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Mason Sweeps Pro Trucks, Modifieds Features; Leytham Stretches Run to 15 Straight Wins

By Chuck Corder

 

While Okie Mason refused to steal any thunder from the future racers of America on bicycles Friday night at Five Flags Speedway, the 52 year old had another historic night at Pensacola’s high banks.

 

Earlier in the night, against a depleted field, Mason easily extended his points lead in the Home Depot Modifieds division thanks to a wire-to-wire victory against Heath Mills with David Beale rounding out the podium.

 

Mason shot off from the opening green and left nothing in the tank, as he chewed up the 20 lapper for his second series win of the season.

 

“It was nice seeing the kids having fun, out here riding bikes. That’s what it’s all about,� the always humble Mason said. “All we can do is show up.�

 

Ol’ Okie wasn’t through, though.

 

He bookended the night for the local classes by winning the 25-lap Pro Trucks feature in a much-tighter race than the Modifieds win.

 

Jay Jay Day, Howard Langahm and Hollywood Hodovsky all made Mason work for hard his second consecutive victory in the Pro Trucks class.

 

Mason started sixth, but quickly shot near the leaders by the end of the first lap. Langham did yeoman’s work to hold off Mason for nearly a dozen laps before Mason assumed P1 on Lap 12.

 

He had to withstand a valiant charge from Day, whose night was once again a roller coaster. Day, in friend Chris Brownlee’s Pro Truck because Day’s still needed work, went from his life momentarily flashing before his eyes to a runner-up finish in about 10 minutes.

 

A giant fireball shot from the back of the white No. 3 Day borrowed as the seven-car field headed into Turn 2 on the opening lap.

 

“I saw a big bright light, and I didn’t know what it was at first,� Day said. “I could smell it, though.�

 

Day immediately brought the thing to a stop and escaped the truck while the safety crews attended to the charred remains.

 

Interviewed over the public address system seconds after the truck ignited about whether he would try and go back onto the track Friday, Day didn’t hesitate: “Ain’t no tryin’ to it; we’ll get this thing ready.�

 

Once the catalyst for the fire was discovered, a loose fuel cap, Day was given the OK and set his sights on Okie.

 

Great racing ensued, as Langahm and Mason were nose-to-tail for the lead early, as were Day and Beaver Falls, Pa., driver Ray Hoey for the third spot.

 

Mason would assume first place midway through the feature as Day and Hoey battled door-to-door for several laps until Day gave Hoey the lane for second with 22 laps complete.

 

Unfortunately, Hoey overdrove the truck coming out of Turn 2 and spun.

 

The late restart allowed Day and Mason to get together and bang doors coming out of Turn 3.

 

It was the hiccup Day needed to take the lead for the first time all night, which he did on Lap 23.

 

But he couldn’t hold it, as Mason had the fresher car from driving in clean air all night and reclaimed the lead less than a lap later.

 

“He’s good to race with,� Mason said of Day. “I cut him off a little bit maybe, but we both recovered and made it. My team is still working on this thing. It still ain’t there, but we’re making headway.

 

Sportsman

 

It was the dream scenario for regulars to Five Flags Speedway who enjoy the Beef “O� Brady’s Sportsman division.

 

The last four track champions of the class were on the front row in the 11-car, 25-lap feature Friday night.

 

Brannon Fowler, a two-time track champ who came into the night leading the points, was on the pole with Steve Buttrick, the reigning track champ and four-time defending Sportsman Snowball Derby king, sitting to his outside.

 

To add more spice to the storyline, Shanna Ard — a perennial feature favorite to win each Friday — started third. In a backup car, no less. Ard’s familiar No. 29 had issues in practice.

 

When Fowler slid up the track at the top of Turn 4 on Lap 3, Buttrick wasted little time in making his move to clean air. He got it, but couldn’t distance himself from Fowler and Ard as has been Buttrick’s modus operandi.

 

Fowler would banzai his white No. 00 into the turns in an attempt to get to Buttrick’s bumper, but all it did was put wear and tear on his tires.

 

Ard, remember in Tina Davidson’s old colorful No. 81, squeezed his way under Fowler on Lap 11 to move into second.

 

Ard tried to run the blue No. 33 down, but it was no use as Buttrick tallied his third victory of the season.

 

“We did a lot better than I expected,� Ard said. “I hope we put on a good show, driving sideways like that. That’s the most fun I’ve had in a year.�

Bombers

 

Somebody inspect B.J. Leytham.

 

And, we don’t mean the car.

 

Leytham, the big, hairy Alabamian winning machine that he is, can’t be human. There has to be something bionic to the Mobile android, er, driver.

 

Leytham collected another Butler U-Pull-It Bombers checkered flag Friday night at America’s Favorite Home Track, and he didn’t have to break a sweat.

 

Leytham has now won 10 straight features this season and the streak balloons to a total of 15 dating back to 2013. It’s a stretch that includes capturing the Bombers Snowball Derby last December.

 

He was back at the famed half-mile asphalt oval Friday against 14 other Bombers. Leytham left no doubts in the 25-lap feature, retuning to Victory Lane for the second time in two races. Leytham has only raced Five Flags twice this year.

 

“This thing is on a rail,� he said. “The guys that prepare the car for me, they know what suits my driving style. I’m hard to beat if they (the other drivers) don’t do their homework.�

 

David Johnson kept the podium’s top two steps in the family. Johnson, who is Leytham’s stepbrother, snuck past John Kevin Merritt on the final lap to claim runner-up honors.

 

“We were hoping to give (No.) 8 (Leytham) a run for his money, but he’s putting it on us this year,� Johnson said.

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