Ace Speedway champion Keith Brame Jr. dominated the Walls' Roofing UCAR Clash for Cash North/South Spring Shootout, a wild race that included several caution flags and two red flag periods. Southside Speedway's Renno Marchetti IV and Raleigh's Kevin Herndon won the two opening heat races, setting the field for the 50 lap feature event. The race started calmly enough, but the tranquility wouldn't last long. The caution would fly on lap 7 for a spin by Michael Strickland. A few laps latter, Raleigh's Jim Bounds would spin, setting up a strange series of events under caution. Drivers Sammy "Showtime" Pacitti and Virginia's Michael Waters made heavy contact under caution causing damage to both cars. The jockeying for position under caution forced officials to throw the red flag to re-organize the field. Kevin Herndon continued his early lead as the action heated up and three-wide bumping and grinding was the norm. The caution would fly yet again a short time later, with Pacitti, Waters and Kenneth Parton colliding after running three wide. Once green flag racing continued, it didn't take long for trouble to rear its head again. Strickland and Ronnie Devera would set off the hardest crash of the day, with Strickland backing his machine into the track's crossover gate and destroying his #9 Saturn. The red flag flew again for cleanup but Strickland wasn't injured in the wreck. A short time later, Herndon made contact with the outside retaining wall, ending his day and chances at winning at his home speedway. Keith Brame Jr. took over the lead and wouldn't look back. Several subsequent restarts gave other drivers a chance to race for position. In the end it was Brame, Marchetti, Mike Chapman, Robert Arch and Shane Phillips rounding out the top five. Parton worked his way back through the field for a sixth place run, Jason Miller finished seventh, Jason Beck Eighth, Waters ninth and David Wiggins 10th. Beck, who started 17th, passed the most cars and won the Hard Charger award. The UCAR Clash for Cash series will visit Fayetteville Motor Speedway on April 25 for their second race of the season and first ever race on a dirt surface!

UCAR Clash Race from Wake County

by Mason Dunn

Saturday has come and gone and the 2009 season of the UCAR Clash for Cash series is officially under way. While many tracks that house these backyard barn burners are still in their off-season 19 UCAR teams from North Carolina and Virginia made their way out to the ¼ mile bullring known as Wake County Speedway for the first ever North/South Spring Clash. Teams representing a diverse group of tracks including Ace, Wake County, Langley and Southside took on the track and each other on a mid-March Saturday that saw some great racing weather albeit a bit on the chilly side. In the pits there was a great sense of camaraderie between the teams and many who were willing to help each other throughout the day to try to make sure that everyone got the chance to race in the feature. This is a feeling that series coordinator Larry Walls hopes and believes will continue through the rest of the season. For those fans who took advantage of the 5 dollar ticket prices being offered were giving way more then their money’s worth in on-track action. From seeing the stars of tomorrow take the track in the Junior Mini Cup race to the hard nosed door slamming fender bending action in the 50 lap UCAR feature the day was full of high value entertainment. The heat races which saw two lucky fans win the chance to ride in the pace car, the same was done in the main, featured some great door to door racing. The first heat which determined the inside row of the starting line up for the feature got off to a rocky start with the 87 of Matt Grines getting turned in the first corner in front of the entire field. Luckily no one made major contact and everyone continued on. The race went the rest of the way without seeing another caution and had a great battle for the win between the 58 of Kevin Herndon and the 18 of Mike Chapman. It was a great NC-VA battle with NC taking the win this round by about half a car length. The second heat of the day, determining the outside starting row, saw some drivers day come to an early end as the B2 of Ben Walker and the 54 of Drew Starling were unable to make the green flag. The race once again came down to a battle of two drivers from different states. Renno Marchetti IV out of Virginia pitted his blue 01 against the flat black F1 of Robert Arch from North Carolina and this time it was the Virginian that pulled out the win and earned a spot on the front row. The feature would continue to showcase this North Carolina-Virginia battle as the top 4 were beating and banging fighting for every inch that they could find on the track. Representing Carolina was the K12 of Keith Brame Jr and the F1 of Robert Arch and in the other corner was Virginia drivers Mike Chapman in the 18 and Renno Marchetti IV in the 01. The race although a bit plagued with cautions was also filled with great 2 and 3 wide racing, beating and banging down the straights and in the corners and a whole mess of other on-track action that had everyone in the stands either standing or on the edge of their seats. From my perspective up in the tower sitting behind the computer being there was worth every minute of my day and I look forward to the next clash race that I am able to go to and cover this exciting up and coming series.

From a driver's perspective