2008 MMRA Grand National Race - East
Shenandoah Speedway - Shenandoah, Virginia
August 30

Undaunted by record fuel prices, MMRA racers headed to Shenandoah Speedway to wrap up the 2008 season at the East Grand National.  The track staff welcomed our racers and everyone enjoyed getting out on this track which is perfectly sized for our cars.  Pre-tech went smoothly thanks to our great staff.  Thanks to Mardy Dunn, Vic Johnson, Joe Dunn, and Allen & Judy Mason.  Their hard work gave us a well-organized event that kept everything running on schedule.

Practice took place in the hot afternoon, so the crew chiefs had to guess a bit to figure out the correct setup for qualifying and racing which would take place in cooler temperatures.  Pole times were as follows:

Future Stars - Cole Williams - 19.851
Open Div - Casey Willingham - 18.655
Jr. PRO - Blake Isenberg - 17.072
PRO Div - Kevin Bush - 16.657

In the drivers meeting, racers were offered the opportunity to donate their winnings to the Tyler Luttrull recovery fund.  The response was fantastic as more than 2/3 of the drivers joined the challenge started by Mary Daniels and matched by DBV Properties.  In addition to the usual drivers meeting information, National Director Mardy Dunn also made a special point that roof panels and decklids had to be secured per the MMRA rulebook.  This would come into play later during the races.

In the Future Stars feature event, Alec Webb led most of the race, but his roof flap was flopping open throughout the event.  He was assesed a "mis-adjustment" violation per the MMRA rulebook, and dropped to fifth in the final finishing order, handing Joey Greening his first ever Grand National race win.  Tyler Herdman also had his best ever Grand National finish in second with rookie Austin Fullerton rounding out the top three.

The Open Division race was the best of the night as there was close racing at the front of the field.  Every position was important, as the points standings were very close.  In the end, Donald McIntosh won the race and the championship to earn his first solid gold ring.  Casey Willingham and Tyler Baird rounded out the top three. 

The Junior PRO Division took the green flag while lightning flashed across the sky, and the radar images in the tower showed a large green mass approaching the speedway.  The racing at the front was frenzied as the laps were cut to try to beat the rain.  Despite the intensity, the race went caution free, earning every competitor a cool $100 bonus from DBV Properties.  Blake Isenberg held on for the win, while Mason Mingus' second place run was good enough to earn him his first MMRA championship.  Tyler Herdman and Brett Robinson finished third and fourth.

Everything at the speedway was rushed as much as possible, but as the PRO Division pulled out onto the speedway, the rain arrived.  That put an end to the Grand National race and gave all PRO Division entries first place points.  Kevin Bush had set fast time earlier in the day, but his big prize was his first MMRA championship.  It was an early end to a great day of racing and a solid year for MMRA. 

Click here for full race results & Purse/Donation Info