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Challenger Raceway
INDIANA, Penn. (October 9) - Billy Drake from Bloomington, IL was the winner of Mega-Blitz 2008 at the Challenger Raceway on Thursday night. Picking up where he left off after winning The Ultimate a year ago, Drake took the lead from Dick Barton on lap 34 and led the final seven laps of the 41-lap event sanctioned by the Unified Force Championship Tour.
In preliminary action, the 71-car field was divided into eight qualifying heats. Billy Drake took the win in Heat 1, after starting fourth. Dan Stone won Heat 2 from the pole. Jimmy Mars won Heat 3 from fourth. Josh Richards and Chub Frank won Heats 4 and 5 from the pole. Heat 6 went to Jason Covert from fifth at the start, with Steve Francis winning Heat 7 from third. UFo Series point leader Alex Ferree capped heat action winning Heat 8, setting the top 16 of the grid.
In the redraw for the top 16 starting positions, Heat 1 winner Drake drew for all of the drivers. Jared Hawkins and Jimmy Mars could thank Drake for the front row positions. Four B-Mains set the field, won by Steve Everhart, Jim Yoder, Dave Hess, Jr., and Russell King.
At the drop of the green flag for the 41-lap Mega-Blitz, Jimmy Mars moved into the early lead with Jared Hawkins, Billy Drake, Chub Frank, and Pat Doar in pursuit. Lap 2 saw the first caution period, for a spinning Jackie Boggs. Mars continued to lead on the restart, with second running Hawkins suffering suspension damage that ended his race with a lap 3 caution. Mars continued to show the way, with tenth starting Dick Barton battling Drake for second. Frank and Jason Covert settled into fourth and fifth, as the red flag appeared on lap 7 for a tangle that saw Gregg Satterlee's car ending up on his roof.
At lap 8 it was Mars leading Barton, Frank, Drake, and Keith Barbara. A lap 10 caution shuffled the deck again with a double file restart, with Mars leading Frank, Barton, Drake, and Jason Covert. The top five stayed the same until a lap 16 restart, where Barton took second from Frank. On lap 20, Drake powered from fifth to third, passing Covert and Frank. When a tangle in turn two created another caution, this restart would change the complex of the race, as leader Mars slowed with mechanical problems that forced him from the event at lap 21.
Barton inherited the lead at this point, leading over Frank, Drake, Covert, and Doug Horton. Drake passed Frank for second on lap 23, with Barton enjoying a few car length advantage. That was wiped out with a lap 27 caution for Horton, who stopped with rear suspension damage. Rob Blair moved to fifth, but he stopped for the final caution of the event at lap 30.
Barton led when racing resumed, as he worked the outside groove. Drake moved up to challenge on the inside, and the two drivers locked into a side-by-side war for the lead. It was Barton by inches at the line up until lap 33, when Barton's car twitched off of turn four. That allowed Drake to take the lead for the first time as lap 34 was scored. Barton stayed within a car length, until he pushed high in turn two on lap 37. That allowed Drake to ease out to a comfortable advantage, which he held to the finish.
Barton held on for a close second, ahead of Covert, Frank, and Mike Knight. UFo Series point leader Alex Ferree was sixth as he inched closer to wrapping up the inaugural UFo Series title. Dave Hess, Jr., Barbara, Shawn McGarvey, and Steve Everhart rounded out the top ten.
Shawn McGarvey was the Pass-Maximum Award winner, advancing 16 positions in the main event from 25th starting position to finish ninth, and earned a UFo Contingency Connection award. Jared Miley and Mike Johnson also earned awards. Each winner will receive product certificate awards depending on the number of products for which a driver is registered and eligible out of the 75+ product sponsors. A driver eligible for 20 products will receive $500 in awards.
The UFo Race Championship Tour presented by Comcast concludes their inaugural season tonight and Saturday, again at the Challenger Raceway. The 91-lap main event on Saturday will pay $22,000 to the winner, and will be taped by Comcast to be televised at a later date.
