7/11/2019
Blair wins wins Dick Litz Memorial! Undefeated in Super Lates in ’19!
Hammett, PA — Max Blair continued his 2019 dominance at Eriez Speedway, extending his winning streak of feature wins to five in the Zimmer’s Service Center ULMS/ New Motors Super Late Models and four in the Bonnell’s Auto Group RUSH Late Models. Blair is the current points leader at both Eriez Speedway and the ULMS. Gary Eicher extended his victory record with a third win in the last four Waterford Hotel E-Mod features while past Champion Chris McGuire prevailed to win the Curtze Food Service Street Stock night-capper, his second of the season. Eric Reinwald held off a fast charging Kyle Miller to collect his first win of the season while kTyler Walters collected the first-ever feature win of his career in the L & D Tree Service Challenger finale. The night was punctuated by two wild flips, the first by Steve Kania who got into the back-straight wall after contact from another car on the first lap of the first heat, traveling up the wall, spiraling in air then landing on the track and rolling into his roof. Then Wes Stull went for a hard two and a half roll tumble in the second L & D Tree Service Challenger heat after contact with another car then the front straight wall.
After qualifying was complete for the ULMS Late Models. David Scott set the fast overall time of 15.267 seconds. Scott went on to win his heat with Mike Pegher, Colton Flinner, and Alex Ferree all winning heats. When the field was set for the main event it was Blair and Michael Maresca on the front row with Mike Knight and Pegher in the second row with Scott and Ferree sitting in row three. After the 24 starters from the thirty in attendance were lined up, Max Blair led from the pole with Maresca, Pegher, Mike Knight, and Ferree following. As the leaders crossed the line to complete lap one five cars including Easton Hedman, Jason Dobson, Wendell Pinckney, John Lobb, and Mike Smith got together in turn four. After the second green it was Blair, Pegher, Maresca, Ferree, and Mike Knight leading the way until third place Maresca got sideways and slipped back to ninth. On turn one at lap four Matt Urban’s car got out of shape and Jake Finnerty then launched over the front of it. Both kept going but Bump Hedman spun to avoid involvement, slowing the race under yellow again. Jared Miley and Finnerty put on a side by side battle at the line on lap four with Miley having the edge. Blair was pulling away every lap, having a half straight lead by six laps into the 29-lap memorial for one of Eriez’ most popular drivers of all time. Action was slowed at lap eleven by a flat tire on Miley’s machine. Yet another yellow flag appeared on lap thirteen when Mike Smith suffered a flat tire. After green again appeared Knight took over second on the back stretch with David Scott coming to third a lap later. At halfway it was Blair, Knight, Scott, Pegher, and Dave Hess Jr. At nineteen laps Blair had extended his lead to a full straight and was coming to the backmarkers when he narrowly avoided disaster as Easton Hedman spun directly in front of him. After another caution at lap nineteen for a spin by John Lobb, and another at lap twenty for a spin by Maresca, Knight took over second at lap 21. Then a three car spin on turn four involving Kyle Bedell, Chris Hackett, and Easton Hedman again slowed the action. Chad Wright came to fourth after green. The final caution was with four laps remaining when Josh Beckstrom spun in turns three and four. Ferree and Hess waged a side by side battle for fifth with three to go that saw Hess get the spot with a lap to go. At the checkers it was Blair, Knight, Scott, Wright, and Ferree.
Josh Ferry and Ron Seeley brought the 22-car Waterford Hotel E-Mods to the green with caution shown as the cars reached turn two when Randy Hall, Steve Rex, and Rich Michael Jr got together. After the complete restart Ferry led lap one over two-time winner Gary Eicher, Seeley, Dan Sasso, and Mike McGee. Yellow was in the air at lap four when Dave Lamphere and Hunter Hulley spun in turn four. A lap later they both spun again at the same turn but both kept moving. Steve Rex and Tim Rockwell spun in turn two after a restart then Eicher, the points leader, took over the front spot on the back stretch. John Boyd moved into second at lap seven and McGee was third at eight laps. The halfway point saw Eicher leading Boyd, McGee, Ferry, and Greg Johnson. Eicher had a half straight lead at thirteen complete. At the white flag the leader started lapping the tail of the field with the front five remaining the same through to the checkers.
The Johnson’s Car Care and Collision Economods were brought to the green by Eric Reinwald and Garrett Calvert with Kyle Reinwald and reigning champion Matt Alexander in row two. Eric Reinwald led from the start with Alexander coming to second over Calvert, three time winner and points leader Kyle Miller, and Eric Wilson. Miller was third with three complete. At lap four Reinwald and Alexander were nearly even at the line with Miller looking for a way by. He got by Alexander at lap four for second. Caution again at lap six for Wilson and Steve Simon, spun in four. At seven laps it was Reinwald, barely holding off Alexander, then Miller, Calvert, and Mike Boyd. Justin Sax spun at lap eight in turn four. After green Miller tried on the low side to get by Reinwald on laps twelve through fourteen and was alongside on the back straight when Gary Olson looped his mount, slowing the race and putting Miller back behind Reinwald for the one lap dash for the win. On the final run to the checkers Miller made a gallant effort but Reinwald was strong enough to withstand the challenge, going on to win by 0.070 second! Alexander was third with Calvert fourth, and Kyle Layton fifth.
The Curtze Food Service Street Stocks had Doug Eck and Bill Applebee at the front of the field for the green with Applebee taking the lead when they got to turn two. Former champion Chris McGuire came to second at lap two then caution for the spun car of Joshua Seippel. Applebee and McGuire were nearly even at the line at lap five with McGuire showing the way by a nose at lap six. Defending champion and current points leader John Boardman spun in turn one at seven. The halfway point saw McGuire leading Applebee, Eck, Steve Yokum, and Michael Reed. Wesley McCray spun at lap eleven for the final caution. On the restart Eck came to second with Yokum third at twelve laps. At the finish it was McGuire, Eck, Yokum, Applebee, and Reed.
The final feature was for the L & D Tree Service Challengers. Lane Reinwald and Zack Eller were on the front row with Tyler Walters and John Zeleznik in row two. Reinwald took the early lead with Eller, Walters, Chris Horton, and William Van Guilder chasing. The race made it to turn four before the right front wheel departed the car of Jordan Melice. Van Guilder was up to second at two laps and took the lead at lap three. Eller got second at lap four. Van Guilder, winless here in 2019, built a half straight lead by lap six but the started slowing as Eller was closing the gap and taking the lead at turn three on lap eight with Van Guilder falling out of the event. On the final run to the checkers Walters got by for his first career win with Eller, the winner June 9th, second, last week’s winner Chris Horton third, Brandon Huffman fourth, and Reinwald fifth.
Article Credit: Jay Pees
