Post by DustinJ14 on May 2, 2004 14:37:46 GMT -5
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TYLER COUNTY SPEEDWAY
MIDDLEBOURNE, WV
MAY 2, 2004
TYLER COUNTY SPEEDWAY SET FOR 10TH ANNUAL TOPLESS 50
(Middlebourne, WV) -- Tyler County Speedway is set to host their 10th annual Topless 50 on Saturday, May 2nd. The Topless 50 is a unique event in which all roofs and window supports are removed from the racecar to provide the fans with a "birds-eye" view of the drivers as they work their way around the quarter-mile speedway.
Tyler County Speedway held their first Topless 50 event for late models back on May 6, 1995. Steve Steele’s gutsy last lap pass on Scott Peltz in turn four garnered him the win in the inaugural event. Rain would plague the second annual Topless 50. The event was cancelled on two separate occasions before the race was finally held on May 18, 1996. Sonny Conley earned the title as fast qualifier for the evening. However, Butch McGill would become the victor in again another late race pass. Bobby Hill led most of the race but McGill came on strong at the end and passed Hill with just a lap and a half to go. The third annual Topless 50 provided just as much excitement for fans as the previous two events. Again rain would plague the event. After three cancellations for rain the event was finally held on June 14, 1997. Gary Dalton was fast qualifier for the evening. Dalton took over the lead early on in the race and would lead the majority of the event. While Dalton was leading, Kenny Johnson was working his was through the field. Again history would repeat itself as fans saw Johnson take the lead from Dalton late in the race. As the white flag was shown to the drivers, Johnson took the lead on the front stretch and was able to hold on to win the third annual event.
In typical Topless 50 style, rain would again stop the running of the fourth annual event on three different occasions. Finally on June 13, 1998, Mother Nature cooperated and fans filed into the speedway to witness the same "edge of your seat" excitement they had been accustomed to in the previous runnings. The caution flag would wave with just two laps to go, setting the stage for another exciting outcome. Chuck Harper and Mike Benedum would dual it out side by side with Benedum loosing the handle and spinning on the last lap bringing fans to their feet to witness Chuck Harper taking the checkers.
Mother Nature was gracious to the speedway in 1999 and Tyler County Speedway was able to run their fifth annual Topless 50 on its originally scheduled date May 1st. Chuck Harper turned the fastest time around the quarter-mile speedway with a time of 13.18. Fans saw several different leaders over the 50-lap event, including Robbie Scott, Mike Balzano, Paul Wilmoth Jr and Chuck Harper. However, Butch McGill would become the first repeat winner of Tyler County Speedway’s Topless 50 as he took the lead from Harper on lap 31 and never looked back until he reached victory lane.
In the sixth annual Topless 50 event, Paul Wilmoth Jr would turn the fastest time with a 13.45. Mike Benedum took the early lead and pulled away from the crowd to lead much of the event. While Benedum was pulling away from his competition the rest of the field was battling it out in typical Topless 50 fashion. Anywhere fans would look there was exciting racing action. Doug Horton had worked his way into second but Benedum still had such a great lead on the event that he seemed impossible to catch. However, Horton determined not to give up slowly worked his was up beside Benedum to challenge for the lead with just 20 laps to go. With just two laps to go Horton was finally able to pull along side Benedum and the two would race side by side. However, Horton was able to pull ahead and take home the feature win on May 6, 2000.
Mike Benedum was fast qualifier for the 7th annual Topless 50 on April 21, 2001. Three different drivers would lead the prestigious event. Chuck Harper led the first 37 laps before retiring from the field with a flat tire. Mike Benedum was the next to lead the event but "The Gambler" Paul Wilmoth Jr was quick to take over the lead and never looked back to win his first ever Topless 50.
