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Hagerstown Speedway
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (April 2) - For the first time since August 2009, it was Miller Time during Saturday evening's brisk opening event at Hagerstown Speedway. Jeremy Miller of Littlestown, Pa. chased defending season opening race winner and World of Outlaw Late Model champion for 24 circuits before using lapped traffic to charge around him and head to the checkered with 1.69 seconds and two lapped cars to spare. It was Miller's career 28th triumph which tied him for ninth on the all time late model win record.
"If you're the leader and it's happened to me before, you have all the wrong places to go," Miller said. "You have everything to lose and the guy in second has everything to gain and that's what happened here. Josh is definitely one of the best. Even when I was out there running second, I wanted to beat him, but if I'd finished second to him, that would have been an awesome run for us."
With a heads up start, Richards sped into the first turn but Miller stayed with him as they immediately pulled away from Alan Sagi and began closing on the rear cars by the seventh circuit. Richards had passed one car before the yellow was displayed and on the restart, Miller didn't let him escape as they again opened nearly three seconds over Sagi, Jerry Bard and Tyler Hershey.
Following a lap 15 yellow, Miller still remained on Richards' rear bumper as they closed on the rear of the field on the 23rd circuit and Richards got past the first with several looming ahead. When Richards remained low into the third turn, Miller seized the opportunity to head around the outside and take the spot to speed to the checkered.
"I want to dedicate this to mom," Miller said. "She's had some rough times over the winter but looks great now. We're hoping for the best for her and also my wife Julie. We found out a couple months ago she's expecting."
"This is a brand new car out of the box. I put more effort into this car than probably when I built my street stocks. It was a lot of hard work. There isn't a piece on this thing that I didn't have a hand in."
Richards took the runner up position with Sagi, Bard and Roy Deese Jr, finishing fifth after getting past Hershey with three to go. Hershey, Duane Harbaugh, Jamie Lathroum, Denny Bonebrake and Nick Dickson completed the top ten. Heat winners were Richards, Miller, Hershey and Sagi.
Late Models, 25 laps, 27 entries,
(Lap Leaders - Josh Richards 1-23, Jeremy Miller 24 -25)
1.Jeremy Miller; 2.Josh Richards; 3.Alan Sagi; 4.Jerry Bard; 5.Roy Deese Jr.; 6.Tyler Hershey; 7.Duane Harbaugh; 8.Jamie Lathroum; 9.Denny Bonebrake; 10.Nick Dickson; 11.Marvin Winters; 12.Frankie Plessinger; 13.Keith Jackson; 14.Jim Bernheisel; 15.Darryl Hills; 16.Brent Smith; 17.Kyle Lear; 18.Tim Murphy; 19.Lindsay Barton; 20.Matt Murphy; 21.Tom Decker Jr.; 22.Phil Potts; 23.Wes Bonebrake; 24.Ashley Barrett, DNS - Steve Gibney, Larry Baker, Chad McClellan
Defending Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic late model champion Pete Weaver of nearby Williamsport was victorious while Chambersburg, Pa.'s Steve Lowery collected his career second win in the Ernie D's pure stocks. Kenny Thomas of Greencastle, Pa. was the inaugural winner of the new hobby stock cruiser division.
Weaver raced 13 laps with 2006 to 2009 champion Andy Fries on his bumper, alongside or in front of him for one lap to exit turn four with Fries still alongside as Weaver picked up his career 18th win by less than six feet to move him to fourth on the all time winners list. Lowery moved into contention before the halfway mark and seized the lead on the tenth circuit to continue on for a three foot victory over Eddie McClellan. A five time enduro winner, Thomas got past Brandon Churchey with three circuits to go and won by less than a length.
Following the season opening cancellation the previous weekend, Miller, Weaver, Lowery and Churchey are now atop the Miller Light Race for the Championship Point Fund standings.
Weaver was quick on the throttle at the start to beat Paul Cursey into the first turns but then Fries moved into second on lap five and following a lap seven restart, Fries was not allowing Weaver any room for error. The two gave third runner Terry Flaherty a show as Fries kept up his assault until taking the lead on lap 13, only to have Weaver wheel his racer back past and hold on until the finish.
"I want to thank Andy for racing me clean," Weaver said. "I knew he was there. I kinda snoozed there and he got up beside me so I had to get back up on the wheel. We're glad to pull this one off."
Flaherty ended third with Scott Palmer and Weaver's son Justin, finishing fifth. Cody Lear came from 17th to sixth to collect the Checkered Flag Lube/St. Thomas Towing hard charger award. Heat winners were Cursey and Weaver.
Stouffer Jr. pulled ahead of Darrin Younker on the start while fifth starting Lowery took the runner up position on the fourth lap and began challenging Stouffer. Lowery finally cleared Stouffer on lap ten and then had to fend off the charge of Eddie McClellan for the final four circuits to score the win by three feet. Stouffer was third with Kenny Dillon and Drew Fitzsimmons next. Heats went to Stouffer and Younker.
The inaugural hobby stock cruiser feature saw Brandon Churchey pull out front in the non-stop event while pole setter Thomas had to run him down. Making the pass to lead the ninth lap, he continued on for the win while Mark Vegh and Krazy Kenny Thomas ended in the next positions when Churchey was disqualified following post race inspection.
Next Saturday, April 9th, Hagerstown Speedway will to action return with a regular three division show excluding the hobby stock cruisers. Warm ups begin at 7:00 p.m.
The latest news, results, photos, schedule or rule changes can be on the speedway's website: www.hagerstownspeedway.com. Also check the website for any changes in weather conditions that may delay or cancel the program or contact the speedway office at 301-582-0640.
Hagerstown Speedway Results
Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Late Model Sportsman, 20 Laps, 17 entries (Lap Leaders - Pete Weaver 1-12, 14-20, Andy Fries 13) 1.Pete Weaver; 2.Andy Fries; 3.Terry Flaherty; 4.Scott Palmer; 5.Justin Weaver; 6.Cody Lear (Checkered Flag Lube/ St. Thomas Towing Hard Charger); 7.Rodney Walls; 8.John Baker; 9.Paul Cursey; 10.Courtney Shreiner; 11.Richard Walls; 12.Donnie Farlling; 13.Chad Myers; 14.Tyler Emory; 15.Chaz Walls; 16.Mike Walls, DNS - Stevie Long
Ernie D's Pure Stocks, 15 laps, 14 entries (Lap Leaders - Dave Stouffer Jr. 1-8, Steve Lowery 9-15 ) 1.Steve Lowery; 2.Eddie McClellan; 3.Dave Stouffer Jr;, 4.Kenny Dillon; 5.Drew Fitzsimmons; 6.Charlie Pensinger; 7.Randy Kline (Turner Bowling Center Hard Charger); 8.Darrin Younker; 9.Bill Ecton; 10.Wayne Hawbaker; 11. Bill Ecton Jr., 12.Charles Shearer, 13.Brian Swigert, DNS-Danny Beavers
Hobby Stock Cruisers, 15 Laps, 16 entries (Lap Leaders - Brandon Churchey 1-11, Kenny Thomas 12-15) 1.Kenny Thomas, 2.Mark Vegh; 3.Krazy Kenny Thomas; 4.Larry Hurley; 5.Gary Proctor; 6.Danny Holmes; 7.William Crook; 8.Matt Smith; 9.Dave Shatto; 10.Andy Mowen; 11.Kelby Sipes; 12.Thomas Caravello, DNS - Rodney Miner, DSQ-Brandon Churchey, Nathaniel Younker, Lane Hessong
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