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Mike Leone
CONNEAUT, Ohio (July 25) - The FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series made its first second and final appearance of the season at Ron Nielson's Raceway 7. A season-high 34 cars from all over western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and western New York turned out for race #7 of 11 on a spectacular summer evening.
After coming up just shy in a thrilling duel with Bobby Powell in the last Touring Series event at Expo Speedway on July 10, Mike Pegher, Jr. outdid himself holding off Late Model star Dick Barton for his first career FASTRAK win. Pegher's 25-lap win with just the $3,000 GM 602 engine was worth $1,200 and became the seventh different Touring Series winner in as many races this season!
"Lynn (Geisler) let me bring the car up and if it wasn't him and all the crew and sponsors this would not be possible," explained the Wexford, Pa. former Stock Car standout about his first-year car owner racing himself at Lernerville Speedway. "Dick (Barton) intimated me a little bit and I wasn't sure how far I was ahead of him. I really like FASTRAK as it's a lot of fun and gives me a chance to race Late Models that otherwise I wouldn't be able to."
Pegher started on the outside pole and was able to overtake pole-sitter and Super Late Model racer Bump Hedman for the lead with Bobby Powell and Steve Hollabaugh moving into third and fourth after one lap. The event's first caution came with four laps completed when Bert Blackson got into the frontstretch wall.
When racing resumed on lap five, Powell raced past Hedman for runner-up. The two raced side-by-side on lap six with Powell still able to maintain second. On lap seven, Hedman slipped high in turn two and got freight-trained with Hollabaugh, Dennis Lunger, Jr., and Jay Watson taking third through fifth. Watson, who started 10th, took fourth from Lunger on lap eight. Powell and Hollabaugh began to run down Pegher on lap nine and by lap 11 the top three pulled away from the pack.
Following a restart for Justin Kann, Watson, seventh starting Dick Barton, and 12th starting Tom Snyder, Jr. were able to advance to third through fifth respectively on lap 12. Watson and Barton battled hard for third racing side-by-side on lap 13 and 14 before two cautions slowed action with 14 laps completed.
When green replaced yellow on lap 15, Barton snuck past Watson for third then drove around Powell off turn four that same lap for second. Defending Series champion, Alan Dellinger, has his night come to an end while running sixth with 19 laps in the record books when his mount went up in smoke. One more caution with 20 laps scored would be the final stoppage as the last five laps went green-to-checkered.
On the restart, Barton and Pegher were side-by-side down the frontstretch. Entering turn one, Barton had the advantage on the bottom and maintained it racing into turn two, but Pegher got a great run off the topside of two and blasted by Barton to hold his lead.
Powell and Barton would battle the remaining laps for runner-up as Pegher took the checkered flag first by 0.972 seconds in the Lynn Geisler-owned, #1 Cochran Automotive/Triple-A Auto Sales-sponsored #1C. In just three Touring Series starts this year, Pegher now has a win, a second, and a fourth. Pegher also has a pair of thirds at Tri-City in FASTRAK weekly-sanctioned competition plus three wins at Pennsylvania Motor Speedway and one win at Lernerville Speedway in non-sanctioned events as he leads the region in Walt Wimer's prestigious Cavalcade of Champions points.
Powell nipped Barton at the start-finish line on lap 21, but Barton came back to overtake Powell for second on lap 22. Barton edged Powell by 0.245 seconds to finish second. It was Barton's second runner-up in Touring Series action and fifth top five in the six races he's entered, but has yet to crack victory lane. With John Lacki and Rusty Moore failing to qualify for the feature, Powell jumped from fourth to second in points. After not finishing in four straight events, Lunger came back with his second straight top four finish with a fourth place effort after passing Watson on the final lap. Watson completed the top five.
After a strong run for the first half of the event, Hollabaugh faded to sixth for his best finish of the year. Snyder was seventh. After getting collected in an accident on lap 15, Touring Series point leader Max Blair fought his way back to finish eighth. Dave Osterberg was ninth his second start- both coming at Raceway 7. Scott Jones rounded out the top 10 with his first top 10 of the year.
Winning the heat races were Lunger, Hedman, Hollabaugh, and Watson, while Osterberg and Bob Diver claimed the B mains. The only newcomer to the Touring Series was Tony Hyde, who failed to qualify for the feature in just his second night behind the wheel of a Late Model. Hyde became the 67th different car to compete in the seven events to date this season.
FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series Race #7 (25 laps $1,200 to-win): 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. (Geisler 1C) 2. Dick Barton (Nielson 28B) 3. Bobby Powell (Bidwell B1D) 4. Dennis Lunger, Jr. (17L) 5. Jay Watson (7x) 6. Steve Hollabaugh (3H) 7. Tom Snyder, Jr. (1F) 8. Max Blair (111) 9. Dave Osterberg (43) 10. Scott Jones (Stanke 44) 11. Bob Vogt, Jr. (30) 12. Brian Booher (Hoover 00H) 13. Dave Lyon (14L) 14. Bobby Whitling (7w) 15. Dereck Frank (16*) 16. Bob Diver (23) 17. Bump Hedman (22) 18. Alan Dellinger (Williams 8) 19. Bob Kish (5) 20. Dan Stives (41) 21. Andy Buckley (Robinson 34R) 22. Justin Kann (Powell 100) 23. Jim Frank (14*) 24. Bert Blackson (82) DNQ: Rusty Moore (17M), Jon Law (14), Kevin Meadows (Welsch 49), Chad Myers (01), Bert Cleer (51), Alex Anderson (22x), Tony Hyde (12), Roger French (-1), Mike Lesky (5L), John Lacki (7)
Lap leaders: Pegher (1-25)
Heat winners: Dave Lyon, Bump Hedman, Steve Hollabaugh, Jay Watson
B main winners: Dave Osterberg, Bob Diver
Car count: 34
Next up for the FASTRAK Northeast Touring Series will be race #8 of 11 on Sunday, August 24 at Eriez Speedway just outside of Erie, Pa. in Hammett. The event will pay $1,200 to-win, $150 to-start. Racing begins at 6:00 p.m.
2008 FASTRAK Northeast Touring Series associate sponsors thus far are Race 1, Fame RV Center, Yoder's Performance Specialty & PRC, Bullitt Chassis, and Fred Beans Parts.
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