Rain would again plague the speedway but with a lot of luck and track preparation, Tyler County Speedway was able to host their 8th Annual Topless 50. Twenty-seven late models fought Mother Nature’s odds and came out to Tyler County Speedway. Bristol, West Virginia’s Mike Benedum set the fast time of the evening with a time of 12:91. Robbie Scott and Paul Wilmoth Jr led the field of 18 late models to the start of the eighth annual topless event. Wilmoth jumped out to the early led with Robbie Scott running by his side into the first turn. MT Hall became the first casualty of the race with a caution falling in lap three. The caution flag flew again on laps eight and nineteen. Scott followed Wilmoth Jr around the track until lap 45, when fast-qualifier, Mike Benedum moved into the runner-up spot. The caution flag fell again on lap 48, bunching the field back up for the final two-lap shoot out to the checkered. Wilmoth Jr. led all 50 laps of the event to become the only back-to-back feature winner of the event. Benedum held on for the second spot, making this the third time he has finished in the runner-up spot for this topless event. Bobby Hill finished in the third position with Robbie Scott and Chuck Harper rounding out the top five spots.
Last year, Steve Weigle and Gary Midcap Jr. led the field of late models to the start of their feature event. Weigle took the early lead, but the caution flag would wave before a lap was down causing a complete restart. Weigle and Midcap would battle for the lead on the restart but again the caution would wave before a lap was made around the quarter-mile speedway. Weigle would take the lead on the restart with Paul Wilmoth Jr wasting no time moving into the runner-up position. However, Wilmoth would not hold the position for long as MT Hall quickly ducked under Wilmoth for second place. Weigle would continue to lead until lap 17, when MT Hall took over the lead on the backstretch. However, Hall's lead would only last for 10 laps when Chuck Harper took over the lead on lap 27. Harper, who had won the Topless 50 in 1998, had started the feature event from the ninth position. Harper would continue to lead the event with Dohm working his way into second place by lap 34. The pair would stay there for the remainder of the race with Harper becoming the third two-time winner of the Topless 50
Only time will tell who will come out victorious in the 10th Annual running of the famed Topless 50. One thing's for sure, if you're not there, you'll wish you would have been.
Tyler County Speedway is a 1/4-mile high-banked red clay oval located 3 miles south of Middlebourne, WV on State Route 18 at the Tyler County Fairgrounds. For more information, visit their website at www.tylercountyspeedway.net or call (304)-758-2660.
TYLER COUNTY SPEEDWAY
MIDDLEBOURNE, WV
MAY 2, 2004
TYLER COUNTY SPEEDWAY SET FOR 10TH ANNUAL TOPLESS 50
(Middlebourne, WV) -- Tyler County Speedway is set to host their 10th annual Topless 50 on Saturday, May 2nd. The Topless 50 is a unique event in which all roofs and window supports are removed from the racecar to provide the fans with a "birds-eye" view of the drivers as they work their way around the quarter-mile speedway.
Tyler County Speedway held their first Topless 50 event for late models back on May 6, 1995. Steve Steele’s gutsy last lap pass on Scott Peltz in turn four garnered him the win in the inaugural event. Rain would plague the second annual Topless 50. The event was cancelled on two separate occasions before the race was finally held on May 18, 1996. Sonny Conley earned the title as fast qualifier for the evening. However, Butch McGill would become the victor in again another late race pass. Bobby Hill led most of the race but McGill came on strong at the end and passed Hill with just a lap and a half to go. The third annual Topless 50 provided just as much excitement for fans as the previous two events. Again rain would plague the event. After three cancellations for rain the event was finally held on June 14, 1997. Gary Dalton was fast qualifier for the evening. Dalton took over the lead early on in the race and would lead the majority of the event. While Dalton was leading, Kenny Johnson was working his was through the field. Again history would repeat itself as fans saw Johnson take the lead from Dalton late in the race. As the white flag was shown to the drivers, Johnson took the lead on the front stretch and was able to hold on to win the third annual event.
In typical Topless 50 style, rain would again stop the running of the fourth annual event on three different occasions. Finally on June 13, 1998, Mother Nature cooperated and fans filed into the speedway to witness the same "edge of your seat" excitement they had been accustomed to in the previous runnings. The caution flag would wave with just two laps to go, setting the stage for another exciting outcome. Chuck Harper and Mike Benedum would dual it out side by side with Benedum loosing the handle and spinning on the last lap bringing fans to their feet to witness Chuck Harper taking the checkers.
