Finals points races of season Saturday at HMS

Late Model, Limited championships already locked up

By: By W.D. FISHER | Record Sports Correspondent
Published: September 10, 2009

NEWTON --

Hickory Motor Speedway holds its final points race of the season on championship night Saturday.

Racing begins at 7 p.m.

Along with the Late Models, the Super Trucks, Four Cylinders, Street Stocks and Hobby Stocks will be in action.

For two of the divisions, the track championship was clinched last week.

Andy Mercer clinched the title in the Late Models and Kyle Mansch clinched in the Limiteds.

Mercer has posted a division-high eight wins and has 860 points, a 130-point advantage over second-place Jesse LeFevers.

Mercer doesn't even have to show up to race Saturday to win the championship.

The only battles in the Late Model division will be for positions No. 2 through No. 5 as 98 points separate those four drivers.

LeFevers has a 28-point advantage over third-place Dexter Canipe Jr., and a 60-point lead over fourth-place Cole Miktuk.

Fifth-place Grant Wimbish is 98 points back of LeFevers and 38 back of Miktuk.

Canipe Jr. and Miktuk will take the Rookie of the Year battle down to the last race. Canipe Jr. leads Miktuk by 32 points.

In the Limiteds, Mansch has a 94-point lead over second-place Cory Joyce.

Joyce, third-place Taylor Doggett and four-place Justin Sorrow are separated by 50 points and will decide the top rookie.

In the Street Stocks, Waylon Flynn enters with a 10-point lead over second-place Marshall Sutton and needs to finish sixth or better to win the division.

In the Four Cylinders, Todd Harington has a 16-point lead over second-place Raney Canipe and needs to finish ninth or better to claim the division title.

In the Super Trucks, Mark Johnson has a 32-point lead over second-place Ron Hall and needs to finish 17th or better.

Ronnie Sims holds a 16-point lead over second-place Scott Bumgarner in the Hobbys, and needs to finish ninth or better.

Grandstands open at 5 p.m. with qualifying immediately following.

There will be an on-track autograph session starting at 6 p.m. for all divisions with racing starting at 7 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for teens and seniors, $4 for ages seven through 12 and 6 and under are admitted free.

For additional information, contact the speedway at 464-3655.