PRP Press Release
Two drivers continued their winning ways. One scored a major personal milestone, and another proved his unwavering toughness and resiliency yet again.
Those were just some of the story lines last Saturday as Portsmouth Raceway Park hosted Fan Appreciation Night Presented by Masterworks Jewelry Studio of Portsmouth. A total of 89 race teams were on the scene with Delmas Conley, Brian Skaggs, Matt Melvin, and Brian Sammons, Sr. all scoring victories in their respective classes.
Conley had fans on their feat, as the 76-year-old Late Model driver from Wheelersburg rebounded from an horrific crash the week before to find winner’s circle.
Sammons captured the checkered flag in the Sport Mods to log his 100th career win. Melvin logged his sixth victory of the season in the Limited Lates, and Skaggs and recorded his fifth PRP win of the year in the Modifieds.
The Giovanni’s Pizza Late Model A-Main featured a lot of great battles including the one for the lead. Conley started on the outside pole and jumped out to the lead. The Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer would lead the first 14 laps before Salyersville, KY’s Scott Lemaster would get underneath Conley on a restart to take the lead.
After moving to the point, Lemaster would jump out to a considerable lead, but Conley would eventually track him down. On lap 18, the Conley Trucking/Conley River Terminal Rocket would hook up on the bottom off of turn 2 and would motor past Lemaster to retake the lead.
Conley would never look back en route to his first PRP win of 2018, ironically just a week after barrel rolling into the wall. Lemaster’s engine would expire a few laps after he relinquished the lead.
Shannon Thornsberry put on a great show in the Late Model A-Main climbing from 16th to second. Kevin Wagner had his best PRP finish of the season placing third. Kenny Howell charged up through the field from 13th to place fourth, while Josh Hall likewise advanced nine spots moving from 14th to fifth. Audie Swartz, Lee Logan, Ron Hinds II, Austin Mullett, and Scott LeMaster rounded out the top 10.
Vanceburg, KY’s Robbie Lewis was fastest in The Impact Race Gear Late Model Time Trials but retired from the feature early.
In the R.W. Rental & Supply Modified Division, Brian Skaggs was again the man to beat, but 15-year-old Brayden Berry was the boy who tried. Skaggs led every single lap of the A-Main, while Berry recorded his best-ever PRP Modified finish.
PRP points leader Anthony Slusher had another solid points night placing third, while using a motor borrowed from a friend a week after Slusher’s blew up.
Ervin Vance and Aaron Branham rounded out the top five. Dynamic Shock Services Fast Qualifier Austin Francis, Aaron Ratliff, Ben Adkins, Dave Jamison, and Tony DeHart made up the rest of the top 10. Jamison advanced eight spots to earn the Markwest Ranger Pipeline Hard Charger Award.
Ironton’s Matt Melvin was dominant in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Late Model A-Main, starting first, finishing first, and never being challenged. Matt’s father John placed second. Evyian Terry, Shane Bailey, Vincent Bender, Nathan Martin, Randy Ross, Kevin Mullett, Cameron Logan, and Greg Thompson completed the top 10.
In the EMC2 Party Rentals & Inflatables Sport Mod A-Main, Olive Hill, KY’s Brian Sammons, Sr. won his second PRP feature of the season holding off Rick Neace, Luke Jordan, Derek Richmond, and Cody Gifford. The race featured some very intense mid-pack racing. Brennan Bobst, Derek Spencer, Casey Jones, Stevie Thornsberry, and Greg Bentley rounded out the top 10.
Portsmouth Raceway Park will have a big Saturday show over Labor Day Weekend with the Lucas Oil Late Model Series returning for the Bob Miller Memorial Presented by Pepsi. The race will go 50 laps with $12,000 going to the winner. Also on the card will be Modifieds and Sport Mods.
Pit Gates will open at 2 p.m. General Admission Gates will open at 4 p.m. Racing will start at approximately 7:30.
—————————————————— Late Model A-Main
1. 71-Delmas Conley [2]; 2. 17-Shannon Thornsberry [16]; 3. 33-Kevin Wagner [5]; 4. 21-Kenneth Howell [13]; 5. 26-Josh Hall [14]; 6. 1-Audie Swartz [4]; 7. 11-Lee Logan [7]; 8. 57-Ron Hinds II [15]; 9. 73B-Austin Mullett [18]; 10. 99-Scott LeMaster [3]; 11. 5-Tommy Twinam [9]; 12. B1-Josh Bocook [17]; 13. 27-Lauren Longbrake [6]; 14. 5T-Erick Christian [12]; 15. 5X-Rick Christian [11]; 16. 22-Joe Mayabb [19]; 17. 48L-Robbie Lewis [1]; 18. 21K-Kirk Phillips [8]; 19. 159-Avery Taylor [10]
Modified A-Main
1. 20S-Brian Skaggs [1]; 2. B75-Brayden Berry [2]; 3. 2-Anthony Slusher [6]; 4. P20-Ervin Vance [3]; 5. 38-Aaron Branham [5]; 6. 11-Austin Francis [4]; 7. 33-Aaron Ratliff [8]; 8. 75-Ben Adkins [13]; 9. D4-David Jamison [17]; 10. 35-Tony DeHart [18]; 11. 11C-Adam Colley [16]; 12. 44-Davey Warnock [19]; 13. Z28-Logan Burke [14]; 14. 7-Doug Adkins [7]; 15. 11S-Tyler Smith [15]; 16. 88-Rusty Hawes [11]; 17. J3-Jody Puckett [12]; 18. 13R-Peter Ripato [20]; 19. 13-Adam Jordan [9]; 20. 1Y-Aaron Pendleton
Limited Late Model A-Main
1. 81M-Matt Melvin [1]; 2. 81-John Melvin [4]; 3. 58-Evyian Terry [3]; 4. 1-Shane Bailey [7]; 5. 29B-Vincent Bender [6]; 6. 21-Nathan Martin [11]; 7. 94-Randy Ross [5]; 8. K73-Kevin Mullett [8]; 9. 68-Cameron Logan [2]; 10. 4B-Greg Thompson
Sport Mod A-Main
1. B5-Brian Sammons [2]; 2. 12N-Rick Neace [3]; 3. 13J-Luke Jordan [1]; 4. 34-Derek Richmond [11]; 5. 88G-Cody Gifford [7]; 6. 24B-Brennan Bobst [9]; 7. 25S-Derek Spencer [12]; 8. 7J-Casey Jones [16]; 9. 8D-Stevie Thornsberry [10]; 10. 32-Greg Bentley [18]; 11. 11B-Brandon Colley [13]; 12. 0-Huey Cox [20]; 13. 19-Robert Lunsford [14]; 14. 45L-Greg Litteral [19]; 15. 51-Jr. Spillman [17]; 16. 13E-Emily Jordan [6]; 17. 44-Jason Spillman [8]; 18. B9-Jeremy Brady [15]; 19. B75-Brayden Berry [4]; (DNS) 24Z-Zack Pendleton
