HAMPTON — Call them “The Great 8.”
Greg Edwards and Paul Lubno were crowned as division champions Saturday at Langley Speedway for the eighth time, making them the second and third drivers in the track’s 75-year history to accomplish the feat.
Only the late Shawn Balluzzo, who won 11 Modified Division titles at the track before being killed there in 2020 in a racing crash, has more. All of Edwards’ titles are in the marquee Late Model Division, and his latest separates him from seven-time champ Phil Warren.
Edwards, like Lubno, already had a big-enough points lead to have clinched No. 8 before starting the season-ending 100-lapper. He finished sixth despite being being caught up in a wreck not of his making.
“This place I grew up at, this is my home,” Edwards said of Langley Speedway. “When you start as a kid, you want to make a mark.
“Hopefully we left a mark and showed the younger kids, and even some other people, how to drive with respect.”
Lubno’s latest title comes in the Grand Stock Division. He also owns championship trophies in the erstwhile All-American and Limited Stock divisions.
Lubno was similarly fortunate as Edwards to have an insurmountable lead going into the Grand Stock 40 season finale. He was leading on Lap 12 when his car lost power, and he exited the race and finished last in the eight-car field.
The result didn’t dampen his joy.
“Hey, we’re loving it right now,” said Lubno, whose 137 victories are a track record. “We’ll enjoy this one.
“We don’t know how many more championships we’ll maybe be a contender for, but we’re going to enjoy this one, I can tell you that. I’ve been out here a few decades (since 1983), so they add up over the years.”
Three other champs were crowned on the Larry King Law Championship Night five-race card postponed from Oct. 4: Thomas Fontaine (UCAR), Brad Adams (Modified) and Matt Dail (Pro Six).
Dail won easily minus any pressure. Fontaine and Adams needed second-place finishes in exciting races to secure their championship trophies. Below are recaps of the five races.
Modified 50
With six laps to go, Spencer Conrad was in position to snatch the Modified Division title from defending champion Adams. Conrad was in first, Peyton Ferree second and Adams third as they drove virtually three-wide to the delight of the fans.
Had that placement held, Conrad would’ve gained the two points needed to tie Adams for first, then won the title on a most-wins tiebreaker (4-3). But Conrad’s handling diminished and he faded to fourth.
Ferree passed them both and drove to victory. Adams finished second to secure the title by four points over Conrad as both finished with three victories apiece.
UCAR 25
Thomas Fontaine entered with a four-point lead over Jason Aukland. But although Aukland qualified third, he dropped off the pace quickly, while fourth-place qualifier Fontaine moved into the lead on the sixth lap and held it through Lap 21.
The UCAR championship was well in hand for Fontaine at that point, but he didn’t get to celebrate it with a checkered flag. Pole winner Mikey Chinn took the lead back from Fontaine on Lap 22. and their exciting door-to-door duel to the finish line separated them by just inches — with Chinn taking the victory.
Late Model 100
Talk about competitive. The start-to-finish victory by Chase Burrow of King William made him the 10th winner in the division this season — possibly the most in track history.
A variety of different Late Model winners is expected at Langley, where regional hotshots race for weeks early in the season to prepare for the Hampton Heat 200. Impressively, nine winners this season are or were Langley Speedway regulars, with Burrow the lone exception.
“I’m blessed to be able to drive fast race cars like this,” Burrow said. “This thing’s a rocket ship.”
Grand Stock 40
Chris Roberts, who has a win this season in the Modified Division, won the pole but was running second before inheriting the lead when Lubno dropped out. Roberts, in his first Grand Stock race of 2025, drove to an easy victory.
Pro Six 25
Matt Dail entered with enough of a points lead that his title was assured. He finished in fine fashion anyway, leading the entire way for his fifth victory of the season.
