After a wild late race charge, Jeff Rine captured the Late Model feature event at Bedford Friday night. It was the first Rine win at the track in over two years and the 38th of his career, but more importantly it broke a long standing tie with racing great Scott Haus atop the all time Bedford feature winner list.
In other action, Spike Moore, Rick Potter, Madison Miller and Tyler Beckett scored wins in Semi Late, EMod, Pure Stock and 4 Cylinder support classes.
Pole sitter Jeff Miller jumped off to the initial lead in the Late Model 25 lapper followed by Nathan Lasalle. Miller held the lead through several early cautions until he became one by suffering a flat on lap 5. That handed the lead to Lasalle who pulled away from Matt Sponaugle and the crowd.
While the front pair pulled away,7th starter Jeff Rine was slowly picking his way forward. He was up to fourth when the wildest ride of the race occurred as Travis Stickley slammed the first turn wall. On that restart, Rine jumped to third and began to seriously pressure Sponaugle for second
That pair went at it for several laps until Rine finally slipped by, but Lasalle had escaped to a large lead. With the event going all green flag laps after that point, Rine began to close slowly each lap. By lap 16 he was all over Lasalle but the leader did not fade. After giving Lasalle plenty of pressure for several laps, Rine fell back a bit then mounted a second charge as the end neared.
Rine tried both high and low before finally getting side by side and then slipping ahead for the lead on lap 24. Rine then held on the last lap to score the historic win. Lasalle and Sponaugle trailed.
Almost unnoticed during the dramatic battle up front, Bryan Bernheisel came from ninth to fourth, all over Sponaugle at the end, and Jakob Piper came from 13th to complete the top 5. Stickley, Bernheisel and JT Spence won the heats.
After two consecutive DNFs killed his point average, opening day winner Rick Potter used an up front starting position to devastate the Semi Late event, leading from start to finish. Brian Weyandt Jr chased Potter the distance but never really mounted a threat.
Kyle Deneen found the far outside groove working for himself and rallied from 13th to third at the finish but ran out of laps before he could challenge the leaders. Kyle Weyant and Nick Bechtel completed the top 5. Brian Jr, Ryan Sager and Dave Brown won the heats.
In similar fashion, Spike Moore easily defeated the small EMod field. George Dixon ran second for the duration but never really presented a challenge Mitch Thomas and Brandon Hoover had a spirited battle for third until Hoover snared the spot late, forcing Thomas to settle for fourth ahead of Beau Aikey.
Young Dominic Weyandt held off a raging mob to score the Pure Stock win, his first ever at the track. Madison Miller Charlie Clise and Kyle Becket among others wrestled among themselves for the honor of chasing Weyandt with Miller prevailing near the end. That move proved fortuitous as the Weyandt 88 car had issues in the tech line and Miller was awarded the win.
Beckett, Clise and Eli Hinish trailed in the updated rundown. Beckett and Clise won the heats.
Tyler Beckett took the caution plagued 4 Cylinder finale, leading the distance. Wayne Brenize, seeking to repeat the earlier feat of Jeff Rine and break a tie at the top of the winners list, chased Beckett for the duration but fell short at the finish. Tom Brady and Colin Welsh trailed. Beckett and Brady won the heats.
LATE MODELS 25 LAPS Jeff Rine, Nathan Lasalle, Matt Sponaugle, Bryan Bernheisel, Jakob Piper, Matt Cosner, JT Spence, Chuck Clise, Tim Smith, Chad Homan, Jeff Miller, Kyle Lee, Taylor Farlling, Scott Sweeney, Ron Fink, Scott Sweeney J, Clinton Hersh, Travis Stickley, Wayne Johnson, Trevor Feathers, Tyler Ritchey, Travis Fleegle
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EMOD 20 LAP Spike Moore, George Dixon, Brandon Hoover, Mitch Thomas, Beau Aikey, Bryce Bookwater, Ed Vogel, David Green
SEMI LATE 15 LAP Rick Potter Brian Weyandt J Kyle Deneen, Kyle Weyant, Nick Bechtel, Cody Jarvie, Greg Hainsey, Chubby Childers, Andrew Stough, Dave Brown Ryan Sager, Garrett Keifer, Erik Weyandt, Jared Benton, Dalton Weyant, Bob Jay, Mooch Cornekk, Cale Martin DNS John Miller, Travis Calhoun, Jarrett Paisley
PURE STOCK 15 LAPS Madison Miller, Kyle Beckett, Charlie Clise, Eli Hinish, Denver Dishong, Chubby Childers, Derek Long, Ryan Beckett, Brook Bunn, Brittany Beach, Braydale Bauman, DNS Dalton Ritchey, DQ Dominic Weyandt
4 CYLINDER 12 LAP Tyler Beckett, Wayne Brenize, Tom Brady, Colin Welsh, Matt Kauffmen, Ethan Strait, Jimmy Delozier, Chris Graybill, Todd Price, Zach Ling, Jason Diehl, Brandon Amtower, DNS Brandon Powell, DQ Isaac Kormansji
