In front of the huge Bedford fair crowd, Jared Miley scored the win in Late Model action at Bedford Speedway Friday night. Miley became the 143rd different Late Model winner at the historic track and the second first time winner of 2019.
In other action, Bill Replogle survived a wild last lap Semi Late drama to score that win, Beau Aikey made it two EMod wins in a row and Barry Weyandt ended his long career with a Pure Stock win.
Jared Miley an occasional visitor at Bedford this season, had appeared often enough to maintain a point average, and that average was low enough to earn him the pole in the 25 lap Late model event. He shot off at the start and led the distance. Andy Haus moved into second on lap 1 But could only give chase to the fleet Miley.
Behind them though the action was hot and heavy as Matt Cosner and Jeff Rine clawed their way through the field. Cosner got by Chuck Clise for third on lap 10 and instantly began closing on the two leaders.
By lap 16, Cosner was in striking distance but his car came up lame with a flat tire in turn two.
That placed Clise back in third on the restart, but Rine shot by him a lap later. That stretch lasted only that lap as Matt Sponaugle excited the fans as he spun then burst into flames in the turn 4 pit entrance. The wild looking oil fire was quickly extinguished and racing resumed with Rine quickly grabbing third and going after Haus.
With one of his patented late race charges, Rine attacked Haus taking second on lap 22. He closed on Miley in a hurry but ran out of laps before challenging for the lead seriously, allowing Miley to score the big win. Mile and Rine were followed by Haus, A resurgant Cosner, Clise and Kyle Lee. Lee and Haus won the heats.
Once again the Semi Late event was the best race of the night.Kyle Weyandt was the early leader chased by first Trent Clark then Greg Hainsey. As the laps went by, Hainsey was all over Weyandt but could not get by. But the lead duo was attracting a crowd at the front as Clark stayed in the mix and Bob Jay, Brian Weyandt Jr and others were charging forward.
Drama mounted as the laps wound down and the lead gang grew. Weyandt held on with Hainsey in the inside and Jay on the outside ran in a pack. But with the others closing fast, a six car pack took the white flag in a mob. But it all changed at all six cars crashed together in turn one, collecting three more in the melee.
On the one lap restart, Bill Replogle, who was not in the lead pack earlier was the new leader and he held off Jarrod Brown for the win. Mark Patterson, Jay and Last place starter Chubby Childers trailed. Clark and Jay won the heats.
Ryan Beckett was the early EMod leader and appeared to have things under control. But Beau Aikey, after starting 7th in the field, made it to second by only lap 4. He wrestled with Becket for a few laps before getting by on lap 7 and then easily led to the finish, Beckett had his hands full before yielding to Daniel Cornman, who started dead last in the field on lap 12.
But Aikey was well ahead and Cornman never mounted a threat over the last 8 laps. Alyssa Rowe, Jacob Marker and Beckett trailed. Aikey and John Whitfield won the heats,
The Pure Stock event was a crashfest, Barry Weyandt, after a season of bad finishes, earned the pole and made the best of it, leading from he start. Dalton Ritchey was all over Weyandt, making several runs for the lead but Weyandt held on for the win in the event which saw four cautions in the first two laps. Behind Weyandt and Ritchey, Laura Chamberlain, Keith Killander and Josh Frankenberry completed the top 5. Chamberlain and Frankenberry won the heats.
In Victory Lane amid the happy fans family and crew, Weyandt announced his retirement, ending a 30 year Bedford career which included a big Fair week win way back in 1989.
LATE MODEL 25 LAP 1 Jared Miley, Jeff Rine, Andy Haus, Matt Cosner, Chuck Clise, Kyle Lee, Travis Stickley, Cody Robbins, Frank Goirdon, Matt Sponaugle, Jeff Johnson, DNS Nathan Lasalle
SEMI LATE 15 LAP 1 Bill Replogle, Jarrod Brown, Mark Patterson, Bob Jay, Chubby Clilders, Greg Hainsey, Chris Wolfe, Trent Clark, Kyle Weyandt, Brian Weyandt J, Travis Calhoun, Matt Mellott, Mike Benton, Ryan Whisel, Brian Duffy, DNS Jason Gilliland
EMOD 15 LAP 1 Beau Aikey, Daniel Cornman, Alyssa Rowe, Jacob Marker, Ryan Beckett, David Green, Justin Milburn, Sam Reeder, John Whitfield, Rich Goodman, Brian Fife
PURE STOCK 15 LAP 1 Barry Weyandt, Dalton Ritchey, Laura Chamberlain, Keith Killander, Josh FrankenberryReed Stickel, Bruce Broadwater, Charlie Clise, Dalton Weyandt, Cheyenne Ranker, Kyle Deneen, Delmar Donivan, Mason Replogle, Larry Foor, Cole Stickel