Concord Motorsport Park: 5/23/08
Legends Stories
By Jason Buckley
LegendsNation.com
MASTERS: HAIR WINS, BUT STARTS A FEUD IN THE PROCESS
Victory lane has been dominated by Clay Hair this season in the Masters division, but the points battle has been between Steve Carter and Hair’s teammate Charles Kiser. The two sit atop the points as they both have raced in every event at the track this year.
Friday, Hair once again entered victory lane in the feature, but an on-track issue during the heat race with Carter caused some friction between the two drivers, and possibly the two different teams.
Steve Carter almost hit the wall after contact with Clay Hair (top), so he showed his displeasure with Hair by ramming him under yellow (bottom). (LN Photos)
According to Carter, the contact on the track was Hair’s way of helping his teammate.
“It is pretty simple to me,” said Carter. “I didn’t get reprimanded by the race director, Clay did. I basically had a brand new car, the first time it had been raced. In the heat race I was running second or third. Clay’s wingman Charles Kiser was behind me and couldn’t get around me. Clay was behind him. Kiser let Clay go and Clay knocked me out of the way.
“Kiser and I are first and second in points; Clay is not running for points out there because he won’t run the RPM decal. Basically he knocked me out of the way so he and Kiser could get through. It was pretty deliberate to me. He pushed me all the way down the back straightaway and almost pushed me into the wall.”
Hair explained his side of the situation.
“There was an altercation during the heat race,” said Hair. “When you are following a guy down the track and they are driving all over the race track, cutting down on people, chopping them and blocking them … you saw. Correct me if I am wrong. If they are changing lanes in the middle of the straightaway they deserve to be wrecked.”
During the yellow, Carter showed his displeasure towards Hair by ramming his car on the track.
“Richmond, the race director, basically told Clay that was totally unnecessary and he was going all the way to the back,” explained Carter. “After he said that I felt like I had been victimized, so I felt I owed it to Clay to let him know he wasn’t going to push me around. He goes out there and pushes other people around; he isn’t going to push me around. So I ran into him when he was sitting on the track.
“Some people think they are prima donnas and he is one of them. He was reprimanding me for chopping down on Kiser, so he took it in his own hands by punishing me or penalizing me by wrecking me. To me that is just a case of poor sportsmanship. He is fast enough that he could have passed me cleanly, yet he thought he would make a statement by trying to push me into the third turn wall. I have to race with him so I have to put up with it.”
CHARGERS: JUSTIN GRIMES TAKES CHARGERS VICTORY
Earlier this season at CMP, Devin Layser dominated the races, taking the majority of the winner’s trophies home after spending the last year in the Chargers division. However, a few races back, Layser moved up to the more experienced Semi-Pro division, allowing other drivers in the beginner Legends class to shine.
Justin Grimes, still in his first full season of Legends competition, has stepped up now and is the driver to beat in the Chargers division. Grimes has entered victory lane a few times this season at Concord Motorsport Park, including Friday.
“We started fourth,” said Grimes. “I used my head, got to the inside and the car was great.”
Grimes, is now looking to possibly move up himself, feeling he is confident to race against drivers with a higher skill level.
“This is my first year in Legends and I am just getting some seat time,” explained Grimes. “I want to move up to Semi-Pro. I have to talk with Nick and my dad and see what they want to do. I am ready for the Summer Shootout though. We will run Young Lions there.”
PRO: HEMRIC WINS WHILE SMITH AND PAHUD HAVE ALTERCATION ON TRACK
Daniel Hemric, one of Speed51.com’s Short Track Draft candidates, has been on fire this year in the Legends Pro division. He has put his #21 machine in victory lane at multiple tracks, including multiple times at Concord Motorsport Park.
On Friday night, Hemric once again put his Legends car in victory lane in the Pro division.
“The car was great once again,” said Hemric of his win. “Dan’s setup is amazing and it has been fast since the beginning of the year. Once again it all goes to him, RPM and Hank Scott motors. It definitely has power.”
Justin Grimes celebrated his win with his crew.
(LN Photo)
The Pro division field was small Friday, but the action was big on the track. (LN Photo)
While Hemric was running out front, Andrew Smith and Christian PaHud had an altercation on the track behind that put PaHud behind the wall and caused a steering wheel to fly across the track.
“I was watching him (Smith) every lap going into the corner,” said PaHud. “He was locking the left front brake up. He would get into me every now and then. I guess he might have just run it in too deep.”
PaHud expressed his frustration when his car stopped on the track following the incident by throwing his steering wheel, then confronting Smith on the track.
“I am not mad at him. I am mad at the whole deal,” explained PaHud. “I was kind of mad at myself for hitting the wall a few laps before that. It bent everything up. Then that happened and it set me off. I kind of went off on him and I shouldn’t have done that, but it was just emotions.”
Smith defended his side of the situation, saying it wasn’t on purpose.
“It was just racing,” said Smith. “He came down on me a couple of times. I run off in there with the brakes locked up a couple of times. I had my hands full. We just got together. I had the brakes locked down trying as hard as I could to stop.”
Even though the incident on the track was over, PaHud’s night ended with even more frustration as his car caught fire in the pit area.
“Apparently when he (Smith) got into me it snapped the trailing arm bolt, which twisted the rear end housing,” said PaHud. “When they brought it in and set it down the housing hit the battery and shorted everything out. It caught all the wiring on fire. I don’t think we can get a car rewired to go to Lanier.”
SEMI-PRO: ANOTHER RACE, ANOTHER WIN FOR LLOYD
The Semi-Pro Legends division at Concord Motorsport Park this season has been dominated by Justin Lloyd. He hasn’t won all the races this season, but the majority of the events it is the blue #43 that enters victory lane.
Friday it was once again Lloyd, driving from the sixth position, working his way to the top spot, getting the victory.
“That race was awesome,” said Lloyd. “In the heat race we got caught up a bit, so I knew we had a little more to show them in the feature. We started sixth (in the feature). It was a little tough to get down (to the inside) there early, but once I got down there I was able to get in my groove and work my way by everybody cleanly. It was just an awesome race with everyone.”
Justin Lloyd, family and friends in victory lane. (LN Photo)
