DEMING - His family owns the track, but Brock Lemley can't seem to buy a break on Deming Speedway this year.
It's not that he's forgotten how to drive or anything. He did, after all, claim a pair of wins at the Tulsa Shootout last winter and last week grabbed an impressive ASCS National Tour victory at Great Falls, Mont.
But close to home, it just hasn't been working this year. In fact he has yet to claim the checkered flag at his home track this season.
Lemley, the three-time defending Clay Cup National champion, appeared to be ready to break through with a feature win in the 1,200cc feature on Friday, July 20, but once again came up short. Leading at the white flag, Lemley appeared to skip across the cushion between Turns 1 and 2, allowing Dwayne Mackey to skip past him and claim the victory on the second night of preliminary racing.
"I saw Brock coming up through the field on the scoreboard during yellows," Mackey said. "I didn't want to give it up to him at the end. Luckily, Brock had something go wrong up there in 2, and I was able to get it back."
Youngster Kyle Mitchell, 13, who had just moved up to the open 600cc division for Clay Cup, went wire-to-wire to win a rain-shortened 18-lap feature race.
"It's awesome," Mitchell said in a post-race interview.
Mackey became the second driver in as many nights to be the second slowest qualifier in the 16-car 1,200 field to use the full-field invert to his advantage and claim the victory.
Like Tyson Cross on Thursday, July 19, Mackey grabbed the lead in Turns 1 and 2, and set sail for most of the race.
In fact, it wasn't until Lemley wrestled the lead away with a banzai move into Turn 1 on a lap 24 restart that Mackey found himself in dirty air on an already slick track that got slicker with a persistent mist.
But Mackey kept the pressure on Lemley, shifting to the low and middle grooves, while Lemley rode high - eventually a little too high, as time would eventually prove.
"It (winning) doesn't happen all that often," Mackey said. "We haven't been qualifying all that well, but this is a night where qualifying badly actually helps you."
Lemley managed to hold off hard-charging Aaron Fell for second, while top-qualifier Liam Ryan finished off a strong points night by moving up to fourth.
Mitchell, who started from the outside of the front row in the 600 A-Main, grabbed the lead coming out of Turn 2 and was able to build a pretty sizable advantage despite some carnage behind him.
During a red flag following a lap 16 accident, track owner Paul Lemley walked the track and decided to go with a green-white-checker restart to help save cars still on the track.
Mitchell got a good restart to hold off second-place Madison Hess, while Spud Allen and Jacob Brown came home third and fourth. Thursday night winner Jared Peterson finished fifth.
"Never," Mitchell said when asked if he ever thought he would be able to claim a Clay Cup preliminary victory in only his first weekend racing outside the 600 restricted class against an extremely talented 52-car field.
Top qualifier Mitchell Faccinto, the brother of 2011 Clay Cup 600 champion Michael Faccinto, failed to move up a spot in his heat race to get into the feature, but he went wire-to-wire to claim the 20-lap 600 B-Main. Ryan Reeves, Chase Schmidt and surprising Greg Tourond followed him home and also advanced to the feature.
Bryce Volpa was the best of the field from start to finish in the 600 C-Main, as he grabbed the lead on the front stretch of the first lap and was never seriously challenged the rest of the caution-filled 15 laps. Alden Ostrom finished second to transfer up to the B-Main.
Ryan turned in the quick time in 1,200 qualifying for the second straight night, while Mitchell Faccinto was fastest in the 600s, giving Team Duinkerken Racing from the Fresno, Calif., area a preliminary sweep. Thursday night points leader Heath Duinkerken was the top qualifier a night earlier.
With the preliminary nights now in the rearview mirror, all that remains is to crown champions on Saturday, July 21. Gates open at 5 p.m., with opening ceremonies scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
Reach David Rasbach at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or 360-715-2271.
29TH CLAY CUP NATIONALS
Friday's results
At Deming Speedway
600cc
A-Main (18 laps): 1. (76m) Kyle Mitchell; 2. (40) Madison Hess; 3. (12a) Spud Allen; 4. (23) Jacob Brown; 5. (9p) Jared Peterson; 6. (88) Koen Shaw; 7. (8) Kiwi Alexander; 8. (76) Chase Schmidt; 9. (1F) Michael Faccinto; 10. (29J) Dougie James; 11. (4) Mitchell Faccinto; 12. (10j) Cory Eliason; 13. (56k) Kelly Mauck; 14. (179) Landon Hurst; 15. (92) Kyler Shaw; 16. (21b) Dylan Black; 17. (11) Greg Tourond; DNF (00) Brayden Planko; DNF (13c) Trent Carter; DNF (79) Heath Duinkerken; DNF (21) Phil Schemenauer; DNF (2) Ryan Reeves.
