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STUHLER’S LAST TURN PASS OF LATHROUM NETS CAREER 131st. WHILE DEESE IS FIRST NINE TIME CHAMPION

by Bob Vores
HAGERSTOWN, MD (September 6) - From an earlier downpour, Hagerstown Speedway/Dirt Capitol was wet and Gary Stuhler made the best of it on ARCH (Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown) and Champions Final Point Night by being the fourth different leader in the Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic Late Model $2,500 to win feature. Coming from 13th, he swiped the win from Jamie Lathroum off the final turn. In doing so, the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame driver from Greencastle, Pa scored his career 131st and first since June 2012 and is the 13th different winner this season.

‘We’ve been off a year or so, struggling a little bit,” Stuhler said. “We’ve got some pretty decent stuff. We just got to get it figured out and get it where we can race when it’s slippery. This thing will go pretty decent when it’s muddy.”

Roy Deese Jr, who led an earlier lap in the 25-lap feature before Lathroum powered back to regain the lead, was named the 2014 Late Model champion, his ninth time of earning the prestigious title which breaks the tie with Nathan Durboraw for the past three years. Deese went into the evening separated from Marvin Winters by only four points and ended 15 ahead in the double point race when Winters finished sixth.

It was a night that almost didn’t happen, but Ernie Davis, co-promoter of Dirt Capitol, was reluctant to give up when a downpour flooded the infield just after the pits gates had opened. Track crews brought the track back into shape as radar showed another torrential storm to the west and it later came within two miles of the speedway and all but dissipated before swinging north. Some sprinkles could be felt during the late model heats.

Jerry Bard and Steve Axtell occupied the front row for the Late Model feature as Bard assumed the lead over third starting Lathroum, Axtell and Deese.

Following an eighth lap restart, Lathroum powered past Bard as did Deese with Lathroum and Deese leading the fast procession while Stuhler was to fifth by a lap 18 caution.

Cautions on the 20th and 23rd closed the field as Deese led the 21st lap but Lathroum came back to regain the spot but following the second restart, Stuhler had got past Deese and became a threat. Lathroum took the white flag and appeared the winner until giving Stuhler just enough room in the final turn when he was right there to pounce on the opportunity. He won by .181 second with Allen Brannon third followed by Deese and Kyle Hardy. Bard and Axtell were the heat winners.

“I didn’t know what he was going to do the last lap,” Stuhler said. “He went into three and he just pushed a little. I thought if he rotated the corner, I was just going to finish second. He got in there and got in a push and I thought, “Here’s my chance.” I just didn’t’ see it coming all night because the race track was fast and it was hard to pass. Starting where we did we just got lucky and got a deal on the bottom where we could get to the front.’

Justin Weaver pulled to the front of the Malloy Ford Late Model Sportsman feature over Rodney Walls while Andy Anderson was on the way from eighth and was to third by a third lap yellow.

Anderson took second on the restart while Kyle Lee and Tyler Horst were both in the battle for the top positions.

Four successive yellow flags were displayed with drivers informed another one would result in the feature being complete.

Anderson had just taken the lead from Weaver on the 10th lap restart while Charlie Schaffer came from seventh to move into third.

The checkered waved on the 12th lap to call the race official with Anderson picking up $1.000 and Weaver holding second a mere .002 seconds behind. Schaffer, Lee and Horst completed the top five. Weaver, R. Walls and Horst were the heat winners.

“I wasn’t sure we were going to get it there,” Anderson said. “Justin had a better car. I just got lucky. The yellow came out and I got a run off the bottom. I got to the outside and got him. On those restarts, this thing just wouldn’t go. He pretty much would drive by me getting off the turn.”

Weaver’s finish earned him his second consecutive title in the division.

In the K.Lynn Management Pure Stocks, Brian Miller was the early leader over Mike Franklin while point leader Mike Corbin passed Franklin and challenged Miller. Franklin came back to recapture his position and one more as he passed Miller for the lead on lap seven. Corbin continued to work on Miller until taking the runner up spot with two to go. Miller, Chris Ebersole and Darrin Younker completed the top five. Franklin and Miller were the heat winners.
Corbin earned his first ever Pure Stock title.

