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March 22th 2009 Greenville-Pickens Speedway's 64th opening race started with a bang. Literally. But it ended up in a familiar setting, with Marty Ward sitting in Victory Circle. Ward had qualified eighth for the opener, which was a crash-filled 50 laps. Ward continued just where he left off last season, taking both ends of the twin bill, but this time it was not nearly as easy. As the 23 Late-Model Stock cars came thundering to the start-finish line to open the season's first race, a giant crash erupted. Sixteen of the 23 cars were involved, although not all of the racers were unable to continue. The cars at the front of the field were past the problem, and when the race restarted, the cautions kept flying. Ward eventually started 12th, and after a couple of attempts to restart the program, David Roberts was in the rear of the field. Ward took the point on the 24th lap, and ward worked his way into second with only a few laps remaining. With these two veterans in the two top spots, Michael Cherry, making his first start at the historic half-mile oval, took third. Roger Powell, after an absence of two years, returned to take fourth, and John Lewis Hightower was fifth. Randy Hawkins, who controlled the race most of the way, had a flat tire in the final laps and dropped out of the top five. "I need to thank my pit crew for getting my car ready to race after that big opening crash," Ward said. "We have some bruises and bumps, here and there, but the crew got the car running pretty well." After the second race, Ward said he had always disliked the twin races, until last year, but recently the twin bills have been good to him. "I'm beginning to like them more and more," Ward said. "But nothing would have been possible without my crew working as hard as they did on my car." C.M. Knight made winning look easy in the Sportsman ranks, jumping out front when the green flag fell and he was never headed. It was a triumphant return for the former Super Stock champion. Winning the nightcap was easier for the defending champion. Ward started seventh, and the only problem he had was getting by David Roberts for the lead. Once in front, Ward set sail. In the first Charger race, Mike Mote took the checkered flag, followed by Mike Hughes, Chris Headen, Tim Crowe, and Walt Anders. Ricky Stephens worked his way to the front in the second Charger race, outrunning Andy Norris for the victory. Michael Mote was third, followed by Tyler Stephens and Chad Hunter. In the first Renegade race, Scott Smith took the checkered flag, followed by J.D. Griffith, Freddy Hale, Jr., Dale Stancil and Bobby Butler. Matt Hale was the winner of the second Renegade race, with Percy Proctor second. Jeremy Drummond, Dickie Davenport, and Travis Cox rounded out the top five. Results for Greenville Pickens Speedway - March 21, 2009
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