The Bedford Speedway started off the holiday weekend with a rare Thursday night event and the happiest guy in Bedford was Jakob Piper, who scored his second career win in the Late Model event. Piper held off track all time winner Jeff Rine in a thrilling finish.
In other action Kyle Weyant came from deep in the field to score the Semi Late win in an event which featured a wild 13 car pileup on the back stretch. Charie Clise took the Pure Stock win before Tyler Beckett closed the program with a 4 Cylinder win.
Due to his low point average, Jakob Piper earned an up front starting spot in the Late Model event. He capitalized on that benefit by jumping into the lead at the start and wired the field over the 25 all green laps.
Jeff Rine jumped into second on lap two and set off after Piper who had already piled up a large lead. Lap after lap Rine chased Piper as Kyle Lee moved into third but Piper kept increasing his margin.
Encountering lapped traffic by lap 16, Rine began to slowly decrease the margin. By lap 20 Rine was closing fast as they both dispatched the lapped cars. On the last lap Rine was there to make a threat but Piper skirted on to the win. Rine scored second ahead of Lee, Bryan Bernheisel and Tyler Ritchey. The event went all 25 laps green in a time of just over 9 minutes. Rine and Nathan Lasalle won the heats.
The wildest event of the night was the Semi late event featuring 12 carutions and a red flag period over the 20 lap distance. TravisCalhoun was the early leader but he was hounded seriously by Bob Jay who was running the bottom groove. Several times Jay made the move on Calhoun but was thwarted by 7 cautions on the first 5 laps.
Finally on lap 5 Jay made a move for the lead on a lap that was completed and counted but rather thanfeeling comfortable, he was instantly hounded bt Rick Potter who had come from 7th. Jay and Potter while battling could not shake Calhoun as the three ran in a knot at the front.
But things really ramped up when Kyle Deneen shot around all of them to take the lead on lap 9. Now racing for second, those three were joined by Brian Weyandt Jr and set the stage for the wildest Semi Late crash in years. On lap 11 going up the backstretch, Jay, Potter and Weyandy got together and the chain reaction crash ultimately claimed 13 cars and a long red flag delay.
With much of the field decimated racing resumed after the crash with Deneen in the lead ahead of Weyandt, who had been in the crash but had not stopped, and Kyle Weyant. Brian Jr didn’t seem to have much for Deneen but Kyle did. He disposed of Weyandt Jr and gave Deneen fits.
With Weyant on the bottom and Deneen on the outside, the pair ran together for several laps before Weyandt squeezed ahead. Deneen kept up the pressure but fell short at the line. They were followed by Weyandt Jr, Dalton Weyant and Bill Shehan. Weyandt Jr, Potter and Jay won the heats.
Among those involved in the big crash were Jay, Calhoun, Erik Weyant, Greg Cornell, Greg Hainsey, Andrew Stough, John Miller, Trent Clark, William Miller, Potter, and Gaarrett Keifer
After the wild Semi Late event the Pure Stock 16 lapper was tame. Ryan Beckett led the first few laps before Charlie Clise got by. As Clise opened up a large lead, Beckett held off a herd of challengers. Clise eventually took the win over Beckett, Kyle Beckett, Braydale Bauman and Madison Miller Clise and Denver Dishong won the heats.
Tyler Beckett rushed from fifth to lead the first 4 Cylinder lap then ran away from the field holding almost a half lap lead over the field until the only caution flew on lap 11. On the restart he again sped away enroute to the win. Behind him was a race long 4 car battle for second led by Todd Price. With two laps to go, point leader Tom Brady skipped by to grab second at the line, ahead of Colin Welsh, Jason Diehl and Price who slowed at the end. Beckett and Welsh won the heats.
LATE MODELS 25 LAPS Jakob Piper, Jeff Rine, Kyle Lee, Bryan Bernheisel, Tyler Ritchey, Austin Berry, Nathan Lasalle, Jeff Miller, Shawn Shoemaker, Matt Sponaugle, Del Rougeaux. Matt Martin, Wayne Johnson, Ron Fink, Colin Castale, Andrew Wylie
SEMO LATES 20 LAPS Kyle Weyant, Kyle Deneen, Brian Weyandt J, Dalton Weyant, Bill Shehan, Jared Benton, Ron Ramsey, Bob Jay, Travis Calhoun, Erik Weyandt, Garrett Keifer, Rick Potter, Greg Cornell, Greg Hainsey, Andrew Stough, John Miller, Trent Clark, William Miller, Cody Jarvie, Bradlee Means, Nick Bechtel, Dave Brown, DNS Chubby Childers, Brady Neff
PURE STOCKS 16 LAPS Charlie Clise, Ryan Beckett, Kyle Beckett Braydale Bauman, MadisonMiller, Denver Dishong, Dominic Weyandt, Brock Bunn, Jay Talley, Brad Boyd, Anthony Troutman, Chubby Childers, Britanny Beach, Darian Ritchey, DNS Derek Long
4 CYLINDER 16 LAPS Tyler Beckett Tom Brady, Colin Welsh, Jason Diehl, Todd Price, Derek Long, Ethan Strait, Braden Powell, Bradley Ross, Trevor Brown DNS Shawn Smith, Jeff Marlett
