7/16/2011
Hagerstown Speedway
PLESSINGER SCORES FIRST LATE MODEL WIN IN A YEAR
Defending late model champion Frankie Plessinger of Big Cove Tannery, Pa. captured his first triumph in just over a year Saturday evening during Family Night at Hagerstown Speedway. His win came by two seconds over Tyler Hershey.
Nearby Williamsport’s Justin Weaver posted his season second and Andy Fries, Mercersburg, Pa, the July 2nd postponed feature and first since May, 2009, in the Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic late model sportsman. In the Ernie D’s pure stocks, Wayne Hawbaker of Greencastle, Pa. won the scheduled feature, his first since August 2008 while Tony Catlett of Hedgesville, WV. was victorious for the first ever time in the July 2nd postponed event.
Plessinger started sixth in the non-stop late model feature, moved to second on lap seven and then chased down race long leader Bo Feathers to take the lead from him on lap 17. He is the eighth different winner this season.
“We finally got our motor back last night and the guys went completely over the car today,” Plessinger said. “We’ve had bad luck all year, just stupid stuff happening. I knew Bo started on the pole and when I got into second and started catching him, the car felt better. We finally got one.”
Feathers and Brent Smith started from the front row following qualifying as Plessinger was from sixth into third by the second lap and then took the runner up spot from Smith on the seventh circuit when Feathers was all but four seconds ahead.
Plessinger began reeling him in while Hershey moved to third to join him and Marvin Winters was into fourth by the tenth circuit. Plessinger had the distance cut in half by the eleventh lap and gained ground with each lap until he was on Feathers bumper on the 15th circuit and sped ahead off the fourth turn on the next circuit.
With the green flag still displayed, Plessinger began edging away from Hershey until taking the checkered two seconds ahead with Winters taking the third with two laps to go. Feathers and Kyle Lear completed the top five. Jerry Bard, Duane Harbaugh, Jim Bernheisel, Roy Deese Jr. and Smith rounded out the top ten. Heats went to Alan Sagi, Feathers and Plessinger.
In the scheduled late model sportsman event, Weaver began from the pole with Glenn Elliott alongside as Weaver charged ahead as Elliott slid high in the second turn but rebounded to grab second and chase Weaver the entire distance as Cody Lear took third from Terry Flaherty on the 13th lap. Prior to an 11th lap restart, Elliott pestered Weaver but could not get fully alongside and following the restart, Weaver continued to hold the advantage to the checkered and won by 1.06 seconds. Lear ended third over Terry Flaherty and Pete Weaver. J. Weaver, Lear and Elliott won the heats.
In the postponed feature, Justin Weaver took the initial lead from the outside pole over Richard Walls and Fries while Bo Feathers advanced from 11th into third by the fourth circuit. Fries passed Weaver and led the eighth and ninth laps but Feathers sped past both Weaver and Fries following a ninth lap restart. Feathers continued to lead and drove under the checkered first but his spoiler height failed post race inspection with Fries, the 2006 through 2008 champion, awarded the win. Wayne Walls Jr. ended in the runner up spot after advancing from ninth to third by the halfway mark. Pete Weaver came from 14th to finish fourth over 11th starting Cody Lear. J.Weaver, Fries and Elliott were the heat winners.
In the scheduled pure stock feature, Hawbaker took the lead over Frank Dibella while Dave Stouffer came from ninth to second by the seventh lap in the non-stop feature. Hawbaker got to the rear of the field with two to go and made up a small distance on Stouffer to capture the win over him by 1.16 seconds. Drew Fitzsimmons, Kevin Koontz and Kenny Dillon were next. Fitzsimmons, Eddie McClellan and Tony Catlett were the heat winners.
Catlett began from the pole in the postponed 15-lap feature and led over Bill Ecton Sr. until Hawbaker got free of a six battle for second and was just over two seconds behind Catlett at halfway. The caution came out with two to go but Catlett held his line and beat Hawbaker by a length for his first ever win. Fitzsimmons, Ecton Jr. and Danny Beavers were next. Catlett, Koontz and Charlie Pensinger won the heats.
Stock car racing is on hold next weekend as the Monster trucks arrive for a Friday to Sunday event, the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam brought to you by your local Ford dealer.