Unified Force Championship Tour presented by Comcast Super Late Model results for the Challenger Raceway for Thursday, October 9, 2008.
Car count - 71.
Feature - with finish, start, car, driver, and hometown
1, 4, 9, Billy Drake, Bloomington, IL
2, 10, 28B, Dick Barton, Ashville, NY
3, 7, 43A, Jason Covert, York Haven
4, 6, 1*, Chub Frank, Bear Lake
5, 15, 9K, Mike Knight, Ripley, NY
6, 9, 4, Alex Ferree, Saxonburg
7, 19, 44, Dave Hess, Jr., Waterford
8, 12, 17, Keith Barbara, South Park
9, 25, 8H, Shawn McGarvey, Coalport
10, 17, 15E, Steve Everhart, Hollidaysburg
11, 24, W11, Rob Blair, Titusville
12, 26, 84, Rodney Sweitzer, Stoystown
13, 22, 46, Doug Horton, Bruceton Mills, WV
14, 2, 28M, Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, WI
15, 3, 28X, Pat Doar, New Richmond, WI
16, 13, 4B, Jackie Boggs, Grayson, KY
17, 18, 27Y, Jim Yoder, Selinsgrove
18, 20, 56, Russell King, Bristolville, OH
19, 11, 25, Josh Richards, Shinston, WV
20, 16, 24, Jeremy Miller, Gettysburg
21, 14, 19, Steve Francis, Ashland, KY
22, 5, 2S, Sam Stile, Charleroi
23, 21, 22, Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills
24, 23, 42, Todd Andrews, Eldred
25, 1, 37, Jared Hawkins, Fairmont, WV
26, 8, 21D, Dan Stone, Thompson
Feature Lead Changes - 2.
Mars 1-20
Barton 21-33
Drake 34-41.
Heat 1 - (top 2 transfer from all) - 1, Billy Drake. 2, Dick Barton. 3, Gregg Satterlee. 4, Jared Miley. 5, Boom Briggs. 6, Steve Casebolt. 7, Mel Minnick, Jr. 8, Darrell Dick. 9, Tom Decker, Jr.
Heat 2 - 1, Dan Stone. 2, Mike Knight. 3, Greg Oakes. 4, Steve Everhart. 5, Brian Ruhlman. 6, Denton Boyer. 7, Matt Dobnak. 8, Jack Thornton. 9, Tom Bateman.
Heat 3 - 1, Jimmy Mars. 2, Jeremy Miller. 3, Jim Yoder. 4, Doug Horton. 5, Rodney Sweitzer. 6, Jeff Rine. 7, Davey Johnson. 8, Darrell Bossard. 9, Jim Lepro.
Heat 4 - 1, Josh Richards. 2, Sam Stile. 3, Gary Lyle. 4, John Mollick. 5, Corey Conley. 6, Steve Baker. 7, George LaBarbera. 8, Clate Copeman. 9, Mike Blose.
Heat 5 - 1, Chub Frank. 2, Jared Hawkins. 3, Chad Valone. 4, Todd Andrews. 5, Matt Lux. 6, Shawn McGarvey. 7, Chris Hackett. 8, Mickey Wright. 9, Greg Fetters.
Heat 6 - 1, Jason Covert. 2, Pat Doar. 3, Dave Hess, Jr. 4, Bernie Whiteford. 5, Greg Hauger. 6, Rod Jones. 7, Dan Maxim. 8, Jake Shady. DNS, Jason DuPont.
Heat 7 - 1, Steve Francis. 2, Jackie Boggs. 3, Russell King. 4, Jeep Van Wormer. 5, Rob Blair. 6, Doug Eck. 7, Bobby Stokes. 8, Bob Close. 9, Jim Kurpakus.
Heat 8 - 1, Alex Ferree. 2, Keith Barbara. 3, Kirk Bradley. 4, Mike Johnson. 5, Tim Dohm. 6, Dave Satterlee. 7, Rich Gardner. 8, Darrin "D.J." Miller.
