Bedford Speedway » 2015 Results

NEW BEDFORD WINNERS GREET NEW BEDFORD SEASON

April 18th, 2015
Three first time winners emerged in the five events which opened up the 2015 Bedford Speedway season Friday night.  Gene Knaub, driving the legendary 43a became the 133rd different driver to score a Late Model win at the track, before Tyler Alkire scored his first ever win of any kind in the Pure Stock event.  Mike Altobelli Jr took the Limited win and Evan Taylor romped in the E-Mod race before Darren Howsare closed the evening with his first ever win of any kind in the wild 4 Cylinder event.
    By the luck of the draw in the opening day field, Gene Knaub lined up on the pole for the Late Model 25 lapper.  But it was outside pole starter DJ Troutman who got the jump on the field and led lap one.  Troutman looked strong as he boomed to a large lead in only two laps, before Knaub started reeling him in with Jeff Rine in hot pursuit
    Knaub caught the leader by about lap six and was on his bumper for several laps.  When Troutman got bottled up lapping Chad Walter on lap nine, Knaub was there and made a wild move to take over.  Troutman almost immediately fell into the grasp of third running Rine.
    That was the order when Walter got up on top of the guardrail and almost out of the park in turn four on lap 12, bringing out the red flag.  With the field stopped under red, during which a wrecker had to go outside the track to help lift the 38 back into the park, Troutman ducked into the pits with overheating issues.
    When things got going again, Matt Sponaugle came alive.  With Knaub in the lead, Sponaugle zipped Rine on lap 14 and began to run the leader down.  Also on the move was Dylan Yoder who advanced from 7th to take third from Rine a lap later.
    Sponaugle, who made it interesting for several laps by closing on the leader, began to fall back over the last few laps as Knaub romped to the big win.  Rine retook third on lap 15 and held that to the finish, ahead of Yoder, Andy Haus, Matt Cosner, Chuck Clise,  and Jim Yoder.  Troutman, who used the lengthy red flag period to make repairs,  returned to finish ninth ahead of Eric Zembower.  Rine and Haus won the heats.
    Former Late Model driver Mike Altobelli made it look easy in Limited competition.  He drew the pole, took the initial lead and never looked back.  Travis Stickley and Robby Black went at it the whole 20 laps before finishing in that order but Altobelli was clearly the class of the field.   Curtis Heath, Josh Berrier completed the top five.
    Troy Swindell, Rick Singleton, Darrell Dick, Donnie Farllingand Ron Bottenfield completed the top 10.  Dick and Stickley won the heats.
     Alyssa Rowe brought the E mod field to the green and led early.  The Taylor brothers wrestled each other for second for 7 laps until Evan Taylor got by his brother and Rowe for the lead.  Jonathan Taylor got by for second just before the first caution on lap 10.
    After that restart it was another brother show with Evan pulling off the win.  Evan was second ahead of Brandon Lasalle, Rowe and Craig Ramich.  Dave Brown and J Taylor won the heats.
    Tyler Alkire went pole to pole in the Pure Stock event but it was the best race of the night.  Terry Norris and division visitor Bob Jay got together on lap two and ran literally side by side in Alkire’s wake the entire distance, with Brad Feight looking for an opening.  When Ed Vogel ran that group down he parked beside Feight and the foursome went side by side behind Alkire.
     But Alkire, though pressured, never faded and he led the mob across the finish line.  Norris, Jay, Vogel and Feight trailed.  Vogel and Feight won the heats.
     With a herd of brand new drivers in the 4 Cylinder event, that race became unhinged.  Six cautions interrupted the first eight laps and carnage was heavy.  Dacron Powell led early, holding on  until his wheel flew off on lap 4.  Dan Lawrey took over at that point with Tom Brady in pursuit, but Darren Howsare got them both on lap 8.
    From that point Howsare, his car sporting no frontal nose piece from the battle, went to his first ever win.  Brady, Lawery, Chris Reckner and Kolby Crawly completed the top five.  Howsare and Bailey Johnson won the heats.
LATE MODEL 25 LAP  GeneKnaub,  Matt Sponaugle,  Jeff Rine,  Dylan Yoder,  Andy Haus,  Matt Cosner,  Chuck Clise,  Jim Yoder,  DJ Troutman,  Eric Zembower,  Wayne Johnson,  Shawn Claar,  Hayes Mattern,  Justin Kann,  Chad Walter, Dave Troutman
LIMITED 20 LAP  1  Mike Altobelli Jr,  Travis Stickley,  Robby Black,  Curtis Heath,  Josh Berrier,  Troy Swindell,  Rick Singleton,  Darrell Dick.  Donnie Farlling,  Ron BNottenfield,  Eric Irvin,  Craig Perigo,  Nathan Lasalle,  Taylor Farlling,  Brian Lowery,  Matt Eckman
EMOD 15 LAPS  1 Evan Taylor,  Jonathan Taylor,  Brandon Lasalle,  Alyssa Rowe,  Craing Ramisch,  Justin Milburn,  Bobby Garvey,  Adam Daniels,  Brian Fife, Dave Brown,  Mike Meck,  DNS Andrew Swope,  Dion Lasalle, Jeff Treece
PURE STOCK 15 LAP  1  Tyler Alkire,  Terry Norris,  Bob Jay,  Ed Vogel,  Brad Feight,  Jarrod Brown,  Kyle Weyandt,  Travis Group,  Travis Vogel,  Trent Clark,  Dalota Foor,  Beau Aikey,  Amber Mills,  Cale Leppert,  Brando Inglish,  Dave Green,  DNS  John Howsare, Owen Baughman.
4 CYLINDER 12 LAPS  1  Darren Howsare,  Tom Brady,  Dan Lawry,  Chris Reckner,  Kolby Crawley,  Zach Tritt,  Cindy Rhodes,  Joshua Fetters,  Bailey Johnson,  Dacron Powell,  Anthony Slacum,  Michael McDonald,  Alex Anderson,  Dave Harclerode,  Brandon Kinser,  DNS  Douglass Conreth,  Rusty Martin,  Wayne Brenize.