With some cooperation from a lapped Denny Bonebrake, Steve Shaver maintains his slim lead under a low side attack from Jamie Lathroum at Natural Bridge Speedway. (Kevin Fisher)

Champ Lathroum at Bay For "Fall Classic" Win at Natural Bridge

Track report

The Sunoco Fall Classic brought the curtain down on the 2011 season this past weekend at Natural Bridge Speedway, and when the checkered flag flew on the sixth annual Sunoco "Fall Classic" it was Vienna, West Virginia’s Steve Shaver going to victory lane.  Shaver picked up over $9,500 for his win.

By virtue of winning the "Dash for Cash", Shaver earned the right to start on the pole for the 50-lap main event.  Shaver and two-time defending champion of the "Fall Classic", Jamie Lathroum, started on the front row.  Shaver got the advantage and took control of the race. 

Track owner/promoter Larry Ramsey joins Steve Shaver in Victory Lane after Shaver's win in the "Fall Classic", a race that turned into a Sunday afternoon affair after weather delayed Saturday's scheduled event. (Kevin Fisher)

Jeremy Miller works on #70 D.J. Myers on his way to third place at Natural Bridge. (Kevin Fisher)

Daytime racing always presents a tricky racing surface as a number of drivers experienced trouble on the 3/8’s mile oval.  Several early cautions kept the leaders in check, but with each restart, Shaver and Lathroum distanced themselves from the field.  At one point the two leaders were nearly a half lap ahead of the rest.  Lathroum stayed glued to the back bumper of Shaver and at times seemed to have the better of the two cars. Though positions stayed relatively the same at the top of the leader board, the racing action was fierce throughout the field. 

Ronnie DeHaven, Jr. (37) managed to get under #1 Booper Bare for fourth place. Bare posted top fives in both the SLM and Steel Block portions of the "Fall Classic. (Kevin Fisher)

Lathroum had his best shot at making a move on Shaver as the two drivers encountered lapped traffic midway through the event.  As the two drivers exited turn two, Lathroum made a run at Shaver on the bottom of the speedway.  The two made slight contact in turns three and four, but both straightened out their machines and continued on without losing a position.

Several late cautions gave Shaver a clean race track as he raced to the checkers to claim his first win at Natural Bridge Speedway and his first "Fall Classic" triumph.  Shaver led every lap to take home a $1000 in lap money,

Jimmy Bernheisel gets a nose under #43 Jason Covert before moving to sixth place. (Kevin Fisher)

making his weekend total $9,500.  Lathroum settled for second after his race- long battle for the win.  Jeremy Miller, who won the Three State Flyers race at Natural Bridge earlier in the season, made a late race move on D.J. Myers to claim the third position.  Myers right rear tire went flat in the closing laps, dropping him to a 12th place finish.  Ronnie Dehaven, Jr., who was the fastest qualifier, crossed the stripe in fourth ahead of Booper Bare. 

Earlier in the evening, the steel block late models hit the speedway, and it was Trevor Feathers coming home with the win.

Greg Roberson (73) has been on a hot streak of late in Steel Block Late Models, but not enough to keep #27 Trevor Feathers from taking advantage of traffic to grab the lead and the win in that portion of the "Fall Classic" at Natural Bridge Speedway. (Kevin Fisher) 

Taking it three-wide at NBS between Davis Lipscombe, Jared Powell, and #71 (red) Tommy Hoy. (Kevin Fisher)

Greg Roberson, one of the hottest drivers in the division recently, started his weekend off by setting fast time and winning the first preliminary heat race to earn the pole position for the 40-lap feature event.  Roberson opened up a comfortable lead in the opening laps and seemed poised to add to his 2011 win total.  However, Feathers had other ideas. 

Local champion Gerald Davis moves under Ricky Wells on his way to third in the steel block event. (Kevin Fisher)

As the two leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap 24, Feathers pounced on the opportunity to make a move.  Feathers used a lapped car to trap Roberson and moved ahead to lead lap 25.  Feathers, a second generation driver, led the final 15 laps to win the steel block portion of the Fall Classic.  Roberson held on for second.  Gerald Davis advanced several positions to take third ahead of  Natural Bridge Speedway 2011 late model track champion, Justin Williams, and 15th starting Booper Bare. 

Trevor Feathers after his steel block win at NBS. (Kevin Fisher)