MILLER AND TENO FIRST TIME WINNERS AT BEDFORD
By Dave Harclerode
BEDFORD, PA - Jeff Miller and Andy Teno both took advantage of a superb racing surface to earn their first career Bedford wins in their respective divisions. Although both drivers have won in other divisions at the track, Jeff Miller was very excited about his first Bedford win in the Miller Auto Parts Super Late Models, and Andy Teno was ecstatic about his first Bedford Valley Petroleum Limited Late Model win. Invader Bill Henney won the TC Race Cars Street Stock feature, and Charlie Walter won a wild Ritchey Sandblasting Hobby Stock feature. Ed Vogel pulled off his second win in a row in the Thomas Chevrolet FWD 4 cylinders.
Jeff Miller certainly had to work to earn his first Bedford Super Late Model victory, and for much of the race it appeared that Greg Fetters would be the driver to earn his first win. Fetters, who started on the pole, immediately took control of the race when the field restarted after a first lap crash involving Wayne Johnson and Shawn Claar. Miller, who started fourth, soon found himself in second as the front pair left the main pack of cars by a slight distance. The mid-pack racing was ferocious, with two and sometimes three wide racing. Jack Pencil piloted his machine with a controlled wildness, slamming his car high, deep and hard into the corners, which was surely worth the price of admission. Pencil started in the sixth position, and with some very hard work had earned the third spot. Unfortunately, the car just gave out with three laps to go, sending Pencil limping pitside for the evening. At the front of the pack, it was Fetters in control for much of the race, but as the front tier started to encounter some lapped traffic, Jeff Miller found himself closer and closer to the top position. Giving Fetters several looks, Miller finally made the winning pass coming off of turn four and assumed control of the race. Fetters backslide didn't end there, as a hard charging Steve Everhart took over the second spot, and eventually Mike Altobelli nabbed third. At the finish, it was Miller, Everhart, Altobelli, Fetters, Scott Rhodes, and Ron Delano sixth. Jeff Rine and Scott Haus ran side by side for what seemed like an eternity, with Rine taking seventh at the checkered. Following Haus was the impressive rookie division driver Randy Burkholder in 9th, coming from his 18th starting position, and rounding out the top 10 was another impressive division rookie Tyler Hershey. Bo Feathers, Pencil, and Miller won the qualifying events for the 25 car field.
Andy Teno couldn't have won his first Limited Late Model feature in a more dramatic fashion. A last lap, pedal to the floor on the highside pass coming off of turn four. Official word from the scorers was an approximate six inch margin of victory over Derek Byler. Byler, proving to all that he truly is a professional, gave it his all, but at the same time kept his committed line on the low side. Instead of trying to slide up and pinch Teno off, Byler said "let's drag race for it", and unfortunately for the driver of the 5*, Byler came up inches short. It was a great race from start to finish throughout the field, and George Beckett held the early lead from his second starting spot. The first caution of the event was for Michael Stiffler, who took a hard hit on the outside wall coming out of turn two. Once Stiffler's severely damaged number 17 was cleared from the track, the racing was fast and dicey. Beckett's bid for the win ended after Derek Byler took the lead, and Beckett went pitside when oil from an overflow coated his right rear, making traction nearly impossible. Following Teno and Byler at the checkered, it was frequent victory lane visitor Mike Shoemaker, Robbie Black, and last week's winner Rick Singleton in fifth. Hard chargers Tim Smith, Jr., Howie Bussard, and Travis Stickley came from deep in the pack to secure sixth through eighth, Brian Lowery ninth, and Chad McClellan working his way up to tenth from his 23rd starting position. Heat winners for the 24 cars were Singleton, Black, and Byler.
Bill Henney picked up his third career win in the Street Stock division, using the highside to advance eight positions for the win. Brian Duffy, who led for several laps, had to work hard to defend the spot from Daryl Whetstone, and Bob Jay recovered from a turn four scrape with Chris Chamberlain to finish fourth. Kerry Molovich completed the top five. With only 11 cars on hand, heat races were scrapped due to the 14 cars minimum rule to merit heat racing.
Charlie Walter earned his second career victory in the Hobby Stock division, holding off division veteran Chuck Weyant and Jason Gilliland in a tight finish. Division rookie Travis Group led for several laps until things got a little dicey coming off of turn four. Group got crossed up in a 5 car battle for the lead, hit the inside berm motocross style, made a miraculous save, and lost very little track position. Unfortunately, Derrick Hinish and Bill Replogle met misfortune heading down the frontstretch, with Hinish's ride taking the most punishment from the outside wall. With both cars retired to the pits, the battle for the lead was in the hands of recent high school graduate Charlie Walter, Weyant, and Gilliland. Weyant let it all hang out, getting to Walter's door coming off of four several laps in a row. The final lap was no different, but it was Walter who came home victorious. The phrase you could've threw a blanket over them would describe the finish, with Weyant getting credit for second, and Gilliland third. Or so it appeared. Gilliland's best Bedford finish was erased when the car failed the post race tech inspection. This put Brandon LaSalle in the third position, after a great effort coming from his sixteenth starting spot. Steve Fadley and Mike Siegele completed the top five. Sixth through tenth went to Mandy Jay, Justin Milburn, Travis Group, RT Troutman, and Racin' Ray Shepherd. Heat winners were Group and Derrick Hinish.
