|
Mike Leone
CONNEAUT, Ohio (August 13) - The FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series made their first and only appearance of the 2010 season at Raceway 7 on Friday night for race #14 of 20 on the 2010 slate. A total of 31 cars from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and West Virginia made the trip for the sixth ever Touring Series event held at the Conneaut, Ohio oval now under the new management of brothers Dan and Percy McDonald.
Max Blair entered Friday night as a FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series winner at six different speedways, but never at the track has he called home on Friday nights, where he has won at unprecedented eight features in nine starts in 2010. Blair also began the night as not only the Raceway 7 point leader, but also the FASTRAK National Weekly Series leader and the Northeast Touring Series point leader.
Blair added to all categories following Friday night's event after capturing the 25-lap feature win to go back ahead of Mike Pegher, Jr. as the all-time Touring Series winner with eight victories. The $1,200 victory was his third on the Touring Series in 2010, but ended somewhat of a dry spell for the Centerville, Pa. driver as it was his first since seven races ago at Expo Speedway on June 30.
"I love this place," exclaimed the 20-year driver, who just returned earlier in the day from competing with the All Star Super Late Model in Canada where he recorded two top six place efforts in his father Rob's back-up car. "I wish we could race here three nights a week. The car was perfect. You have to be on top of your game and can't make any mistakes when you have drivers like (Mark) Banal and (Mike) Pegher up there. I could hardly win a race here before this season let alone a championship. Whenever dad is with me I run better- without him I couldn't do any of this."
After drawing a number two pill for the night's initial draw and a number two for the top 12 redraw, Bud Watson was hoping his #2 car could propel him to at least a runner-up or his career first Touring Series win as he raced ahead of veteran standout Late Model chauffeur Mark Banal on the start. Banal challenged Watson on lap two as the duo raced side-by-side before a caution for a spin by Dan Karalagas with two laps completed.
When racing resumed, it was three-wide for the lead racing off turn two with Banal moving to the lead and fifth starting Blair to second. Dave Airgood, Jr. dropped Watson back another spot when he took over third on lap four. Eighth starting Mike Pegher, Jr. grabbed fourth from Watson on lap five.
Back up front, Blair was pressuring Banal as the two ran side-by-side for the lead on laps six and seven. Blair would make the winning move shooting under and past Banal in turns three and four on lap seven. Blair opened up a slight advantage as the battle raged for second on lap eight with Banal trying to hold off Airgood and Pegher.
On lap 11, Banal, Airgood, and Pegher were three-wide down the backstretch with Airgood moving into runner-up with a great move in turn four. Banal and Pegher then went at it over the next few laps with Pegher getting by going down the backstretch on lap 14.
A caution for debris slowed the event for the final time with 19 laps scored as the last six-lap shootout went green-to-checkered. Banal would regain third on the restart dropping Pegher back to fourth. Airgood and Banal would stay within striking distance of Blair in the final five laps, but Blair was too strong as his Specialty Products/4 Your Car Connection/Moody & Son Welding/Bossard's Sales & Service-sponsored #111 powered on to the victory. After Pegher had chewed into Blair's Touring Series point lead over the past several weeks, Blair was able to increase that on Friday night to a 40-point advantage with six events remaining.
The story of the night was Airgood. The West Middlesex, Pa. driver entered the night with just six career Northeast Touring Series starts over three years of competition never finishing better than 16th. Airgood started his career off in the Strictly Stock division at Mercer Raceway Park where he garnered five feature wins and a third place in points in 2006. Airgood has steadily improved since starting his FASTRAK Late Model career in 2008 especially this season at Raceway 7 where he has two third place finishes and a fourth place to go along with a third place finish at Mercer in weekly competition. Those strong runs propelled him a great run on Friday night as he took the checkered flag in the runner-up position. Airgood is one of the few in the area that campaigns a Swartz chassis.
Banal made his third Touring Series start driving Bob Williams' #8 and brought it home in third for his best effort. Pegher was fourth fighting a loose handling race car. John Volpe was behind the wheel of Scott Bidwell's #B1D for the first time on the Touring Series and put in a strong effort charging from the 13th starting spot to finish fifth. Watson dropped to sixth over Billy Henry, Gary Knollinger, 18th starting Butch Lambert, and 16th starting Kyle Zimmerman.
Jason Genco has missed out on transferring to the feature event by one position the last two times he has competed with Northeast Touring Series, but redeemed himself by winning the non-qualifiers event for the second straight time. The Jamestown, New York driver led all six laps and earned $125 as part of the new "Wheelman" Bonus Event Challenge Series, which came in his Jamestown Heating & Air/Auto Credit/Kia of Jamestown & Belview/Phil Shaw Race Carbs-sponsored #29J. Bob Diver had advanced from fifth to second, but slowed on lap four allowing 16-year-old Chad Wright to get back by to finish second. Jim Long, "Wheelman" point leader Justin Kreider, and Diver completed the finishing order.
Blair, John Haggerty, Pegher, and Michael Mitchell won the heat races, while Shane Bambarger won the B main.
FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series Race #14 (25 laps, $1,200 to-win): 1. MAX BLAIR (111) 2. Dave Airgood, Jr. (42JR) 3. Mark Banal (Williams 8) 4. Mike Pegher, Jr. (Geisler 1c) 5. John Volpe (Bidwell B1D) 6. Bud Watson (2) 7. Billy Henry (21*) 8. Gary Knollinger (38K) 9. Butch Lambert (27) 10. Kyle Zimmerman (z17) 11. John Haggerty (49) 12. Michael Mitchell (19) 13. Josh Holtgraver (00) 14. Steve Dixon (50) 15. Shane Bambarger (68B) 16. Rich Gardner (Law 7) 17. Josh Double (38) 18. Kevin Decker (07) 19. Ben Black (27B) 20. Newt Tackett (68T) 21. Bill Cunningham (59) 22. Billy Cunningham (44c) 23. Bob Dorman (19) 24. Dan Karalagas (G1).
Non-Qualifiers Bonus Event (6 laps, $125 to-win): 1. JASON GENCO (29J) 2. Chad Wright (6) 3. Jim Long (71) 4. Justin Kreider (29) 5. Bob Diver (23) 6. Jamie Brown (135)-DNS DNQ: Bob Vogt, Jr. (30)
Heat winners: Blair, Haggerty, Pegher, Mitchell
B main winner: Bambarger
Lap leaders: Watson (1-2), Banal (3-6), Blair (7-25)
Car count: 31
The FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series will resume action next Saturday, August 14 at Woodhull Speedway in Woodhull, NY for the first time ever. Event #15 will pay $1,500 to-win.
|
