By Joy Perry

Despite threatening skies, a couple of brief showers, and cosmic vibes from a full moon, high flying action continued at County Line Raceway. Victor May of Zebulon captured his third straight win of the Super Stock Four Cylinder division. Lining up in victory circle along with May were Britches Liles from Bailey in Thunder & Lightning, Michael Lamm of Battleboro for the Pure Stock V-8 class, Gary Dillon of Wilson in the Pure Stock Four Cylinder, Stillman Heath of Wilson in the Cadet class and Justin Pinno of Wilson in the Modified Four Cylinder division.
Starting from the pole position, points leader Victor May jumped to the lead at the wave of the green flag in the feature event of the Super Stock Four Cylinder division. By lap five it was May leading the pack as he was coming up on lap traffic. Second place runner Andy Ross was closing late in the race when driver Eric Keith brought out a caution with only two laps remaining. It was Victor May who claimed his third straight win, which will send the Baines Paint and Body/Baines Landscaping/Summerlin Oil sponsored Toyota to the rear of the feature event in next weeks race. Andy Ross of Wake Forest crossed the finish line taking second place. Wayne Potter of Saratoga tried in earnest, but was forced to settle for a third place finish. After starting on the outside pole position Glenn Bottoms from Elm City got shuffled back in the pack of cars, but made his way back up to fourth. Bill Winstead of Bailey rounded out the top five finishers in the 13 car field for twenty laps.
The Thunder and Lightning division started sixteen cars for twenty-three laps with rivals Britches Liles and Cy Nelms returning to the 3/8 mile clay oval raceway. With hopes of days past in side by side action between the two, Saturday night would not be the night. Britches Liles would walk away the winner of the Thunder & Lightning division, but it did not come easy. Alan Worrells of Rocky Mount took to the point at the start of the feature and held that position for the first six laps. Liles then took over the lead and would lead the remainder of the laps taking his Lewis Tax Service/Creekside Lawn Service/Battleboro Produce sponsored race car around the circuit for win number eight this season. Liles wished his son, Skeeter Liles a Happy Birthday as the younger Liles turned 19 years old. J.P. Cascell from Rocky Mount powered the Chris Ray Camaro to a second place finish. Early race leader Alan Worrells of Rocky Mount would hold on to take a third place finish. Mark McDaniels from Selma and Wade Ferrell from Rocky Mount were fourth and fifth respectively. The feature was slowed by six cautions and a red flag. The red flag for an incident in turn four involved Joey Cascell and Johnny Edmondson and also collected Cy Nelms. Nelms race car came to rest on the front straight away. Nelms informed the assistant flag man, that he had a bad night - the throttle on the race car stuck, the shifter broke and he had a flat tire.
Gary Dillon of Wilson took a repeat win in the Pure Stock Four Cylinder division. The 15 lap feature was slowed by six cautions. The Division 7 Tatoos & Body Piercing/Williams Tree Service/Fremont Tire & Auto Toyota took over the lead on lap six and led to the checkered flag. Michael Webb of Elm City ran to a second place finish. Early leader Jimmy Holcombe from Elm City managed to hang on to a third place finish. It was Michael Ross of Wake Forest and Taylor Dalton of Elm City who would swap their last weeks finishing positions. This week it was Ross who was fourth and Dalton fifth.
The full moon was hanging high in the sky off turn four when the Pure Stock V-8 drivers took to the track and it was obvious with eight cautions slowing the 12 lap feature. Michael Lamm of Battleboro brought his Eason Floor Sanding & Laying/Mary Ruffin’s Nationwide Insurance Agency/Howards Frame Shop Chevy to the checkered flag for the win. Lamm led every lap of the feature, but not without challenges. Jerry Williams from Snow Hill took over the second spot on lap four and held that spot for the duration. Ben James of Battleboro started from the pole position, but brought out the first caution. James was credited with a third place finish. James Meredith of Sharpsburg and John Bunn of Bailey finished fourth and fifth.
The Cadet division has the tightest points race at County Line Raceway with Joshua Bryant and Stillman Heath both of Wilson tied in the points chase with a total of 1125. Heath took the win of the 12 lap feature. Bryant trailed Heath to the finish. Cody Keith from Franklinton finished third. Brandon Edmonson of Rocky Mount, Austin Holcombe of Elm City rounded out the top five. Mechanical problems side lined Andrew Parker of Nashville.
The Modified Four Cylinder division has run four times at County Line Raceway with Justin Pinno taking the Steve’s Corvette Shop/O’Cools of Wilson/ABCO Construction race car taking the win each time including Saturday night. William Carroll of Rocky Mount, with only two laps remaining it looked as though he had done his homework, but all that went up in smoke, when his engine blew going into turn one. Gerald Lutz from Youngsville took a second place finish. Carroll was credited with a third place finish. Russell Jones from Hope Mills blew in practice.
We would like to give a Special Thank You to Ma Liles, Britches’ mother, for making Kids Night at County Line Raceway extra special. Ma Liles gave balloons and prizes to all children riding in the race cars. Keep in mind as hot as it was, Ma Liles and her crew blew up all the balloons by hand - no helium tank - that takes a lot of blessing from someone who has been under the weather herself. She has always given 100% to County Line Raceway, supporting her family who has always raced here,
her friends, the fans and the management.
Thank you to Amanda Sanders of Bailey for singing the National Anthem. Sanders is girl friend of Skeeter Liles.
Racing action returns to County Line Raceway on Saturday, July 26 . Feature events will include the return of Late Models, Pure Stock Four Cylinder, Super Stock Four Cylinder, Pure Stock V-8, Thunder & Lightning and Cadets.