CONCORD, NC — July 17, 2013 – By Jacob Seelman -When you pack two nights of features into one night, it’s bound to be exciting. When you then shorten all the races by 5 laps and tell the drivers, “Your goal is still the same,” you’ve got a recipe for absolute mayhem.

And that’s exactly what fans got for Round 7 of the 20th Jack in the Box Summer Shootout. From the time the green flag dropped on the afternoon make-up session from Round 6 at 4:30, the action on track was fast and furious.

Daniel Hemric continued his unstoppable march towards a Shootout championship by sweeping both Pro division features and extending his all-time win total at Charlotte to 19 career victories since 2006. After dominating the afternoon event, the night race was hard-fought, as Hemric fought being hung on the outside for most of the race. Once he finally got down low, “Hotshoe” staged a fierce battle with Tyler Green in the latter stages of the 25-lap feature before taking the lead for good at Lap 17 and motoring on to the win.

“Hard-fought is what it (the win) was,” Hemric told RaceChaser correspondent Jacob Seelman of Speed 77 Radio after the race. “Can’t thank everyone enough; this car just keeps getting better and better every week.”

The race was slowed by two hard crashes after the halfway point. The first involved Kaz Grala and Ryan Shattuck. Shattuck hit the grass going into Turn 1 and had no brakes, slamming into Grala’s driver’s side door. Both drivers were uninjured in the crash.

If possible, the Legends Young Lions feature was crazier than the entire night combined on it’s own. With the race shortened to 15 laps, it was go-time from the drop of the green flag. Stefan Parsons started on pole after the inversion and led for the first half of the race until Michael Torres got around him going into Turn 1, which started all the madness.

Parson spun in Turn 4 of Lap 8 to bring out the first of three cautions after halfway; the last of which ultimately set up a green-white checkered finish, which got crazy on the final lap. Connor Pyle, Carson Ferguson and Jared Irvan tangled in Turn 1 and the caution flew as Michael Torres was coming to the checkered flag. Though the Torres camp argued Michael had crossed the finish line under double checkered flags, Race Control called for a second attempt at a green-white-checkered, saying the lights were on before Torres had crossed the line.

Following a red flag for cleanup of the carnage, the field came back to green and National Young Lions Points Leader William Byron got underneath Torres going into Turn 1 on the restart. As Torres fell back to 4th, Byron charged all the way to his second win of the Summer Shootout.

“I’m not sure how we pulled it off, but we did it, and we got the points lead back too, unofficially,” Byron said with a grin after the race.

The Young Lions finish is still unofficial, pending review by speedway and US Legends officials.

The third great battle of the evening went into another green-white-checkered finish, pitting Austin Green and John Holleman against one another after a late caution. Ultimately, it would be Holleman taking the win over Green and completing the double-dip, with Ashton Winger rounding out the podium.

Other winners included Jay Coen, of Dacula, Ga. in the Legend Car Semi-Pro division, taking his first Charlotte win after a late incident swept up Riley Halverson and Joe Ryan Osborne; John Sossomon of Concord, N.C. in the Security Force Legend Car Masters division; Zachary Dabbs, of Mooresville, N.C. in the Bandolero Bandits; and William Robusto, of Fort Mill, S.C., in the Beginner Bandits.

In the other postponed features, Cason Werner of Iron Station, N.C., won the postponed Round Six Bandolero Bandit feature; Joe Ryan Osborne, of Kannapolis, N.C., won the postponed Legend Car Semi-Pro feature; Mark Green, of Owensboro, Ky., won the postponed Security Force Legend Car Masters division.

The 20th Jack in the Box Summer Shootout continues Tuesday, July 23rd with the First Responders school bus slobberknocker along with the full slate of Legends and Bandolero action. For the latter two classes, the night will be intense, with Double Points on the line for all divisions in their quest for the championship.

Jacob Seelman, Speed77 Radio and RaceChaserOnline

PHOTO CREDIT: CMS/Tami Pope

Round 7 Unofficial Results:

Legend Car Pro Feature (25 laps): 1. Daniel Hemric; 2. Tyler Green; 3. Evan Swilling; 4. Justin Swilling; 5. Joey Padgett; 6. Zane Smith; 7. Kason Plott; 8. Tyler Lester; 9. Mackena Bell; 10. Kyle Weatherman; 11. Gregory Lang; 12. Kaz Grala; 13. Ryan Shattuck; 14. Jordan Black; 15. Alex Pacheco; 16. Clayton Weatherman; 17. Reid Wilson.

HEMRIC INTERVIEW: Hemric VL

Security Force Legend Car Masters Feature (25 laps): 1. John Sossoman; 2. Tom Pistone; 3. Scott Whitaker; 4. John Craig; 5. Robby Faggart; 6. Rodney Tharp; 7. Carl Cormier; 8. Eddie Harwell; 9. Bruce Silver; 10. Jan Ingram; 11. Chip Ferguson; 12. Jody Folice; 13. Jamie Smith; 14. Shawn Geisel; 15. Carlos Moore; 16. David Fulk.

SOSSOMAN INTERVIEW:  Sossoman VL

Legend Car Semi-Pro Feature (25 laps): 1. Jay Coen; 2. Luke Demis; 3. Jordan Stillwell; 4. Ethan McMillon; 5. Devon Amos; 6. Ryan Mackintosh; 7. Joe Ryan Osborne; 8. Matt Wallace; 9. Craig Biryla; 10. Joe Gregory; 11. Tyler Hanberry; 12. Riley Halverson; 13. Bronson Butcher; 14. Adam Welch; 15. Billy Webb; 16. Dylan Barbosa; 17. Joshua Turner.