Point leader Gary Proctor took the Mason Dixon Auto Auction Hobby Stock lead and pulled out to a three second lead until a lap seven yellow. He did so after the restart as Dylan Welsh moved into second but Proctor was a half stretch ahead until the checkered. Jason Sarver ended third with Dylan Rutherford and Ralph Hansberger next. Kenny Thomas and Proctor were the heat winners. Proctor earned the Hobby Stock title for the second consecutive year.

Ryan Laye grabbed the Cochran Auctioneers four cylinder lead over Bill Kressler at the onset. Laye toured the track without Kressler able to present a challenge as Laye picked up his championship title run by 2.348 seconds over Kressler, Michael Warrenfeltz, Jason Stoner and previous week’s winner, Frankie Gordon.

The latest news, results, photos, schedule or rule changes can found be on the speedway’s website: www.hagerstownspeedway.com. Also check the website for any changes in weather conditions that may delay or cancel the program or contact the speedway office at 301-582-0640.

HAGERSTOWN SPEEDWAY/DIRT CAPITOL LLC RESULTS

Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Late Models, 25 Laps: 1.Gary Stuhler, 2.Jamie Lathroum, 3.Allen Brannon, 4.Roy Deese Jr., 5.Kyle Hardy, 6.Marvin Winters, 7.Trever Feathers, 8.Frankie Plessinger, 9.Ryan Walls, 10.Keith Walls, 11.Steve Axtell Jr., 12.Jerry Bard, 13.Barry Miller, 14.Richard Walls, 15.John Baker, 16.Andy Anderson, 17.J.T. Spence

Malloy Ford Late Model Sportsman, 20 Laps: 1.Andy Anderson, 2.Justin Weaver, 3.Charlie Schaffer, 4.Kyle Lee, 5.Tyler Horst, 6.Scott Palmer, 7.Paul Cursey, 8.Will Rowe, 9.Rodney Walls, 10.Bobby Beard, 11.Chad Myers, 12.Ronnie Dennis, 13.Chaz Walls, 14.Eddie Cornett, 15.Scott Cline, 16.Jonathan DeHaven, 17.Mitchell Miller, 18.Dallas Richards, 19.Joe Westerman Jr., 20.Terry Flaherty, 21.Bruce Kane, 22.Mike Walls, 23.Elwood Sord, 24.Garrett Walls, 25.James Richards, 26.Brayden Anderson, 27.Steve Lowery, DNS -Kevin Palmer

K. Lynn Management LLC Pure Stocks, 15 Laps: 1.Mike Franklin, 2.Mike Corbin, 3.Brian Miller, 4.Chris Ebersole, 5.Darrin Younker, 6.Brandon Churchey, 7.Frank Dibella, 8.Danny Farlling, 9.Craig Parrill, 10.Doug Hoffman, 11.Dickie Tharp, 12.Mike Sanders, 13.Kenny Day, 14.Jamie Zentmyer, 15.Wayne Hawbaker, 16.Nick Dibella, DNS-Terry Staton, J.C.Butts, Jesse Hitz

Mason Dixon Auto Auction Hobby Stocks, 15 Laps: 1.GaryProctor, 2.Dylan Welsh, 3.Jason Sarver, 4.Dylan Rutherford, 5.Ralph Hansberger, 6.Tom Caravello, 7.Mark Vegh, 8.Joe Rodgers, 9.William Crook, 10.Jamie Mills, 11.James Jones, 12.James Mongan Jr., DNS – Kenny Thomas, Dwayne Snyder

Cochran Auctioneers Four Cylinders:10 Laps: 1.Ryan Laye, 2.Williams Kressler, 3.Michael Warrenfeltz, 4.Jason Stoner, 5.Frankie Gordon, 6.Charles Shearer, 7.Madeline Miller, 8.Randy Linaburg

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