Ed Vogel made it two in a row in the front wheel drive 4-cylinder class, holding back Davey Lambert and Scott Caron for the win. First time Bedford visitor Dwain Rhodes finished fourth, and two time winner Mike Lauffer fifth. Juan Ryan, Cindy Rhodes, David Green, Jeff Treece, and Irvin Fleegle completed the top ten. There were no heats for the 11 car field.
Next Friday, June 13th is a five division show brought to you by Miller Auto Parts. The Miller Auto Parts Super Lates, Bedford Valley Petroleum Limited Lates, TC Race Cars Street Stocks, Ritchey Sandblasting Hobby Stocks, and Thomas Chevrolet FWD 4-Cylinders will all be on hand to try and repeat the great show from this week. The Street Stocks will be running a special double purse 20 lap feature event. Things will start to get hot at the end of the month, with AMA Nationals motorcycle racing on Friday, June 27th, and the return of the amazing 410 sprint cars on Sunday, June 29th for the second leg of the PA Speedweek event. Things won't cool off in July, as the Independent Racing Series for Super Late Models make their first appearance on the 11th, the annual Great Bedford Fair race on the 25th, and the rescheduled Lucas Oil show on the 31st, where 61 cars were signed in the pits for the rained out event.
SUPER LATE MODELS
FEATURE: 1. Jeff Miller 2. Steve Everhart 3. Mike Altobelli, Jr. 4. Greg Fetters 5. Scott Rhodes 6. Ron Delano, Jr. 7. Jeff Rine 8. Scott Haus 9. Randy Burkholder 10. Tyler Hershey 11. Chris Harr 12. Andy Martz 13. Eric Zembower 14. Larry Wright 15. Chuck Clise 16. Shane Beegle 17. TJ Wright 18. Doug Ishler 19. Addison Rogers 20. Jack Pencil (DNF) 21. Al Shawver (DNF) 22. Bo Feathers (DNF) 23. Darrell Dick (DNF) 24. Wayne Johnson (DNF) 25. Shawn Claar (DNF)
HEAT 1: Feathers, Altobelli, Fetters
HEAT 2: Pencil, Rhodes, Delano
HEAT 3: Miller, Everhart, Hershey
LIMITED LATE MODELS
FEATURE: 1. Andy Teno 2. Derek Byler 3. Mike Shoemaker 4. Robbie Black 5. Rick Singleton 6. Tim Smith, Jr. 7. Howie Bussard 8. Travis Stickley 9. Brian Lowery 10. Chad McClellan 11. Donnie Farlling 12. Travis Fleegle 13. Travis Cottle 14. Allen Lemin 15. George Beckett (DNF) 16. Steve Bard (DNF) 17. Craig Perigo (DNF) 18. John Hedge (DNF) 19. Kyle Wiser (DNF) 20. Ashley Barrett (DNF) 21. Tim Snare (DNF) 22. Brandon Hoover (DNF) 23. Michael Stiffler (DNF)
DNS: Travis Calhoun
HEAT 1: Singleton, Perigo, Teno
HEAT 2: Black, Beckett, Barrett
HEAT 3: Byler, Shoemaker, Wiser
STREET STOCKS
FEATURE: 1. Bill Henney 2. Brian Duffy 3. Daryl Whetstone 4. Bob Jay 5. Kerry Molovich 6. Greg Imler 7. Ricky Potter 8. Rick Cragan 9. Bill Pluta, Jr. 10. Chris Chamberlain 11. Scott Grubb
*No heats due to not acheiving the required 14 cars to merit heat races
HOBBY STOCK
FEATURE: 1. Charlie Walter 2. Chuck Weyant 3. Brandon LaSalle 4. Steve Fadley 5. Mike Siegele 6. Mandy Jay 7. Justin Milburn 8. Travis Group 9. RT Troutman 10. Ray Shepherd 11. Bill Claar 12. Jarrod Brown (DNF) 13. Derrick Hinish (DNF) 14. Bill Replogle (DNF) 15. Kevin Hinish (DNF) 16. Reed Stickel, Jr. (DNF)
DQ: Jason Gilliland
HEAT 1: Group, Replogle, Stickel
HEAT 2: D. Hinish, Weyant, Walter
FWD 4-CYLINDERS
FEATURE: 1. Ed Vogel 2. Davey Lambert 3. Scott Caron 4. Dwain Rhodes 5. Mike Lauffer 6. Juan Ryan 7. Cindy Rhodes 8. David Green 9. Jeff Treece 10. Irvin Fleegle 11. Brandon Inglish
*No heats due to not achieving the required 14 cars to merit heat races
