Cody Hopkins Memorial Race

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Cody Hopkins Memorial Race

Published By Bruce AKRA September 5, 2017

Tags - #US-13 Kartway #Cody Hopkins #stetphen Adams

Delmar, DE, United States - Get Directions

Race Report Cody Hopkins Memorial Race

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Adams Earns $ $2,200 at Cody Hopkins Memorial Race

Story by Bruce C. Walls

Action Sports Photos by:

Bruce C. Walls and

Susan Taylor-Walls

DELMAR, DE-Stephen Adams, of 4-Oaks, NC, made another profitable trip to US-13 Kartway in Delmar, DE. Friday August 25^th. This time he fattened his wallet with $2,200.00 in purse earnings during a special memorial race for former Milton, DE native Cody Hopkins who died in a June 19th auto accident. Earlier this year during the first of five ‘Battle at the Beach’ races this season Adams pocketed $3,000.00.

Cody’s parents and other family members attended the race. Before the features started, Cody’s father, Bill, honored his son’s memory by driving Cody’s#27 kart five times around the 1/8-mile dirt oval.

“It means a lot to me to have all these people here tonight,” Hopkins said choking back tears. “We use to race every Friday and Saturday night. We started out in Big Block Modified. We got out of that and started racing karts with the kids. It means a lot to me to come back to this community and the racing aspect of it. My nephew races here and it’s great, it’s just great to have all these folks here tonight.”

Adams won three of four classes he entered that night starting with the night’s second feature, Flathead, where his #92 P&P Speed Shop powered Phantom Recon kart was first under the checkered flag. He earned the pole breaking the 12 seconds mark with an 11.840 seconds lap. Tyler Reed was second fastest at 12.188 seconds. Behind them in row two were Shane Forest and Jordan Cropper with times of 12.257 and 12.333 seconds.

Adams nailed the throttle when the green flag was shown and rocketed away from the 10-racer field leaving Reed and Forrest fighting over second. Forrest won that battle, but while he was doing that Adams put a lot of real estate between them.

Reed fell further back as Austin Banker, of Emporia, VA, threaded his way forward from a ninth place start. While Adams pulled ahead in the final laps, Banker challenged Forrest for second. Forrest hung on for a distant second place finish 4.353 seconds behind Adams.

Banker crossed third and was followed in the top five by Jordan Croppe and Georgetown, DE pilot Ashley Hayes.

“Yeah I like it up here in Delaware. I always have good luck up here. The guy I drive for, Bryan (Bradford) he knows a lot about this place. I’ve been fortunate enough to race up here a lot and I’ve gotten pretty good around here,” Adams said. “The track’s a little funny tonight. I’ve just got to thank everybody that helps me Bryan Bradford Racing for everything he does for me, Mr. Mike Bradford, Ryan O’Connor, my brother, Jonathan Cash, P&P Speed Shop, Phantom Racing Chassis, Harrill Wiggins, Jerry Mullis, Tony Belk and them for everything they do for me and I want to thank Delmar for putting on this special race for Cody Hopkins.”

The top six PRO Flathead qualifiers all turned times under 12 seconds. Banker blasted out an 11.571 seconds lap for the pole. Adams earned the outside pole with an 11.686 seconds lap quickly blew by Banker when the green flag flew. Forrest, who qualified fourth with a time of 11.740 seconds, was headed for the front. But by the time he got there Adams was at the stripe with a 0.666 seconds advantage. Following in the top five were Croppe, Jared Maske and Banker.

Later that night Adams led a field of 17-PRO Clone Heavy racers for 27-laps with perfection. Adams turned a 10.979 seconds lap for the pole. Makayla Johnson earned the outside pole with a 10.983 seconds qualifying lap just 0.004 seconds slower than Adams. Greenwood, DE driver Cole Neibert and Ashley Hayes were behind them in row two with lap times of 11.022 and 11.064 seconds. Starting in row thee were Forrest and Banker.

With $1,700 waiting for him at the stripe Adams never surrendered the lead. Behind him Banker and Neibert freight trained Johnson who dropped to fourth. Banker was closing the gap on Adams in the final laps crossing just 0.292 seconds late. Further back Neibert was a distant 4.428 seconds behind Banker followed by Johnson who was 4.580 seconds late. JP Gates followed in fifth 5.744 seconds off the pace.

“This is very special. I’ve won a lot of races, but I’ve never won a memorial race before,” Adams told a cheering crowd. “I’m very, very happy. I wanted to win this race. I told (Bryan) Bradford dude I wanted to win this one bad. If I can’t win them all I wanted to win this one and luckily we did. It’s awesome. I’m shaking all over. I want to thank Bryan Bradford he gives me the opportunity to win all over the country.”

Adams had plans for a 4 for 4 night, but Banker killed those plans beating Adams to Clone Heavy’s finish line by 0.140 seconds. Adams earned the pole with an 11.137 seconds lap. Neibert, whose fastest qualifying lap was 11.229 seconds, started next to him on the outside pole.

Completing the top five of 13 were Neibert, Brandon Gallo and Makayla Johnson.

Also on hand to celebrate Cody Hopkins’s life and support his karting team was NASCAR Xfinity series driver/announcer/wrestling promoter Hermie Sadler III. Sadler flew up from his home in Emporia, VA, visited with his team and competed in the Animal Super Heavy Heat. Time constraints brought in Zach Bullis to qualify their PRO Animal Super Heavy kart.

Bullis, a Millsboro, DE based Premier kart pilot/mechanic Bullis, who works part time at Sadler Karting in Virginia, came to wrench for his boss and wound up driving that night. Zach didn’t disappoint his boss. Bullis won both features.

