Hello and welcome to Hickory Motor Speedway for today’s Banjo Mathews Memorial 150.   Today’s event is stop number 14 on the UARA Stars schedule and the battle at the top of the points is the big story today.   We will have more on that later.   The weather is cool here as you can feel a brisk chill in the air reminding us that it is indeed October.  

Here is the schedule for today’s race

7:15 UARA Official meeting

8:00 am Sign In / Pit Gate opens

8:15-9:15 Draw for Qualifying opens

8:00 am Tire Truck Opens for Practice Tires

(Race Tires will be sold, AS SOON AS Practice Tires are complete)

8:15 am Inspection Begins

10:30 Chapel Service

11:00 – 11:30 Lunch

11:40 Drivers meeting

11:45 Safety Meeting Local officials

12:00 -1:00 UARA Practice (No engines fired until after 12.00)

1:00 Grandstand Gates Open

1:00- 1:20 Pro Challenge Practice

1:15 UARA Tech line opens

1:20 1:35 Tarheel Vintage Racers

1:35-1:45 Pro Challenge

1:55 UARA Tech Line Closes (if not in line by 1:25 lose 1 lap qualifying)

2:00 Grandstand Gates Open

2:05 UARA Qualifying Followed by Pro Challenge and local

3:15 –3:45 Autograph session

3:50 Invocation

3:55 National Anthem

4:00 Race Time

 Pro Challenge   30 Laps (10 or less cars)

35 laps (10-14 cars)

50 laps (15 or more cars)

Tarheel Vintage Racers 20 Laps

Banjo Matthews Memorial 150

The point’s battle is going to be a fight to the finish as Matt McCall leads Jamey Caudill by 17 points with three races to go counting today.   McCall has four wins in 2009, but Caudill has more top five finishes.   There was a little bad blood last time out as McCall made contact with Caudill on the final lap taking him out of the top spot.   McCall was moved back to the last car on the lead lap for the incident. The two drivers had words after the race making most of us wonder if it’s over.   Today we’ll find out.  

Caudill (L) and McCall (R)had a few things to say after the Dillon Motor Speedway race. (51 Sports Photo)

The track is quiet as we wait for the 12 o’clock hour.   That is the earliest any engines can be fired here at Hickory Motor Speedway (NC).   Another problem that often happens here is funerals that happen near the track.   There was one yesterday that stopped a practice session.   Today we think we will not have to take a break for that occurrence.