For the first time in over 25 years Rick Eckert scored the win in Late
Model action Friday night at Bedford, a track he once dominated.
Eckert’s win came in the annual Labor Day 55 at the track and was
worth a whopping $7055. In other action, Jonathan Taylor completely
dominated the Emod twenty lapper while the Pure Stock event fell to
the curfew.
Mason Zeigler and Andy Haus brought the field to the green with
Zeigler grabbing the early lead. Haus chased Zeigler while holding off a
fast charging Jason Covert. Covert got by Haus on lap 8 and almost
instantly chased down Ziegler.
Covert mounted a serious challenge to the leader and the pair
traded slide jobs for several laps, with Covert actually leading lap 16
before Ziegler regained control. But it all was over on lap 20 as Zeigler’s
car broke in turn 4.
.
At that point Covert assumed the lead but had Haus to contend with
and Gregg Satterlee coming fast. Satterlee took second on lap 24 and
rolled up on Covert but could not make the big move. When the race
went almost 20 green laps after lap 30, Rick Eckert started to make his
move. Eckert had taken third on lap 28, and wrestled second from Satterlee
on lap 41. With Covert noticeably slowing as the laps wound down,
Eckert ran the leader down, but Satterlee and Haus were catching
them both. With 5 to go, Eckert was all over Covert and made the decisive move
as the field came to complete lap 52. A quick yellow when Haus and
Satterlee both spun on lap 53 closed the field, but Eckert ran off to the
big win. Ross Robinson made the huge late race charge to snag second
at the line followed by Covert, Bryan Bernheisel and Jared Miley. Haus,
Mike Lupfer, Austin Hubbard and Satterlee won the heats, Miley and
Shawn Jones won the twin B features.
Jonathan Taylor ran off with the Emod event, leading from flag to
flag. Ryan Becket ran second for the duration but could never
challenge Taylor who won going away. Jimmy Jessmer, Dan Cornman
and Drake Troutman completed the top 5. Cornman and Jessmer won
the heats.
For the first time in five years the final scheduled event on a Bedford
program fell to the curfew. This time it was the Pure Stock event, the
last point race of their season. That event will be made up at a future
date.
LATE MODEL 55 1 Rick Eckert, Ross Robinson, Jason Covert, Bryan
Bernheisel, Jared Miley, Dylan Yoder, Andy Haus, Matt Sponaugle,
Gregg Satterlee, Chuck Clise, Shawn Jones, Gene Knaub, Max Blair,
Mike Lupfer, Austin Hubbard, Clinton Hersh, Mike Wonderling, Jeff
Rine, Billy Wampler, Jason Dobson, Jeff Johnson DNS Tim Smith, Jeff
Miller, Colby Frye, Matt Cosner, JT McLanigan, John Weaver, Mike
Laughard, Jamie Lathroum, Josh Whetstone.
EMOD 20 1 Jonathan Taylor, Ryan Beckett, Jimmy Jessmer, Dan
Cornman, Drake Troutman, Tom Wakefield, Bob Gordon, Sam Reeder, Justin Milburn, Mike Meck, Bryan Miller. Josh Marker. Derek Deusenberry, DNS Evan Taylor
