PENCIL IMPRESSIVE IN BEDFORD WIN
By Dave Harclerode
BEDFORD, PA - Jack Pencil put on a phenomenal performance Friday evening at the Bedford Speedway, claiming his 21st career Miller Auto Parts Super Late Model win at the fast oval. Chad McClellan picked up his second win of the season in the Bedford Valley Petroleum Limited Late Models, which was a very meaningful win for Chad and crew as the Bowman family owned # 31 still mourns the loss of car owner Bill Bowman, who passed away a few weeks ago. Jim Sayler won the TC Street Stocks 20 lap double purse feature, and Chuck Weyant won his first of the year in the Ritchey Sandblasting Hobby Stocks. Mike Lauffer took home top honors in the Thomas Chevrolet FWD 4 Cylinders.
Wayne Johnson and Andy Martz led the 27 car field to the green in the super late model main event, and Andy Martz immediately took the lead. Martz, who was looking for his first ever Super Late Model win, held the third starting car of Greg Fetters at bay and appeared that he could get that coveted first win. As Martz fended off Fetters, it was total synchronized chaos behind. The entire field was battling two and three wide lap after lap, with several cars coming to the front, including eventual winner Jack Pencil. Fetters finally got by Martz to take the lead, and Martz's mount went sour as he ended up losing several positions. Pencil, who was utilizing the high groove, caught race leader Fetters, who also was looking to pick up his first Bedford Super Late Model win. With 12 laps to go, Pencil made the move coming off of turn 2, and had the lead by the time the pair got to turn three. Steve Everhart also used the highside to his advantage, and by race end he was looking to snag second from Fetters. Fetters held the position firmly though, and followed Pencil across the finish line. Everhart took home third, Brian Booze came from his eleventh starting spot to finish fourth, and DJ Myers finished fifth. Pole sitter Wayne Johnson finished sixth, Jeff Miller seventh, from 15th, Scott Haus finished eighth, Jeff Rine ninth, and Randy Burkholder tenth. Pencil, Fetters, and Myers won the qualifying events.
Chad McClellan scored his second Limited Late Model win of the season Friday, and he won in dominating fashion. Brian Lowery jumped into the lead at the fall of the green flag, and led for several laps before Steve Bard took the top spot away. McClellan, using the high groove, stole the lead from Bard, and led comfortably the entire race. MIke Shoemaker, Derek Byler, and Rick Singleton were all on the move from their mid pack starting positions, with Shoemaker coming home second, Byler third, Singleton fourth, and Bard settling for fifth. Howie Bussard, Tyler Armstrong, Lowery, Andy Teno, and Craig Perigo completed the top ten. McClellan, Bard, and Byler won the heats.
Fourteen cars started the 20 lap double purse special for the Street Stocks, and at the end, only 5 cars looked the same way as they started. A huge pile up at the start of the race eliminated several cars, and forced weekly threat Bob Jay to go six laps down. With the race slowed several times for other cautions, race leader Brian Duffy held on as Jim Sayler knocked at the door. Sayler made the pass, but Duffy wasn't going away. Chris Chamberlain joined the hunt for the lead, taking the second spot from Duffy and while making a bid for the lead, spun his #31 in turn 3. Sayler held on for the big win, with Duffy second. Chamberlain rebounded to regain third at the end, Donald Wyles was fourth, and Bill Pluta, Jr. finished fifth. A scary moment happened on the frontstretch about half way into the event when Joe Pluta's car exploded into a huge fireball. Luckily, Pluta exited the car safely. Heat races were won by Sayler and Jay.
Chuck Weyant makes victory lane a regular stop on a yearly basis in the Hobby Stock division, but this season he's been a stranger. Until Friday. Weyant, who won 5 features last year, followed Travis Group for a couple laps before making the winning pass. Much like the street stocks, the hobby stocks just couldn't get things going cleanly. A turn 2 crash took out several top competitors. Then, with 7 laps to go, and seven long cautions later, several cars made contact with the turn three wall after Reed Stickel broke a driveshaft, soared into the air, and slammed back onto the track surface with tremendous force. Stickel needed medical attention, and race officials decided it was a good time to just end the seemingly marathon long race with seven laps to go. Weyant took the win ahead of Charlie Walter, Bill Replogle, Jason Gilliland, and Travis Group. Weyant and Group won the heats for the 20 car field.
