In dominating fashion, from start to finish, Gene Knaub took the big prize in the annual Bedford Speedway Labor Day 55 Friday night. The win bookended the season for Knaub, who won his first career Bedford winners hat on opening day this season and was worth $6055. Only a few weeks removed from her first ever Bedford win, Alyssa Rowe snagged another Emod victory at the track. Jim Saccoi took the Semi Late 15 lapper. Ryan Peer swept both 4 Cylinder races, one being the holdover event from last week, to complete the holiday weekend program.
Jeff Rine was the pole sitter for the big 55 event but it was Knaub who got the jump at the start. After a lap two yellow for a six car melee in turn one, Knaub actually sped away from Rine, as well as DJ Troutman and Matt Sponaugle. Sponaugle took third from Troutman on lap 12 to chase Rine. At that point, Rine and Troutman were basically tied in the season point race with everything on the line in this point finale.
That pont counting changed dramatically on lap 15 as Rine shredded a tire coming off turn 4. During the long delay to pick up chunks of rubber which flew off all the way into turn one, the Elbin crew was able to change the tire and return, but Rine was never a factor after that.
Knaub easily ran off from new second runner Sponaugle, who found himself occupied with new third place runner Dan Stone. But the man on the move was DJ Myers who came from 16th starting spot. As Stone finally cleared Sponaugle for second on lap 24, Myers burst by as well.
But they were no match for the fleet Knaub. While Myers and Stone went at it for the entire last half of the event, Knaub was pulling away each lap. A yellow on lap 54, when Keith Barbara shredded a tire, closed the field for a dramatic one lap shootout. But Knaub ran the 55th lap much like the prior 54 and ran off to score the big win. Stone held off Myers to take second. Sponaugle and Jim Yoder completed the top five. Rine, Troutman and Sponaugle won the heats. Andy Haus won the B. Track high point man Chuck Clise took the provisional and, with his own car wounded, started the event in Troy Swindell’s 21.
Rine who had to gain about 15 points on Troutman to win the track title, failed to do so, finishing 14th, allowing Troutman to secure the 2015 track title.
In an event which went all green, Jim Sacco led the entire Semi Late race. He held off Don Wyles but the lead pair were tracked down by Jim Sayler and Tom Warren late. The foursome went in a group to the finish, until Sacco secured the win. Wyles held off Sayler and Warren to finish second at the line. Jesse Snyder was fifth. Sayler and Snyder won the heats.
After suffering through two grinding crashes during the season, Saylor prevailed to take the 2015 Semi Late title.
Chuck Lasalle was the initial Emod leader, but Alyssa Rowe tracked him down. By lap three she was all over Lasalle and shot by one lap later. Rowe then opened up a commanding lead darting in and out of lapped traffic to secure the win, her second career win at the track. Lasalle held off Bill Pluta, Brandon Lasalle and Vic Vandergrift at the finish. Rowe and Vandergrift won the heats.
When the 4 Cylinders last ran a makeup feature first on the program, back in June, it was Wayne Brenize with the win. For a long time it looked like he’d do it again as he led the makeup event from last Friday for 7 laps. But Ryan Peer, in a new car, completed his climb from 16th starting spot to zip by Brenize on lap 8. Although Brenize gave chase, He finished second at the line, followed by Dan Lawry, Dacron Powell and Darren Howsare. Powell and Josh Ringer won the August 28 heats.
The regular 4 Cylinder event started off with a bang as the usual mob scene
start was highlighted by a spectacular flip by Lawry. When things settled down, Howsare led early but Peer tracked him down. Peer took over on lap six and led to the end. Powell came on for second at the end, followed by TomBrady and Brenize. Peer and Howsare won those heats.
LATE MODEL 55 LAP Gene Knaub Dan Stone, DJ Myers, Matt Sponaugle, Jim Yoder, Tim Smith, DJ Troutman, Bryan Bernheisel, Dave Troutman, Andy Haus, Shawn Jones, Jerry Bard, Jason Schmidt, Jeff Rine, Keith Barbara, Mike Altobelli J, Wayne Johnson, Andy Fries, Matt Cosner, Jason Covert, Eric Zembower, Colby Frye, Darrass Deneen, Chuck Clise, Dylan Yoder, DNS Travis Stickley, Cole Amsden, Larry Baer, Rick Singleton.
EMOD 15 LAP Alyssa Rowe, Chuck Lasalle, Bill Pluta, Brandon Lasalle, Vic Vandergrift, Justin Milburn, Rich Goodman, John WhitfieldBrian Fyfe, Mike Meck, DNS Adam Daniels.
SEMI LATE 15 LAP Jim Sacco, Don Wyles, Jim Sayler, Tom Warren, Jesse Snyder, Chad Gambol, Kyle Beckett, Greg Cornell, Nick Zborovancik, Joe Pluta, Scott Sturtz,Greg Hainsey
4 CYLINDER MAKEUP 12 LAPS Ryan Peer, Wayne Brenize, Dan Lawry, Dacron Powell, Darren Howsare, Dave Harclerode, Wade Peer Chris Reckner, Josh Ringer, Steve Frederick, Kolby Crawley, Zach Tritt, Josh Fetters, Tom Brady, Michael McDonald, Phil Best, Todd Price, Garrett Watkins, DNS Bailey Johnson, Joe Means, Shawn Miller, Garrett Covert.
4 CYLINDER 12 LAP Ryan Peer, Dacron Powell, Tom Brady, Wayne Brenize, Darren Howsare Randy Peer, Josh Rionger, Dave Harclerode, Denny Pittman, Kolby Crawley, Steve Frederick, Doug Cornath, Zach Tritt, Phil Best, Josh Fetters, Roger Littleton, Chris Reckner, Todd Price, Garrett Watkins, Michael McDonald, Dan Lawry, DNS Rusty Martin.
