Rob Blair Wins In The Return Of Super Late Models At Raceway 7

By Jay Pees

Conneaut, OH (July 24, 2015): In the much anticipated return of the Super Late Models to Raceway 7, Rob Blair led every lap on his way to the Super Late Model Victory Lane for the 38th time in his career. Counting wins in other classes at Raceway 7 Blair now has visited Raceway 7’s Winner’s Circle 90 times. During the event Blair was constantly hounded by Brent Rhebergen with Chad Valone third after starting eighth.

In regular class action Chad Wright continued his domination of the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models, winning his seventh feature of the season in twelve starts. Brent Rhebergen collected his third Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods while Ed Bolyard also won his third in the Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks. Josh Ferry appears to have his season back on track, defending his championship mantle with his fifth win of the season in the Bonnell Auto Sales Economods night-capper. Jason Easler drove to Victory Lane for the second consecutive week in a wild finish after race-long leader Bud Sergeff lost a wheel in the final set of turns after warding off challenges from Easler most of the event. At intermission the crowd was treated to a giant fireworks display by Gibson.

Former champion Dennis Lunger and Bryan Salisbury brought the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models to Roger Osburn’s green flag for their twenty lap feature with Lunger taking the lead at green and third-starting points leader Chad Wright coming to second. A spin by Dave Airgood slowed the event after two laps. Airgood did not restart the event. At halfway the order was Lunger with Wright challenging at every turn. Billy Henry ran third with Khole Wanzer fourth and defending champion Kyle Zimmerman fifth. At the line with twelve laps complete Wright was the leader. Yellow flew as the cars entered turn one on thirteen for the spun car of William Pinckney. Wright, looking for his seventh win of the season, brought the field back to green with Henry coming to second, Lunger back to third, Zimmerman up to fourth with Wanzer back to fifth. Caution again flew for Pinckney, spinning at seventeen complete, again bunching the field. At this green Lunger again got back to second but Wright was on his way to another win and extending his points lead, racing for his second Raceway 7 championship. Lunger wound up second with Henry third, Zimmerman fourth, and Wanzer fifth.

The Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods were next on the track with Brent Rhebergen starting from the pole with Dan McDonald outside. On the back straight on lap one Troy Johnson, Chuck Steinle Jr, and Josh McDonald all got together, slowing the race with Johnson heading to the pit with flat left side tires. Steinle and McDonald were able to continue. Rhebergen led the way when racing got going with Dan McDonald, Joel Watson, points leader Percy McDonald, and Kirk Bradley filling out the top five. Brian Mohawk’s spin in turn two brought the second caution with five laps complete. At green Watson immediately came to second but only one more lap was complete before Kirk Bradley spun at the top of turn four. Rhebergen again launched into a big lead right at green with Watson second and now Percy McDonald third. With nine complete Jimmy Diabo spun in turn two just as Bradley came to a stop in turn one. In turn two after green Watson slid high in turn two, dropping back to fifth. John Woodward slapped the wall in turn four at the halfway point, yet again slowing the event. For green it was now Rhebergen leading the McDonald brothers, Dan and Percy, back to green. Percy McDonald assumed second after green with brother Dan now third, Watson fourth, and Jesse Gould fifth. Rhebergen continued to extend his lead as he drove to his third win of the season over Percy McDonald, Dan McDonald, Joel Watson, and Jesse Gould.

The last time Super Late Models ran at Raceway 7 Rob Blair won his 37th Super Late Model feature, breaking a tie with Dick Barton for the all-time win record. After winning his heat Blair started their feature from the pole with Jake Finnerty on the outside. Blair grabbed the immediate lead but Bump Hedman, Kirk Bradley, and Terry Porter all spun in turn one. At green Blair led the way at the end of lap one but John Lacki got into the wall in turn four. At green Rhebergen, fresh off his E-Mod win, came to second with Chad Wright coming to third at the end of three. Greg Oakes got by Jake Finnerty for fourth at the end of four laps. Chad Valone then came to fifth a lap later. At ten laps complete the order was still the same with Blair opening a lead over Rhebergen. At halfway Rhebergen was starting to close the gap to the leader as Blair caught the back markers. Bob Dorman had problems at lap fourteen, bringing caution out again and erasing Blair’s lead. At green Wright got second from Rhebergen and Oakes came to third. John Lacki had problems in turn four at lap 17, again slowing the field with the top five now Blair, Wright, Oakes, Rhebergen, and Chris Hackett. Wright pulled to the pit under the yellow. Oakes challenged Blair for the lead soon as the race went back to green, pulling even in turn four on lap twenty then experiencing problems the next lap, pulling to the infield. For the restart with five laps left it was Blair leading Rhebergen, Valone, Hackett, and Finnerty. At the checkers Blair had his 38th feature win with third starting Rhebergen second, eighth starting Valone third, ninth starting Chris Hackett fourth, and fifth starting Matt Urban fifth after early race problems.

Ed Bolyard, looking for win number three of the season, and Chris Hochschild, looking for his first win, brought the Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks to green with Bolyard leading though the first yellow at lap four for a spin by John Bailey. When green again was shown Bolyard again led the way with Anthony Marotto now second until lap five when he pulled to the infield. At halfway Bolyard had a half straightaway lead over Hochschild, then points leader Shaun Fawcett, Tyler Green, and Bailey. That was the order at the checkers.

