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Hagerstown Speedway
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (June 7) - D.J. Myers, of Greencastle, Pa. was the Cindy Rowe Auto Glass late model winner after scoring his first win since March 2006. Myers started fourth, passed Jack Pencil to take over on the 13th lap and later beat David Williams by 2.5 seconds. Car owner Greg Gunter was on hand for the team's first victory.
"I finally got a little bit of luck this evening," Myers said. "I'd rather be lucky than good. My boys have worked so hard this season…the things we've been having. We keep saying we have a monkey on our back. Finally we kicked him off and kicked a little dirt on him."
After two attempts to get the late models under green, the backstretch lights went out with a 20 minute delay in correcting the problem and having them relight. Jack Pencil took the lead over Steve Axtell Jr. as Myers quickly grabbed the runner up spot on the second circuit.
On lap four after sixth place J.T. Spence came to a stop, the lights again went out when getting ready for the restart. The race was again restarted with Pencil looking for his first ever Hagerstown win while Myers looked to get rid of the monkey and Brent Smith trailed them.
Myers sped into the lead on lap 13 while Smith had 11th starter Gary Stuhler and David Williams, from 14th, wanting his position with Stuhler taking it on the 15th lap and Williams passing Stuhler for the spot two laps later.
Myers found himself with a 4.4 second lead over Williams on the 18th lap when Pencil's car shut off and he was able to refire and drive on but Al Shawver Sr.'s spin brought out the yellow.
Myers retook the green and began to edge away from Williams and went on for the 2.5 second victory.
"The races aren't won by the driver, they're won by the whole crew," Myers said. "Tonight, we were working together good. It was hot as heck, but we came through."
Stuhler, Roy Deese, from 13th and Smith completed the top five while Jim Yoder (10th), Les Hare (17th) and Alan Sagi, from 24th to earn the Ernie's Salvage Yard hard charger award were next. Jamie Lathroum ended ninth after spinning on the initial start and came from the rear and tenth went to Nathan Durboraw, who also came from the rear after pitting when the lights went out on lap four.
Heats winners for the 31 entries were Axtell, Smith and Pencil while Ronnie DeHaven won the consolation.
Despite a 93 degree temperature that tied the 1984 record for the hottest June 7th, 16 year old Chad Boat cared less about the heat when he exited his sprint following his career first USAC Sprint Car victory at Hagerstown Speedway, one that made him the youngest driver on record to score a victory. Boat, of Phoenix, Ariz, and son of Indianapolis 500 veteran, Billy Boat, led three laps from the pole, and then regained the spot to lead the final 22 circuits of the 30-lap event.
"This Maxim Chevy car was awesome tonight," Boat said. "I hate running the bottom. I hated Big Diamond the other night. I wanted to come to a place with a big cushion. We weren't supposed to come here. We were supposed to go to Winchester (Indiana) tomorrow but we decided to come here."
Cole Whitt, also 16, who finished in the runner up spot two seconds back, held the record for only two days, after scoring his first ever victory at Big Diamond Speedway as part of the Eastern Swing. Whitt's finish made him the new series point leader.
Qualifying second in the semi-consolation, Boat began from the pole and quickly took off as second row starters Whitt and Brad Short took up the next spots before outside pole setter, Levin Jones could get settled in.
Whitt snatched the lead on the fourth before the caution waved on lap 5 when several cars got together in turn one and two and involved Jones, who had dropped to ninth.
Whitt led on the restart, but Boat ran the top side and regained the point on lap nine. Cautions on laps ten and twelve regrouped the field as Boat continued his line around the top with just over a half second advantage while Whitt rounded the bottom and Robert Ballou held the third spot.
Boat entered the rear cars on lap 23 and began to stretch out his lead two laps later. With three to go, Ballou got high in the fourth turn as 11th starter, Jerry Coons Jr. got by to take control of third. Ballou gathered it back in to only lose one spot as ninth starter, Damion Gardner ended fifth. Trailing them were Brady Bacon from 16th, Tracy Hines, Brady Short, Dave Darland and 21st starter, Bob Ream.
Twenty six entries were on hand with Chris Windom, Shane Golobic and Coons Jr. won the heats with Hines winning the consolation.
The speedway returns to action Saturday June 14th for the second of three events of the Winchester/Hagerstown Shootout series, the 1st Annual Red Nininger Memorial, a 40 lap event for the Late Models along with the Hoosier Daddy 25-lap Late Model Sportsman event and Pure Stocks.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5 p.m and warm ups begin at 7 p.m. Check the speedway website for any changes in weather at: www.hagerstownspeedway.com or contact the speedway office at 301-582-0640.
Hagerstown Speedway Results
USAC Wingless Sprints, 30 Laps, 26 entries (Lap Leaders - Chad Boat 1-3, 9-30, Cole Whitt 4-8): 1.Chad Boat; 2.Cole Whitt; 3.Jerry Coons; 4.Robert Ballou; 5.Damion Gardner; 6.Brady Bacon; 7.Tracy Hines; 8.Brady Short; 9.Dave Darland; 10.Bob Ream; 11.Brad Kuhn; 12.Dustin Morgan; 13.Shane Cottle; 14.Brad Sweet; 15.Chris Windom; 16.Bill Rose; 17.Richie Fitz; 18.Bret Mellenberndt; 19.Levi Jones; 20.Chris Bonnneau; 21.Darren Hagen; 22 Shane Golobic; 23.Jesse Hockett; DNS - Daryl Stimeling, Josh Spencer, Todd Zinn
USAC Time Trials - 1.Tracey Hines, 18.190; 2.Dave Darland, 18.196; 3.Cole Whitt, 18/216; 4.Brady Short, 18.297; 5.Levi Jones, 18.314; 6.Chad Boat; 18.328; 7.Jesse Hockett; 18.360; 8.Darren Hagen, 18.415; 9.Brad Sweet, 18.449; 10.Damion Gardner, 18.459; 11.Dustin Morgan, 19.479; 12.Jerry Coons, 18.509; 13.Robert Ballou,18.541; 14.Shane Golobic; 18.567; 15.Josh Spencer, 18.569; 16.Bill Rose, 18.593; 17.Shane Cottle, 18.600; 18.Brady Bacon, 18.676; 19.Chris Windom, 18.810; 20.Chris Bonneau, 18.834; 21.Brad Kuhn; 22.Bret Mellenberndt, 19.262; 23.Bob Ream, 19.301; 24.Richie Fitz, 19.514; 25.Daryl Stimling, 19.703; 26.Todd Zinn, 20.603
Cindy Rowe Auto Glass Late Models, 25 laps, 31 entries, (Lap Leaders - Jack Pencil 1-12, D.J.Myers 13-25) 1.D.J. Myers; 2.David Williams; 3.Gary Stuhler; 4.Roy Deese Jr.; 5.Brent Smith; 6.Jim Yoder; 7.Les Hare; 8.Alan Sagi (Ernie Salvage Hard Charger); 9.Jamie Lathroum; 10.Nathan Durboraw; 11.Scott LeBarron; 12.Kirk Ryan; 13.Paul Crowl; 14.Billy Wampler; 15.D.J.Troutman; 16.Jack Pencil; 17.Al Shawver Sr.; 18.Al Shawver Jr.; 19.Darryl Hills; 20.Bill Palmer; 21.Steve Axtell Jr.; 22.Ronnie DeHaven; 23.Steve Gibney; 24.J.T. Spence; DNQ: Mike Lupfer, Addison Rodgers, Larry Baer, Larry Baker II, DNS - Frankie Plessinger, Marvin Winters, Jeff Johnson
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