FOUR SHARE GLORY IN WEYANT TRIBUTE AT BEDFORD
The annual Muss Weyant tribute race at Bedford produced wild action, great racing and four happy feature winners. Jeff Rine, the track Late Model career win leader who went two years without a win, rallied late to score his second win in a month and Ryan Sager took the Semi Late win after a huge battle at the front.
The feel good moment of the evening came in the Pure Stock event as Madison Miller finally got to stand on the Bedford stage after her only other career win had been determined in the tach line and she had missed the glamour. Tyler Beckett closed the evening with the 4 Cylinder win, holding off Wayne Brenize for the distance.
Andrew Wylie grabbed the lead at the start of the Late Model event chased by Travis Stickley. Kyle Lee shot by Stickley on lap 2 and instantly set upon Wylie. Wylie gamely held on as they ran together fighting off Lee who actually inched ahead for a few feet on lap 6.
But a resurgent Stickley roared back by Lee a few laps later and took up the chase on the leader. As the race went quite a few green flag the pair recreated their heat race battle often running side by side. While the leaders occupied themselves, Matt Sponaugle emerged from the pack and closed on them, making it a 3 way tryst at the front.
Almost unnoticed in the race, Jeff Rine was slowly sliding forward from his 7th starting spot, joining the front group by lap 12 when the next caution flew. On that restart both Sponaugle and Rine got by Stickley but Wylie gamely held on. Rine got by Sponaugle on lap 16 and Wylie a lap later for the lead. Over the last nine laps Rine got faster and managed to pull away from Sponaugle and Wylie who wrestled for the duration.
At the finish, it was Rine scoring his 39th career win as Wylie survived Sponaugle’s rushes to score second. Spike Moore, driving the McBee 11 was fourth and Ross Robinson completed the top 5. Earlier heats were won by Moore, Ryan Montgomery and Stickley
The Semi Lates went 30 laps in the Weyant format. Rick Potter, in a different car after totalling his 15 a few weeks ago, led the first lap but Cody Jarvie shot by on lap 2. Ryan Sager moved into second on lap 5 and began to dog Jarvie . Lap after lap Sager was all over Jarvie before finally getting by on lap 16. Jarvie pitted a lap later, moving Kyle Weyandt to second but Sager had things well in hand.
A quick caution on lap 19 set up the wildest and scariest moment of the race as on the restart, coming off turn 4 fourth place runner Bob Jay had drivetrain problems which brought his car to a instant halt. While Jay sat there motionless, all 11 following cars zigged and zagged all missing the stationary Ford.
Over the remaining laps, Sager easily held off Weyandt to claim the win. Dave Brown had another great run taking third at the line ahead of Kyle Deneen and Garrett Keifer. Sager and Jarvie won the heats.
The Pure Stock event started wildly as pole sitter Anthony Troutman got crossed up in turn 1 and a wild six car pileup ensued. In that melee, Denver Dishong slammed then rode atop the wall and remained there causing a red flag situation.
That first lap was a forecast of things to come as the race featured high attrition from various causes. None of that mattered to Madison Miller. She moved from fifth to the front row in the reset lineup and took the lead at the start. Braydale Bauman chased her but she held on surviving his challenges as the field self destructed behind them
At the finish it was Miller, Bauman, Kyle Beckett, who started dead last in the field, Barry Clark and Dalton Ritchey. Only 6 cars finished the event, 5 on the lead lap. plus Dakota Hughes who only came out for the last 4 laps.
By comparison the 4 Cylinder finale was tame. Tyler Beckett boomed from eighth to lead the first lap then held off Wayne Brenize all the way to score the win. Tom Brady held off Isaac Kormansi for third. Darren Chesney took 5th. Brenize and Beckett took heat race wins
At intermission the kids ran wild on the front stretch during the annual kids candy throw.
With only one point race left to decide the champions. Jeff Rine took a slim Late Model lead over season long leader Bryan Bernheisel and Matt Sponaugle. With Brian Weyandt missing the festivities, Kyle Weyandt has a pretty much insurmountable lead in the Semi Late chase as does Tom Brady in the 4 Cylinders. With the Dishong crash and an early dropout from Charlie Clise, Kyle Beckett earned a little breathing room in Pure Stock action but that one is still very much in play.
LATE MODEL 25 LAPS Jeff Rine, Andrew Wylie, Matt Sponaugle, Spike Moore, Ross Robinson, Jakob Piper, Travis Stickley, Ryan Montgomery, Bryan Bernheisel, Trevor Feathers, Jeff Miller, Nathan Lasalle, Tyler Ritchey, Danny Snyder, Devin Weyandt, Drew Weiser, Kyle Lee, Tim Smith, Colin Casal4. Wayne Johnson, Troy Morris III Del Rougeaux
SEMI LATE 30 LAPS Ryan Sager, Kyle Weyant, Dave Brown, Kyle Deneen, Garrett Keifer, Andrew Stough, Bill Shehan, Shawn Smith, Mooch Cornell, Cody Jarvie, Bob Jay, Dalton Weyant, Chubby Childers, Erik Weyant, Rick Potter, Travis Calhoun, DNS Trent Clark
PURE STOCK 25 LAPS Madison Miller Braydale Bauman, Kyle Beckett, Barry Clark, Dalton Ritchey, Brittany Beach, Charlie Clise, Brock Bunn, Dakota Hughes, Anthony Troutman, Brad Boyd, Denver Dishong, Derrick Hinish, Dominic Weyandt,
4 CYLINDER 20 LAPS Tyler Beckett, Wayne Brenize. Tom Brady, Isaac Kormanski, Darren Chesney, Braden Powell, Todd Price, Colin Welsh, Jeff Marlett, Zachery Long, Joe May, Jimmy Delozier, Ethan Strait, Tyler Lockhart, Matt Kauffman, Trevor Brown, Harlan Group.