Langley Speedway (Virginia)

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For Langley Speedway, closed racetrack in British Columbia, Canada, see Langley Speedway (British Columbia).
Langley Speedway
LangleySpeedwayLogo.png
Location 11 Dale Lemonds Dr. Hampton, Virginia 23666
Capacity 8,000
Operator Bill Mullis, Lou Gotti
Opened 1950
Former names Langley Raceway
Major events Hampton Heat 200 (Late Models)
USARacing Pro Cup Series (Two 250 lap races)
2010 INEX Legends Nationals
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Oval
Surface Asphalt
Circuit length 0.395 mi (0.636 km)
Banking Turns: 6 degrees
Straightaways: 4 degrees

TaylorMeyn 05-17-2008 LangleySpeeway PreRace.jpg

Langley Speedway is a race track located in Hampton, Virginia, in the United States. In November 1970, it became the site of the last Grand National race before the series was renamed Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup). The track is located in front of NASA's Langley wind tunnel on Armistead Avenue.

Contents

[edit] Configuration and Regular Events

Langley Speedway is a paved short track measuring 0.395 miles in length. The track is one of the flattest tracks in the region with only 6 degrees of banking in the corners and 4 degrees on the straights.[1] The track is NASCAR sanctioned and participates in the Whelen All-American Series, which determines a national champion for the NASCAR sanctioned local tracks. The track currently hosts 11 divisions which alternate running during their Saturday night program: Late Models, Grand Stock, Modifieds, Legends cars, Super Street, UCAR, Pro Six, Super Trucks, HRKC Pro Winged Champ Karts, and Enduros.

Pre race ceremonies for the regular Saturday night events begin at approximately 7:00 PM with the first race of the night beginning about 15 minutes later. Ticket prices are $10 for regular events, but a bit higher for special events.

Langley also hosts the Hampton Roads Kart Club races on most Sundays during the season, and Wild and Wacky Wendesday which allows anyone with a helmet and a street legal car to participate in the Time Attack, Burnout competition, and/or One on One Drag Races on most Wednesday nights during the season.

[edit] Special Events

[edit] Hampton Heat 200

Overview: The Hampton Heat 200 is a 200 lap race for the Crossroads Fuel Late Model Stock Car division with a large purse provided by the City of Hampton. The race is run according to the NASCAR Late Model Stock Car rule book and high ranking NASCAR Whelen All American Series Officials are brought in to ensure all cars strictly fit the technical regulations. The race is separated into two halves, the first 100 laps are divided from the second 100 laps by a 10 minute break which allows teams to put more fuel in the car, make setup changes, and rotate the tires. However, they are not allowed to change tires during the break. Contrary to typical Late Model races at Langley, they do count caution laps during this race.

2008: Run on July 12, 2008, the inaugural running of the race featured a field of 25 cars with drivers from Virginia and North Carolina. Danny Edwards Jr. won the pole for the event during the Friday qualifying session with a 16.049 second lap. C.E. Falk III and Danny Edwards Jr. raced for the lead in the early stages of the race, but Edwards took control of the race and lead to the halfway mark. There were a number of early incidents that lead to a few drivers dropping out before the halfway point, but the second half ran green most of the way. Midway through the second half Nick Smith started to show his speed and passed Danny Edwards Jr. for the lead, he extended that to a dominating lead in the late stages of the race. Driving James Long's number 21 car, Nick Smith picked up the $15,000 check for winning the event.[2]

2009: Run on July 11, 2009, the 2009 race saw more cars than the previous year at 27. Nick Smith scored the pole for the race earlier in the day with a 16.346 second lap, merely 0.005 seconds ahead of the second place car of C.E. Falk III. Smith, now driving for Dave Atkinson, was riding a wave of momentum as the defending race winner and from winning the Bailey's 200 Late Model race at South Boston Speedway the week before. Smith lead the race until lap 22 when C.E. Falk III took the lead and held it through the halfway break. Smith's race ended on lap 134 when he and Danny Edwards Jr. made contact going into turn one while racing for third. Danny Edwards Jr. continued on, but Smith spun collecting the 27 car of Greg Edwards. Falk held the lead until lap 183 when Woody Howard took the lead and held it to the checked flag. Howard netted the $10,000 winners check in the number 21 car owned by James Long, putting the same car owner in victory lane as the year before, but with a different driver.[3]

