SOUTH BOSTON, Va. —The only person hoping for rain in the Miller Lite 250 at South Boston Speedway was Danny Abold.
On lap 161, Mother Nature granted his wish in the Sears Auto Center Northern Division opener Saturday night.
Abold was one of the few drivers that elected not to come to pit road early in the race, and when the skies opened for good around 11:30 p.m., Abold picked up his first Hooters Pro Cup Series victory.
“There are three things you’ve got to have in racing. You gotta have luck, experience and hard work,” said Abold, driver of the No. 6n U-Pull U-Save Chevrolet. “I got the luck tonight, my crew chief (Keith Hinkein) has all the experience in the world, and all my crew guys put in the hard work to put me where I was when the rain came.”
But as the rain was closing in, so was Benny Gordon.
After starting from the pole, Gordon pitted on lap 17 and gave the lead to Abold, who started ninth in the 32-car field. But Gordon quickly charged back to the front, trying feverously to retake the lead before the rain came. Gordon ducked under Abold several times, but the three-time Northern Division champ couldn’t make it past before the caution waved for persistent showers just before the halfway mark.
“I was too patient with [Abold] because I knew he still had to pit,” said Gordon, driver of the No. 66n Samuel Metals Ford. “I made a couple of moves on him, but he didn’t give me any room. I figured when he had to pit that I would get the lead and take off.”
At the time, Gordon didn’t realize his last chance had passed. On lap 160, the bottom dropped out and halted the Miller Lite 250 on lap 161, giving Abold his long-awaited first victory.
And Abold didn’t care that it came before the scheduled distance was reached.
“We’ll take them any way we can get them,” he said.
Abold wasn’t the only feel-good story of the night. Rookie Mikey Kile, driver of the No. 65 VisVisa Energy Drink Chevorlet, started third and finished third to take home Miller Lite Rookie of the Race honors. Mike Hampton and Jay Fogleman rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Showing driver, car, laps completed and money won: 1. Danny Abold, Chevrolet, 161, $11,000; 2. Benny Gordon, Ford, 161, $8,200; 3. Mike Kile, Chevrolet, 161, $6,800; 4. Mike Hampton, Ford, 161, $4,700; 5. Jay Fogleman, Ford, 161, $4,400; 6. Derrick Kelley, Ford, 161, $2,800; 7. Brandon Ward, Ford, 161, $3,600; 8. Derek Kale, Chevrolet, 161, $2,800; 9. Gary St. Amant, Chevrolet, 161, $3,800; 10. Tim Bainey, Jr., Ford, 161, $2,700; 11. Sam Fullone, Chevrolet, 161, $2,500; 12. A.J. Frank, Chevrolet, 161, $2,000; 13. Beau Slocumb, Chevrolet, 161, $1,900; 14. Travis Miller, Chevrolet, 161, $2,200; 15. Jeff Agnew, Ford, 161, $2,200; 16. Allen Purkhiser, Ford, 161, $1,600; 17. Brett Butler, Ford, 161, $1,600; 18. Tim Kerr, Ford, 161, $1,600; 19. Brad Sams, Chevrolet, 161, $1,600; 20. Ronnie Sauders, Chevrolet, 161, $1,600; 21. Matt Lofton, Chevrolet, 161, $1,400; 22. Ray Love, Jr., Chevrolet, 161, $1,400; 23. Danny Jackson, Chevrolet, 160, $1,800; 24. Joe Harrison, Jr., Chevrolet, 160, $1,400; 25. Toby Porter, Chevrolet, 158, $1,400; 26. Matt Merrell, Chevrolet, 156, $1,200; 27. Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 156, $1,600; 28. Drew Herring, Ford, 102, $1,200; 29. Vince Fanello, Chevrolet, 97, $1,200; 30. Mart Nesbitt, Ford, 96, $1,200; 31. Bobby Gill, Ford, 43, $1,200; 32. Frank Deiny, Jr., Chevrolet, 39, $1,200.