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Conneaut, OH...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. |
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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 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) |
