MAY 06, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
BEDFORD'S SEASON OPENER PRODUCES THREE FIRST TIME WINNERS
By Dave Harclerode
BEDFORD, PA - Although rain has plagued area tracks for the past two weeks, the
Bedford Speedway was fortunate to have good weather and great racing Friday night. All
three winners visited Bedford's victory lane for the first time in their career,
a feat that has rarely occurred in Bedford's 69 year history. Devin Friese
destroyed the Super Late Model field, becoming the track's 101st different winner
in the division. Brent Comp won the 305 Sprint main, and Lincoln Ritchey
scored the win in the Cruiser Hobby Stocks.
It took two attempts to get the Super Late Model feature underway, and when they
finally got going Devin Friese got to work early. Starting in the fourth
position, Friese was on leader Scott Haus' tail by lap three. I skilled
outside move in turn three put Friese on the point, and he left the field in
the dust. Veteran driver and Bedford superstar Scott Haus raced hard
to reel Friese back in, but just couldn't keep it close. Several late race
cautions gave Haus fans a glimmer of hope, but Friese pulled away each time easily. Andy
Fries had a great ride to take the third position at the finish line, followed
by Ron Delano, Jr. in fourth, and Greg Fetters in fifth. Chuck Clise, Travis
Dillman, Eric Zembower, Scott Rhodes, and Chuck LaSalle finished sixth through
tenth. Last year's champion Jack Pencil suffered a flat tire in his heat
race, but qualified through the consolation race. He retired from the feature
early in the race. Kirk Ryan had a great top 5 run going in the main event
until mechanical problems sent him to the sidelines with only three laps to go.
Greg Fetters, Ron Delano, Jr, Chuck Clise, and Devin Friese won the four heat
events.
The 305 Sprintcars made their first visit of the season, and Brent Comp scored
his first ever Bedford win. Comp started on the pole and made it look easy. Comp
was followed at the line by Mike Freet, Cody Schmiedel, Rob Mellott, and Nathan
Gramley. Sixth through tenth went to Dusty Shatzer, Todd Spangler, Randy
Kaylor, Scott Ellerman, and Roger Irvine.
Ellerman and Schmiedel won the heat events.
Lincoln Ritchey has always been a front runner in the Cruiser-Hobby Stocks, and
he finally got his well deserved first win. Long time Bedford racer Barry
Weyandt finished second, followed by Chuck Weyant, Shawn Wyles, and Brandon LaSalle. Kevin
Johnson, Robert Weist, Terry Norris, Mark Shope, and Mike Hershberger completed
the top ten. Travis Stickley and Rodney Mock both finished in the top ten,
but were disqualified following a post race inspection.
Heats went to Brian Weyandt, Jr. and Chuck Weyant.
Next Friday is the 30 Lap Bob Sweitzer Memorial Race for the Super Late models. The
Limited Late Models and Street Stocks will open their season, and the Cruiser-Hobby
Stocks will back in action for the four division event.
SUPER LATE MODELS (34 cars)
FEATURE: Devin Friese 12, Scott Haus 33, Andy Fries 82, Ron Delano, Jr.
0, Greg Fetters 39, Chuck Clise 5, Travis Dillman 22d, Eric Zembower 49, Scott
Rhodes 83R, Chuck LaSalle 37, Andy Martz M1, Chad McClellan 119, Wayne Johnson
17j, Matt Sponaugle 8, Bud Witmer U10, Donnie Farling 48, Nick Dickson 17D, Bob
Gordon 31G, Dave Hoover 45 (DNF), Jeff Rine 92 (DNF), Kirk Ryan 5k (DNF), Shane
Beegle 15 (DNF), Chris Harr w1 (DNF), Jack Pencil 14 (DNF), Dave Troutman 7 (DNF)
HEAT 1: Fetters, Ryan, Rhodes
HEAT 2: Delano, Jr., Haus, Hoover
HEAT 3: Clise, Fries, Dillman
HEAT 4: Friese, Zembower, LaSalle
CONSI: Chris Harr, Martz, Pencil
DNQ: Darrell Dick, Doug Burkholder, Rodney Sweitzer, John Harr, George
Beckett, John Hedge, Larry Wright, TJ Wright, Doug Ishler
305 SPRINT CARS (18 cars)
FEATURE: Brent Comp 5, Mike Freet 11, Cody Schmeidel 10, Rob Mellott 60k,
Nathan Gramley 23G, Dusty Shatzer 75, Todd Spangler 33T, Randy Kaylor 8, Scott
Ellerman 115, Roger Irvine 12, Gary Heckman 3h, Jeff Hoover 22, Cale Grubb 19,
Casey Cook 2c, Jim Kennedy 7 (DNF), Tommy Beavers 31 (DNF), Joe Zap 33z (DNS),
Von McGee 1/2 (DNS)
HEAT 1: Ellerman, Kennedy, Freet
HEAT 2: Schmeidel, Mellott, Gramley
CRUISER HOBBY STOCKS (26 cars)
FEATURE: Lincoln Ritchey 3, Barry Weyandt 65, Chuck Weyant 88c, Shawn Wyles
21, Brandon LaSalle 37, Kevin Johnson 97, Robert Weist 8, Terry Norris 73, Mark
Shope 53, Mike Hershberger 32h, Ray Shephard 9, Chad Walter 38, Brandon Hoover
45, Brian Weyandt, Jr. 88jr, Jeff Weyandt 88, Ryan Beckett 58, AJ Foor a4, Charlie
Walter, Jr. 42
HEAT 1: Weyandt, Jr., Kevin Stickley, Ritchey
HEAT 2: Weyant, LaSalle, Norris
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