Jeff Rine rallied late to snag the win as the annual Memorial Day weekend kicked off at Bedford. The event, a tribute this year to the memories of Johnny Grum and Turk Burket, was 35 laps and worth $3000 to the Bob Elbin owned team. Rine’s 24th career win at the track places him solidly fourth on the all time list. In other Action, Mike Altobelli Jr completely dominated the Emod 35 lapper, scoring yet another win and Shawn Shoemaker held off most of the Weyandt family to take his first ever Pure Stock win.
Andy Haus led the Late Model field to the green and burst out into the early lead. He pulled to a several car distance over Jason Covert, which was fortuitous as a tire blew and Haus looped it in front of the field in turn 4 on lap 3.
Covert inherited the lead at that point, but Rine was already on his bumper. Rine made several unsuccessful runs at Covert but all eyes were in Dylan Yoder and Jared Miley who were climbing through the pack from 8th and 10 starting spots. Dylan led the attacking duo forward until Miley slipped by on lap 19, taking third.
During a long green flag session. Miley managed to reel in the lead duo and was all. l over Rine for second. Just when the three lead battle heated up, Andy Haus had another flat tire, this time forcing him hard into the turn 1 wall on lap 28.
Having noticed Miley’s charge, Rine decided it was time to go. He shot by Covert on the restart, leaving him to battle Miley alone, And ran over the last 7 laps to win by a straightaway. Covert held on for second at the line, ahead of Miley, Dylan Yoder and Jamie Lathroum, who came from 11th.
Chuck Clise, Tim Wilson and Reese Masiello won the heats, Tyler Horst won the consi.
Unlike the exciting Late Model event, there was little late race drama in the Emod 35. Mike Altobelli Jr led the field to the green, took the early lead and ran pretty much unimpeded to the win. Evan Taylor climbed from his 7th starting spot taking third on lap 14 and beginning to reel in second place runner Drake Troutman.
But Taylor’s hopes went up in smoke after a caution on lap 30.after Rick Singleton hit the wall in turn 1. Taylor made the wild move around Troutman on that lap but found himself spinning wildly in turn one, bringing out the caution again.
Over the last 5 laps. Altobelli romped to the easy win, over Troutman, Jonathan Taylor, Ray Kable III and Alyssa Rowe. Altobelli and Troutman won the heats.
It would have been a fitting end to the Turk Burket event to have an 88 in victory lane,. The Weyandt family tried but it didnt happen. Shawn Shoemaker led several times including the important last lap.
Shoemaker took the lead at the start with Josh Frankenberry in hot pursuit. but as the duo led, Barry Weyandt was fast approaching with Denny Pittman in tow. By lap 8 it was a 4 car gangfight at the front with two more Weyandts closing fast. Barry Weyandt and Pittman eased by Frankenberry on lap 18 and Weyandt went to work on Shoemaker. Weyandt slipped by into the lead on lap 22 but he was unable to shake the wild mob behind him.
Shoemaker held off Pittman and two Weyandts after Frankenberry retired on lap 28, but Barry Weyandt appeared enroute to another extra distance Pure Stock win. But Weyandt’s car broke on a lap 31 restart, drifting to the pits. Shoemaker eluded the slowing Weyandt to take the lead back, but Kyle Weyandt passed them both.
With victory seemingly in grasp, Kyle Weyandt took the white flag as the leader but broke an axle in turn one. bringing out the caution and giving the lead back to Shoemaker. With a one lap shootout to the finish, Shoemaker had yet another Weyandt to deal with as Erik Weyandt pulled even with the leader as the field went green for the last time.
But Shoemaker was up to that challenge and held on for his first career Bedford win. Erik Weyandt was second, followed by Dalton Ritchey, Dakota Foor, who had started dead last in the field and Darren Howsare. Frankenberry and Shoemaker won the heats.
LATE MODEL 35 LAPS 1 Jeff Rine, Jason Covert, Jared miley, Dylan Yoder, Jamie Lathroum, Chuck Clise, Colby Frye, Andy Fries, Ross Robinson, Brian Bernheisel, Tim Wilson, Matt Sponaugle, Reese Masiello, Dave Stamm, Jaymie Beck, Andy Haus, Danny Snyder, Nathan Lasalle, Allen Brannon, Wayne Johnson, Travis Stickley, Tyler Horst, Gene Knaub, DJ Troutman, Dave Troutman, DNS Matt Cosner, Darryl Hills, Trevor Feathers, Tyler bare.
EMOD 35 LAP 1 Mike Altobelli Jr, Drake Troutman, Jonathan Taylor, Ray Kable III, Alyssa Rowe, Beau Aikey, Evan Taylor, Dave Brown, Derek Deusenberry, Rick Singleton, Mike Duck, Mike Meck, DNS Chris Cogan, Ken Summers
PURE STOCK 35 LAP 1 Shawn Shoemaker, Erik Weyandt, Dalton Ritchey, Dakots Foor, Darren Howsare, Justin Rosenberger, Kyle Weyandt, Barry Weyandt, Laura Chamberlain, Denny Pittman, Josh frankenberry, Brad Nesline, DJ Donivan, Nathan Gilliland, Cheyenne Ranker, Charlie Clise, DNS James Foor
