7/26/2014
Hagerstown Speedway
HAYES MEMORIAL/CONOCOCHEAGUE EVENT TO KYLE HARDY
by Bob Vores
HAGERSTOWN, MD. (July 26) - Kyle Hardy became the third different leader in Saturday’s 33rd Annual “Speedy” Hayes Memorial Conococheague 44-lap event to post his first ever Late Model triumph at Hagerstown Speedway/Dirt Capitol LLC that was worth $4,400. The second generation racer from Stephens City, VA made up a nearly two second deficit after passing earlier race leader Andy Anderson to move into second and later pass C. S. Fitzgerald to lead the final six laps for a 3.518 second advantage at the checkered.
“This means a lot to me,” Hardy said. “I really don’t know what to say. We’ve never been in this situation. These MBH cars are awesome. I can’t thank these guys enough for what they do for me.”
With rain rapidly approaching from the west, it also was the Kyle and Kyle show as Kyle Lear scored victory in the 22-lap Ernie Jones Memorial for the Late Model Sportsman after coming from 11th and taking the lead from Justin Weaver on a 19th lap restart. In a green to checkered Pure Stock event, Darrin Younker’s second win of the season also came over Mike Corbin as he held off the nine time winner by .738 seconds. Sprinkles began falling when the victory lane interviews ended.
With a three car invert for the Late Models in the Hayes –Conococheague event, Andy Anderson grabbed the lead over third starter Brian Tavenner while outside pole sitter Hardy was third by the second lap.
Fitzgerald was headed to the front from seventh and pressured Hardy to grab his position on the fourth lap and then challenge Tavenner to take over second two laps later. He nipped away at Anderson’s lead until catching him and getting past on the 14th lap.
Fitzgerald opened a comfortable lead while Hardy got past Tavenner at the halfway mark and then past Anderson on the 30th lap. Hardy began to reel in Fitzgerald with each lap until pulling onto his rear bumper by the 37th. On the next lap, Hardy ducked under Fitzgerald on the backstretch and once ahead, he began to open up his lead until stretching it to 3.518 seconds.
“There was a little bit of moisture on the back stretch and I hit it just right that one time and it just launched it,” Hardy said. “The car was awesome, it couldn’t have got any better.”
Fitzgerald, looking for his first win since October 1998, was second with Tavenner, Anderson and Jamie Lathroum completing the front five. Steve Axtell Jr, Marvin Winters (from 17th), Keith Jackson. (14th), Roy Deese Jr., and Allen Brannon completed the top ten. Heats went to Tavenner and Hardy.
Bobby Beard grabbed the Jones Memorial Late Model Sportsman lead from the outside pole over Justin Weaver and Terry Flaherty. Weaver kept the pressure on while seventh starting Andy Fries advanced to third by the tenth lap while Kyle Lear was charging forward from 11th and passed Fries three laps later.
Weaver got past Beard on a lap 16 restart as Lear won a battle for second from Fries but then on a lap 19 restart, Lear used the outside line to burst past Weaver off the second turn. He led the final three circuits for the $1,222 triumph by 1.369 seconds over Weaver and Fries. Flaherty and Beard completed the top five. Beard, Weaver and Tyler Horst were the heat winners.
“I was really unsure about going to the top on that restart but I knew he (Weaver) was going to take the bottom because me and him were on the bottom racing prior to the yellow,” Lear said. “He stuck me out there so I had to get the momentum coming out of two.”
Darrin Younker landed a heads up start in the double point 20-lap event for the Pure Stocks as he grabbed the lead while fourth starting Mike Corbin moved into the runner up spot on the second lap. The two were separated by 10-12 lengths every lap and opened nearly a straightaway lead over Drew Fitzsimmons. Younker maintained a steady rhythm until the checkered and captured his season second win by .738 seconds. Chris Ebersole came from the 13th position and after battling for the final ten laps, grabbed third from Brian Latrell on the final lap. Younker and Fitzsimmons were the heat winners.
Follow the speedway on Twitter and Facebook at Dirt Capitol LLC. 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
33rd Annual Hayes Memorial Conococheague Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Late Models, 44 Laps: 1.Kyle Hardy, 2.C.S. Fitzgerald, 3.Brian Tavenner, 4.Andy Anderson, 5.Jamie Lathroum, 6.Steve Axtell Jr., 7.Marvin Winters, 8.Keith Jackson, 9.Roy Deese Jr., 10.Allen Brannon, 11.Jason Covert, 12.Frankie Plessinger, 13.Bruce Kane, 14.Andy Haus, 15.Lindsay Barton, 16.Kenny Moreland, 17.Travor Feathers, 18.Jason Miller, 19.Jason Dupont, 20.Randy Burkholder
Ernie Jones Memorial Malloy Ford Late Model Sportsman, 22 Laps: 1.Kyle Lear, 2.Justin Weaver, 3.Andy Fries, 4.Terry Flaherty, 5.Bobby Beard, 6.Bruce Kane, 7.Paul Cursey, 8.Rick Hulson, 9.Charlie Schaffer, 10.Robbie Black, 11.Mike Walls, 12.Kyle Lee, 13.Dominic Defino, 14.Donnie Farlling, 15.Chris Eaton, 16.Chad Myers, 17.Cody Lear, 18.Chaz Walls, 19.Kurt Zimmerman, 20.Larry Neiderer, 21. Taylor Farlling, 22.Eddie Cornett, 23.Elwood Sord, 24.Scott Cline, 25.Chris Fletcher, 26.Tyler Horst, 27.Braden Anderson, 28.James Lichliter
K. Lynn Management LLC Pure Stocks, 20 Laps: 1.1.Darrin Younker, 2.Mike Corbin, 3.Chris Ebersole, 4.Brian Luttrell, 5.Drew Fitzsimmons, 6.Tony Stoneberger, 7.Jamie Zentmyer, 8.Dickie Tharp, 9.Brandon Churchey, 10.Brian Miller, 11.Frank Dibella, 12.Nick Dibella, 13.Danny Farlling, 14.Mike Sanders, 15.Wayne Hawbaker, 16.Ben Morrow
Article Credit: Bob Vores
Submitted By: Josh Fries