Mother Nature was gracious to the speedway in 1999 and Tyler County Speedway was able to run their fifth annual Topless 50 on its originally scheduled date May 1st. Chuck Harper turned the fastest time around the quarter-mile speedway with a time of 13.18. Fans saw several different leaders over the 50-lap event, including Robbie Scott, Mike Balzano, Paul Wilmoth Jr and Chuck Harper. However, Butch McGill would become the first repeat winner of Tyler County Speedway’s Topless 50 as he took the lead from Harper on lap 31 and never looked back until he reached victory lane.
In the sixth annual Topless 50 event, Paul Wilmoth Jr would turn the fastest time with a 13.45. Mike Benedum took the early lead and pulled away from the crowd to lead much of the event. While Benedum was pulling away from his competition the rest of the field was battling it out in typical Topless 50 fashion. Anywhere fans would look there was exciting racing action. Doug Horton had worked his way into second but Benedum still had such a great lead on the event that he seemed impossible to catch. However, Horton determined not to give up slowly worked his was up beside Benedum to challenge for the lead with just 20 laps to go. With just two laps to go Horton was finally able to pull along side Benedum and the two would race side by side. However, Horton was able to pull ahead and take home the feature win on May 6, 2000.
Mike Benedum was fast qualifier for the 7th annual Topless 50 on April 21, 2001. Three different drivers would lead the prestigious event. Chuck Harper led the first 37 laps before retiring from the field with a flat tire. Mike Benedum was the next to lead the event but "The Gambler" Paul Wilmoth Jr was quick to take over the lead and never looked back to win his first ever Topless 50.
Rain would again plague the speedway but with a lot of luck and track preparation, Tyler County Speedway was able to host their 8th Annual Topless 50. Twenty-seven late models fought Mother Nature’s odds and came out to Tyler County Speedway. Bristol, West Virginia’s Mike Benedum set the fast time of the evening with a time of 12:91. Robbie Scott and Paul Wilmoth Jr led the field of 18 late models to the start of the eighth annual topless event. Wilmoth jumped out to the early led with Robbie Scott running by his side into the first turn. MT Hall became the first casualty of the race with a caution falling in lap three. The caution flag flew again on laps eight and nineteen. Scott followed Wilmoth Jr around the track until lap 45, when fast-qualifier, Mike Benedum moved into the runner-up spot. The caution flag fell again on lap 48, bunching the field back up for the final two-lap shoot out to the checkered. Wilmoth Jr. led all 50 laps of the event to become the only back-to-back feature winner of the event. Benedum held on for the second spot, making this the third time he has finished in the runner-up spot for this topless event. Bobby Hill finished in the third position with Robbie Scott and Chuck Harper rounding out the top five spots.
Last year, Steve Weigle and Gary Midcap Jr. led the field of late models to the start of their feature event. Weigle took the early lead, but the caution flag would wave before a lap was down causing a complete restart. Weigle and Midcap would battle for the lead on the restart but again the caution would wave before a lap was made around the quarter-mile speedway. Weigle would take the lead on the restart with Paul Wilmoth Jr wasting no time moving into the runner-up position. However, Wilmoth would not hold the position for long as MT Hall quickly ducked under Wilmoth for second place. Weigle would continue to lead until lap 17, when MT Hall took over the lead on the backstretch. However, Hall's lead would only last for 10 laps when Chuck Harper took over the lead on lap 27. Harper, who had won the Topless 50 in 1998, had started the feature event from the ninth position. Harper would continue to lead the event with Dohm working his way into second place by lap 34. The pair would stay there for the remainder of the race with Harper becoming the third two-time winner of the Topless 50
Only time will tell who will come out victorious in the 10th Annual running of the famed Topless 50. One thing's for sure, if you're not there, you'll wish you would have been.
Tyler County Speedway is a 1/4-mile high-banked red clay oval located 3 miles south of Middlebourne, WV on State Route 18 at the Tyler County Fairgrounds. For more information, visit their website at www.tylercountyspeedway.net or call (304)-758-2660.