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Cline Construction Co. Steel Block Bandits September 11, 2010 Natural Bridge Speedway Natural Bridge, VA

The Steel Block Bandits tour continued Saturday night with the first race of a two day race weekend in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, night one being at the Larry Ramsey promoted Natural Bridge Speedway. 44 cars signed in to compete in the nights 40 lap, 2,000 to win main event. Amongst the vistitors was star of the Madhouse reality show and NASCAR Modified driver Tim Brown of Cana, VA who was making only his second career start on dirt driving the Petie Coffey owned #01.

With inclement weather in the area the four D&D Auto Recycling heats ran off with Kyle Merkel, Mark Parks, Bruce Kane, and Chris Barger taking the four heat victories. Tim Brown's night would end in his heat race quickly when on the initial green he would slip off the banking in turn one and slam into the guardrail. The two Crim's Trailer Sales B-Mains went to Joey Leavell and Walker Arthur.

Rain would hit the area during the Sportsman feature that ran prior to the Steel Block Bandits main event, but after a slight rain delay and the conclusion of the support feature the Steel Block Bandits hit the track. At the initial green it was Mark Parks of Forest, VA jumping to the lead over Gilbertsville, PA driver and Bandits regular Kyle Merkel. Merkel perched himself behind Parks as the two drivers put on a clinic on the high side running away from the rest of the field in the early going.

As the field passed the halfway point the men on the move were the two B-Main winners Arthur and Leavell who had passed up to 9th and 12th respectively while the leaders battled. With thirteen to go Merkel made his move as Parks slipped up, and Merkel moved into the lead as Mark Parks spun on his own bringing out the fourth caution. At the same time Gerald Davis had bypassed Bruce Kane and was now running second behind the leader. After the fifth caution flew with ten to go for David Keith, Gerald Davis set to attempt to move past Merkel and into the lead. But as the field hit the backstretch Gerald Davis would discover that he had lost a shock and would fly off the banking in turn three and out of the event brining out the sixth and final caution

As the field took the green flag it was now Lexington, VA driver C.S. Fitzgerald on Merkel's rear with the two B-Main winners Leavell and Arthur behind him. As the field cruised over the final laps Leavell and Arthur would split Fitzgerald with Walker Arthur assuming second with Leavell in third. Kyle Merkel would cross the finish line taking his second career Steel Block Bandits win and the second of the season and make the trip to Ernie D's victory lane. Walker Arthur, Bandits points leader, who struggled early in the night took second with Joey Leavell in third. In the final moments Bruce Kane would take fourth securing fourth and making it a Steel Block Bandit regulars top four, C.S. Fitzgerald would cross fifth. Ricky Wells, Kristian Looney, Chris Barger, Ricky Knight, and Allen Brannon would round out the top ten.

OFFICIAL RESULTS(40 laps)
1. 117 Kyle Merkel
2. 87 Walker Arthur
3. 8L Joey Leavell
4. 1K Bruce Kane
5. 07 C.S. Fitzgerald
6. 12W Ricky Wells
7. 9Q Kristian Looney
8. 1 Chris Barger
9. 39 Ricky Knight
10. 30 Allen Brannon
11. 41 Tanner Kerr
12. 82 Andy Fries
13. 28X Mark Parks
14. 14 David Bennett
15. 91 John Michael
16. 28 Gerald Davis
17. 10JR Daniel Brown, Jr.
18. 23 Gerald Wolfe
19. 1T Bubby Tharp
20. 5 Glen Elliott
21. 7 David Keith
22. 11 Tim Stalnaker
23. 08 Michael Alderman
24. 83 Chris Cromer
25. 13 Kris Eaton

D&D Auto Recycling Heats
Heat Race 1: Kyle Merkel, Gerald Davis, Tanner Kerr, Chris Cromer, Tim Stalnaker, Joey Leavell Greg Roberson, Allen Brannon, Mike Ayers, Scott Merryman, Brad Riggdon Heat Race 2: Mark Parks, C.S. Fitzgerald, Ricky Wells, David Bennett, R.E. Cubbage, J.R. Overstreet, Walker Arthur, Doug Hardy, Phillip Woods, John Robinson, John Michael Heat Race 3: Bruce Kane, Ricky Knight, Gerald Wolfe, David Keith, Andy Fries, Roy Clower, Daniel Brown, Jr., Davis Lipscombe, Louis Timberlake, Ricky Almond, Mitch Miller Heat Race 4: Chris Barger, Kristian Looney, Glenn Elliott, Bubby Tharp, Kris Eaton, Michael Alderman, Samuel Brown, Andy White, Tim Brown DSQ David Watts(weight), Danny Brown(weight) Crims Trailer Sales B-Mains B-Main 1: Joey Leavell, Andy Fries, Tim Stalnaker, Greg Roberson, Mike Ayers, Daniel Brown, Jr., Davis Lipscombe, Scott Merryman, Roy Clower, Ricky Almond, Allen Brannon, Louis Timberlake, Mitch Miller, Brad Riggdon B-Main 2: Walker Arthur, Kris Eaton, Michael Alderman, Samuel Brown, R.E. Cubbage, Phillip Woods, Doug Hardy, John Michael, Danny Brown, Andy White, David Watts, J.R. Overstreet, John Robinson DNS: Tim Brown

Special thanks to the following: Steel Block Mafia, Cline Construction, Ernie D's Enterprises, Glory Days Grill, D&D Auto Recycling, Revolution Band, Muddslinger Web Services, Walrus Signs & Embroidery & Dehaven Well Drilling.

Steel Block Bandits: "The REAL men of STEEL"