Sadler didn’t make Animal Super Heavy’s win easy for his young apprentice. After the driver change Sadler Bullis was forced to start last in the eight-racer field’s rear. Heat Race winner Brandon Morris led the early going. Bullis battled his way to the front. Bullis took charge of the field just before mid-race. He’d built a small advantage over second place James Farmer when suddenly caution waved on the white flag lap.

Now Bullis had to fight off Farmer who was on Bullis’s bumper when for a two-lap shootout. Bullis hit the throttle and held on. Two laps later he took the final flag with a 0.354 seconds edge over Farmer. Following Farmer in the top five were Jeremy Ellingsworth, Brandon Watkins and Allen Larson.

“Hermie started out running and had to leave to go to another track in Virginia to do a show there tomorrow,” Bullis explained. “Hermie said why don’t you go out and qualify for the second race. I said all right and he said we’ll see where we’ll go from there. I ended up qualifying on the pole in that one so Hermie said why don’t you stay in the kart the rest of the night and I said all right, but I don’t know how good I’ll do starting from last and I said well I’ll lay back and see how it goes and let me figure out this track. That was Jonathan Cash (P&P Speed Shop’s motor). The kart was set up for Hermie Sadler. I want to thank Hermie, my mom and dad, the whole Premier crew, Jesus Christ and my girl friend for always supporting me. It’s been a pretty good night so far.”

And later that night it did get better for Bullis. Earlier he set PRO Animal’s pole time with an 11.547 seconds lap beating out Brandon Morris by 0.166 seconds. Ellingsworth and Farmer started behind them.

Bullis blasted off the pole while Ellingsworth and Watkins scrapped over a distant second. Ellingsworth tried to close the gap over Bullis, but he was 0.957 seconds behind Bullis at the checkered flag. Watkins was third, followed by Morris and Farmer in the top five.

Two other locals were double winners. Milton, DE racer Hunter Heck dominated the Junior 3 offerings from their poles. Piloting a Huffy Racing Engines powered Phantom Recon kart Heck clocked an 11.471 seconds lap for Junior 3’s pole. Heck’s time was 0.047 seconds faster then Denton, MD driver Trent Reed’s time of 11.518 seconds.

Three laps into the 20-lap feature the first of four caution flags waved forcing restarts that kept Heck fighting off challenges from Zach Fields who qualified third with a lap time of 11.565 seconds. The final caution flag waved with seven laps to go. Heck stretched out 0.791 seconds lead over Fields at the finish line. Following Fields in the top five were Jesse Rogers, Reed and Carter Langley.

“It was a crash fest,” said the 15-year-old winner. “The cautions worried me because the kart got worse each time. It got better as it went on and we held on. It got worse at the end it was sliding everywhere. I just tired to hold on. Huffy’s motor was pulling down the straights. The kart was good at the beginning, then it started fading away and the track was starting to fall off. I want to thank my mom and dad and Richie Hornsby. I did it for my cousin Cody (Hopkins). I just want to thank all of family and friends who came out here to support me tonight and to remember Cody.”

All 11-entries in broke the 12 seconds barrier. Heck’s pole time for PRO Junior 3 was 11.280 seconds. This time Reed turned in an 11.396 seconds lap for the outside pole.

With Reed on his tailpipe Heck hit the gas and roared ahead of the field. Fifth fastest qualifier Colin James (11.482 seconds) quickly worked his way past Reed taking second and closed in on Heck near the halfway mark for 27-laps. Heck held on crossing 0.280 seconds ahead of James for a $200.00 payday. Reed followed James and was trailed in the top five by Langley and Jayden Johnson.

Georgetown, DE’s Racyn Hayes ruled both Junior 1 races from their poles. In Junior 1 he lost the Heat race to Chubbs Shockley, of Snow Hill, MD, by just over three seconds. Hayes avenged himself in the feature where he was 2.480 seconds faster to the finish line. Chase Carter and Jason Torlish completed the four-racer field that was interrupted by cautions on laps seven and 10.

“The cautions didn’t worry me, I knew I had a fast kart,” said Hayes who pilots a Higgy’s House of Power powered Premier Racing Chassis. “The track was good out there tonight. I want to thank the Premier Karts and the whole Premier Karts team, Higgy’s House of Power, my dad, Ashley, Wormy Philpott, Austin Banker, Brad Lane my tire man and everybody else who helps me in the pits,” added Hayes who’s headed to Brookings, SD for the Mid-West Junior Maxx Daddy race this weekend.

Hayes earned PRO Junior 1’s pole with an 11.860 seconds run. Shockley was second fastest at 12.011 seconds. Hayes fought off Shockley’s early challenges and eventually building a 2.938 seconds finish line advantage over Shockley earning him the $200.00 purse. Carter and Torlish rounded out the field.

After winning Junior 2’s Heat race by 8.986 seconds over Clay Peters, William McConnell completed his sweep of the class with a full lap advantage over peters.

Rebecca Bass, of Pikesville, NC, out ran local Roscoe Clough in Predator’s Heat and Feature races.

Next up on US-13 Kartway’s schedule is round two of the ‘Battle at the Beach’ which, weather permitting, will be raced Saturday September 9, 2017.

Cody Hopkins Memorial Race Photos

Please credit:

Photos by

Bruce C. Walls

Susan Taylor-Walls

Action Sports Photos

www.actionpicsandpromos.com

DSC_6856-Junior 2 #16 William McConnell

DSC_688#92 Triple winner Stephen Adams

DSC_6931 Bill Hopkins drives his son’s kart to honor his son’s memory