After hanging around the front all night, Alex Ferree found himself rising to the late race call, scoring the big win at Bedford Friday night. The win came in the track’s annual tribute to former racer Milt Miller but had extra meaning with the recent death of former racer and track employee Tom Gill. It was worth $3000 to the fleet Ferree.
In other action, Bill Replogle scored another Semi Late victory , Mike Altobelli Jr took the EMod win and Josh Spicer took the 305 finale.
The Late Model event was almost two separate types of race. The first 28 all green laps featured a wild sometimes 5 way battle for the lead, before cautions plagued the last few laps.
Gregg Satterlee took the lead at the start, but after opening a decent lead in the first few laps he was caught by Kyle Lee, By lap 10, Jeff Rine had caught the front pair and Ferree and Rick Eckert were closing fast. In heavy lapped traffic, Lee slipped by for the lead on lap 14, leaving Satterlee to battle Rine, but Satterlee rebounded to retake the lead on lap 18.
Lee and Rine traded second spot several times in thrilling heavy traffic action, but Lee was second when the first caution flew on lap 28. At that point the complexion of the event changed as many in the field started developing tire issues, with no less than seven cars developing issues over the next 4 laps, causing multiple cautions.
Satterlee was the first to suffer, retiring before the restart on lap 29, He was followed in quick order by Lee, Rine and several others among the front runners. When the event settled down, Ferree was the new leader and he held off Rick Eckert the last 5 anti climatic laps for the win. Dylan Yoder, Chad Julius and a resurgent Lee completed the top 5. Ryan Montgomery, Yoder, Eckert and Lee won the heats, which featured a wild turn one flip by Randy Burkholder. Jim Yoder won the B.
Khi Swanger was the early Semi Late leader but he drew a crowd at the front. Before long it was a 4 way tussle as Bill Replogle Brian Weyandt Jr and Mike Desch went at it. They ran two by two until Replogle emerged with the lead on lap 7. When Weyandt grabbed second spot on the next lap, it set up a 65/88 lead battle for the third time this season.
But Replogle prevailed for the win, ahead of Weyandt, Swanger, Desch and Jarrod Brown. Travis Calhoun and Swanger won the heats.
The EMod event turned into a crash fest and features some late race controversy. Mike Altobelli Jr took the lead at the start in the event which featured yellw flags almost every lap. Altobelli held off his father early, then Evan Taylor and finally Drake Troutman during the event but it was Troutman who provided the late race challenge.
Troutman actually shot by Altobelli on a lap 13 restart, but it was deemed a jump. Troutman, who had been credited with jumps in the earlier Late Model event was placed back behind Altobelli and finished there two laps later. Taylor, Alyssa Rowe and Derek Deusenberry completed the top 5. Altobelli and Taylor won the heats.
With the curfew looming, the 305 racers rose to the occasion, going all 20 laps green. Josh Spicer took the early lead and went to=he distance for the win. He was followed by Ryan Lynn and Roger Irvine. Scott Lutz, Spicer and Ray Sheetz won the heats.
LATE MODEL 35 LAPS 1 Alex Ferree, Rick Eckert, Dylan Yoder, Chad Julius, Kyle Lee, Drake Troutman, Dave Stamm, Spike Moore, Jim Yoder, Andy Haus, Jeff Rine, Danny Snyder, Gregg Satterlee, Kirk Baker, Nathan Lasalle, George Dixon, Travis Stickley, Matt Sponaugle, Ryan Montgomery, Shawn Jones, Bryan Bernheisel, Bryan Booze, Tim Smith, Wayne Johnson, John Wayne Weaver. DNS. Chuck Clise, Clinton Hersh, Ernie Millon, Cory Lawler, John Rohecevich, Ryan Claycomb, Deshawn Gingrich, Ethan Ours, Randy Burkholder.
SEMI LATE 15 LAP 1 Bill Replogle, Brian Weyandt Jr, Khi Swanger, Mike Desch, Jarrod Brown, Mark Patterson, Kyle Weyandt, Josh Bumberger, Travis Calhoun, Brian Savino, Ron Benton, Scott Sturtz, Nick Bechtel, Laura Reilly, Greg Hainsey, Matt Mellott, Cale Martin, Erik Weyandt.
EMOD 15 LAP 1 Mike Altobelli J, Drake Troutman, Evan Taylor, Alyssa Rowe, Derek Deusenberry, Travis Cottle, Ken Singer, Mitch Thomas, Tom Wakefield, Rick Hulson, Amber Mills, Kyle Beckett, Mike Meck, Sam Reeder, Rick Potter, Ken Summers, Chris Cogan, Ryan Beckett, Mike Altobelli SrDNS Dustin arlock
305 20 LAPS 1 Josh Spicer, Ryan Lynn, Roger Irvine, Ray Sheetz, Scott Lutz, Dylan Shatzer, Ron Aurand, John Walp. Matt Kline, Reed Thompson, Christian Rumsey, BNob Sarver, Jim Kennedy, Brad Mellott, Michael Alleman, Darryl Stimeley, Kyle Keen, Kristina Pratt, Andrew Boyer, DNS Larry McVey, Garrett Bard, Robby Bartchy