James Myers and Mike Harmon brought the small field of Bonnell Auto Sales Economods to green with Harmon leading the way until lap eight when Myers spun off turn four. At green Eric Reinwald came to the lead but slid high in turn two, slipping back to third. Ferry drew even with Harmon at twelve laps but fell back to second. Then at the end of the thirteenth lap Ferry completed the pass and went on to his fifth win of the season, closing some of the gap to leader Rick Prosser. Harmon finished second with Reinwald third, Prosser fourth, and Myers fifth.

The final feature of the night was the Specialty Products Mini Stocks, with Hoyt Mihalak and Bud Sergeff leading the way to green. Before the field all reached the start line Brad Cole and Derrick Tuttle got together, coming to a halt in turn four. Cole was able to continue but Tuttle required towing from the track. Sergeff led the way from the start with Mihalak second and Kyle Adkins third. By lap two Jason Easler was second from his sixth starting berth. Easler came to second after a lap six restart then challenged for the lead but Sergeff regained the lead, looking for his second win of the season. Then Easler drew even again at lap nine. Mihalak slowed and pulled to the infield with three to go and caution was shown at lap ten. At the white flag Easler and Sergeff were again even but Sergeff pulled ahead down the back straight, then lost the right rear wheel heading into turn three with Easler going on to his second win in as many weeks. In the final run to the checkers Justin Boardman wound up second with Kyle Adkins third, Sergeff salvaging fourth, and points leader Brad Cole fifth.

Super Late Models:

Heat 1: Brent Rhebergen, Chad Wright, Greg Oakes, Jake Finnerty, Chris Hackett, John Lacki, Terry Porter, Brian Fardink, Bump Hedman

Heat 2: Rob Blair, Matt Urban, John Lobb, Chad Valone, Steve Kania, Kirk Bradley, Darrell Bossard, Nate Hill, Bob Dorman

Feature: Rob Blair, Brent Rhebergen, Chad Valone, Chris Hackett, Matt Urban, Jake Finnerty, John Lobb, Darrenn Bossard, Terry Porter, John Lacki, Nate Hill, Greg Oakes, Chad Wright, Bob Dorman, Brian Fardink, Steve Kania, Kirk Bradley, Bump Hedman

Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models:

Heat 1: Khole Wanzer, Billy Henry, Bryan Salisbury, Wendall Pinckney, Kyle Zimmerman, Chris Nicholson

Heat 2: Dennis Lunger, Chad Wright, Darrell Bossard, Dave Airgood, Bob Pifer, Kevin Santee

Feature: Chad Wright, Dennis Lunger, Billy Henry, Kyle Zimmerman, Khole Wanzer, Wendall Pinckney, Darrell Bossard, Bob Pifer, Kevin Santee, William Pinckney, Bryan Salisbury, Dave Airgood, Chris Nicholson (DNS)

Bonnell Collision Center E-Mods:

Heat 1: Joel Watson, Brent Rhebergen, Troy Johnson, Kirk Bradley, John Woodward, Chuck Steinle Jr, Jimmy Diabo, Brian Mohawk, Steve Samuelson

Heat 2: Percy McDonald, Ken Zimmer, Dan McDonald, Butch Southwell, Josh McDonald, Leonard Enos, Jesse Gould, Alan Atkinson

Feature: Brent Rhebergen, Percy McDonald, Dan McDonald, Joel Watson, Jesse Gould, Ken Zimmer, Chuck Steinle Jr, Butch Southwell, Steve Samuelson, Jimmy Diabo, Josh McDonald, Alan Atkinson, Troy Johnson, Wayne Mohawk, John Woodward, Kirk Bradley, Leonard Enos

Campbell’s Mini-Storage Street Stocks:

Heat: Ed Bolyard, Anthony Marotto, Tyler Green, Chris Hochschild, Shaun Fawcett, John Bailey, Rob Bates, Dan McEwen (DNS)

Feature: Ed Bolyard, Chris Hochschild, Shaun Fawcett, Tyler Green, John Bailey, Dan McEwen, Anthony Marotto, Rob Bates

Bonnell Auto Sales Economods:

Heat 1: Josh Ferry, Rick Prosser, Mike Harmon, Eric Reinwald, James Myers, Mitch Wright, Chuck Steinle Sr

Feature: Josh Ferry, Mike Harmon, Eric Reinwald, Rick Prosser, James Myers, Mitch Wright (DNS), Chuck Steinle Sr (DNS)

Specialty Products Mini Stocks:

Heat 1: Brad Cole, Bud Sergeff, Gary Olson, Zoey Gill, Derrick Tuttle, Brian McGarvie, Zach Downes

Heat 2: Jason Easler, Hoyt Mihalak, Kyle Adkins, Justin Boardman, Ryan White, Scott Gill, Dylan Goodman

Feature: Jason Easler, Justin Boardman, Kyle Adkins, Bud Sergeff, Brad Cole, Ryan White, Zach Downes, Hoyt Mihalak, Zoey Gill, Brian McGarvie, Scott Gill, Gary Olson, Derrick Tuttle, Dylan Goodman (DNS)