[edit] Alumni

Although NASCAR's premier division has not raced at the track since 1970 it continues to play an integral part in the NASCAR family with several young drivers cutting their teeth on this track every year in the many Late Model and events. Some of the better known graduates include:

  • Denny Hamlin - NASCAR Sprint Cup regular (1997 mini stock track champion)
  • Woody Howard - Current Langley Speedway regular in the #21 James Long owned Late Model and part time USARacing Pro Cup driver. 2000 Late Model Rookie of the Year, winner of the 2009 Hampton Heat 200.
  • Phil Warren - The winningest driver at Langley Speedway in its premier division, the Late Models, as well as a 7-time track champion (1986,1988,1994,1995,1997,2000,2001). Also the 1995 Nascar Mid-Atlantic Champion, in which Elliot Sadler finished second in the region that same year. He is currently the Crew Chief and test driver for CE Falk.
  • Joe Falk - Former NASCAR Nextel Cup owner was the 1976 Winston Racing Track Champion at Langley Speedway, and finished 2nd in the Virginia State NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division.
  • Ricky Rudd - Was known to run laps at the track while testing with his father Al Rudd
  • Bubba Adams - 1986 Regional Champion, 2nd in National Standings.

[edit] Tragedy

On August 28, 2004 Dale Lemonds was killed in an INEX Legends car race at the track. Three days prior he had signed an agreement to purchase the track from the (then) owner Wayne Wyatt.[4] Dale's wife Sandy honored the agreement and followed through with purchasing the track. She later renamed victory lane to "Dale Lemonds Victory Lane" in honor of her late husband. Dale was the only driver known to be killed while racing at the speedway, although in 1980 one spectator was killed while watching a race.[5]

[edit] NASCAR Grand National History

There have been nine NASCAR Grand National events at Langley from 1964 to 1970. The track surface was dirt at the time. David Pearson has the most Grand National victories at Langley with three. The November 1970 season ending Tidewater 300 made its way into a unique place in the history of Nascar. It was the final Grand National race before the series title was changed to Winston Cup. Bobby Allison won the race, while Bobby Isaac won the Championship.

[edit] NASCAR Grand National winners

  • 05/14/65 Ned Jarrett
  • 05/20/67 Richard Petty
  • 08/24/68 David Pearson
  • 05/17/69 David Pearson

[edit] NASCAR Busch Series events

There were 14 NASCAR Busch Series events held at the track between 1982 and 1988. The track had been paved with asphalt since the last Grand National race was held there in 1970. Two drivers dominated the Busch Series events: Jack Ingram claimed four victories, and Tommy Ellis won five.

[edit] NASCAR Busch Series winners

05/08/82 Jack Ingram

08/07/82 Tommy Ellis

05/07/83 Jack Ingram

08/06/83 Jack Ingram

05/05/84 Sam Ard

08/11/84 Jack Ingram

05/04/85 Tommy Ellis

08/03/85 Tommy Ellis

05/03/86 Tommy Houston

08/02/86 L.D. Ottinger

05/02/87 Mike Alexander

08/09/87 Larry Pollard

04/30/88 Tommy Ellis

07/30/88 Tommy Ellis

See also: List of NASCAR race tracks

[edit] Langley Speedway Track Champions

There is very little publicly available information on past champions and race winners, however much of the following information has been gleaned from archived newspaper articles and as a result there is a lot of missing information.

