RINE, ALTOBELLI, JAY, AND HINISH WIN BEDFORD FEATURES
By Dave Harclerode
BEDFORD, PA - After suffering 2 rainouts in a row, the Bedford Speedway finally got the weather it needed to put racecars on the track. The cloudy day led to a perfect track surface, giving the racers the ability to race where ever they wanted to on the track. Jeff Rine, who ran the high groove, was hooked up like a slotcar as he won the Miller Auto Parts Super Late Model main event. Mike Altobelli, Jr. ran the low groove, and had an awesome battle with Al Shawver to win the Bedford Valley Petroleum Limited Late Model event. Bob Jay put his Ford in victory lane for the second time this season in the TC Racecars Street Stocks, and Derrick Hinish earned his third win of the season in the Ritchey Sandblasting Hobby Stocks. The Williams Grove Oldtimer's Assoc. was also on hand with a display of vintage racecars on the midway. The old cars hit the track just before hot laps for some play time, bringing back memories for many fans.
The fact that Jeff Rine started on the outside pole and won, and Ron Delano started on the pole and finished second may sound like it was a ho-hum race. This was not the case. Rine and Delano were blistering fast, and the action behind them was incredible. Twenty-seven cars started the feature event, and 23 finished. Wayne Johnson, Eric Zembower, and Andy Martz ran a tight race for third early, but it wasn't long before 9th place starter Jack Pencil was working the highside of the track, and earned the third spot by lap 11. Scott Rhodes was also a man on the move, as he used both the top and the bottom of the track to come from 12th to fourth. Behind the top three of Rine, Delano, and Pencil, the action was fierce as cars covered the track top and bottom, battling all the way to the finish. Scott Haus may have been one of the most impressive drivers of the night, starting 26th and and passing 19 cars to take home seventh. The top five at the checkered was Rine, Delano, Pencil, Rhodes, and Johnson. Following them was Zembower, Haus, Andy Martz, Chris Harr, and DJ Troutman. Chuck Clise, Rine, and Nick Dickson won the qualifying events for the 28 car field. The win was Rine's fourth of his career at Bedford.
Al Shawver led the area's best Limited Late Model drivers to the starting line, and immediately took the top spot. By the second lap though, Mike Altobelli, Jr. was pounding out at the door. After 2 laps of working Shawver hard, Altobelli made an aggressive move coming off of turn four. The pair ran metal to metal down the frontstretch, and by the time they hit turn 2, Altobelli had the top spot. Altobelli pulled out to a slim lead, but a caution canceled the margin. On the restart, Shawver through caution to the wind, diving to the outside and pulling even with the race leader. Altobelli was tough on the bottom though, and prevailed for the victory. Shawver settled for second, with Tim Smith, Jr. third, Donnie Farlling fourth, and young Randy Burkholder came all the way from 15th to finish fifth. Completing the top ten was Mike Shoemaker, Travis Stickley, Shawn Claar, Robbie Black, and Travis Calhoun. Smith and Shawver won the heats. The win was the sixth of Altobelli's career at Bedford.
Bob Jay is as tough as they come in the Street Stock world. Jay drew the number one pill for the feature lineup, and this did not bode well for the rest of the field. Jay led all 18 laps, and was never seriously challenged. Rick Cragan earned the second spot after original second place finisher Terry Wyles was disqualified for a rule infraction. Former Bedford Street Stock star Johnny Harr made his return to the division, and finished third on his first time out. Brandon Hoover and Willie Ling completed the top five. Cragan and Jay won the heat events.
Chuck Weyant and Shelly Beegle brought the Hobby Stocks to the green flag in the final event of the evening. Almost immediately, Reed Stickel jumped from fifth to second as Chuck Weyant led the event. The pair ran side by side for two laps until contact between the two brought out the first caution. Weyant went to the rear of the field, and Stickel made a quick stop in the pits, and returned, lined up dead last. Derrick Hinish inherited the lead on the restart, with rookie sensation Tyler Ritchey on his tail. Mandy Jay drove a great race, and worked by Ritchey for second as Hinish led comfortably. They finished like that, Hinish, Jay, and Ritchey. Amazingly, Chuck Weyant and Reed Stickel picked their way through the field to come back and finish fourth and fifth. Brandon LaSalle, David Riley, Mike Siegele, Jason Gilliland, and Ray Shepherd completed the top ten. Stickel and Hinish won the qualifying events.
