Capping off a successful 2021 season, Max Blair dominated the 60 lap Keystone Cup event at Bedford Saturday night. In a race that featured excellent racing, a spectacular drive from the back of the field, a statistical ;oddity and post race controversy, Blair was easily the class of the field, leading the last 40 laps and winning by almost 9 seconds or over a half lap. Blair pocketed $25000 for the win.
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In support action, former track champion Robby Black returned to take the Limited feature while Drake Troutman won the EMod feature.
Blair’s evening went from bad to worse before it got better. Already running dead last in the earlier dash for the six best qualifiers, Blair’s mount suffered serious mechanical damage and he retired. However under the Bedford Speedway multi day event rule B-4, a qualified driver can start the second day feature in a different car without penalty, allowing Blair to pull out a second car and go.
Pole sitter and 2021 track champion Jeff Rine, in a car tastefully redesigned. and numbered to honor former car owner Bob Elbin, took the initial lead with Mason Zeigler in pursuit. Blair zipped by both Andy Haus and Zeigler on lap 11 and took off after the leader.
As the laps mounted without a slowdown, Blair gradually caught Rine and made the winning pass on lap 23. From that point on, Blair just drove away. adding to his leading distance while weaving among lapped traffic.
As the green flag laps mounted, there was racing all throughout the field, as many moved forward early then faded in the later laps. Foremost among the constant movers was Gregg Satterlee who barely qualified in the B feature and started 21st in the field. Satterlee moved into the top 10 by lap 29 and didn’t stop there. By lap 45, Satterlee was in the top five but the laps were winding down fast.
With few cars retiring and the absence of yellow flags, there were battles all over the speedway but no one challenged the fleet Blair. At the completion, he was up to lapping 7th place finisher Jason Covert and he crossed the ling almost 8 seconds ahead of Rine. who held off a fast closing Matt Cosner for second. Without the aid of a caution, Satterlee came all the way to finish fourth Kyle Lee came from 17th to complete the top 5.
Pre race favorites Scott Bloomquist and Rick Eckert were early drop outs, Bloomquist on the very first lap.
In a first ever for Bedford,, the event went straight through 60 laps without a caution, running in 21 minutes.
In Friday qualifying action, Mason Zeigler and Rine won the Semi features. In Saturday B feature action, Dan Stone and Drake Troutman were the winners. Rine won the dash to start in the pole.
Former track champion Robby Black made a rare 2021 Bedford appearance a happy one as he took the Limited event. He took the early lead from his pole start and led the distance. Clinton Hersh chased him early but Bryan Benton took second on lap 12. Eventually Taylor Farlling took up the chase but Black hung on for the win. Behind Black and Farlling, Spike Moore, Bryan Benton and Andy Fries completed the top 5. Taylor Farlling and Hersh won the heats.
Drake Troutman took advantage of his pole starting position and led the EMod distance. Mike Altobelli ran him down and made repeated advances, as the race wore on, but Troutman never faltered in lapped traffic and Troutman prevailed. Jerry Foster, Beau Aikey and Donnie Farlling trailed. Jonathan Taylor and Troutman won the heats.
LATE MODEL 60 LAP 1 Max Blair, Jeff Rine, Matt Cosner, Gregg Satterlee, Kyle Lee, Jared Miley, Jason Covert, Trevor Feathers, Ryan Montgomery, Colton Flinner, Dan Stone, Colton Burdette, Bryan Bernheisel, Tim Smith, Jamie Lathroum, Chuck Clise, Rick Eckert, Mason Zeigler, Alex Ferree, Clinton Hersh, Jason Miller, Andy Haus, Drake Troutman, Ross Robinson, Scott Bloomquist DNQ Eddie Carrier, Jeff Miller, Gary Stuhler, Dave Stamm. Chuck Clise, Travis Stickley, Dylan Yoder, Jim Yoder, Justin Weaver, Shawn Jones, Nathan Lasalle, John W Weaver, Spike Moore, Wayne Johnson, Tom Decker, Tom Decker III, Mike Lupfer, Matt Murphy. Eric Hamilton
LIMITED 20 LAP 1 Robby Black, Taylor Farlling, Spike Moore, Bryan Benton, Andy Fries, Clinton Hersh, Tom Decker III Devin Weyandt, Tom Decker, Bruce Broadwater, Eric Broadwater, Donnie Farlling, William Stile DNS Brian Lowery, Josh Whetstone
EMOD 20 LAP 1 Drake Troutman, Mike Altobelli, Jerrty Foster, Beau Aikey, Donnie Farlling, Mitch Thomas, Brandon Householder, Alyssa Rowe, Ray Kable, Jacob Marker, David Green, Blaine Sellers, Edd Vogel, Andy Bosley, Bill Pluta, Dennis Perigo, Ron Vogel, DNS Jonathan Taylor.
