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Mike Leone
FRANKLIN, Penn. (July 18) - The FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series made their first of two appearances of the 2010 season to Tri-City Speedway on Sunday night for race #10 of 20 on the 2010 slate. The event, which was completed just before thunderstorms rolled into Venango County, drew 30 teams from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and West Virginia.
Defending FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series Champion David Scott collected his first victory of the season after a stirring battle between Mike Pegher, Jr. and Robbie Blair in lapped traffic ended when Blair spun Pegher with two laps to go. Scott then held off Dan Angelicchio in a wild two-lap shootout to the finish to become the seventh different winner in 10 events this season!
"It's a lot better to be lucky than good," expressed the Garland, Pa. driver after capturing the 25-lap $1,200 to-win event. "Those two wrecked each other and I'll take it. We've had a couple wins taken from us for small details in the past; they weren't performance enhancing deals, but that's the way it goes. We have struggled all year to get a hold of these new tires, and we have not run well. I have to thank John and Janet Powell. I just wish they'd win the lottery- we have a lot of fun!"
After the last three Touring Series events at Tri-City went non-stop, Sunday's event got off to a slow start with two cautions in the first lap; however, the next 22 laps would go green until the Blair-Pegher incident. Scott took off around Jim Frank on the opening lap with fourth starting Pegher passing Chad Myers and Frank for second.
Following a restart for Joe Martin's spin, Pegher used the outside to get around Scott in turns one and two to grab the lead. Fifth starting Kyle Lukon and 11th starting Robbie Blair both passed Frank on laps two and three for third and fourth respectively. Blair was fast on the bottom of the race track as he continued to work his way to the front. Blair raced side-by-side with Scott between laps six through eight with Blair edging ahead on laps seven and eight.
By the time Blair cleared Scott, Pegher had a straightaway lead built up. Pegher caught lapped traffic on lap 12 and was in heavy traffic on laps 13-15 allowing Blair to close in a hurry. Pegher went high on lap 17 to try to get around the lapped cars, while Blair continued to run the bottom. Pegher made a great move and was able to stretch out his lead.
On lap 20 Pegher caught Martin, who was trying to make his way back forward after his early spin. Pegher struggled to get around Martin allowing Blair to close back in on laps 21 and 22. Pegher went to the outside of Martin on lap 23, while Blair tried to work under the duo. It was three-wide for the lead with Pegher maintaining his lead on lap 23. Entering turn one on lap 24, Blair got into the back of Pegher sending the leader spinning.
Blair was charged with rough driving and Pegher was sent pit side for unsportsmanlike conduct under caution. When the dust cleared, Scott reemerged as the leader with last year's "Oil Region Labor Day Classic" winner, Jim Frank alongside. When green replaced yellow, Frank had a poor restart allowing Lukon to pass both Angelicchio and Frank for second on lap 24.
With the white flag waving, a blanket could have covered the top five cars racing for the win. Angelicchio made a great move to duck under Lukon for second and made a bonsai run at Scott in turn four. Scott though had enough momentum off the top to carry him down the frontstretch and to the checkered flag to beat Angelicchio by 0.315 seconds.
For Scott, his fourth career Northeast Touring Series win moved him into a four-way tie for third place on the all-time win list with Dick Barton, Bobby Powell, and John Lacki. The win was also Scott's fourth career in FASTRAK competition at Tri-City in the John and Janet Powell-owned, Bullitt Chassis/Countertop Solutions/Integra Shock/DMB Graphics-sponsored #100.
Angelicchio's runner-up matched his career best second place Touring Series effort in the $5,000 to-win National Event on June 19 at McKean County Raceway and was his fifth top 10 in seven Northeast Touring Series starts in 2010. Lukon made his first ever Tri-City start a successful one and captured his career best Northeast Touring Series finish in third. Butch Lambert turned in another solid run coming from 11th to place fourth for his fourth top four finish of the season. After getting caught up in an accident on the opening lap, Touring Series point leader Max Blair charged from the tail to finish fifth to salvage his night and extended his point lead over Pegher.
Frank dropped four spots in the final two laps for a disappointing sixth place finish. After a slow start to the season, Bud Watson turned in his fourth top eight finish in the past six events with a seventh place run. Steve Dixon worked his way from the 20th starting spot to finish eighth. Bobby Whitling improved on his 16th starting spot to finish ninth for his second straight top nine finish. David Scott's son Kyle finished 10th in his first start in the Bill Law #14.
Just two of the six non-qualifiers started the "Wheelman" Bonus Event. Dan Karalagas of Pittsburgh, Pa. passed Justin Kreider on lap two and went on to win the four-lap shortened event. Karalagas picked up $125 for his winning efforts in the Dave Smith Chevrolet/Rocket Chassis #G1. Karalagas is now tied with Lambert, who won the West Virginia Motor Speedway bonus event one week ago, atop the new "Wheelman Challenge Series" standings.
Heat winners were Pegher, Max Blair, and Lambert, while Broniszewski captured the B main in his first career Touring Series start.
FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series Race #10 (25 laps, $1,200 to-win): 1. DAVID SCOTT (Powell 100) 2. Dan Angelicchio (14) 3. Kyle Lukon (1) 4. Butch Lambert (27) 5. Max Blair (111) 6. Jim Frank (14*) 7. Bud Watson (2) 8. Steve Dixon (50) 9. Bobby Whitling (7W) 10. Kyle Scott (Law 14) 11. Brent Rhebergen (Suppa 7B) 12. Gary Knollinger (38K) 13. Joe Martin (55) 14. Troy Shields (11) 15. Damian Bidwell (1/2-Pt) 16. Chris Angelicchio (4) 17. Jeff Broniszewski (08) 18. Colton Flinner (75) 19. Garrett Mott (43X) 20. Chad Myers (01) 21. Robbie Blair (W11) 22. Josh Holtgraver (00) 23. Kyle Zimmerman (z17) 24. Mike Pegher, Jr. (Geisler 1c).
Bonus Non-Qualifier Event (4 laps, $125 to-win): 1. Dan Karalagas (G1) 2. Justin Kreider (29) 3. Andrew Wylie (84)-DNS 4. Dwayne Pond (Bidwell B1D)-DNS DNQ: Jamie Brown (135), Mike Blose (5).
Heat winners: Pegher, Max Blair, Lambert
B main winner: Broniszewski
Lap leaders: Scott (1, 24-25), Pegher (2-23)
Car count: 30
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