Next Friday, June 22nd is Kid's Night at the Speedway. There will be an autograph session with the drivers, and the kids will get a chance to show their racing skills in the annual Kid's Bike Races. You can pre-register for the event by calling the speedway office at 814-623-0826. The Miller Auto Parts Super Late Models, Bedford Valley Petroleum Limited Late Models, TC Racecars Street Stocks, and Ritchey Sandblasting Hobby Stocks will be on hand for a regular points event. Gates open at 5pm, hot laps at 7pm, and racing at 7:30pm.
Coming, Wednesday, June 27th, it's the Bob Sweitzer Memorial Wednesday Night Invitational, paying $ 2,000 to win in the Super Late Model division. The Limited Lates will be racing for $1,000 to win, and the Hobby Stocks will also be on hand for double the regular purse. This will be a non-point event in all divisions.
SUPER LATE MODELS
FEATURE: 1. Jeff Rine 92 2. Ron Delano 0 3. Jack Pencil 14 4. Scott Rhodes 83R 5. Wayne Johnson 17J 6. Eric Zembower 49 7. Scott Haus 33 8. Andy Martz M1 9. Chris Harr w1 10. DJ Troutman 7 11. DJ Myers D1 12. Rodney Sweitzer 84 13. Greg Fetters 39 14. Chuck Clise 5 15.
Steve Everhart 15e 16. Waylon Wagner 5w 17. Larry Wright 31 18. Bob Salathe RG3 19. Rick Singleton 99* 20. Dave Bloss 3 21. Shane Beegle 15b 22. Kris Eaton 15 23. Sheetz McGarvey 55 24. Doug Ishler 03(DNF) 25. Coleby Frye F1 (DNF) 26. Nick Dickson 17D(DNF) 27. TJ Wright 31J(DNF)
DNS: Gary Noel
HEAT 1: Clise, Johnson, Bloss
HEAT 2: Rine, Zembower, Delano
HEAT 3: Dickson, Pencil, Martz
LIMITED LATE MODELS
FEATURE: 1. Mike Altobelli, Jr. 79 2. Al Shawver 66 3. Tim Smith 39 4. Donnie Farlling 48 5. Randy Burkholder 77 6. Mike Shoemaker 8 7.
Travis Stickley 32 8. Shawn Claar 20 9. Robbie Black 01 10. Travis Calhoun 36 11. Craig Perigo 1a 12. Andy Teno 48T 13. Brian Lowery 13 14. Travis Kennell 15 15. Tyler Hershey 74 (DNF) 16. Dave Troutman 7
(DNF) 17. Rodney Mock 57 (DNF) 18. Howie Bussard 15b (DNF)
HEAT 1: Smith, Claar, Altobelli
HEAT 2: Troutman, Shawver, Bussard
STREET STOCKS
FEATURE: 1. Bob Jay 4J 2. Rick Cragan 18 3. Johnny Harr 24 4.
Brandon Hoover 45B 5. Willie Ling 31L 6. Greg Imler 6 7. Donald Wyles 10 8. Jason Douglas 5 9. Travis Brown 29 (DNF) 10. Terry Wyles 98 (DQ)
DNS: Michael Stiffler
HEAT 1: Cragan, T. Wyles, D. Wyles
HEAT 2: Jay, Brown, Hoover
HOBBY STOCKS
FEATURE: 1. Derrick Hinish 12 2. Mandy Jay 4j 3. Tyler Ritchey 3 4.
Chuck Weyant 88c 5. Reed Stickel RV85 6. Brandon LaSalle 37 7. David Riley 99 8. Mike Siegele 007 9. Jason Gilliland 29 10. Ray Shepherd
9 11. Eric Weyant 88e 12. Shelly Beegle 17 13. Terry Thomas 91 14.
Alicia Legros 79 (DNF) 15. Mark Shope 53 (DNF)
DNS: Devin Weyandt, Shirley Crawley
HEAT 1: Stickel, C. Weyant, Weyandt
HEAT 2: Hinish, E. Weyant, Beegle
|
