McCLELLAN WINS LIMITED SPECIAL, HAUS BACK ON TRACK IN SUPERS
By Dave Harclerode
BEDFORD, PA - It was a perfect evening for racing Friday at the Bedford Speedway, and the racing action was just as good as the racing surface. Scott Haus took top honors in the Miller Auto Parts Super Late Models, and Chad McCllellan won his first ever Bedford Valley Petroleum Limited Late Model feature. Bob Jay won by a fender in the TC Race Cars Street Stocks, Derrick Hinish won a thriller in the Ritchey Sandblasting Hobby Stocks, and Mike Lauffer became the track's first repeat winner by winning the Thomas Chevrolet front wheel drive 4 cylinder feature.
Twenty-eight Super Late Models signed in, and twenty-seven started the main event. As soon as the green flag dropped, the racing action was phenomenal. Two, sometimes three wide racing made for some exciting racing. Scott Rhodes was the early leader, but by lap five Scott Haus was at the front. Hounded at first by Jack Pencil, then Jason Covert, Haus was hooked up and refused to relinquish the lead. Covert made several attempts to get the win, pulling even with Haus on the backstretch, but Haus was not to be denied, taking the checkered and his 35th career Bedford Super Late Model win. Haus, the all-time win leader in the division, keeps his streak alive with atleast one win each year at Bedford since 1995. Jason Covert finished second, Jack Pencil third, week one winner Nick Dickson fourth, and Steve Everhart, who may have had the most impressive run of the night from his 19th starting position, finished fifth. Chris Harr, Rhodes, Brian Booze, Ron Delano, Jr., and DJ Myers completed the top ten. Covert, Jeff Rine, and Shawn Claar won the qualifying events.
The super competitive Limited Late Model division at Bedford is always action packed. Friday night was no different. Tyler Hershey held the lead early in the race, but was fighting every lap to stay there as Chad McClellan pressured. Hershey jumped the cushion in turn three, which left the door wide open for McClellan to take the lead and never look back. Hershey made several attempts at regaining the lead, but McClellan was flawless. McClellan, a former e-mod star at the speedway, earned his first career Bedford Limited Late Model win. Hershey crossed the line second, but was light at the scales and disqualified. This gave second to Rick Singleton, who was followed by Derek Byler, Andy Teno, and 2007 champ Tim Smith, Jr. Rounding out the top ten was Travis Calhoun, Robbie Black, George Beckett, Kyle Wiser, and division rookie Brandon Hoover. McClellan, Singleton, and Byler won the heats. There were 24 cars on hand.
Although the car count in the Street Stock division was disappointing, the feature event for the 10 cars on hand was not. Action started right away as Bob Jay suffered a flat tire as he was the meat of a sandwich with Jim Sayler and Chris Chamberlain on the first lap. Brian Duffy charged to the front from his sixth starting spot once racing resumed, and he and Sayler put on a great show. Duffy ran the bottom to get by Sayler at one point, but a broken steering box ended his night early. Jay, as he has done many times before, immediately charged back to the front and caught race leader Jimmy Sayler. The pair put on quite a show for several laps, racing side by side as Sayler maintained a slight edge. Jay finally completed the pass on the low side - by a half of a fender at the finish line. Following Jay and Sayler was Chris Chamberlain in third, Daryl Whetstone in fourth, and Kerry Molovich fifth. The remainder of the field scored Donald Wyles, Ricky Potter, Brian Duffy, Bill Pluta, and Scotty Grubb sixth through tenth. There were no heat races, as track rules state there must be atleast 14 cars on hand to warrant heat races.
Mike Lauffer won his second career FWD 4 Cylinder feature at Bedford, and is the division's only winner so far. Jeff Treece finished second, Ed Vogel third, Cindy Rhodes fourth, and Juan Ryan fifth. Only 10 cars were on hand, so no heat races were ran.
