Matt Cosner continued his late season streak by winning again Friday night at Bedford. The win in the Labor Day 55, the longest race at the track each year, was Cosner’s fifth of the 2016 season. It was also Cosner’s fourth in a row at the track, a feat which hasn’t been accomplished since Scott Rhodes string in 2003. Cosner (with five) ended the point season as the only Late Model driver with multiple wins at the track. Greg Cornell and Wayne Brenize clinched their 2016 track titles with wins in Semi Late and 4 Cylinder action, while Jonathan Taylor roared to yet another EMod win.
Keith Barbara led the Late Model field to the green in the 55 lapper, and he took off at the start. Although Barbara moved out to a small lead early, after about lap ten, Cosner closed the gap. When the two leaders moved into heavy lapped traffic on lap 15, tension grew as DJ Troutman, Jeff Rine and Dylan Yoder moved into contention. The five leaders and four lapped cars crowded together, but on lap 16 Cosner shot through the mob, taking the lead in the process.
It was Cosner leading Barbara, Troutman, Jeff Rine and Andy Haus when things took a dramatic turn on lap 20. On that lap, Jeff Rine’s car shut off in turn two. Andy Haus, with no place to go, rammed into the slowing Rine and spun, bringing out the first caution of the event and moving Dylan Yoder, and Gregg Satterlee into the top five.
Only four laps later, when the second and final caution flew for Ross Robinson, Yoder and Satterlee had disposed of Troutman and were in the top 4. When the field went green for what would become a 31 lap run to the finish, Cosner ran away, stretching his lead every lap. Yoder and Satterlee both got by Barbara on the restart and set out after Cosner while battling each other.
When Cosner caught lapped traffic again by about lap 35, the roles were reversed as it was the field descending on Cosner. Yoder and Satterlee both joined in. By lap 40, Barbara, who had fallen well back, rejoined the gang.
Cosner, Yoder and Satterlee threaded through the lapped cars who were also battling among themselves for about ten laps before Cosner emerged safely in the lead.
After that, Yoder and Satterlee battled themselves but never threatened the leader to the finish line. After 55 laps, it was Cosner for the win, followed by Yoder, Satterlee, Barbara and DJ Myers in the top five. Barbara, Cosner, Yoder and Haus won the heats. Matt Sponaugle won the B.
Cosner’s big win, topping off a super late season rush, closed the point gap, but Jeff Rine had clinched the 2016 point title by just starting the event. Ironically Rine, the 2015 big winner, was held winless in his 2016 title run.
Ed Vogel led the Emods to the line in their 18 lapper and he led the first two laps. Alyssa Rowe got by but only led two more laps until Jonathan Taylor shot by for the lead. Rowe chased Taylor for the duration but could not threaten. But the real drama was behind the leaders as Bill Pluta and Ken Singer were so close in points that essentially whichever finished higher would be the champion.
Singer passed Pluta for fifth on lap 5 but Pluta dogged him until; he retook the spot on lap 8. Pluta sealed the deal by passing Vogel on lap 10 for third and they finished that way. Singer never got by Vogel, finishing fifth. The ten point swing was just enough for Pluta to claim the title,
Kyle Beckett led the Semi Late event for 7 laps with Greg Cornell closing fast. The pair ran well ahead of a wild 8 car battle for third. But that all unfolded on lap 8 as a Joe Pluta crash into the turn 1 wall ended up with a five car crash on the backstretch.
Greg Cornell shot by Beckett for the lead and was able to hold to the finish, Jesse Snyder survived the lap 8 melee to take up the chase on Cornell but settled for second at the line. Tom Warren, Dave Whetstone and Don Wyles completed the top five. Whetstone and Jay won the heats.
Pressure was intense in the 4 Cylinder event as Wayne Brenize and Tom Brady were only two points apart entering the final race of the year. Rusty Martin led early as both Brady and Brenize picked through the crowd. Brenize took the lead on lap 5 and held off Martin, then Darren Howsare and finally Brady himself for the win. At the line it was Brenize, Brady, Howsare, Ryan Peer and Chris Reckner across the line. Brenize eeked out just enough to claim the title. Reckner and Peer won the heats.
LATE MODEL 55 LAP 1 Matt Cosner, Dylan Yoder, Gregg Satterlee, Keith Barbara, DJMyers, Colby Frye, Jim Yoder, Bryan Bernheisel, Jeremy Miller, Justin Kann, Rick Singleton, Andy Haus, Andy Fries, Amanda Whaley, Tim Smith, Mike Altobelli Jr, DJ Troutman Matt Sponaugle, Dan Stone, Ross Robinson, Gene Knaub, Matt Parks, Jeff Rine, Dave Troutman, Chuck Clise DNS Jason Schmidt, Cody Robinson, Dan Snyder, Jarrett Yantos, Cole Amsden, Quint Weyant
EMOD 18 LAP 1 Jonathan Taylor, Alyssa Rowe, Bill Pluta, Ed Vogel, Ken Singer, Beau Aikey, Mike Altobelli S John Whitfield, Brian Fife, Mike Meck, Darrell Edwards, Jeff Treece, Dan Lowery Jim Sayler
SEMI LATE 15 LAP 1 Greg Cornell, Jesse Snyder, Tom Warren, Dave Whetstone, Don Wyles, Travis Calhoun, Kyle Beckett, Lou Wannyn, Jarrod Brown, Chad Gambol, Bob Jay. Joe Pluta, Scott Sturtz.
4 CYLINDER 12 LAP 1 Wayne Brenize, Tom Brady, Darren Howsare, Ryan Peer, Chris Reckner, Josh Ringer, Todd Price, Rusty Martin, Steve Martin, Tyler Brachfield, Kolby Crawley, Chris Shrout Phil Best, Morgan Price, Josh Fetters, Tyler Beckett, Mike Howsare DQ Cale Martin.
