Jeff Rine romped to another Late Model win Friday at the Bedford Speedway. It was Rine’s third win of the season at the track and the 20th of his career, tieing him with track legends Turk Burket and Tom Peck for fifth on the all time list. Ed Mesaros dominated the 305 sprint event, continuing the streak of no repeat 305 winners at the track. Tom Warren emerged with a surprise last lap Semi Late score. Jonathan Taylor and Tom Brady closed the evening with wins in Emod and 4 Cylinder action.
Pole sitter Eric Zembower led the Late Model field to the green and took off in the early laps. But Jeff Rine was already on the move. He came from fifth to takie second from Wayne Johnson on lap 4. Rine immediately started closing the distance on Zembower, then zipped by for the lead on lap 6.
From that point on, Rine stretched out the field in the event, which ran straight through all green. Meanwhile Matt Sponaugle descended upon Zembower for second. Zembower held on for ten laps before Sponaugle got by on lap 17. Over the last 8 laps, Sponaugle could not close on Rine and finished second. Matt Cosner rallied late to score third, ahead of DJ Troutman, who had swithced cars before the event and started last, and Zembower. Troutman and Andrew Yoder won the heats
It took three tries to get the 305 Sprint event underway, but once started it went the 20 laps all green. Ed Mesaros out gunned Nicole Walker at the start and the pair ran that way for the entire event. Steve Kennawell charged up from seventh to run third in the middle part of the race but he retired on lap 14, allowing Drew Ritchey to run third. Behind Mesaros, Walker and Ritchey, Reed Thompson and Ryan Lynn completed the top 5. Bill Jones and Mike Alleman won the heats.
As usual, the Semi Late race was the best race of the night. Don Wyles led early before a multi car crash among Zane Weicht, Dave Brown and Greg Hainsey slowed things. On the restart, it was a wild six car battle at the front as Bob Jay, Weicht, Jesse Snyder and the gang were all over Wyles.
On lap six, just as Weicht was going for the lead, Wyles spun in turn ttwo, scattering the field and collecting several cars.
Weicht led the restart with Jay in pursuit, but Jim Sayler was coming hard. Tom Warren went from fifth to second on lap 8, But Sayler came through the same hole to take third. Saylor took second on lap 13 but the drama wasn’t over as Snyder spun in turn one during the last lap, bringing out the caution one last time
On the one lap shootout, Sayler pounced on Weicht and the pair ran side by side up the backstretch before making contact in turn three. In the melee, Warren shot by into the lead and took the win. Greg Cornell and Dave Whetstone chased him across. Weicht crossedf the line in 4th, but then did not go immediately to the scale afterward. Along with other post race activity disqualified Weicht, allowing Lou Wannyn and Justin Michael to get into the top 5. Whetstone and Michael won the heats.
Jonathan Taylor started fifth but had the EMod lead on lap one. He opened up a decent lead as Vic Vandergrift sliced through the field. Once in second, Vandergrift seemed to be closing on Taylor but running out of laps. A yellow on lap 13 gave Vandergrift the opening he needed but Taylor was just strong enough to hold him off for the win. Behind them, Derek Deusenberry just nipped Alyssa Rowe at the line for third. Brandon Lasalle was fifth. Taylor and Lasalle won the heats.
Tom Brady, who enjoyed winning his first ever 4 Cylinder race at the last event, so much he returned for two in a row. Ryan Peer led early as Brady and Dacron Powell hunted him down. Peer fought them off lap after lap, with then several times going three wide for the lead. But Brady prevailed on lap ten. Powell made him work for it as he was all over Brady to the finish but fell short. Peer, Dave Harclerode and Mike McDonald trailed. Powell and Garrett Watkins won the heats.
LATE MODEL 25 LAPS.. Jeff Rine, Matt Sponaugle, Matt Cosner, DJ Troutman, Eric Zembower, Dylan Yoder, Wayne Johnson, Chuck Clise, Andy Haus, Andrew Yoder, Curtis Heath, DNS Dave Troutman
305 SPRINT 20 LAP 1 Ed Mesaros, Nicole Walker, Drew Ritchey, Reed Thompson, Ryan Lynn, Mike Alleman, Craig Folmar, Eliah Omwake, Jim Kennedy, Brad Mellott, Jonathan Jones, Todd Lynn, Jow Zap, Steve Kennewell, Bill Jones, Jim Tesh, DNS Ralph Engel, Randy Sterling
SEMI LATE 15 LAP Tom Warren, Greg Cornell, Dave Whetstone, Lou Wannyn, Justin Michael, Kyle Beckett, Jamie Kohan, Chad Gambol, Bob Jay, Don Wyles, Joe Pluta, Jim Sayler, Jesse Snyder, Devin Weyandt, Greg Hainsey, Dave Brown, Scott Sturtz, DQ Zane Weiocht
EMOD 15 LAP Jonathan Tayllor, Vic Vandergrift, Derek Deusenberry, Alyssa Rowe, Brandon Lasalle, Adam Daniels, Bill Pluta, Justin Milburn, Mike Meck, Mike Shoemaker, Brian Fyfe, DNS Jeff Treece, Chuch Lasalle.
4 CYLINDER Tom Brady Dacron Powell, Ryan Peer, Dave Harclerode, Mike McDonald, Joe Means, Jacob Carbaugh, Steve Frederick, Todd Price, Adam Morgan, Zach Tritt, Josh Fetters, Chris Reckner, Wayne Brenize, Garrett Watkins, Denny Pittman, Kolby Crowley, DNS Rusty Martin, Darren Howsare.
