Bedford Speedway was blessed with the first dry race day of 2019 Friday night and Gregg Satterlee responded with the big Late Model win. The event was the annual tribute for Johnny Grum and Turk Burket, two Bedford legends triple 35s. It was Satterlee’s third career Bedford win and first since a win in this event in 2015.
Other events on the triple 35 lap card saw complete opposites in Victory Lane as Semi Late career win leader Bob Jay took that feature while young second generation driver Kyle Deneen won his first ever Pure Stock event.
Defending track champion Jeff Rine drew the pole for the Late Model race seeking his third Bedford win in a row, but it was Satterlee with the lead at the completion of the first lap. It took two shots to get the race started and several early race yellows occurred, but Satterlee was clearly in charge ahead of Rine and Andy Haus.
While the front three remained the same, all eyes were on Jason Covert, who started 14th in the field but had climbed to fourth by lap nine.
After a restart on that lap, Covert wrestled third away from Haus and took off after Rine. That battle raged for several laps until Covert blasted by on lap 24 to secure second.
At that point Satterlee faced a challenge for the lead as Covert closed fast and was soon all over the leader. Rine also performed one of his late race challenges and the battle up front got intense with Covert several times up along side the leader.
On the last lap Cover and Rine joined Satterlee in a three way rush to the line, coming off the fourth turn in a mob, but Satterlee held on for the win. Covert narrowly beat Rine for second while Haus and Matt Cosner completed the top five. Mason Zeigler, who was an early race dropout, Satterlee and Darryl Hills won the qualifying heats.
Chubby Childers was the Semi Late pole sitter but after he spun in front of the field on the start, Bill Replogle and Bob Jay were the new front row starters for their 35 lapper. Jay got the jump on the start and led Replogle for the early laps. When Replogle’s car died on lap nine, Brian Weyandt Jr took up the chase but Jay dominated the 35 laps to score the win.
Weyandt settled for a distant second followed by Mark Patterson Greg Hainsey and Childers. Weyandt and Childers won the heats.
The Pure Stock 35 lapper was a battle of attrition as it became a cautionfest beginning even before the start when pole sitter Laura Chamberlain headed to the pits on the pace lap. New front row starter Kyle Deneen shot by to lead lap one but Nick Bechtell took over on lap two. Deneen remained in hot pursuit until Bechtell dropped out on lap six.
At that point Deneen resumed the lead with Weyandts in his trail. Barry Weyandt provided the pressure but Deneen refused to wilt. Kevin Weyandt joined in that batte by lap 12, but the battle at the front was Deeneen and Weyandt. In a battle reminiscent of classic Semi Late races from the 90s, It was a Deneen and a Weyandt at the front for the remainder of the 35 laps before Deneen prevailed to score his first ever Bedford win.
Barry Weyandt who alternately close and fell back on the leader, settled for second, ahead of Kevin Weyandt, Tim Brown and Dalton Weyandt. Deneen and Bechtell won the heats.
LATE MODEL 35 LAPS Gregg Satterlee, Jason Covert, Jeff Rine, Andy Haus, Matt Cosner, Alex Ferree, Brian Bernheisel, Darryl Hills, Matt Sponaugle, Dan Angellichio, Chuck Clise, Dylan Yoder, Tyler Bare, Ross Robinson, Dan Stone, Ralph Morgan, Tom Decker, Wayne Johnson, Andy Fries, Jeff Johnson, DJ Troutman, Nate Lasalle, Mason Zeigler, Michael Norris, DNS Travis Stickley.
SEMI LATE 35 LAPS Bob Jay, Brian Weyandt Jr, Mark Patterson, Greg Hainsey, Chubby Childers, Lonnie Buttry, Trent Clark, Jarrod Brown, Bill Replogle
PURE STOCK 35 LAPS Kyle Deneen, Barry Weyandt, Kevin Weyandt Tim Brown, Dalton, Weyandt, Eric Bittner, Charlie Clise, Laura Chamberlain, Larry Foor, Josh Frankenberry, Todd Woodward, Nick Bechtell. Dalton Ritchey, Cole Stickel, DNS Reed Stickel
