For the first time in almost a month, Bedford completed a Friday night show and the excitement level was worth the wait. Dylan Yoder took the Late Model win with a stunning last lap rally and Dan Zechman took the Limited event by holding off a last lap rally. Chad Gambol took the Semi Late win in that even,t which featured the wildest Bedford crash in many years, before Beau Aikey and Ryan Peer completed the evening with wins.
Andy Haus and DJ Troutman brought the Late Model field to the green and it was Haus ripping to the lead at the start. Jeff Rine secured second on lap two and took off after the leader. The front pair ran off from the field both before and after the event’s only caution, thrown when Dacron Powell and Travis Wilson tangled on lap 7.
While falling back on the restart, Rine began slowly closing back on leader Haus by lap 10, but the man on the move was Dylan Yoder, who had started eighth. Yoder was only up to sixth at the caution break, but came on hard afterward. As the race went past halfway, fans were watching two battles as Rine was closing noticeably on Haus and Yoder was climbing through the field
Yoder got by Kyle Hardy and Matt Sponaugle on laps 12 and 13, and third place runner Troutman on lap 16, as noticeably the fastest car on the track. But Rine closed on Haus on each of those passing laps. Rine shot by Haus for the lead on lap 20, just before Haus motor began making odd sounds. When Haus retired to the pits one lap later, Yoder was second and closing fast.
With two to go, Yoder was there challenging but laps were running out. As the pair encountered a lapped car on the last lap, Rine elected to take the high lane going into the third turn. Dylan shot to the bottom and blasted himself into the lead in the run to the flag. Rine also shot by the lapped car but Dylan led to the line. Rine, the benefactor of four last lap lead passes in his Bedford career, finished second, followed by Troutman, Sponaugle and Hardy. Rick Singleton, Chuck Clise, Troy Swindell, Wayne Johnson and Eric Zembower completed the top ten. Haus and Rine won the heats. Matt Cosner, who had the first heat field wired, dropped from that event with what would be terminal engine problems and was a feature non starter.
The Limited 20 lapper was much like the Late Model event. Travis Stickley shot to a first lap lead with Dan Zechman in hot pursuit while seventh place starter Robby Black picked his way through the field. When Stickley’s motor expired on lap 11, it brought out the caution and set Black up in second, right behind Zechman.
Over the last nine laps, Black gave Zechman all he could handle, running side by side several times, but Zechman prevailed. On the last lap heading to the line the pair actually rubbed, but Black could not repeat the last lap heroics and it was Zechman at the line for the first time in his career. Black, Justin Weaver, Donnie Farlling and Nathan Lasalle were the top five. Brian Lowery and Zechman won the heats.
Travis Calhoun went flag to flag in the Semi Late event but lost it in the tech line.
Calhoun was the leader of a ten car mob early on until Bob Jay spun coming off turn 4 on lap 6. The resulting melee involved the next 7 cars with Jamie Kohan crashing into the spinning car of Tom Warren. Kohan’s car shot into the air and flipped nose to tail over all the others before ending upside down in front of the grandstand crowd. Warrens car then caught fire adding more to the spectacular crash. All drivers were uninjured.
Calhoun again led in the aftermath, as Gambol eased by Greg Hainsey for second on lap 12. That move proved to be pivotal as Calhouns car failed a post race tech and Gambol was declared the winner. Hainsey, Justin Michael, Greg Cornell and Chris Chamberlain were the top five. Gambol and Michael won the heats.
Travis Group led the Pure Stock event early but Beau Aikey got by on lap 4. Aikey held Group off in that caution filled feature to score his first win of the season. Bill Replogle, Brad Feight and Dave Riley trailed. Feight, Aikey and Group won the heats to pare the 31 entries to the starting field.
Ryan Peer held off every challenge from Darren Howsare to take the 4 Cylinder finale. But with the top six cars running in a bunch, the tech team looked hard after the feature. Howsare and fourth place finisher Wayne Brenize could not pass, moving up the rest of the field. In the final rundown, Peer won over Tom Brady, Devin Iser, Cale Martin and Chris Reckner. Martin and Brenize won the heats.
LATE MODEL 25 LAPS 1 Dylan Yoder, Jeff Rine, DJ Troutman, Matt Sponaugle, Kyle Hardy, Rick Singleton, Chuck Clise, Troy Swindell, Wayne Johnson, Eric Zembower, Dacron Powell, Andy Haus, Travis Cottle, Travis Wilson, DNS Matt Cosner
LIMITED 20 LAP 1 Dan Zechman, Robby Black, Justin Weaver, Donnie Farlling, Nathan Lasalle, Brian Lowery, Glen Ray, Kayden Smith, Travis Stickley, Dale Claycomb DNS Ron Bottenfield
SEMI LATE 15 LAP 1 Chad Gambol, Greg Hainsey, Justin Michael, Greg Cornell, Chris Chamberain, Jesse Snyder, Lou Wannyn, Bob Jay, Donald Wyles, Joe Pluta, Scott Sturtz, Jamie Swank, Kyle Beckett, Tom Warren, Jamie Kohan, DQ Travis Calhoun.
PURE STOCK 15 LAP 1 Beau Aikey, Travis Group, Bill Replogle, Brad Feight, Dave Riley, Dave Lambert, Kyle Weyandt, Owen Baughman, Dave Green, Joe Dearmitt, Preston Imler, Dakota Foor, Trent Clark, Terry Norris, Brandon Inglish, Erik Weyandt, McClellan, Amber Mills, Matt Brode, Cody Claycomb, Tyler Ritchey, John Howsare, Dan Jackson, Reed Stickel, Joe Means. Kyle Brantner DNQ Brad Hoffman, Justin Rosenberger, Cody Linert, Justin Queen, Nick Bechtell.
4 CYLINDER 12 LAPS 1 Ryan Peer, Tom Brady, Devon Iser, Cale Martin, Chris Reckner, Rusty Martin, Andy Hershberger, Tom Price, Steve Martin, Shawn Miller, Derek Iser, Chris Shrout, Harold Crawford, Jeremy Miller, Josh Ringer, Kody Crawley, Josh Fetters, DNS Kevin Bookwalter, Skylar Sheetz, DQ Darren Howsare, Wayne Brenize.
