RINE MAKES IT TWO IN A ROW
By Dave Harclerode
BEDFORD, PA - It was a great evening Friday at the Bedford Speedway, as the Super Late Models and Limited Lates ran topless on a beautiful evening, and a super smooth racing surface. Jeff Rine won his second feature in a row in the Miller Auto Parts Super Late Models, and Rick Singleton won his third career Bedford Valley Petroleum Limited Late Model feature. Bob Jay won a monumental TC Race Cars Street Stock feature, becoming the speedway’s all-time street stock feature winner, and Derek Hinish continued his hot street by winning his second Ritchey Sandblasting Hobby Stock feature of the year. Ed Vogel was victorious in the Thomas Chevrolet FWD 4 Cylinders, his first feature win ever at any speedway.
Jeff Rine wasted little time finding Bedford’s victory lane. After triumphing in his first ever MACS win last week, Jeff started on the pole and led every lap to win his 5th career Bedford Super Late Model feature. Rine led comfortably for much of the race, sustaining some pressure from Greg Fetters early on. The real battle was from fifth place on, as several cars duked it out the entire race. Scott Haus, DJ Myers, Randy Burkholder, Nick Dickson, and Jack Pencil (before Pencil retired with 14 laps to go) put on quite a show for the Bedford fans. As Rine held the point on the restart for Pencil, third place Chris Harr started to work on Fetters for second. Harr slipped under Fetters coming off of turn 4, and at the finish it was Rine, Harr, DJ Myers, and Scott Haus. Darryl Burkholder finished sixth, and was followed by Nick Dickson, Mike Altobelli, Jr., Jeff Miller, and Steve Everhart. Heat winners were the 26 entries were Haus, Tyler Hershey, and Jack Pencil.
The Limited Late Models stole the glory Friday, as they put on a tremendous show. Pole Sitter Brian Lowery grabbed the early lead, after going 3 wide through turns 1 and 2 with Steve Bard and Craig Perigo. Lowery led the first couple laps until Perigo pulled along side and the pair raced side by side until Perigo pulled ahead. Meanwhile, the racing behind the front two was intense. Side by side, sometimes three wide, the biggest movers were Mike Shoemaker and Rick Singleton. With both cars using the high side, Singleton charged out of the pack and into first from his eighth starting position. Shoemaker, who started twelfth, followed suit, and found himself up to second. Singleton held on to win his third career Bedford Limited Late feature. Shoemaker came home with a solid second, Tim Smith, Jr. third, Robbie Black fourth, and Perigo fifth. The rest of the pack waited until the checkered to sort things out, and ended with Lowery sixth, followed by Andy Teno, Derek Byler, Chad McClellan, and George Beckett. Heats were won by Smith, Jr., Allen Lemin, and John Hedge.
Bob Jay picked up his 22nd career Street Stock win, overtaking Kevin Weyant as Bedford's all-time Street Stock feature winner. It seems that it never matters where Bob Jay starts, because he's always at or near the front by race end. This week, Jay started eighth, but winning was not an easy task. Brian Duffy grabbed the early lead, until Darryl Whetstone decided to make a bid for the lead. The pair ran side by side for several laps until Whetstone earned the top position. Whetstone's lead didn't last long however, as Bob Jay was riding the top side right to the front. Jay and Whetstone also ran side by side for two or three laps, with Whetstone refusing to go away quietly. Eventually, Jay took over the lead, and pulled away. Whetstone and Brian Duffy crashed in turn one, ending both drivers good night. At the end it was Jay, Donald Wyles, Scott Grubb in his best ever Bedford finish, Chris Chamberlain, and Tom Spangler. There were 12 cars in the pits, which did not meet the required 14 cars to warrant a heat race.
Derrick Hinish is the man to beat in Hobby Stock action. Derrick started 9th and came right to the front, winning his 9th career Bedford feature. Jason Gilliland led for several laps until Charlie Walter took over the position, but it wasn't long until Hinish took the spot and check out. Walter hung on for second, followed by Bill Replogle, Reed Stickel, Jr., and Gilliland. Sixth through tenth went to Brandon LaSalle, Ryan Beckett, Jeff Shoemaker, Carl Snare, and Mike Siegele. Heat winners were Hinish and Replogle.
The 4 cylinder class managed to match their season high car count of 10, and for the first time, there was a new face in victory lane. Ed Vogel took his first career win, and was followed by two time Bedford winner Mike Lauffer, who almost drove the wheels off his car trying to catch Vogel. Davey Lambert was third, Juan Ryan fourth, and Jeff Treece fifth. There were no heat races due to having less than 14 cars.
Next week 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. It's also ARCH night, with members getting two dollars off the general admission. Gates open at 5pm, with hot laps at 7pm.
SUPER LATE MODEL
FEATURE: 1. Jeff Rine 2. Chris Harr 3. Greg Fetters 4. DJ Myers 5. Scott Haus 6. Randy Burkholder 7. Nick Dickson 8. Mike Altobelli, Jr. 9. Jeff Miller 10. Steve Everhart 11. Brian Bernheisel 12. Tyler Hershey 13. Andy Martz 14. Scott Rhodes 15. Wayne Johnson 16. Chuck Clise 17. Coleby Frye 18. Eric Zembower 19. Doug Ishler 20. Shane Beegle (DNF) 21. Derek Sala (DNF) 22. Jack Pencil (DNF) 23. Shawn Claar (DNF) 24. TJ Wright (DNF) 25. Johnny Harr (DNF)
DNS: Brian Booze
HEAT 1: Haus, Rine, Harr
HEAT 2: Hershey, Burkholder, Fetters
HEAT 3: Pencil, Frye, Myers
LIMITED LATE MODEL
FEATURE: 1. Rick Singleton 2. Mike Shoemaker 3. Tim Smith, Jr. 4. Robbie Black 5. Craig Perigo 6. Brian Lowery 7. Andy Teno 8. Derek Byler 9. Chad McClellan 10. George Beckett 11. Donnie Farlling 12. Rance Garlock 13. Travis Cottle 14. Steve Bard 15. Brandon Hoover 16. Kyle Wiser 17. Eddie Cornett 18. Dallas Wenrick (DNF) 19. Travis Calhoun (DNF) 20. John Hedge (DNF) 21. Michael Stiffler (DNF) 22. Tim Snare, Jr.(DNF) 23. Mike Duck (DNF) 24. Allen Lemin (DNF) 25. Robbie Garlock (DNF)
HEAT 1: Smith, Singleton, Perigo
HEAT 2: Lemin, Black, Byler
HEAT 3: Hedge, Bard, Lowery
STREET STOCK
FEATURE: 1. Bob Jay 2. Donald Wyles 3. Scott Grubb 4. Chris Chamberlain 5. Tom Spangler 6. Darryl Whetstone 7. Brian Duffy 8. Dave Brown 9. Bill Pluta 10. Ricky Potter 11. Kerry Molovich 12. Joe Pluta
HOBBY STOCK
FEATURE: 1. Derrick Hinish 2. Charlie Walter 3. Bill Replogle 4. Reed Stickel, Jr. 5. Jason Gilliland 6. Brandon LaSalle 7. Ryan Beckett 8. Jeff Shoemaker 9. Carl Snare 10. Mike Siegele 11. Travis Group 12. Ray Shepherd 13. Justin Milburn 14. Mandy Jay (DNF) 15. Tyler Ritchey (DNF) 16. Jarrod Brown (DNF) 17. Chuck Weyant (DNF)
DNS: Kevin Hinish
HEAT 1: D. Hinish, Walter, Ritchey
HEAT 2: Replogle, Stickel, Gilliland