Mike Sotosky, the voice of Bedford Speedway, cautioned fans about leaving before the evenings Hobby Stock nightcap. Mike had good intuition, as the race for the lead was incredible. Reed Stickel held the top position for several laps until Derrick Hinish, Chuck Weyant, and Bill Replogle decided to make it a four car battle. The four cars battled lap after lap, running literally inches apart side by side, bumper to bumper, and swapping positions regularly. At the checkered it was Hinish taking the victory over Weyant, Replogle, Stickel, and Charlie Walter. Tyler Ritchey, Ryan Beckett, Jason Gilliland, Travis Group, and Ray Shepherd completed the top ten. Heats went Derrick Hinish and Bill Replogle.
Next up at the speedway is a 5 division show consisting of Miller Auto Parts Super Late Models, Bedford Valley Petroleum Limited Late Models, TC Race Cars Street Stocks, Ritchey Sandblasting Hobby Stocks, and Thomas Chevrolet FWD 4 Cylinders. The Hobby Stocks will be racing a special double purse feature. Gates open at 5pm, with hot laps at 7pm.
SUPER LATE MODELS
FEATURE: 1. Scott Haus 2. Jason Covert 3. Jack Pencil 4. Nick Dickson 5. Steve Everhart 6. Chris Harr 7. Scott Rhodes 8. Brian Booze 9. Ron Delano, Jr. 10. DJ Myers 11. Brian Bernheisel 12. Shawn Claar 13. Andy Martz 14. Eric Zembower 15. Wayne Johnson 16. TJ Wright 17. Randy Burkholder 18. Larry Wright 19. Shane Beegle 20. Johnny Harr 21. Jack Thornton 22. Mike Altobelli, Jr. (DNF) 23. Jeff Miller (DNF) 24. Greg Fetters (DNF) 25. Al Shawver (DNF) 26. Derek Sala (DNF) 27. Jeff Rine (DNF)
DNS: Rick Singleton
HEAT 1: Covert, C. Harr, Dickson
HEAT 2: Rine, Pencil, Haus
HEAT 3: Claar, Delano, Jr., Rhodes
LIMITED LATE MODELS
FEATURE (25 lap special): 1. Chad McClellan 2. Rick Singleton 3. Derek Byler 4. Andy Teno 5. Tim Smith, Jr. 6. Travis Calhoun 7. Robbie Black 8. George Beckett 9. Kyle Wiser 10. Brandon Hoover 11. Tim Snare, Jr. 12. Steve Bard 13. Howie Bussard 14. Eddie Cornett 15. Chad Walter 16. Rance Garlock 17. John Hedge 18. Craig Perigo 19. Michael Stiffler 20. Brian Lowery 21. Scott Daniels 22. Tyler Hershey (DQ)
DNS: Ralph Morgan, Jr., Donnie Farlling
HEAT 1: McClellan, Hershey, Bussard
HEAT 2: Singleton, Teno, Calhoun
HEAT 3: Byler, Smith, Hedge
STREET STOCKS
FEATURE: 1. Bob Jay 2. Jim Sayler 3. Chris Chamberlain 4. Daryl Whetstone 5. Kerry Molovich 6. Donald Wyles 7. Ricky Potter 8. Brian Duffy (DNF) 9. Bill Pluta, Jr. (DNF) 10. Scott Grubb (DNF)
No HEAT races for less than 14 cars
HOBBY STOCKS
FEATURE: 1. Derrick Hinish 2. Chuck Weyant 3. Bill Replogle 4. Reed Stickel, Jr. 5. Charlie Walter 6. Tyler Ritchey 7. Ryan Beckett 8. Jason Gilliland 9. Travis Group 10. Ray Shepherd 11. Justin Milburn 12. Mandy Jay (DNF) 13. Brandon LaSalle (DNF) 14. Kevin Hinish (DNF) 15. Clay Logsdon (DNF) 16. Kevin Brown (DNF)
DNS: Alicia LeGros, Terry Thomas
HEAT 1: D. Hinish, Brown, Beckett
HEAT 2: Replogle, Stickel, Weyant
FWD 4 CYLINDERS
FEATURE: 1. Mike Lauffer 2. Jeff Treece 3. Ed Vogel 4. Cindy Rhodes 5. Juan Ryan 6. Dave Lambert 7. Irvin Fleegle 8. James Rosenberger 9. Bill Noll (DNF) 10. Brian Kauffman (DNF)
No HEATS races for less than 14 cars
