BEDFORD, PA – Hometown hero Jack Pencil returned to Super Late Model victory lane for the first time in nearly a year at the Bedford Speedway Friday night. Tim Smith, Jr. also won his first of the season in the Limited Late Models. Bob Jay picked up his second win of the year in Street Stock action, and Charlie Walter earned his third of the season in the Hobby Stocks. Mike Lauffer won the special $100 to win 4 Cylinder event.
Jack Pencil has been on top of his game each week in Bedford Super Late Model action, but finding victory lane proved to be a tough task until now. Pencil started on the pole for the 25 lap main event and led every lap. The racing surface was blistering fast, and although second place running Dylan Yoder could match Pencil’s speed, he couldn’t find enough to mount any serious challenges. Yoder, the division’s point leader, holds a slim margin over Pencil and Jeff Rine in the point standings. It was no surprise that with five to go the running order for the top three was Pencil, Yoder, and Jeff Rine. Rine started 10th on the grid, and worked hard to get to the front. Shawn Claar held down the third position for most of the race until Rine made his move with five to go. Unfortunately for Rine, a blown tire with two to go would send him pitside. At the end Pencil won his 27th career Bedford feature in the division, followed by Yoder, Claar, Jeff Miller, and Wayne Johnson. Heats went to Miller and Johnson.
Tim Smith, Jr. won his 26th career Limited Late Model feature from the fourth starting spot. The win was no surprise, as Smith and Pencil share similar driving styles and often run well on the same nights. In fact, Friday night was the fifth time that Tim won the Limited Late feature on the same night Jack Pencil won the Super Late event. Pole sitter Donnie Farlling paced the field for the first five laps before Smith used the high side to power into the lead. Farlling was able to maintain second place comfortably, leaving Rick Singleton and Matt Sponaugle to battle for the third spot. Smith won the event with ease, and Farlling settled for second. Singleton and Sponaugle each enjoyed the third position several times throughout the race, and it was Singleton who owned the spot for the final four circuits. Sponaugle came home fourth, and DJ Troutman fifth. Travis Calhoun and Troutman won the heat events.
Bob Jay took home is 24th career Bedford Street Stock trophy, and it wasn’t easy. Last week’s feature winner Bill Henney took the lead on lap one and took off using the high side of the track ahead of Jesse Snyder and Zane Weicht. Jay slipped by Weicht with five to go, and on the same lap Bill Henney’s engine soured. Henney faded through the pack until miraculously the problem went away. By lap 8 Henney was back up to third and the race was on at the front. Snyder held the top spot as Bob Jay blanketed the rear of his racer from every angle. Snyder gave up the top spot on lap 13, and on the same lap he lost second to Henney. Jay managed to keep Bill Henney at bay to hang on for the win. Henney accepted second, and Brian Duffy slipped by Snyder on the last lap for third. Donald Wyles completed the top five. Heats went to Jay and Henney.
Charlie Walter started sixth in the Hobby Stock feature event, was in third by lap one, and was in the lead by the third lap. Team cars Rick Potter and Lou Wannyn held the top two positions from the drop of the green until the duo became entangled in turn two during the third lap. Both drivers were able to continue, although the caution was a lengthy one as track crews attempted to unhook the cars from each other. Charlie Walter assumed the lead when racing resumed and never looked back, earning his 18th career victory, and third of the season. Chad Gambol finished second, and Wannyn, Terry Norris, and Travis Group completed the top five. Rick Potter won the lone heat event.
Mike Lauffer took the lead on lap two on his way to earning his 14th career victory in 4 Cylinder action. Dacron Powell finished second, Robert Pluta third, Jeremy Miller fourth, and Louis Orris fifth. Lauffer and Juan Ryan won the heats.
The speedway is off next Friday, and will return to action Sunday night, June 26th when the Pennsylvania Posse 410 Sprintcars invade Bedford Speedway. It’s the best of both worlds, as the Super Late Models will also be on hand for the yearly event. The raindate is Monday, June 27th. Call the speedway office at 814-623-0500, or visit www.bedfordspeedway.com for more details.
SUPER LATE MODELS
FEATURE: 1. 14 Jack Pencil 2. 32 Dylan Yoder 3. 20 Shawn Claar 4. 57 Jeff Miller 5. 17j Wayne Johnson 6. 5* Derek Byler 7. 5 Chuck Clise (Tri-State Racing Photos Hard Charger) 8. 49 Eric Zembower 9. 92 Jeff Rine 10. 8 Tim Fedder 11. M1 Mike Mort 12. 79 Mike Altobelli, Jr. (DNF)
DNS: w1 Chris Harr
HEAT 1: Miller, Rine, Pencil
HEAT 2: Johnson, Yoder, Byler
LIMITED LATE MODELS
FEATURE: 1. 39 Tim Smith, Jr. 2. 48 Donnie Farlling 3. 99* Rick Singleton 4. 8 Matt Sponaugle 5. 7 DJ Troutman 6. 64 Grant Adams 7. 36 Travis Calhoun 8. 01 Robbie Black 9. 1a Craig Perigo 10. 32 Travis Stickley 11. 73 Mike Duck 12. 13 Brian Lowery 13. 88 Khi Swanger (Tri-State Racing Photos Hard Charger) 14. 87 Eric Irvin 15. 77 George Dixon, Jr. 16. 81 Eddie Cornett 17. 19 Rance Garlock (DNF) 18. 5h Matt Howsare (DNF) 19. 10 Corey Weaver (DNF)
HEAT 1: Calhoun, Adams, Smith
HEAT 2: Troutman, Sponaugle, Stickley
STREET STOCKS
FEATURE: 1. 4J Bob Jay 2. 50 Bill Henney 3. 38 Brian Duffy (Tri-State Racing Photos Hard Charger) 4. 22 Jesse Snyder 5. 10 Donald Wyles 6. 711 Jerry Robinson 7. 73c Bill Pluta, Jr. 8. 45 Zane Weicht 9. 78 Daryl Whetstone 10. 85 Paul Gambol 11. 55x Scott Grubb
DNS: 63 Kerry Molovich
HEAT 1: Jay, Duffy, Wyles
HEAT 2: Henney, Snyder, Whetstone
HOBBY STOCKS
FEATURE: 1. 42 Charlie Walter (Tri-State Racing Photos Hard Charger) 2. 13 Chad Gambol 3. 77 Lou Wannyn 4. 73 Terry Norris 5. 7 Travis Group 6. 77xxl Rick Potter 7. 22 Tim Brown
HEAT 1: Potter, Gambol, Norris
4 CYLINDERS
FEATURE: 1. 38 Mike Lauffer 2. 8 Dacron Powell 3. 67 Robert Pluta 4. 93 Jeremy Miller 5. 68 Louis Orris 6. 3J Juan Ryan 7. 88 Andrew Pluta 8. 8R Ronnie Valentine 9. 11 Phil Best 10. 7 Nathan Kaminsky 11. 12 Steve Frederick 12. 86 Ralph Miller 13. 17k Kevin See 14. 14 Mike Hall 15. 5w Garrett Watkins 16. 9T Troy Imler 17. 15n Denny Norris
HEAT 1: Lauffer, J. Miller, R. Pluta
HEAT 2: Ryan, Valentine, Powell