Ray Parent won the Formula Four division championship in 1996. His restless spirit sent him off driving three-quarter midgets. He finally settled into late models with great success and ran the ACT tour for several years. He never forgot his roots and came back to The Konk fairly often and often enough would take a Late Model win on returning to his home track.
This year, he has showed up for the Late Models’ Phil’s Propane Triple Crown events and a win on the early end of the season set him up for the finale. All he had to do was outdo the other Triple Crown qualifiers and was at the speedway once again.
This time was a bit different as the car he has been competing with was sold and he was driving it as part of a special deal to complete his final step in the Crown series.
He started tenth on a field of 21 cars and worked his way forward into a mad dash for the checkers over the final laps. He finally wrestled the lead from Dan Johnson, who would not go away and got back into the lead five times, with Parent having to work it back each time. Chase Belcher, doing a rookie season after moving up from trucks, showed up on Parent’s bumper in the late running and began dicing it up with the two leaders. Division champ, Ryan Lineham ran in to wrest the win away as well as Bobby Tripp, who had already claimed the Sport Trucks feature and Triple Crown on the evening.
Undeterred, Parent kept the hammer down and the devastating quintet rushed closer and closer to the finale. Johnson gave way on the outside, slipoping back to fifth and that’s how they finished: Parent hauling down the win and the Triple Crown with Belcher clinging to his bumper; Lineham all over their backs in third, Tripp amid the brawl for fourth and Johnson holding on for a well-deserved fifth. Parent’s Late Model career went out with a bang and now he moves up to full-bore modified tour racing.
Tom Scully, Jr. and Johnson took the green at the front and Scully rushed out to the lead leaving Nathan Tracy working under Mark Hudson. Gerry DeGasparre, Jr and Nick Uhrig ran side-by-side behind them. Chad Baxter, Lineham and Tom Adams followed in quick succession.
Lineham moved in behind DeGasparre and Tripp arrived to get under Baxter, then take over sixth behind Lineham. Johnson took a look then got in under Scully and they went wheel-to-wheel down the backstretch. Johnson went ahead and Scully dropped onto his bumper, chased by Hudson, Lineahm, Tripp and Belcher, who was working underneath DeGasparre for position. But Ryan Kuhn ground to a stop in turn two and had to be pushed to the pits. He was able to return after quick repairs.
Scully and Johnson went side-by-side for a lap-and-a-half until Scully was able to grab the front in turn four. Colby Lambert then came to a halt in turn one, pitted and returned. Scully and Johnson debated again. Tom took the lead and Johnson stayed outside, which allowed Hudson to nose underneath. DeGasparre and Lineham brawled door-to-door with Belcher and Tripp dancing side-by-side behind them. Parent was moving up and on their bumpers, trailing Adams.
Hudson edged into second and DeGasparre into fourth behind Johnson while Belcher ducked in under Lineham. Parent and Tripp were wheel-to-wheel at their backs. As Belcher went to fifth, Ray and Ryan began dueling over sixth, which went to parent just as Jeremy Lambert spun in turn two. Scully and Hudson lined up to continue their duel on the lap 11 restart.
Scully grabbed the lead once more in turn two and Johnson ducked under Hudson. Belcher and DeGasparre were side-by-side as well. Parent got by DeGasparre into fifth just before a Colby Lambert spin to the infield. DeGasparre headed pitside for adjustments.
Behind Scully and Johnson, Belcher was paired under Hudson, just ahead of Parent and Adams. Tom was away and Belcher ducked under Johnson just before Dane Saritelli spun on the front stretch. They went at it again and Scully came out a half-car on Belcher then into the lead in turn two. Johnson ducked under Belcher bu Tracy spun in turn three, fired up and kept on going. Scully paused, and it was hard to tell if he thought caution was coming or something in the handling affected him, but suddenly competitors were flying past. Caution flew on lap 15, he had fallen from first to sixth.
Johnson set up on the pole with Parent on his high side. Hudson and Belcher followed, then Lineham and Scully. They charged out of the box, hacksawing the lead for five laps until Parent dropped back and under, squirting to the front. Johnson ran right to Ray’s bumper as the field stretched out single file. Behind a positional clash between Hudson and Lineham, Tripp and Adams were waging a spirited battle.
Mid race saw Johnson drop under Parent and push in alongside. After a duel, Johnson went ahead and Belcher got in under Parent. Hudson, Lineham and Tripp pursued, ready to take over any openings left to them.
Colby spun once more to bring out a lap 22 restart. With Johnson below Parent, they ran wheel-to-wheel for two laps and leaving a good deal of room underneath. Belcher looked to exploit this and kept trying to nose under only to be held off.
The trio continued to brawl for several more laps until there was contact between Belcher and Johnson, with the latter coming loose for a moment. Parent seized the moment and squirted into the lead. Johnson recovered as Belcher backed out and Johnson retained second with Belcher on his back. Hudson and Lineham followed and Lineham nosed underneath looking for fourth. Tripp and Adams continued their aerial dogfight behind them.
A lap seven restart was the result of a Mark Jenison spin. Johnson had Parent on his shoulder with Belcher and Lineham behind them. Hudson was under Adams and Tripp was joined by Kuhn.
The quick Johnson got his nose out, but Parent came back and the ran side-by-side into turn three, Parent nosed out and then Johnson grabbed it back in turn four. Contact from Belcher loosed Johnson and Parent seized the lead. Johnson fell back to fourth and Lineham grabbed third.
Parent now had the front with two remaining and ran hard and accurate toward his goal. Belcher fastened on and Lineham was at the latter’s back. Tripp was able to wrest fourth from Johnson, who came in fifth.
Sixth on the event went to DeGasparre followed by Kuhn, Adams, Jenison, Baxter and Vinnie Arrenegado.