The cars were the stars of the show on Tuesday night at Cook Out Summer Shootout’s Cruise-In Night presented by Hagerty and Streetside Classics, but when the dust settled on Round 7, Lucas Vera (VP Racing Fuel Semi-Pro) and Hudson Canipe (Bandits) were among the big winners.
Vera was the star of the show in the VP Racing Fuel Semi-Pro race, charging to the front and taking the lead from polesitter Jayden Daniels on Lap 4 of the 25-lap feature. Holding the lead, however, tested every bit of the Charlotte driver’s ability as he held off a talented field. Through three aggressive restarts, Vera found clean air and maintained a slim lead. When the checkered flag finally fell, Vera beat Ladyga Racing driver Byron Daley by a 1.386-second margin. Andres Perez, Carson Brown and Trevor Westor rounded out the Top 5.
Battle of the Bandits
Canipe was the class of the field early, pulling away from Ben Morabito and Beckham Malone in the early stages of the Bandolero Bandits seventh round action, but a couple of late cautions bunched up the field. A final-lap spin brought out the final caution of the night and ushered in a side-by-side, quarter-mile showdown to the checkered flag.
In the end, Canipe – driving a Hudson the Hornet-inspired paint scheme that was appropriate on Cruise-In Night – narrowly escaped with the victory. Darren Krantz Jr. finished second, with Morabito rounding out the podium.
Classic Car Showcase
In addition to a tremendous night of racing, fans enjoyed Cruise-In Night presented by Hagerty and Streetside Classics. The evening included a cruise-in parade of vehicles circling the frontstretch quarter-mile and fan votes for both Best Modern-Era vehicle and Best Pre-1972 Classic. Fans voted Nick Kearns 1981 Corvette as Best in Show for modern-era cars, while Darren Crocker’s 1932 Ford Coupe took the top prize for the classic division.
Christmas Comes Early, Bus Racing Returns
Cook Out Summer Shootout continues next week with back-to-back nights of Legend Car and Bandolero racing. In addition, Monday will feature a Christmas in July theme, while Tuesday will welcome the return of school bus racing on Faster Pastor night. On Tuesday, anyone named Mathew, Mark, Luke or John gets in for just $5 as part of Faster Pastor Night.
Top 10 in each division of Tuesday’s races (unofficial results):
Beginner Bandoleros: 1. Jeffrey Beck; 2. Jack Smith; 3. Bryson Murphy; 4. Mason Roberts; 5. Hendrick Case; 6. Kendall Stevens; 7. Ava Grace Tobias; 8. Addison Martinez; 9. Camden Truett; 10. Aidan Zschiedrich
Bandolero Bandits: 1. Hudson Canipe; 2. Darren Krantz Jr.; 3. Ben Morabito; 4. Beckham Malone; 5. Colt Johnson; 6. LaQuan McCoy; 7. Bryson Brinkley; 8. Carson Cauble; 9. Rodney Dowless; 10. Owen Zacharias
Bandolero Outlaws: 1. Kaeden Ballos; 2. Olivia Murray; 3. Killian McMann; 4. Hunter Jordan; 5. Bobby Gossett; 6. Atley Wiese; 7. Gracie Crocker; 8. Carson Smith; 9. Alison Johnson; 10. Randy Phillips
Young Lions: 1. Joshua Dickens; 2. Carson Haislip; 3. George Phillips; 4. Sean McElearney; 5. Joel Smith; 6. Trevor Cline; 7. Taylor Corum; 8. Ryan Zima; 9. London McKenzie; 10. Ethan Nascimento
VP Racing Semi-Pro: 1. Lucas Vera; 2. Byron Daley; 3. Andres Perez; 4. Carson Brown; 5. Trevor Westor; 6. Jayden Daniels; 7. Jack Baldwin; 8. Farron Laney; 9. Parker Traves; 10. Preston Wrisley
Boston Reid & Co. Pro: 1. Jensen Jorgensen; 2. Jordan Black; 3. Landen Lewis; 4. Alex McCollum; 5. Ethan Norfleet; 6. Justice Calabro; 7. Gavin Graham; 8. Jake Bollamn; 9. Sam Cornman; 10. Cameron Bolin
Masters: 1. Robbie Woodall; 2. Kevin Foisy; 3. Carl Cormier; 4. Dwayne Holder; 5. Brandon McKenzie; 6. Mark Green; 7. Robby Faggart; 8. Lee Jordan; 9. Brandin Wrisley; 10. Chris Lawrence
TICKETS:
CookOut Summer Shootout continues with a doubleheader next week, Monday, July 25 and Tuesday, July 26. Entry is $10 for adults and kids 12 and under are FREE. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, by calling 800-455-FANS or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the thrilling CookOut Summer Shootout action using the hashtag #WeCreateLegends. Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
