For Immediate Release:
The NDRL’s McKean County Raceway
www.mckeancountyraceway.com
Annual Jim Duffy Memorial goes to Robbie Blair at McKean County Raceway!
Max Blair, John Woodward, Kurt Stebbins, Joe Layfield, and Mitch Boylan all score wins.
East Smethport, PA (April 19, 2014) On a bitterly cold night following one of the harshest winters in memory, hardy fans turned out for the annual memorial event honoring Jim Duffy, who, in 1982 carved out the 3/8 mile oval we now know as McKean County Raceway. Utilizing the front straight of the old 1/2 mile configuration, an ultra-fast medium-banked oval was constructed and racing was commenced. Duffy drove a Late Model at the track until he passed away on opening night of 1989. Every year we honor his memory with this special race. Rob Blair started the event from the outside front row, immediately sped away to the lead, and never looked back. Finishing second was Blair’s son, Max, driving his first full year in a Super Late Model.
The younger Blair, using a car normally driven by Cody Dawson, led every lap to win the RUSH Crate Late model feature. John Woodward, Franklinville, NY, ran an exceptional race, coming from third to the lead on a late restart to win the Close Racing Supply Modified feature. Kurt Stebbins picked up his first-ever McKean County Raceway triumph in the Highway Auto Stock Car feature. The only repeat winner of the evening was Joe Layfield in the Pure Stock feature. The evening finished with Matt Wyant winning the Mini-Stock feature in his first appearance at the track.
The first feature on the track was the Highway Auto Stock Cars with Kurt Stebbins and Guy Adams starting on the front row. Stebbins led from the drop of Curtis Peters’s green flag. At nine laps in Elaine Best looped her mount in turn four bringing yellow over the field. On the restart last week’s winner Dennis Asel got by second running Ted Masco and set sail for the lead but at the the white flag Stebbins had three car lengths and held on for his first-ever win at McKean over Asel. Jason Dobson, moving into the class for the rest of the season after suffering a disqualification opening night, was third over Ted Mascho. Gary Fisher was fifth.
Rick Tripodi and reigning champion Robbie Blair started the Jim Duffy Memorial on the front row but Devin Lewis got against the front straight wall at the start, immediately slowing the field. At the restart Blair took the lead but green only lasted one lap as Michael Oakes and Devin Lewis spun, coming to a halt in turn three. When green again flew Blair again led with 2013 RUSH Crate champion Max Blair right behind. Lewis spun again at lap seven again bringing caution over the track. For the restart it was Rob Blair, Max Blair, Dave Scott, Brent Rhebergen, and Dick Barton. The Blair duo led the field, pulling away from Scott and Barton, who took over fourth at the green. At halfway Rob Blair had a ten car length lead over Max, his son, with Scott another seven car-lengths back in third. Week one winner Mike Knight came to fifth at lap twenty but up front it was all Blair with Robbie taking his first win of the season, Max Blair getting second, David Scott third, with Barton and Knight filling out the top five.
Max Blair and Dusty Waters led the 24-car field to Curtis Peters’ green for the twenty lap RUSH Main event. TJ Downs and Jamie Brown got together and wound up sideways right at the flag stand to set up the first restart. A twelve car pile-up in turn one slowed the race again at the restart before the field could all get by the green. Blair brought the field back to green with Jeremy Wonderling and Damian Bidwell right behind. By the end of the first lap under green 2013 RUSH Futures Champion Eric Wilson, towing all the way from Cortland, OH, came to third and then to second by the end of four laps. At halfway Blair entered lapped traffic with nearly a quarter-lap lead over Wilson. The yellow again flew for two cars slow on the track, Mike Robinson and Brad Mesler. One lap after green Scott Fitch spun in turn four. Blair, driving one of Cody Dawson’s cars, again led the field back to green with Eric Wilson and last week’s winner Chad Ruhlman right behind. Ruhlman took over second at the end of the first lap under green but Blair was opening a lead. Fourth-running Wonderling went up in smoke at lap 17 but got safely off the racing surface to the infield. Blair went on to his first win of the season over Ruhlman, Wilson, Bobby Rohrer, and Mike Knight.
Vic Vena and Kirk Bradley led eleven Close Racing Supply Modifieds to the green with Vena leading the way after one lap. John Woodward came to second with last weeks winner Randy Hall coming to third from his fifth place starting berth. Hall was alongside Woodward at five laps in but Woodward held on for four laps before Hall could clear him. At halfway Vena led by two car-lengths. John Boardman spun at lap thirteen, slowing the field. At green Woodward came by the leaders with Hall coming to second with four laps remaining after a restart. Woodward held on for the win with Hall second, Vena third, Bradley fourth, and Mike Magee fifth. It was a popular win for the Franklinville, NY driver, his first at McKean in several years.
