Natural Bridge Speedway
Bare wins Sunoco Fall Classic at Natural Bridge
By Doug Chase
Natural Bridge SpeedwayNATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (Oct. 5-6) — Booper Bare of Rockbridge Baths, Va., led all the way in the 50-lap Sunoco Fall Classic at Natural Bridge Speedway. Bare, who grew up watching his father compete at Natural Bridge before racing at the track himself, earned $5,000 for the unsanctioned victory.
At the outset of the race, Bare surged ahead of fellow front-row starter Rick Williams of Beckley, W.Va., and burst into the lead. Williams ran second for the first 15 laps before Bo Feathers of Winchester, Va., worked his way into position behind the leading Bare.
From lap 21 through lap 40, Bare led Weathers, Williams, Gerald Davis and Jim Bernheisel. On lap 42, Williams fell back a couple of spots, moving Davis and Bernheisel up a position each. Closing fast was D.J. Myers, who slipped into the fifth position for the final five laps.
Bare crossed the finish line three seconds ahead of Feathers, last year's race winner, while Davis was another two seconds behind in third.
Notebook
Bare's Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Poske's Performance Parts and R&R Auctioneering. ... Ten of 24 starters completed 50 laps. ... Seventeen cars were running at the finish. ... Bare's fast qualifying time among 31 entrants was 15.544 seconds. ... Bare, David Bennett, Rick Williams and Bo Feathers won heat races. ... Bare won the heat-winner's dash. ... Brad Omps won the consolation race. ... The event wraps up the 2007 season at Natural Bridge. ... Mark Parks won the steel-block main event in flag-to-flag fashion over David Watts and Kristian Looney. Parks won $1,250. ... Jim Bernheisel (Supers) of Lebanon, Pa., and Chris Wilson (steel block) of Louisa, Ky., earned $100 apiece as the longest-traveling drivers.
Sunoco Fall Classic: (1) Booper Bare, (2) Bo Feathers, (3) Gerald Davis, (4) Jim Bernheisel, (5) D.J. Myers, (6) Rick Williams, (7) Walker Arthur, (8) Allen Brannon, (9) Wesley Bonebrake, (10) Timmy Simmons, (11) David Bennett, (12) Ray Kable Jr., (13) Chris Meadows, (14) Reed Vess, (15) Tony Crim, (16) Jared Almarode, (17) Barry Arnold, (18) Tommy Armel, (19) Lewis Hudson II, (20) J.C. Clary, (21) Larry Blankenship, (22) Tim Senic, (23) Brad Omps, (24) Brent Smith.
