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EARLY SEASON HEROICS CONTINUE FOR KYLE LEAR WITH SATURDAY HAGERSTOWN SCORE. BITTNER SCORES HAGERSTOWN FIRST IN WILD 305 SPRINT MAIN

By Doug Watson

Hagerstown, MD (5/18/24) - Severna Park Maryland’s Kyle Lear drove to his second win of the season in last Saturday nights 20 lap Late Model Sportsman feature at Hagerstown Speedway. The win for Lear, aboard his Ray Ciccarelli owned Rocket No.149, would be his 27th career win and it would also make him the first repeat winner of the 2024 season. Jonathan Raley darted into the lead from his front row starting spot as the field stormed into turn one. Raley had his car dialed in to the ultra fast Hagerstown surface as he would lead until a caution bunched field on the 14th lap. On the double file restart Raley and sixth starting Kyle Lear brought the field to green with Lear surging into the race lead at the flagstand and would then control the final six laps to secure the win. “If the race has stayed green there was no way I was going to be Jonathan tonight.” Lear stated in victoy lane. “I knew on the restart that was my opportunity to get the lead and we were able to get it done.” Seventh starting Shawn Shoemaker took second, Raley held tough for third with Danny Atherton and 11th starting Sam Archer completing the top five. Heats went to Lear, Raley and Wesley Bonebrake.

Beech Creek Pa’s Timmy Bittner drove to his first career Hagerstown feature win in the 25 lap 305 Sprint Car feature. Pole sitter Austin Reed burst into the race lead on the first lap and appeared headed to victory until disaster struck on the 22nd lap. As Reed was going into turn three he made contact with a lapped car which catapulted his No.34 high into the air which eventually would clear the guard rail and into the woods. After a few tense moments Reed would emerge from the crash scene quite shaken, but otherwise uninjured in the scary looking mishap. Once the event went back to green Bittner would paste the final three circuits to score the popular victory. “That was a bad deal down there for Austin, he had this thing won.” Bittner said in his post race interview. “This is our first win on a big track like Hagerstown and a big thanks to all our sponsors and crew for helping us get here.” Kenny Heffner, Josh Spicer, Ken Duke Jr and 15th starting Colton Hendershot rounded out the top five. Heats went to Ken Duke Jr, Zach Rhodes, Timmy Bittner and Owen Dimm with Reed Thompson scoring the B main win.

LaPlata Md’s Ray Love Jr. came from his 9th starting spot to collect his first win of the season in the 20 lap Crate Late Model feature. Tyler Horst, Davin Kaiser, Aaron Drummond and Codey Breeden trailed at the finish. Heats went to Kaiser and Breeden. Defending track champion Keith Reed drove to his second win of the season in the 15 lap Pure Stock nightcap. Reed’s 12th career division win came over Mike Fuller, Nick Fogle, Nathan Younker and Billy Ecton Jr. Heats went to Reed and Fogle.

???????? ?????????????????? ?????????????? – 35 cars – 25 LAPS – 1. 01-Timmy Bittner[3]; 2. 97-Kenny Heffner[2]; 3. 71-Josh Spicer[6]; 4. 67-Ken Duke Jr[1]; 5. 461-Colton Hendershot[15]; 6. 2-Erin Statler[5]; 7. 31Z-Zach Rhodes[7]; 8. 36-Mike Melair[20]; 9. 10J-Jay Fry[8]; 10. 61-John Scarborough[13]; 11. 6X-Brad Mellott[17]; 12. 4W-Kasey Weaver[11]; 13. 17-Owen Dimm[10]; 14. 15T-Matt Tebbs[24]; 15. J9-Jerald Harris[18]; 16. 5-Braeden Varner[23]; 17. 21M-Hunter McFadden[16]; 18. 78-Dale Schweikert[25]; 19. 44V-Daren Bolac[22]; 20. 19A-Alan Rhodes[26]; 21. 34-Austin Reed[4]; 22. 46-Michael Alleman[19]; 23. 88-Fred Arnold[12]; 24. R6-Reed Thompson[21]; 25. 75-Dylan Shatzer[9]; 26. 5W-Kolby Weaver[14]

?????? 54-Matt Mullins; 52-Jeff Weaver Sr; 6-Caleb Harris; 11M-Matthew Leach; 11. Aaron Leach; 26-Ryan Lynn; 99-AJ Barton; 47-Ben Miklos; 31-Donny Hendershot

???????? ?????????? ?????????????????? – 21 cars – 20 laps – 1. 149-Kyle Lear[6]; 2. 44-Shawn Shoemaker[8]; 3. 25-Jonathan Raley[1]; 4. 19-Danny Atherton[5]; 5. 36-Sam Archer[11]; 6. 13D-Jonathan DeHaven[9]; 7. 99-Michael Walls[16]; 8. 11-Austin Warrenfeltz[15]; 9. 37F-Wesley Bonebrake[7]; 10. 000-Pat McNeal[18]; 11. 556-Eric Cronise[14]; 12. 27-Lee Zeger[2]; 13. 49-Ray Ciccarelli[3]; 14. 8L-James Lichliter[13]; 15. 81-Daniel Garrett[19]; 16. 85-Gunnar Walls[4]; 17. 62-Devin Frey[12]; 18. 76-Mason Strait[17]; 19. (DNS) 52-Mike Walls; 20. (DNS) 70J-DJ Myers; 21. (DNS) 16D-Justin Dillman

?????????? ???????? ?????????? – 17 cars – 20 laps – 1. 08-Ray Love Jr[9]; 2. 14H-Tyler Horst[4]; 3. 11K-Davin Kaiser[6]; 4. 22A-Aaron Drummond[8]; 5. 14-Codey Breeden[1]; 6. 33-Jacob Whitt[3]; 7. B2-Mason Booze[10]; 8. 1-Dylan High[5]; 9. 40S-Scott Sweeney Jr[2]; 10. 33*-Allen Whitt Jr[13]; 11. 2T-Treyton Lee[11]; 12. 12-Wes Hurd[16]; 13. 9P-Jim Pownall[15]; 14. 51-Steven Powell[17]; 15. 25-Brayden Anderson[7]; 16. 34C-Craig Parrill[12]; 17. (DNS) 7-Preston Alleman

???????? ?????????? – 19 cars – 15 laps – 1. 8-Keith Reed[9]; 2. 19-Mike Fuller[3]; 3. 88-Nick Fogle[10]; 4. 31-Nathaniel Younker[8]; 5. 57-William Ecton Jr[6]; 6. 45-Lincoln Sutphin[11]; 7. 5-Dustin Proctor[16] (Hot Rod Hard Changer); 8. 42-Andrew Saffelle[1]; 9. 67-William Ecton Sr[17]; 10. 64-William Crook[13]; 11. 71-Carter Shank[2]; 12. 11A-James Speelman[15]; 13. 08-Glenn Grimm[14]; 14. 30-Cody Sumption[4]; 15. 12-David Thompson[12]; 16. 32-Tyler Fisher[7]; 17. 8R-Blake Reed[5]; 18. (DNS) 78-Evan Foust; 19. (DNS) 62-Dylan Beavers

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