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Chuck Griffith
LAKEVILLE, Ohio (July 18) - J.R. Gentry of nearby Wooster, Ohio raced his El Campesino sponsored late Model to the winners circle for the third time in the 2008 season. It appeared as Gentry was testing the track in the heat race earlier as he was running up high then diving to the bottom to be the first to the black and white flag. He lined up for the feature in the fifth spot and ran in that position for the first seven laps behind Coby Bartrum and Eric Eicholtz as those two were setting a blistering pace out front. Bartrum and Eicholtz exchanged the lead on three occasions and raced side by side to the enjoyment of the near full grandstand. On lap seven with Eicholtz shown in the lead,the first of three cautions were shown for Chris Sampsel as he rolled to a stop.
On the restart Gentry went to the high side of the track and first passed Bartrum in turn two and then gathered in Eicholtz in turn three.It appeared as if Gentry was going to totally run away from the field,however the yellow came out on lap fifteen for Jamey Morey. As Gentry was running in clean air on the restart,points leader Clint Coffman from sixth and Benny Lester coming from being buried back in the tenth starting spot was on the move forward and joined Eicholtz in a three way battle for the runner up spot.Kristin Flory in the early stages had dropped back a few spots from her third place start and raced with Lester to stay in the top five.Coffman went to second place on lap nineteen after a fierce battle with Lester.When the twenty five lap event was completed,it was Gentry,Coffman,Lester,Kristin Flory and Eicholtz in the top finishing positions.Coffman and Gentry won the two heats.
Ed Neumeister made his first visit to Lakeville Speedway an enjoyable one as he put his Upper Auto Parts/NAPA sponsored Sprinter in the winners circle.The veteran pilot was lined up on the outside of the front row and led flag to flag for the win.The first caution was shown on the first lap for Tim Hunter as he rolled to stop in turn one.On the single file restart,Neumeister wasted no time in bringing his ride back up to speed as Cody Jacobs was in pursuit.As lap four was scored Jacobs was close to the leader and then Neumeister checked out on the field again.The second yellow flag bunched them up again and Jacobs put the pressure on Neumeister as points leader Nick Mulheim was battling from his seventh place start as was Kurt Jefferies from sixth.In the latter stages,Mulheim and Jacobs showed the fans a good battle as Neumeister coasted to the win followed by Jacobs,Mulheim,Jefferies and Hunter battling back from the tail to record a fifth place finish.Hunter took one heat win along with Jacobs.
Travis Mensching looked very strong in the heat race and looked even stronger in the A main as he got his first victory at Lakeville Speedway in the Hamlin Racing Engines Pure Stocks.He started on the outside of the front row and stayed at the point for the entire event in his Keener Oil,D&C Construction sponsored entry.Dave Haven Jr.stayed glued to the rear bumper of the leader but could not reel in Mensching.Bob Daugherty mounted his charge to the front from starting back in the eighth place and raced with ninth place starter Roger Drouhard.Paul Harringer joined the hunt as he dropped back a few spots from starting third early in the event and at times three wide action was witnessed in the two rows behind the leaders.At the checkered flag it was Mensching,Haven Jr,Daugherty,Drouhard and Harringer.Mensching and Jeremy Dickerson took the heat wins.
Points leader Sean Rush and Justin Brown somewhat seperated themselves from the rest of the field early in the Mini Stock feature after they started on the front row.Multi time track champion,Dale Beckett and Cody Rinard hooked up for several laps as the raced side by side.Beckett had came from starting sixth and Rinard started the event in seventh spot.Jordan James had been forced to take the green from twelth place and by lap seven had came in a hurry toward the front.Rush was first to the finish line for his fourth win in his Workman Home Improvements sponsored Escort.
Brown finished in the runner up spot with Rinard third,Beckett fourth,and Jordan james fifth.The three heat wins went to Rinard,James and Rush.
Novice Mini Stock action saw Dustin Daugherty get his third winners trophy of the year as he came from his third starting spot to the point on the restart after a first lap crash that he was able to avoid on the back stretch.Steve Foley drove a good solid race and did everything he could to stave off Daugherty charge to the front as Foley was shown as the leader on the first two circuits.As the checkered flag was unfoiled it was Daugherty followed by Foley,Casey Butler,Kevin Wright and last weeks winner Danny Rose.Daugherty and Foley took the two heat wins.
Keith Pavlich led the early laps of the Mini Truck feature before points leader Todd Gallion pulled up beside the leader and those two went at it for a couple of laps before Gallion took the point and got another win making his feature total count at three this year.Pavlich held onto second with Scott Gray getting third,Travis Leyda fourth and Kyle Lashley finishing fifth.
Charlie Dawson got early pressure from John Mager in the Classic Cruiser Finale but withstood the challenge.Dawson is the points leader in the class and rang up his fourth trophy run of the year.Kenny Yarosh was second,Royle Mast third,Mager dropped to fourth and past track champion Mason Radcliff drove to a top five finish.
Lakeville Speedway will present the second leg of The Triple Crown for the Lakeville Late Models with a fourty lap feature on Friday night July,25th.Keep up to speed on all the action on the web at www.lakevillespeedway.com
SUMMARY
Late Models
Heat 1- Clint Coffman, Eric Eicholtz, Kristin Flory, Mike Lonas, John Reasor
Heat 2- J.R. Gentry, Coby Bartrum Jason Flory, Jamey Morey, Benny Lester
Feature- Gentry, Coffman, Lester, Kristin Flory, Eicholtz, Jason Flory, Lonas, Ryan Eddleblute, Bartrum, Matt Irey, Morey, Reasor, Skip McKinney, Chris Sampsel
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