By Mike Leone
May 13, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Erie, PA)…After a pair of postponements at Dog Hollow Speedway, the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Pace Performance FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series was back in action on Sunday for the first of two appearances of the season at Bobby Rohrer’s Eriez Speedway. Despite being Mother’s Day and rain falling in many areas to the south, an Eriez all-time FASTRAK record 32 cars were on hand from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and West Virginia.

Max Blair’s FASTRAK career has been well documented over the past four plus seasons with three Northeast Touring and three National Weekly Series Championships along with over 70 victories, but his performance on Sunday may have been one of his greatest. Blair came from the 17th starting position, running low, high and all over the racey tight speedway to track down and pass Late Model standout Chad Ruhlman for the popular victory.

Blair’s second win of the season came in the 25-lap feature that was worth $1,200 plus the $100 Genesis Shocks “Top Dog of the Night” certificate, and was his 14th Tour victory of his career once again tying him atop the all-time standings at 14 with Mike Pegher, Jr.

“This victory is for my great grandfather Lyle Magee, who passed away from a heart attack on Friday while I was racing at Raceway 7,” stated the 22-year-old Centerville, Pa. racer. “From now on for the rest of the year, everything is for him. He’s done more for me than anyone. My dad and I both won at Stateline Speedway last night and it’s awesome to be able to do it again tonight.”

“We were terrible in the heat race,” described Blair. “Then our front bumper got shoved into the track from contact. We honestly didn’t change much after the heat other than to replace the bumper. The race track came to me. It had two grooves and was smooth. I hope it’s like this the rest of the year.”

Making his first ever appearance, West Virginia’s Ryan Montgomery raced to the early lead as last week’s Eriez winner, Billy Henry, Jr., passed both Justin Tatlow and Andrew Wylie for second. Tatlow, who was coming off a career best runner-up at the last Touring event at Roaring Knob, looked good early on passing Wylie for third on lap two.

Ruhlman, who started sixth, cracked the top five on lap five taking the spot away from Jason Genco. Following a restart for a spin by Joe Martin, Ruhlman grabbed fourth from Wylie on lap six. By lap seven it was a four-car race for the lead with Montgomery trying to fend off Henry, Tatlow, and Ruhlman.

Blair had been picking off cars left and right and entered the picture when he moved into the top five on lap nine with a pass of Genco. Ruhlman and Blair then went to the outside to drive around Tatlow for third and fourth respectively on laps 10 and 11.

With four cars again racing hard for the lead and the crowd on the edge of its feet, Ruhlman made an outstanding move to fly by both Henry and Montgomery for the lead in turn four on the 12th circuit. Blair made a similar move on Henry one lap later to advance to third. After eight non-stop laps, the caution was displayed when Lauren Longbrake, John Over, Bobby Rohrer, and Bruce Hordusky, Jr. tangled with 13 laps scored.

Matt Latta, who started ninth, was all of a sudden in contention. He had passed Genco for the fifth spot on lap 13 and drove by Henry and Blair for third just before the caution. However, when racing resumed, Blair grabbed the third spot back using the outside then again went to the cushion in turn four to blast by Montgomery for second on lap 16. Latta then drove under Montgomery for third on lap 17.

Ruhlman was knocking off the laps as he was searching for his first career FASTRAK win; however, Blair began to close in on lap 19 before a caution for a spin by Tatlow. Two more cautions would slow action with 20 laps scored. The last five laps would go non-stop as Blair would make the winning move going around Ruhlman in turn four on lap 21.

The top three cars of Blair, Ruhlman, and Latta pulled away from the field in the closing laps. Without any lapped traffic, Blair was able to race on to the victory in his Specialty Products/Rohrer Trucking/Moody & Son Welding/Genesis Shocks-sponsored #111. Blair was also the second ever Touring winner at Eriez back on August 24, 2008. Sunday’s race marked the fourth career Touring race run at Eriez as Blair became the first repeat winner.

Ruhlman’s runner-up was a big one as not only was it his best finish to date, but it also propelled him from sixth to third in points! “Our car was pretty fast,” acknowledged the Bemus Point, NY driver of the Terry Suppa-owned #4s. “We’re probably the only Rayburn in the field. It was a fun race. You can race Max clean, but he drives just like his dad Robbie and it’s irritating!”

What a great performance by Matt Latta, who was making his first Touring start of the season and just fifth of his career! The 19-year-old, second year racer turned in his best career Tour finish in third eclipsing his fourth place effort at Sharon Speedway on September 17 of last season.