B-Main (20 laps, top four advance): 1. (4) Mitchell Faccinto; 2. (2) Ryan Reeves; 3. (76) Chase Schmidt; 4. (11) Greg Tourond; 5. (87) Liam Ryan; 6. (22) Mike Schott; 7. (7) Stan Yockey; 8. (10) Brock Lemley; 9. (47) Derek Torkelson; 10. (1) Austin Sheridan; 11. (9t) JR Thomas; 12. (38) Alex Gauthier; 13. (9) Chase Goetz; 14. (13h) Brad Hannum; DNF (29o) Alden Ostrom; DNF (66) Blake Brigge; DNF (8v) Bryce Volpa; DNF (C17) Cory Samuelson; DNF (5D) Annie DeRemer; DNF (71) Dustin O'Brien.
C-Main (15 laps, top two advance): 1. (8v) Bryce Volpa; 2. (29o) Alden Ostrom; 3. (8r) Rachel Westmoreland; 4. (83c) Jarid Kunkle; 5. (1w) Jared Gunderson; 6. (17x) Kevin Wilkinson; 7. (45) Jerrod Saddler; DNF (78) Joe Constance; DNF (18E) Jon Engler; DNF (96) Greg Hamilton; DNF (N8) Nate Vaughn; DNF (71s) Mike Severson.
Heat 1 winner: (23) Jacob Brown. Heat 2 winner: (21) Phil Schemenauer. Heat 3 winner: (8) Kiwi Alexander. Heat 4 winner: (92) Kyler Shaw. Heat 5 winner: (12a) Spud Allen. Heat 6 winner: (76m) Kyle Mitchell. Top qualifier: (4) Mitchell Faccinto 68.742 mph.
Thursday night points: 1. (79) Heath Duinkerken 714; 2. (87) Liam Ryan 711; 3. (00) Brayden Planko 705; 4. (4) Mitchell Faccinto 704; 5. (21b) Dylan Black 703; 6. (2) Ryan Reeves 696; 7. (9p) Jared Peterson 689; 8. (1F) Michael Faccinto 681; 9. (66) Blake Brigge 681; 10. (519) Shaun Holtorf 681; 11. (92) Kyler Shaw 678; 12. (13c) Trent Carter 678; 13. (71) Dustin O'Brien 677; 14. (1) Austin Sheridan 675; 15. (9t) JR Thomas 674; 16. (78) Joe Constance 674; 17. (8) Kiwi Alexander 673; 18. (76) Chase Schmidt 671; 19. (29J) Dougie James 668; 20. (10) Brock Lemley 663; 21. (11) Greg Tourond 662; 22. (10j) Cory Eliason 660; 23. (12a) Spud Allen 658; 24. (7) Stan Yockey 650; 25. (8v) Bryce Volpa 642; 26. (179) Landon Hurst 640; 27. (21p) Robbie Price 639; 28. (56k) Kelly Mauck 638; 29; (88) Koen Shaw 632; 30. (23) Jacob Brown 630; 31. (14) Keith Wickard 629; 32. (17x) Kevin Wilkinson 625; 33. (N8) Nate Vaughn 622; 34. (29o) Alden Ostrom 622; 35. (18E) Jon Engler 620; 36. (76m) Kyle Mitchell 619; 37. (8r) Rachel Westmoreland 619; 38. (96) Greg Hamilton 619; 39. (22) Mike Schott 615; 40. (83c) Jarid Kunkle 613; 41. (12s) Hayden Schmidt 609; 42. (38) Alex Gauthier 607; 43. (9) Chase Goetz 606; 44. (45) Jerrod Saddler 597; 45. (5D) Annie DeRemer 595; 46. (1w) Jared Gundersen 594; 47. (40) Madison Hess 589; 48. (21) Phil Schemenauer 380; 49. (47) Derek Torkelson 363; 50. (13h) Brad Hannum 360; 51. (C17) Cory Samuelson 337.
1,200cc
A-Main (30 laps): 1. (11m) Dwayne Mackey; 2. (10) Brock Lemley; 3. (15) Aaron Fell; 4. (87) Liam Ryan; 5. (98K) Kyle Kenoyer; 6. (2sp) Wade Spreckelmeyer; 7. (11) Brad Davison; 8. (13) Steven Hendrickson; 9. (22) Eric Drake; 10. (6) Jason Bloodgood; 11. (7) Jared Gundersen; 12. (10s) Forest Metcalfe; 13. (55) Tony Helsel; 14. (09) Tyson Cross; DNF (9) Clennon Holloway; DNF (16z) Zach Keefe.
Heat 1 winner: (15) Aaron Fell. Heat 2 winner: (7) Jared Gundersen. Top qualifier: (87) Liam Ryan 68.513 mph.
Thursday night points: 1. (7) Jared Gundersen 703; 2. (13) Steven Hendrickson 701; 3. (10) Brock Lemley 696; 4. (2sp) Wade Spreckelmeyer 694; 5. (9) Clennon Holloway 692; 6. (10s) Forest Metcalfe 692; 7. (15) Aaron Fell 688; 8. (87) Liam Ryan 686; 9. (22) Eric Drake 686; 10. (6) Jason Bloodgood 686; 11. (11) Brad Davison 685; 12. (9) Tyson Cross 684; 13. (98K) Kyle Kenoyer 681; 14. (11m) Dwayne Mackey 679; 15. (16z) Zach Keefe 673; 16. (55) Tony Helsel 673.
Reach DAVID RASBACH at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2271.