[edit] Late Model Champions

Langley Speedway Late Model Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 C.E. Falk III 40 886 11 17 18
2008 Danny Edwards Jr. 26
2007 Danny Edwards Jr. 26 1140 9
2006 Greg Edwards 27
2005 Tommy Cherry 21
2004 Mark Wertz 40
2003 Mark Wertz 40
2002 Jammie Goode
2001 Phil Warren 16
2000 Phil Warren 16
1999 Danny Edwards Jr.
1998 Greg Edwards
1997 Phil Warren 47
1996 Mike Buffkin
1995 Phil Warren 47
1994 Phil Warren 47
1993 Eddie Johnson
1992 Danny Edwards Jr.
1991 Roger Sawyer
1990 Chip Hudson
1989 Danny Edwards Jr.
1988 Phil Warren 47
1987 Roger Sawyer
1986 Phil Warren 47
1985 Elton Sawyer 42
1984 Elton Sawyer 42
1983 Elton Sawyer 42

[edit] Grand Stock Champions

Langley Speedway Grand Stock Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 Ricky Derrick 8 624 3 13 13
2008 Paul Lubno Sr. 41
2007 Paul Lubno Sr. 41 532 2
2005 Dean Shiflett
1994 Roger Bress

[edit] Modified Division Champions

Langley Speedway Modified Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 Shawn Balluzzo 48 582 5 12 12
2008 Joe Scarbrough 30/93
2007 Shawn Balluzzo 57 476 3

[edit] Legends Division Champions

Langley Speedway Legends Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 Steve Keesee 0 558 3 11 12
2008 Donald McLaughlin Jr. 21
2007 Ryan Crites 00 528 3
2006 Cameron Patrick
2005 Nick Smith
2003 Nick Smith
2001 Woody Howard
1999 Dale Lemonds
1997 Dale Lemonds


[edit] Super Street Champions

Langley Speedway Super Street Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 Randy Sample 24 598 1 12 13
2008 Jessica Wood 3
2007 Steve Dill 3 554 6
2006 Tommy Sweeney 11
2005 Steve Dill 3
2004 Kenny Wood


[edit] UCAR Champions

Langley Speedway UCAR Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 Randy Prillaman 26 690 3 13 15
2008 Renno Marchetti IV 01
2007 Kevin Alves 84 622 7
2006 Randy Prillaman
2005 Craig Firman

[edit] Super/Mini Truck Champions

Langley Speedway Super/Mini Truck Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 Tommy Nixon 8 574 4 12 12
2008 Robbie Davis 17
2007 Craig Firman 5 500 6
2006 Justin Ballo 55
2005 Hugo Belfiore 15
2004 Neil Sipe

[edit] Pro Six Champions

Langley Speedway Pro Six Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 Casey Sipe 14 544 8 11 11
2008 Casey Sipe 14

[edit] Enduro Champions

Langley Speedway Enduro Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 Mike Ganoe 82 268 4 4 6

[edit] HRKC Champ Kart Champions

Langley Speedway HRKC Champ Kart Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2009 David Phelps 46 508 2 11 12
2008 Dannie Wyatt 8

[edit] Wolf Truck Champions (defunct division)

Langley Speedway Wolf Truck Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
2008 (Pro) Jeff Sampson 8
2008 (Semi-Pro) Eric Schaffer 3
2007 Jeff Sampson 8 684 10
2006 Jill Brinson

[edit] Mini Stock Champions (defunct division)

Langley Speedway Mini Stock Champions
Year Driver Car # Total Points Total Wins Top 5s Top 10s
1997 Denny Hamlin 6
1996 Joe Lupton
1994 Kevin Harrison 25
1993 Tonya Miller
1992 Tonya Miller 5

[edit] References

  1. ^ USARacing Pro Cup Media Guide August 22, 2009 edition
  2. ^ MyLaps.com data 7/12/08: http://www.mylaps.com/results/showrun.jsp?id=878340
  3. ^ MyLaps.com data 7/11/09: http://www.mylaps.com/results/showrun.jsp?id=1219046
  4. ^ McClatchy - Tribune Business News. August 29, 2009. Marty O'Brien. "Langley Speedway's Legends race honors memories of leaders" Washington.
  5. ^ Motorsport Memorial

[edit] External links

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Coordinates: 37°5′11″N 76°23′12″W / 37.08639°N 76.38667°W / 37.08639; -76.38667

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