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Hickory Motor Speedway Exhibition Race #1

October 13, 2007 - (Story courtesy of Southern Motor Racing by Skip Wall)

They came to the place where Stars are born, Hickory Motor Speedway, and most had a good time.

Dexter Canipe Jr. driving a car that had won at Hickory before won an exhibition race for Procup type cars on Saturday. Canipe driving a Monte Carlo finished two car lengths ahead of young 15 year old Ryan Miller. Miller was driving a car provided by Lonnie Rush.

The two would run side by side and swapped the lead three times during the 50 lap special event added to the annual Fall Brawl event.

Third place went to track champion Andy Loden who had never driven the heavier Procup cars followed by Larry Barrett and Larry Wilcox.

"I know this place and just drove it like I drive the late models" said Canipe who had virtually no experience in the Procup cars. " We only had less than one hour practice in these cars today. I just drove up the middle of the track and passed when I could. The 71 car drove me clean."

Second place finisher, Miller, had never been in a Procup car until Friday. In fact he came all the way from Ohio and only had raced quarter midgets before getting into the heavier cars.

"Lonnie Rush has taught me a lot in the past couple of days. I just gotta thank him for putting me in this car."

"That last caution got us. Dexter pulled away to much and time ran out before I could catch him."

The field had 14 cars for its first exhibition race. The track promoter, Sherry Clifton, was pleased with what the raced turned out to be in such a short time. The lead swapped four times and never got no more than 6 car lengths from the lead at any point.

The new series has already been assured of at least three races next season at the famed track.

Jeremy Miller towed all the way from Iowa and started on the pole, but mechanical woes at the beginning of the race would put him back in the pack.

The race had two cautions from separate spins by Wally Schweezer and Larry Wilcox.

Mart Nesbitt was one of three owners that provided development cars. Sixteen year old female driver Megan Reitenhour suffered rear end problems in the Nesbitt entry.

Jody Harrison, son of veteran driver Joe Harrison Jr, made his first ever race at Hickory. He started near the rear and started moving up before a rear end problem and a black flag would send him to the pits.

"This was the first time I ever raced and I loved it. The next time we race these cars we are planning to bring two cars and my dad will race the other car."

The new series is looking at running another race in a couple of weeks at Tri County. An announcement on that could come as early as Tuesday if all the paperwork can be worked out.

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