Racing resumes the following Saturday, July 30th, with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series on hand for the 30th Annual Conococheague 50-lap event plus a pure stock special.
Hagerstown Speedway Results
Late Models, 25 laps, 22 entries, (Lap Leaders – Bo Feathers 1-16, Frankie Plessinger 17-25) 1.Frankie Plessinger, 2.Tyler Hershey, 3.Marvin Winters, 4.Bo Feathers, 5.Kyle Lear, 6.Jerry Bard, 7.Duane Harbaugh, 8.Jim Bernheisel, 9.Roy Deese Jr., 10.Brent Smith, 11.Nick Dickson, 12.Steve Axtell Jr., 13.Rusty Sites, 14.Ashley Barrett, 15.Tim Murphy, 16.Matt Murphy, 17.Gary Stuhler, 18.Alan Sagi (in C.Hageage’s car), 19.Mike Walls, 20.Lindsay Barton, 21.Al Shawver Jr., DNS - Charlie Hageage
Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Late Model Sportsman, (Postponed from July 2) 20 Laps, 23 entries (Lap Leaders – Justin Weaver 1-7, Andy Fries 8-9, Bo Feathers 10-20) 1.Andy Fries, 2.Wayne Walls Jr., 3.Pete Weaver (St. Thomas Towing/Checkered Flag Lube Hard Charger), 4.Cody Lear, 5.Justin Weaver, 6.Mike Walls, 7.Richard Walls, 8.Terry Flaherty, 9.Donnie Farlling, 10.Glenn Elliott, 11.Scott Palmer, 12.Chaz Walls, 13.Paul Cursey, 14.Courtney Shreiner, 15.Kyle Wiser, 16.Tyler Emory, 17.Elwood Sord, 18.Chad Myers, DSQ-Bo Feathers (Spoiler Height) DNS – Rodney Walls, Ronnie Dennis, Mike Walls, Ralph Morgan Jr.
Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Late Model Sportsman, 20 Laps, 19 entries (Lap Leader Justin Weaver - 1-20) 1.Justin Weaver, 2.Glenn Elliott, 3.Cody Lear, 4.Terry Flaherty, 5.Pete Weaver, 6.Scott Palmer, 7.Donnie Farlling, 8.Andy Fries, 9.Wayne Walls Jr. (St. Thomas Towing/Checkered Flag Lube Hard Charger), 10.Courney Shreiner, 11.Mike Walls, 12.Trever Feathers, 13.Richard Walls, 14.Paul Cursey, 15.Tyler Horst, 16.Kyle Wiser, 17.Elwood Sord, 18.Roy Hornbaker, 19.John McLanigan, 20.Chaz Walls, 21.Tyler Emory, DNS – Chad Myers, Rodney Walls
Ernie D’s Pure Stocks, (Postponed from July 2) - 15 laps, 19 entries (Lap Leaders – Tony Catlett 1-15) 1.Tony Catlett, 2.Wayne Hawbaker, 3.Drew Fitzsimmons, 4.Bill Ecton Jr., 5.Danny Beavers (Turner Bowling Centers Hard Charger) 6.Frank Dibella, 7.Kevin Koontz, 8.Mike Kratovil, 9.Kenny Dillon, 10.Charlie Pensinger, 11.Eddie McClellan, 12.Bill Ecton Sr. 13.Steve Lowery, 14.Charlie Shearer, 15.Keith Koontz, 16.Carl Biddle, DNS – Dave Gross, Kenny Day, Dave Stouffer Jr.
Ernie D’s Pure Stocks, 15 laps, 21 entries (Lap Leaders – Wayne Hawbaker 1-15) 1.Wayne Hawbaker, 2.Dave Stouffer Jr. (Turner Bowling Centers Hard Charger), 3.Drew Fitzsimmons, 4.Kevin Koontz, 5.Kenny Dillon, 6.Eddie McClellan, 7.Danny Beavers, 8.Frank Dibella, 9.Bill Ecton Jr., 10.Mike Kratovil, 11.James Jones, 12.William Crook, 13.Keith Koontz, 14.Bill Ecton Sr., 15.Tony Catlett, 16.Charlie Shearer – DNS-Charlie Pensinger, Kenny Day, Steve Lowery, Dave Gross, Carl Biddle
Submitted By: Josh Fries