Montgomery dropped to fourth at the finish- his best of the season, and like Ruhlman will also advance three positions in points from seventh to fourth! Like Blair, Butch Lambert was also able to advance 16 positions as he turned in his second top five of the season in fifth after starting 21st. Lambert’s three top nine finishes keeps him locked in the second place position in points.

Steve Dixon made his first Tour start of the season and came home sixth. After taking a provisional, John Over was able to pass one more car than both Blair and Lambert to earn the Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger with his seventh place effort. Over earned a $100 Precise Gift Card.

Bobby Rohrer was able to qualify for his first feature of the season and recorded an eighth place matching his career best Tour finish from last season at Roaring Knob. Genco, who won the $1,200 non-qualifier feature at the season opening event at Roaring Knob, finished ninth over fellow New York racer Adam Sixt, who came from 18th.

Martin was the last car on the lead lap at the finish and earned the free FASTRAK Hoosier Tire presented by Utsinger’s Towing. Damian Bidwell was awarded the Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night” after he was unable to start the feature.

Bob Dorman ended the night winning the six-lap non-qualifier event. The Stockton, New York racer led from green to checkered and earned the $125 prize in his #19. Dorman became the amazing 17th different winner in the 20 races run all-time. Jamie Brown finished second and took over the “Wheelman Bonus Event Challenge Series” point lead. Eric Andrus passed Justin Kreider on the opening lap to finish third. Kreider was fourth.

Fourteen-year-old Lauren Longbrake won her first career heat race earlier in the night. Other heat race winners were Josh Holtgraver, Dixon, and Genco. Kyle Zimmerman and Lambert split the B mains.

Chad Wright entered Sunday on a hot streak. The third year FASTRAK teen racer finished a close runner-up one week ago at Eriez then won his first career Raceway 7 feature on Friday night followed by a fifth place effort on Saturday at Sharon Speedway in Weekly Series action. On Sunday, Wright won his first career K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash, which earned him a $100 K&N Certificate as well as the 13th place starting spot. Wright’s night though came to an end early on in the feature when his transmission failed. Wright is now tied for the K&N Dash Championship point lead with Bidwell.

Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Pace Performance FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series Race #3 (25 laps, $1,200 to-win): 1. MAX BLAIR (111) 2. Chad Ruhlman (Suppa 4s) 3. Matt Latta (Bidwell B1D) 4. Ryan Montgomery (12) 5. Butch Lambert (27) 6. Steve Dixon (50) 7. John Over (K2) 8. Bobby Rohrer (11) 9. Jason Genco (29J) 10. Adam Sixt (6T) 11. Nolan Dalton (D2) 12. Will Thomas (9) 13. Bruce Hordusky, Jr. (3) 14. Mike Pegher, Jr. (Geisler 1c) 15. Justin Tatlow (Kratts 81) 16. Lauren Longbrake (27) 17. Josh Holtgraver (00) 18. Joe Martin (55) 19. Wayne Robertson (20) 20. Brad Kling (Powell 100) 21. Billy Henry, Jr. (McGee 21*) 22. Andrew Wylie (84) 23. Kyle Zimmerman (z17) 24. Chad Wright (6) 25. Damian Bidwell (17)-DNS. (Note: John Over took a Series provisional)

Non-Qualifier Race (10 laps, $125 to-win): 1. Bob Dorman (19) 2. Jamie Brown (135) 3. Eric Andrus (Craig 62) 4. Justin Kreider (29) 5. Junior Peters (00)-DNS 6. Shane Weaver (Ruffner 325x)-DNS 7. George Kowatic (5)-DNS.

Heat Winners: Holtgraver, Dixon, Longbrake, Genco
K&N Cold Air Induction Dash: 1. Chad Wright 2. Will Thomas III 3. Bruce Hordusky, Jr. 4. Damian Bidwell.
B Main Winners: Zimmerman, Lambert
Feature Lap Leaders: Montgomery (1-11), Ruhlman (12-20), Blair (21-25)
Car Count: 32

Genesis Shocks “Top Dog of the Night”: Max Blair
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger: John Over (+17)
Utsinger’s Towing Hoosier Tire Giveaway: Joe Martin
Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night”: Damian Bidwell

2012 Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series Results
Date/Track/State/Winner/# of Wins/To-Win Amount/Car Count
April 1 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex (PA)/Max Blair (1)/$3,000/47
April 20 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex (PA)/Mike Pegher, