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Scott Wolfe
STEWART, Ohio (September 19) - The end of a three-day festive weekend honoring racing legend Audie Swartz saw second generation driver Zach Dohm, St. Albans, WV bring home the $5,000 payday in the Late Model portion of the Audie Swartz Memorial Harvest 50. Lockbourne, OH driver Cole Duncan, aboard the Danny Smith #4 claimed the Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association A-main for 410 Sprint Cars, and Rob Stambaugh, Sunbury, Ohio claimed the Road Warrior Challenge race for AMRA Modifieds. Randy Wise came from last to first to claim the Four Cylinder Pea Picker race.
Late Model fast timer Zach Dohm and veteran Jeff Burdette paced the18-car field to the start of the Harvest 50. Dohm showed his dominance as he stretched it out to a half straight lead by lap three. By lap nine Dohm encountered his first lapped traffic. Dohm entered turn one as Burdette exited four at that juncture of the race. The first caution was for Hot Rod Conley, whistled for a spin in turn three on lap eleven.
After the restart Rick Aukland began a charge into second ahead of the father-son duo of Jeff and Colten Burdette. Michael Howard, West Liberty, KY and Tim Dohm moved into a fight for the top four with the younger Burdette as the race approached the midpoint. The field charged on like a high horsepower freight train with the groove of choice near the bottom of the fast rubber-clad track.
As Dohm again got into lapped traffic, Aukland cut the lead in half. On the 23rd circuit, Rod Conley, Larry Bond, and Chris Carpenter all made contact leaving Conley atop the #18 of Carpenter. As Howard moved into fourth, Dan Morrison, Eddie Carrier, and Doug Drown all fought for the top five.
Dohm, meanwhile, fired his tires well on the restart and once again stretched out a sizeable lead. Dohm again encountered lapped traffic and by lap 40 Aukland staged a run at the top spot. The break Dohm needed make have come when Tyler Carpenter hooked a uke tire and slammed into the backchute wall.
Dohm's Wolfpack Rocket/Vic Hill Powered/Seymour Logging #17 flexed its muscle in the last ten circuits, leaving Aukland to finish a distant second and Burdette and Howard to fight it out for third. Carrier worked hard to pass Morrison for a top five, but the local favorite held off the challenges for a top five. Rounding out the top ten were Zach Dohm, Rick Aukland, Jeff Burdette, Michael Howard, Dan Morrison, Eddie Carrier, Doug Drown, Wayne Moffitt, Jr., Chris Carpenter, and Audie Swartz.
When asked what the key to the win was, Dohm said in victory lane, "Tires." What kind? "Can't tell ya," laughed Dohm. "Just a hard compound. Actually, we have struggled on dry slick tracks, and we've got out-run here several times. We just kept working at it and when we got here we were close (on the set-up). I am just really happy to get this win here tonight. It means a lot to all of us." The race was the talented youngster's first Skyline win.
Second place Rick Aukland said, "We needed a little luck and some help in traffic. Maybe a little different compound on tires. Zach was just tough tonight and hard to catch. We're happy with our run from seventh to second."
Third place Jeff Burdette said, "I was pretty good early, but just didn't have enough at the end. Rick (Aukland) and Zach (Dohm) were just in a different zone. I am tickled to finish third."
Showing that some passing was going on back in the pack, Wayne Moffitt, Jr. was the hard charger of the race in a charge from 18th to eighth.
Late Model Summary
Bill Milhoan/C&S Racing Fast Time: Zach Dohm 13:30
Heat One: Zach Dohm, Dan Morrison, Greg Oliver, Tyler Carpenter, Chris Carpenter, Freddie Carpenter, Delmas Conley, Tony Roush, K.C. Burdette
Heat Two: Jeff Burdette, Michael Howard, Eddie Carrier, Corey Conley, Jeff Wood, Greg Mitchell, Jake Curnutte, Justin Powell, Nick Corbitt
Heat Three: Colten Burdette, Rick Auckland, Rod Conley, Larry Bond, Bub Crum, George Klintworth, Josh McGuire, Steve Bigley
Heat Four: Doug Drown, Tim Dohm, Andy Bond, Audie Swartz, Wayne Moffitt, Jr., Roy Roush, Travis Brookover, Ralph Withem
B-Main One: Tyler Carpenter, Chris Carpenter, Freddie Carpenter, Greg Mitchell, Jeff Wood, Delmas Conley, Justin Powell, Jake Curnutte, Nick Corbitt, K.C. Burdette, Corey Conley, Tony Roush
B-Main Two: Larry Bond, Audie Swartz, Wayne Moffitt, Jr., Josh McGuire, Roy Roush, Travis Brookover, Ralph Withem, Bub Crum, George Klintworth, Steve Bigley
Audie Swartz Memorial Harvest 50 Feature: Zach Dohm, Rick Aukland, Jeff Burdette, Michael Howard, Dan Morrison, Eddie Carrier, Doug Drown, Wayne Moffitt, Jr., Chris Carpenter, Audie Swartz, Freddie Carpenter, Tyler Carpenter, Larry Bond, Colten Burdette, Greg Oliver, Tim Dohm, Rod Conley, Andy Bond
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