Riverside Int'l Speedway
Virden rules Riverside for first Comp Cams win
Johnny Virden in victory lane at Riverside. (Woody Hampton)
WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (June 2) —Johnny Virden of Russellville, Ark., raced to his first Comp Cams Super Dirt Series victory Saturday night, claiming a $2,000 victory at Riverside International Speedway.
Curtis Cook of Conway, Ark., finished second at the quarter-mile oval followed by Keith Lawson of Houston, Ark., in third. Jon Kirby, also of Russellville, finished fourth with Tommy Surrett of North Little Rock, Ark., fifth. Series points leader Robert Baker of Bryant, Ark., finished 10th. | Slideshow
Virden shared the front row with Lawson for the start of the 35-lap event and quickly grabbed the point using the outside line around the tight track with Lawson moving to second.
The event's first caution appeared on lap five for a multi-car incident in turn four that was spurred when Jamie Elam slowed from his top-five position. The ensuing pileup included Jon Stinson, Terry Kerbough, T.J. Hughes and Dale Armstrong.
Virden again motored away from the field on the restart as business began to pick up behind him for the second spot with Lawson having to hold off a host of challengers.
The pace was slowed again on lap nine when Jamie Dacus spun off turn two. Following the restart, the race maintained a long, green-flag run until lap 19, when Dillon Knight dropped from the top 10 with a puff of smoke from his race car.
The ensuing restart allowed Cook to shoot past his teammate Lawson for the second spot as Virden again pulled away until the caution flew again on lap 22 when series point leader Robert Baker slowed after contact with the turn two wall.
The next attempt to get the race underway called for the red flag as T.J. Hughes was involved in a hard wreck and flip down the front stretch; he was uninjured.
The red flag proved to be the race’s final stoppage as Virden again took command on the restart and led the final 13 laps caution free.
The Comp Cams tour returns to action with a doubleheader weekend June 8-9 at Malden (Mo.) Speedway and Northeast Arkansas Speedway in Harrisburg, Ark.; both races pay $2,000 to the winner.
Comp Cams @ Riverside: (1) Johnny Virden, (2) Curtis Cook, (3) Keith Lawson, (4) Jon Kirby, (5) Tommy Surrett, (6) Chandler Petty, (7) Justin Glover, (8) Jon Mitchell, (9) Clay Fisher, (10) Robert Baker, (11) Terry Kerbough, (12) T.J. Hughes, (13) Dillon Knight, (14) Dale Armstrong, (15) Jamie Dacus, (16) Jamie Elam, (17) Justin Carter, (18) Brandon Smith, (19) Jon Stinson, (20) Nathan Brown. Fast qualifier (among 29 cars): Virden. Heat race winners: Lawson, Virden, Brown, Elam. Consolation winners: Perry, Armstrong.
