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Mike Leone
MERCER, Penn. (October 3) - The FASTRAK Late Model Grand Nationals kicked off Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park for Night 1 for the Northeast Region. Twenty-two of the 50 eligible racers from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and West Virginia participated with dreams big paydays in three weeks at Nights 2 and 3.
Mike Pegher, Jr. will be heading south a whole lot happier than he was last year at this time. Pegher opened the FASTRK Late Model Grand Nationals with a victory in Night 1 of 3 collecting $2,000 for his efforts in the 30-lap feature. Pegher will be tied for the lead in the $30,000 championship that will conclude in three weeks at Volunteer Speedway in Tennessee and Wythe Raceway in Virginia.
"This is a lot better than where we were last year," explained the 23-year-old Wexford, Pa. standout. "We got 19th here last year so hopefully we can pull it off this year. The track was a little rough tonight, but it wasn't too bad. I wouldn't want to go anymore laps with those guys (Mike Blose and Max Blair) behind me. I kept watching the scoreboard. I saw Max coming up and I was kind of surprised Mike was back up there in the top five."
The race got off to a rough start when three cautions plagued the early going before a single lap was completed. That all changed though on the fourth try as the next 19 laps spun off without a caution. Pegher raced by pole-sitter Dennis Lunger, Jr. for the lead. Sixteen-year-old Bud Watson, who has been impressive all season, got under Lunger for second racing out of turn four on lap four.
Pegher caught lapped traffic on lap eight, but was able to negotiate it just fine as he continued to maintain a comfortable lead. Blair, who started ninth, was making his way forward as he grabbed third from Lunger on lap 12. Pegher was in heavy traffic on lap 18 as he went three-wide with the West Virginia cars of Joel Prosser and Gary Knollinger. Pegher was able to get by them before Knollinger spun to bring out the caution with 19 laps completed.
When racing resumed, Blair made the move on Watson for second and began his march to catch Pegher. Blair closed on Pegher on lap 22. Meanwhile, the man on the move was Blose. After starting fourth and getting tangled up with Tom Snyder, Jr. at the beginning of the race, Blose was making his way to the front after restarting on the tail. Blose cracked the top five on lap 23 when he passed Dan Angelicchio then went to the outside of Lunger to take the spot on lap 25. Blose was catching Watson for third when Watson slowed to bring out the event's final caution with 27 laps in the record books.
It was a classic duel in the final three-lap shootout between three of the nation's best FASTRAK drivers. Blair and Blose were trying everything using every inch of the track. Blose got a great run off the outside of turn four on the final lap to sneak by Blair at the finish to nab runner-up. Pegher though had just enough to hold on for his division-leading sixth win of the season at Mercer and 16th overall in FASTRAK competition in 2009 in the Lynn Geisler-owned, Cochran Automotive/Triple-S Auto Sales/MonaVie-sponsored #1c. It was also Pegher's 16th career Mercer win.
Lunger held on for fourth with David Scott coming back to get fifth after getting caught up in an early race accident that saw him pit and restart on the tail. Butch Lambert started 16th then also had to come from the back after an early incident to place sixth. Brothers and rookie racers Bryan and Chris Force placed seventh and eighth respectively. Carl McKinney came from 20th to place ninth over John Watson. Heat winners were Blair, Bryan Salisbury, and Watson over the 22-car field. Scott set a new FASTRAK standard in qualifying with a lap of 17.065 blowing away last year's mark of 17.594 set by Bobby Powell.
FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Grand Nationals (30 laps, $2,000 to-win): 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. (Geisler 1c) 2. Mike Blose (5) 3. Max Blair (111) 4. Dennis Lunger, Jr. (Schwartz 17L) 5. David Scott (Powell 100) 6. Butch Lambert (27) 7. Bryan Force (69) 8. Chris Force (68) 9. Carl McKinney (6M) 10. John Watson (Horton 48) 11. Steve Hollabaugh (3H) 12. Troy Shields (11) 13. Joel Prosser (77) 14. Bud Watson (2) 15. Dan Angelicchio (14) 16. Brian Booher (Hoover 00H) 17. Gary Knollinger (38K) 18. Jamie Brown (135) 19. Mike Laughard (38L) 20. Tom Snyder, Jr. (1F) 21. Bryan Salisbury (26) 22. Joe Martin (55).
Lap leaders: Pegher (1-30)
Heat winners: Blair, Salisbury, Watson
Fast qualifier: Scott 17.065
Car count: 22
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