8.28.15 Bedford Speedway Results

Two first time winners emerged from Friday night action in the wildest event of the season at the track. Following in the footsteps of his famous father and grandfather, Drew Ritchey took his first ever win in the 305 sprint event, before Ron Bottenfield took his first ever Limited win. Jesse Snyder won the Semi Late event, while Travis Group won the Charlie Walter Pure Stock event 42 lapper. The wild night featured four separate red flag causing crashes, which delayed the show long enough to cause the 4 Cylinder finale to fall to curfew restrictions.
It took three tries to get the Limited event underway. Nathan Lasalle crashed in turn one on the initial start and much of the field balled up in turn two bringing out the red flag on try number two. That incident featured a bizarre moment as three cars made contact while stopping on the frontstretch for the red. After that attempt, the field was lined up single file with Bottenfield at the point.
Bottenfield made the best of his good fortune as he took off at the start and sped away, leading all 20 laps. Glen Ray chased Bottenfield early but Donnie Farlling took that spot on lap 16. Farlling never seriously challenged Bottenfield and settled for second at the line, ahead of Ray, Josh Berrier and Darrell Dick. After all the initial chaos, the 20 lapper went straight through green. Dick and Robbie Black won the heats.
Black and Troy Swindell, very close at the top of the point battle, were both eliminated in the red flag incident.
Ritchey started on the pole in the 305 event and he took the lead at the start over Steve Kennawell. The first yellow flew on lap nine for Eliah Omwake, closing the field. One lap later an easy dual spin involving Jim Kennedy and Nicole Walker turned wild as James Tush slammed the wall evading the pair and managed to flip multiple times on the backstretch.
On that restart, the last one of the race, Ritchey got away from new second place man Joe Zap and ran off to the historic win. Zap was second at the line followed by Craig Folmar who started ninth, Kennawell and Ryan Lynn. Ritchey and Kennawell won the heats.
Jesse Snyder took the Semi Late lead at the start and held off both Bob Jay and Jim Sayler. After a few quick cautions slowed things, it turned wild on lap 6 as Lou Wannyn spun to the inside wall in turn 4. During evasive action, Dave Whetstone hit the outside wall hard and then was rammed from behind by Joe Pluta. The impact was hard enough to get Pluta’s car almost entirely under the Whetstone car and brought out the red flag.
Snyder again led on the green as Jay and Sayler chased, until another wild crash on lap 13 in turn two involving Greg Hainsey, Jamie Kohan and Greg Cornell. This time Kohan got atop Cornell’s car necessitating yet another red flag. The final two laps were anticlimactic as Snyder ran off to the win, ahead of Jay, Sayler, Tom Warren and Kyle Beckett. Jay and Cornell won the heats.
The Pure Stock 42 lapper was run in memory of Charlie Walter, the 2014 track champion who left us during the off season. Lined up by the luck of the draw, Dave Lambert led early but had a whole train in pursuit. Travis Group got by John Howsare for second on lap three and grabbed the lead one lap later. But Lambert did not fold and was all over Group for many laps.
Howsare held off Ed Vogel as 11 cars ran in the lead group until Vogel got by on lap 32, just before Bill Replogle bounced off the wall in turn four. Joe DeArmitt rallied late to challenge Vogel but Group ran off to the win. Vogel held on for second, ahead of DeArmitt, Jason Haggerty and point leader Brad Feight, who started back in 15th. Group, Brian Ringer and Howsare won the heats. The Pure Stock event was the only one of the evening with not red flag stoppage.
With the four events running long, the speedway ran down to the curfew for the first time in over three years, necessitating a postponement of the 4 Cylinder 12 lapper. It will be made up next weekend as the speedway ends all the point races for 2015.
LIMITED 20 LAPS Ron Bottenfield, Donnie Farlling, Glen Ray, Josh Berrier, Darrell Dick, Eddie Cornett, Travis Calhoun, Greg Cornell, Taylor Farlling, Brian Lowery, Larry Foor, Troy Swindell, Robbie Black, Curtis Heath, Nathan Lasalle,
305 SPRINT 20 LAP Drew Ritchey Joe Zapp, Craig Folmar, Steve Kellawell, Ryan Lynn, Robbie Bartchy, Reed Thompson, Ron Aurand, Jim Kennedy, Nicole Walker, Randy Sterling, James Tush, Eliah Omwake, DNS Ed Messaro.
SEMI LATE 15 LAP Jesse Snyder, Bob Jay, Jim sayler, Tom Warren, Kyle Beckett, Danny Farlling, Jim Sacco, Scott Sturtz, Greg Hainsey, Greg Cornell, Jamie Kohan, Lou Wannyn, Joe Pluta, Dave Whetstone, Don Wyles, Chad Gambol, Nick Zborovancek, Brian ShAW
PURE STOCK 42 LAP Travis Group, Ed Vogel, Joe DeArmitt, Jason Haggerty, Brad Feight, Dave Lambert, Tyler Ritchey, Tyler Alkire, Keith Killander, Terry Norris, Terry Mitchell, Beau Aikey, Dave Riley, Justin Rosenberger, Cody Lenhart, Matt Diehl, Bill Replogle, John Howsare, Brandon Inglish, Dakota Foor, Trent Clark, Eric Weyandt, Jim Moreland, Reed Stickel, Kyle Weyandt
DNS Kevin Hunsicker, Greg Beckett, Brian Ringer