was really struggling to get off the corner. I have to thank the guy behind me for not getting into me. He could have and turned me but he didn’t. He ran me clean.”
Just like Kiser, Temple’s goal was to beat Hair. He came up a half lap short, but is not ready to give up on beating the Master.
“It feels real good, but I wish I could have been just a bit quicker,” explained Temple. “Beating Clay Hair is asking a lot, but I would have liked to have been close. It really kind of feels watered down getting a victory a half a lap behind the overall winner, but I am just glad to say I won at Concord.”