B-Main 1 - (top 2 transfer from all) - 1, Steve Everhart. 2, Gregg Satterlee. 3, Greg Oakes. 4, Boom Briggs. 5, Denton Boyer. 6, Brian Ruhlman. 7, Darrell Dick. 8, Jared Miley. 9, Mel Minnick, Jr. 10, Jack Thornton. 11, Steve Casebolt. 12, Tom Bateman. 13, Matt Dobnak. DNS, Tom Decker, Jr.
B-Main 2 - 1, Jim Yoder. 2, Doug Horton. 3, Jeff Rine. 4, Gary Lyle. 5, John Mollick. 6, Clate Copeman. 7, Rodney Sweitzer. 8, Steve Baker. 9, Darrell Bossard. 10, Corey Conley. 11, Mike Blose. 12, George LaBarbera. 13, Jim Lepro. DNS, Davey Johnson.
B-Main 3 - 1, Dave Hess, Jr. 2, Todd Andrews. 3, Matt Lux. 4, Chad Valone. 5, Shawn McGarvey. 6, Mickey Wright. 7, Greg Fetters. 8, Greg Hauger. 9, Dan Maxim. 10, Chris Hackett. 11, Bernie Whiteford. 12, Rod Jones. 13, Jason DuPont. DNS, Jake Shady.
B-Main 4 - 1, Russell King. 2, Rob Blair. 3, Jeep Van Wormer. 4, Kirk Bradley. 5, Bob Close. 6, Bobby Stokes. 7, Rich Gardner. 8, Doug Eck. 9, Jim Kurpakus. 10, Darrin "D.J." Miller. 11, Tim Dohm. 12, Mike Johnson. DNS, Dave Satterlee.
Did not qualify - 0, Steve Baker, Fairmont, WV. 00, Dan Maxim, Erie, PA. 1, Rich Gardner, Waterford, PA. H1, Jared Miley, South Park, PA. 1J, Davey Johnson, Latrobe, PA. M1, Mickey Wright, Albion, PA. 2, Jeff Rine, Danville, PA. 2J, Mike Johnson, Imperial, PA. T2, Greg Hauger, Uniontown, PA. 2V, Chad Valone, Warren, PA. 03, Doug Eck, Corry, PA. 04, Bob Close, Eldred, PA. 4J, John Mollick, Toronto, OH. 5, Mike Blose, Dayton, PA. 5B, Kirk Bradley, Great Valley, NY. 6, Jim Lepro, Midway, PA. 6T, Tim Dohm, Cross Lanes, WV. NO7, Jason DuPont, Cyclone, PA. C9, Steve Casebolt, Richmond, IN. 10, Gary Lyle, Hyde Park, PA. 14, Corey Conley, Wellsburg, WV. 21, Matt Lux, Franklin, PA. 22B, Darrell Bossard, Centerville, PA. 22X, Greg Oakes, Franklinville, NY. 26G, George LaBarbera, Sugar Grove, PA. 27, Bobby Stokes, Milton, PA. 27J, Jack Thornton, Lewistown, PA. 28C, Clate Copeman, Greensburg, PA. 32, Tom Bateman, Scott Twp., PA. 33, Chris Hackett, Erie, PA. 33, Bernie Whiteford, Hastings, PA. 39, Greg Fetters, Bedford, PA. D42, Matt Dobnak, West Mifflin, PA. 43, Tom Decker, Jr., Bellwood, PA. 49, Brian Ruhlman, Clarklake, MI. 55, Jeep Van Wormer, Pinconning, MI. 55B, Jake Shady, Beech Creek, PA. 56, Denton Boyer, Punxsutawney, PA. 67, Rod Jones, West Middlesex, PA. 72, Jim Kurpakus, Leechburg, PA. 75, Mel Minnick, Jr., Uniontown, PA. 79, Dave Satterlee, Rochester Mills, PA.81M, D.J. Miller, Hookstown, PA. 94, Darrell Dick, Fishertown, PA. 99B, Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA.
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