Matt Bryant, starting outside of Justin McDivitt, led the first two lap of the Mini Stock feature with week one winner Mitch Boylan coming to second. Caution flew at lap two. Bryant and Boylan were joined at the front by Kurt Babcock after green and the trio opened a lead over the rest of the pack. Pole-sitter Justin McDivitt spun in turn three at lap five, bringing caution over the field. Another yellow again slowed the field when Mike Eastman and Holden Heinemann got together at the restart. Bryant led at halfway over Boylan and Babcock. The top three finished in that order with Andy Proper winding up fourth and Holden Heinemann fifth. In post race inspection, Bryant was disqualified for having a unsafe fuel cell rewarding the win to Boylan.
Art Peterson and Roger Schweikart led the seven Pure Stocks to the green but Cliff Eastman spun in turn three on lap two after last week’s winner Joe Layfield had taken over at the front. Schweikart ran second with Peterson third. At five laps Dennis Cummings spun in turn four but continued, averting a caution. By lap nine Schweikart was challenging the leader on the high side when Bob Murray lost the left rear tire and axel in turn four right in front of the leaders. Schweikart and Layfield avoided disaster and brought the field back to green. Layfield handily led to the checkers with Schweikart unable to again mount a challenge. He held on for second behind Layfield with Peterson third, Cliff Eastman fourth and Don Williams fifth.
Results:
Super Late Models:
Heat 1: David Scott, Max Blair, Dick Barton, Mike Knight, Chris Hackett, Greg Oakes, Scott Gurdak, Beau Lockwood
Heat 2: Rob Blair, Brent Rhebergen, Rick Triodi, Denny Fenton, Bob Dorman, Doug Eck, Michael Oakes, Devin Lewis
Feature: Robbie Blair, Max Blair, Dave Scott, Dick Barton, Mike Knight, Brent Rhebergen, Greg Oakes, Chris Hackett, Denny Fenton, Doug Eck, Bob Dorman, Rick Tripodi, Devin Lewis, Michael Oakes, Beau Lockwood, Scott Gurdak (DNS)
RUSH Crate Late Models:
Heat 1: Jeremy Wonderling, Damien Bidwell, Bobby Rohrer, Mike Knight, Mike Robinson, Brad Mesler, Steve Watson, Scott Waters, Wyatt Scott, John Waters
Heat 2: Max Blair, Eric Wilson, Dusty Waters, Chad Wright, T J Downes, Bob Kish, Jamie Brown, Brady Raynor, Bill Mesler.
Heat 3: Chad Ruhlman, Dave Shagla, Cody Dawson, Adam Sixt, Scott Fitch, Ward Schell, Justin Smith, Garrett Mott, Sherman Gage, Ed Coast
Feature: Max Blair, Chad Ruhlman, Eric Wilson, Bobby Rohrer, Mike Knight, Damian Bidwell, Justin Smith, Dave Shagla, Steve Watson, Adam Sixt, Bob Kish, Ward Schell, Scott Waters, Scott Fitch, Jeremy Wonderling, Cody Dawson, Brad Mesler, Mike Robinson, Wyatt Scott, Matt Harvey, Dusty Waters, Adam Sixt, TJ Downes, Jamie Brown
Close Racing Supply Modifieds:
Heat 1: Nathan Hill, Vic Vena, John Woodward, Dan Sasso, Carl Ballinger
Heat 2: Randy Hall, Kirk Bradley, Justin Chaddick, John Boardman, Mike Magee
Feature: John Woodward, Randy Hall, Vic Vena, Kirk Bradley, Mike Magee, Dan Sasso, Justin Chadwick, John Boardman, Carl Ballinger
Highway Auto Stock Cars:
Heat 1: Ted Mascho, Rich Wotjowicz, Gary Fisher, Jason Dobson, Joe Chamberlain, Elaine Best
Heat 2: Dennis Asel, Guy Adams, Kurt Stebbins, Ryan Snyder, Scharf, Vic Earle Jr (DNS)
Feature: Kurt Stebbins, Dennis Asel, Jason Dobson, Ted Mascho, Gary Fisher, Rich Wotjowicz, Joe Chamberlain, Guy Adams, Elaine Best, Ryan Snyder, Dan Scharf(DNS) Vic Earle Jr (DNS)
Pure Stocks:
Heat 1: Roger Schweikart, Joe Layfield, Art Peterson, Don Williams, Dennis Cummings, Cliff Easton, Bob Murray, Tim Burkett
Feature: Joe Layfield, Roger Schweikart, Art Peterson, Cliff Easton, Dennis Cummings, Bob Murray, Tim Burkett (DNS)
Mini Stocks:
Heat 1:David Bear, Mitch Boylan, Andy Proper, Steve Morse, Pat Mitchell Jr, Tom Cupp, Mike Eastman, Mike Rotunda
Heat 2: Matt Bryant, Kurt Babcock, Justin McDivitt, Holden Heinemann, Davey Lowe Jr, Travis Babcock, Richard Kline Sr
Feature: Mitch Boylan, Kurt Babcock, Andy Proper, Holden Heinemann, Pat Mitchell Jr, Davey Lowe Jr, Mike Eastman, Travis Babcock, Mike Rotunda, Tom Cupp, Justin McDivitt, Steve Morse, David Bear, Richard Kline Sr, Matt Bryant (DQ)
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