A Media Mayhem school bus slobberknocker for the ages highlighted a fender-bending Tuesday night of exciting Bojangles' Summer Shootout racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as FOX 46 Carolinas' Anthony "Floor It" Flores held off six media contemporaries to capture a scintillating victory on the frontstretch quarter-mile.
Flores' black school bus ran third in the early going and appeared to be out of contention before WBTV's Al Conklin - who dominated from the pole - went spinning off the front bumper of a fellow meteorologist, TWC News' Matthew East. Flores avoided the storm at the head of the field and hung on after a late restart to capture his first Media Mayhem triumph in a classic battle that saw ESPN 730's Molly Cotton turn her bus on its side in Turn 2.
"My strategy paid off," Flores said. "I wanted to be third, because I knew first and second would bump each other out. When they did, I knew I had it won. This is pretty cool."
No stranger to success in the world's ultimate grassroots racing experience, Carson Ferguson set a blazing pace in scoring an impressive victory in the In Light Wellness Legend Car Pro feature.
The number on the sides of Ferguson's No. 00 machine represented the number of drivers who could keep up with Ferguson in the feature, as he led 15 of 25 laps on his way to victory. Stevie Johns Jr. and Chase Purdy were relegated to second and third after a stirring battle to the checkered flag.
Scott Joy, the son of NASCAR on FOX analyst Mike Joy, captured his first AAA Carolinas Legend Car Semi-Pro victory over Tyler Truex in an exciting feature finish.
"I didn't look at anything behind me," Joy said. "I focus on what's in front of me. Thanks to my dad, my sister and mom watching back home and my entire team for helping me."
The K1 Speed Young Lions finished out the night with a nine-lap battle wrought with cautions. Ashton Higgins led the early portion of the race but ultimately a slew of cautions left him stuck in the middle of the pack, while Braden Langille - who made the trip down from Canada - ended up on top.
"I traveled six hours from Canada to get my name out there, and that's what I did," Langille said. "This is huge. This is probably my best win so far."
The Legend Car Masters feature saw Bruce Silver set the pace at the green flag with Carl Cormier, Todd Midas, and Mark Green following close behind. Midas took first place away on Lap 2 and built a consistent two car-length lead.
Green battled with Bruce Silver for second and third, and with 20 laps to go, Carl Cormier spun on the back straightaway to bring out the only caution. Midas quickly took his place in first, leading the field the rest of the way with Mark Green and brother David following him to the finish.
Midas summed up his feelings succinctly, saying his victory was "awesome."
Other winners on the night included Stanley Hayes in the Beginner Bandolero Bandits feature, Josh Kossek in Bandolero Bandits and Triston Lesik (Bandolero Outlaws).
Fans can find a free live stream of the Bojangles' Summer Shootout at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com, USLegendCars.com and GoPRN.com as well as on the US Legend Cars YouTube channel starting at 7 p.m. each night.
Additionally, as a salute to the nation's brave defenders of safety and society, each law enforcement member attending a Bojangles' Summer Shootout event with valid identification card will receive FREE admission for the law enforcement member and their family.
Unofficial Results:
In Light Wellness Legend Car Pros (25 laps): 1. Carson Ferguson; 2. Stevie Johns Jr.; 3. Chase Purdy; 4. Dillon Faggart; 5. Michael Torres; 6. Jordan Black; 7. Dawson Cram; 8. Austin Green; 9. Donny St. Ours; 10. John Holleman 11. Dillon Spain; 12. Cameron Morga; 13. Matthew Barnard.
Beginner Bandolero Bandits (20 laps): 1. Stanley Hayes; 2. Benjamin Johnson; 3. Tyler Bartoszewicz; 4. Caden Kvapil; 5. David Sullivan; 6. Jayson Didonna; 7. Adam Eades; 8. Santiago Hill; 9. Truett Miranda; 10. Logan Clark.
AAA Carolinas Legend Car Semi-Pro (25 laps): 1. Scott Joy; 2. Tyler Truex; 3. Matt Mead; 4. Gus Dean; 5. Nolan Pope; 6. Ryo Ogata; 7. Jacob Heafner; 8. Jordan Stillwell; 9. Craig Biryla; 10. Jack Fread; 11. Grant Winchester; 12. Jessica Dana; 13. Holden German; 14. Nate Tretow; 15. Josh Plummer; 16. Austin Halder; 17. Carson Poindexter; 18. Matt Moermond.
Bandolero Bandits (20 laps): 1. Josh Kossek; 2. Bryson Ruff; 3. Cameron Bolin; 4. Landon Rapp; 5. Parker Eatmon; 6. William Rubusto; 7. Tyler Chapman; 8. Josh Speas; 9. Jason Champman; 10. Zack Miracle; 11. Holt Halder.
Bandolero Outlaws (20 laps): 1. Triston Lesik; 2.Tommy Good; 3. Matt Emery; 4. D.J. Canipe; 5. Justin Gareis; 6. Matthew Davey; 7. Dylan Notaro; 8.Jordan Plummer; 9. Blaise Maddox; 10. Garrett Lowe; 11. Jacob Gantz; 12. Cameron Johnson; 13. Trevor Wester; 14. Liz Montgomery; 15. Isaak Love.
Legend Car Masters (25 laps): 1. Todd Midas; 2. Mark Green; 3. David Green; 4. Carl Cormier; 5. Robby Faggart; 6. Bruce Silver; 7. Chip Ferguson; 8. Jan Ingram; 9. Jeffery Lefcourt; 10. Jamie Smith; 11. Les Miranda; 12. Timothy Sipes; 13. Todd Shockman.
K1 Speed Legend Car Young Lions (9 laps): 1. Braden Langille; 2. Brody Pope; 3. Hailie Deegan; 4. Ashton Higgins; 5. Eddie Fatscher; 6. Zack Wells; 7. Sam Mayer; 8. Daniel Wilk; 9. Gio Bromante; 10. Brett Suggs; 11. Gracie Trotter; 12. Isabella Rubusto; 13. Sammy Smith; 14. Austin Geer; 15. Garrett Manes; 16. Harrison Halder; 17. Vincent Midas; 18. Carson Kvapil; 19. Steven Chapman; 20. Roy Hayes; 21. Ryan Heim; 22. Alex Verhagen; 23. Josh Stark.
TICKETS:
Tickets, which cost only $8 for adults and FREE for kids 13 and under, can be purchased at the gate or in advance by calling 800-455-FANS or online at charlottemotorspeedway.com. Check local Bojangles' locations for a $2 off coupon. Fans can also watch half-hour weekly Bojangles' Summer Shootout shows on MAVtv.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the thrilling Bojangles' Summer Shootout action using the hashtag #LetsBoRacing. Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or get all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.