Mike Lauffer picked up his third career Bedford win in the front wheel drive four cylinders, holding off Bill Noll and Scott Caron for the win. Juan Ryan and Jim Will, Jr. completed the top five. The division had a season high 11 cars, and hopes are that the division will continue to grow and be a strong entry level racing division in the area. No heats were ran due to the track policy that 14 cars must be present in any division for any heat races to occur.
This Friday, June 27th, the AMA National Flat Track Championships will be held for the first time ever at Bedford Speedway. It's a busy weekend, because Sunday the 410 sprint cars return for the Bedford leg of the PA Speedweeks event. Monday is the raindate for the Sprint cars. Check out www.bedfordspeedway.com for event times and other information.
SUPER LATE MODELS
FEATURE: 1. Jack Pencil 2. Greg Fetters 3. Steve Everhart 4. Brian Booze 5. DJ Myers 6. Wayne Johnson 7. Jeff Miller 8. Scott Haus 9. Jeff Rine 10. Randy Burkholder 11. Nick Dickson 12. Eric Zembower 13. Mike Altobelli, Jr. 14. Scott Rhodes 15. Rodney Sweitzer 16. Chris Harr 17. Darrell Dick 18. TJ Wright 19. Larry Wright 20. Al Shawver 21. Andy Martz 22. Shane Beegle 23. Matt Sala 24. Derek Sala 25. Tyler Hershey (DNF) 26. Shawn Claar (DNF)
DNS: Ron Delano, Jr.
HEAT 1: Pencil, Martz, Rine
HEAT 2: Fetters, Everhart, Shawver
HEAT 3: Myers, Harr, Johnson
LIMITED LATE MODELS
FEATURE: 1. Chad McClellan 2. Mike Shoemaker 3. Derek Byler 4. Rick Singleton 5. Steve Bard 6. Howie Bussard 7. Tyler Armstrong 8. Brian Lowery 9. Andy Teno 10. Craig Perigo 11. George Beckett 12. Brandon Hoover 13. Donnie Farlling 14. John Hedge 15. Travis Fleegle 16. Kyle Wiser 17. Curtis Heath 18. Travis Cottle (DNF) 19. Travis Calhoun (DNF) 20. Lincoln Ritchey (DNF) 21. Tim Smith, Jr. (DNF) 22. Eddie Cornett (DNF)
DNS: Robbie Black
HEAT 1: McClellan, Perigo, Bussard
HEAT 2: Bard, Singleton, Beckett
HEAT 3: Byler, Shoemaker, Lowery
STREET STOCKS
FEATURE (20 laps/double purse): 1. Jim Sayler 2. Brian Duffy 3. Chris Chamberlain 4. Donald Wyles 5. Bill Pluta, Jr. 6. Tom Spangler 7. Bob Jay 8. Ricky Potter 9. Joe Pluta 10. Dave Brown 11. Bill McClellan 12. Billy Ecton, Jr. 13. Kerry Molovich
DNS: Daryl Whetstone, Scotty Grubb
HEAT 1: Sayler, Wyles, Chamberlain
HEAT 2: Jay, Duffy, Molovich
HOBBY STOCKS
FEATURE: 1. Chuck Weyant 2. Charlie Walter 3. Bill Replogle 4. Jason Gilliland 5. Travis Group 6. Ryan Beckett 7. Mike Siegele 8. Justin Milburn 9. Jarrod Brown 10. Ray Shepherd 11. Tyler Ritchey 12. Reed Stickel, Jr. 13. Brandon LaSalle 14. Steve Fadley 15. Mandy Jay 16. Kevin Hinish 17. Joe Railey 18. Willie Ling 19. Shawn Dunmyer
DQ: Derrick Hinish
HEAT 1: Weyant, Walter, Replogle
HEAT 2: Group, Fadley, Railey
FOUR CYLINDERS
FEATURE: 1. Mike Lauffer 2. Bill Noll 3. Scott Caron 4. Juan Ryan 5. Jim Will, Jr. 6. Jeff Treece 7. Cindy Rhodes 8. David Green 9. Irvin Fleegle 10. Ed Vogel
DQ: Dave Lambert
No heats for the four cylinders due to not meeting the required 14 cars to warrant heat races
