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Ebeling, the Harrisons, and More Put on a Show for the Franklin County Speedway Crowd

Callaway, Virginia (June 4, 2023) – A threat of weather moving from the northeast was no match on Saturday for competitors who reside to the northwest and southwest of Franklin County Speedway.  Under what turned out to be sunny skies and later a clear sight of a full moon, many of the Super Cup Stock Car Series favorites treated the Callaway, Virginia audience to some phenomenal racing during Calvin Brooks Memorial night.

2021 SCSCS champion Ben Ebeling, in his debut at the track, claimed the first Pole Award of the 2023 season with a best time of 14.721 seconds.  The field would start straight up from qualifying for the green flag more than 12 years after their last visit to the high-banked 3/8-mile oval.  It was Harvey Harrison, a past Late Model division winner at Franklin County Speedway in the 1990s, accelerating to the early lead from the outside lane in the No. 51 John 3:16 / Southern Coal Corporation / Harrison’s Motorsports Chevrolet.

Over the opening laps, side by side racing was common, especially between Bill Ashton in the No. 35 Bill’s Wood Stoves – Hopwood, Pennsylvania / Ashton Racing Ford’s maiden voyage and teammate for the evening in the No. 57 Chevrolet, Ron Langdon, who now calls Gettysburg, Pennsylvania home.  Six circuits in, the battle up front heated up some more with Ebeling nosing to the inside of Harvey Harrison and taking the top spot at lap seven.

The first of Twin 35-lap races was far from over for the Hickory, North Carolina driver.  Charging fast was Brian Harrison.  A spin with six laps remaining by Langdon tightened the field even more.  Despite some concern about that, Ebeling was able to hold off the Renick, West Virginia racer for his first win in the last 364 days.

“(The late yellow) helped Brian I think more than it helped me,” the driver of the No. 44 Startown Carpet & Floor Coverings / Swanny’s Auto Sales / Wrenn's Lawn Service / L & C Truck Repair / Battery Specialist of Hickory / Good Frames, LLC Ford presumed.  “At that point (prior to the caution) we were a little bit clearer with a little bit of cushion, but Brian was definitely coming.  The banking in the corners and stuff like that, I enjoyed the racetrack.  We look forward to coming back here.”

The No. 15 had to settle for second to conclude the first race, its best finish since 2014.

“Ben’s a good racer; he’s a tough racer to start with,” Brian Harrison noted.  “He’s not going to lay over for you and we can race each other because we’ve become buddies in the last two or three years.  That’s what I like about this deal.”

After leading early, Harvey Harrison faded a little but still closed out the podium.

“It always feels good,” the No. 51 John 3:16 / Southern Coal Corporation / Harrison’s Motorsports Chevrolet pilot commented regarding returning to his past home track.  “The boys in front of me were hard to guard.  I gave them my best shot and I was thanking the good Lord that the rear end didn’t tear out on me.  Other than that, I just needed a little bit more.  But I had a blast.  This is a great little track.”

Ashton and Langdon rounded out the top five finishers.

For the second 35-lap main event there was a redraw; however, it fell in the top two from the first race’s favor.  Ebeling’s son Landon “eenie meenie miny moed” the pill draw and chose No. 1, while Brian Harrison’s son Logan drew No. 2.

It was a similar story to the first one with the outside front row getting the early advantage.  It took Ebeling 13 laps to find a way under the leader in turn three this time around.  Despite Littlestown, Pennsylvania’s Jason Schue’s No. 3 Firehouse Grill / 1st Choice Computer Solutions / Littlestown Car Wash / Peckie's Auto Body / Larry's Lawn Mower Repair / Jason Schue Racing Chevrolet slowing to the pits, there were no yellow flags for the entire distance and it was a sweep of the evening but not without its challenges.

“Brian gave me everything I could handle and then some,” Ebeling, now a 24-time SCSCS winner, said.  “He definitely did what he was supposed to, kept it wide, tried to keep me behind him there.  I was trying to capitalize on making the move on him and also trying not to bottom out.  We raised that car up a bunch and it kept hitting the racetrack.  When I was racing Brian and I saw Harvey in the mirror I’m like, uh oh, the Harrisons are going to gang up on me.”

As indicated, the 2016 series champion was catching both leaders fast, but it was son finishing ahead of father for the second occurrence and his fourth career runner-up result.

“It’s kind of like me and Brent Nelson,” Brian Harrison stated about his past battles with the Petersburg, West Virginia racer in the No. 80 Precision Auto Collision / Airtek Inc. / Atkinson Welding / QH Design / JEBCO Chevrolet, who unfortunately was sidelined following practice due to motor issues.  “We race each other hard, and I’ve always come up short, so Ben might be the new Brent Nelson.  Pretty good deal today.  Had a lot of fun, nothing is torn up, and we can load them on the trailers.”

Harvey Harrison, Ashton, and Langdon completed the top five order once again.

Next up is an always anxiously awaiting visit to Jennerstown Speedway in two weeks.  Both top finishers had slightly varying approaches when Saturday night concluded.

“Honestly, we were looking forward to getting through this weekend,” Ebeling, with only one victory in 13 starts at the Pennsylvania facility, mentioned.  “We’re just one race at a time this year, trying to balance kids and work and family and all that stuff.  I anticipate going to Jennerstown, and if we do we hope to run the best that we can.”

“This place is definitely an old track and it’s worn out, but it kind of fits my driving style,” the driver of the Harrison’s Welding / Swearingen Bat Company / Harrison’s Motorsports Chevrolet first reiterated about Franklin County Speedway.  “Every time I come here it seems like I’ve been pretty good.  I like this place, but I’m ready to go to Jennerstown.  That’s the one.”

More information can be found on the Super Cup Stock Car Series official website supercupstockcarseries.com with interactive updates throughout race day available on Facebook (search Super Cup Stock Car Series), Twitter (@SCSCSRacing), and Instagram (SCSCS_Racing).

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