COEN INTERVIEW:  Coen VL

Legend Car Young Lions Feature, pending review (17 laps): 1. William Byron; 2. Matt Craig; 3. Stevie Johns Jr.; 4. Michael Torres; 5. AJ Davis; 6. Noah Gragson; 7. Trent Barnes; 8. Dillon Faggart; 9. Tripp Gerrald III; 10. Riley Herbst; 11. Michael Womack; 12. Alex Murray; 13. Seth Werner; 14. Connor Pyle; 15. Carson Ferguson; 16. Jared Irvan; 17. Payton Ryan; 18. Stefan Parsons; 19. Doug Barnes.

BYRON INTERVIEW: Byron VL
TORRES INTERVIEW:  Torres Post Race

Bandolero Outlaws Feature (15 laps): 1. John Holleman; 2. Austin Green; 3. Ashton Winger; 4. Jensen Jorgensen; 5. Chase Purdy; 6. Miguel Cesar; 7. Dylan Smith; 8. Jacob Brumagin; 9. Sprout Royal; 10. Jacob Heafner; 11. Nicholas Ceraolo; 12. Ivan Gudmestad; 13. Austin Powell; 14. Alex Reece; 15. Daniel Bedford; 16. Jack Fread; 17. Matthew Davey; 18. Hannah Bell; 19. Ashley Caldwell; 20. Tal Davidson; 21. Scott Joy; 22. Matt Meed; 23. Casey Kirwan; 24. Eric Brown; 25. Kayla Lyons; 26. Dakoda Ratcliff; 27. Nate Tretow.

HOLLEMAN INTERVIEW: Holleman VL
GREEN INTERVIEW:  Austin Green 2nd

Bandolero Bandits Feature (12 laps): 1. Zachary Dabbs; 2. Dawson Cram; 3. Cason Werner; 4. DJ Canipe; 5. Enzo Fittipaldi da Cruz; 6. Justin Taylor; 7. Noah Ewing; 8. Ryleigh Lemonds; 9. Liz Montgomery; 10. Kamera McDonald; 11. Bradyn Mander; 12. Hayden Humphrey; 13. Blake Cisneros; 14. Daniel Wilk; 15. Chandler Smith; 16. Brayde Miranda; 17. Richard Kuty.

Bandolero Beginner Bandits Feature (15 laps): 1. William Robusto; 2. Hunter Jarrett; 3. Nick MacMillan; 4. Matthew Eades; 5. Joshua Kossek; 6. Isabella Robusto; 7. Henry Broadbent; 8. Grayson Bundrick; 9. Trevor Rizzo.

Legend Car Pro Round Six Make-Up Feature (25 laps): 1. Daniel Hemric; 2. Kaz Grala; 3. Jordan Black; 4. Evan Swilling; 5. Joey Padgett; 6. Zane Smith; 7. Justin Swilling; 8. Ryan Shattuck; 9. Tyler Green; 10. Gregory Lang; 11. Tyler Lester; 12. Reid Wilson; 13. Kason Plott; 14. Clayton Weatherman; 15. Mackena Bell; 16. Alex Pacheco.

Security Force Legend Car Masters Round Six Make-Up Feature (25 laps): 1. Mark Green; 2. John Sossoman; 3. Tom Pistone; 4. Carl Cormier; 5. Scott Whitaker; 6. John Craig; 7. Robby Faggart; 8. Rodney Tharp; 9. Eddie Harwell; 10. Bruce Silver; 11. Jody Folice; 12. Chip Ferguson; 13. Shawn Geisel; 14. Jamie Smith; 15. Carlos Moore; 16. Jan Ingram.

Legend Car Semi-Pro Round Six Make-Up Feature (25 laps): 1. Joe Ryan Osborne; 2. Riley Halverson; 3. Luke Demis; 4. Devon Amos; 5. Adam Welch; 6. Bronson Butcher; 7. Ryan Mackintosh; 8. Dylan Barbosa; 9. Josh Turner; 10. Jacob Schneider; 11. Billy Webb; 12. Jay Coen; 13. Joe Gregory; 14. Craig Biryla; 15. Ethan McMillon; 16. Jordan Stillwell; 17. Matt Wallace; 18. Sheldon Crouse.

Bandolero Outlaws Round Six Make-Up Feature (15 laps): 1. John Holleman; 2. Miguel Cesar; 3. Ashton Winger; 4. Ashley Caldwell; 5. Austin Green; 6. Alex Reece; 7. Chase Purdy; 8. Nate Tretow; 9. Jacob Brumagin; 10. Dylan Smith; 11. Matthew Davey; 12. Ivan Gudmestad; 13. Dakoda Ratcliff; 14. Sprout Royal; 15. Hannah Bell; 16. Austin Powell; 17. Kayla Lyons; 18. Jacob Heafner; 19. Casey Kirwan; 20. Eric Brown; 21. Scott Joy; 22. Nicholas Ceraolo; 23. Jensen Jorgensen.

Bandolero Bandits Round Six Make-Up Feature (11 Laps): 1. Cason Werner; 2. Zachary Dabbs; 3. Justin Taylor; 4. Chandler Smith; 5. Dawson Cram; 6. Hayden Humphrey; 7. DJ Canipe; 8. Ryleigh Lemonds; 9. Daniel Wilk; 10. Kamera McDonald; 11. Noah Ewing; 12. Liz Montgomery; 13. Bradyn Mander; 14. Richard Kuty; 15. Enzo Fittipaldi da Cruz; 16. Blake Cisneros; 17. Brayde Miranda; 18. Austin Geer.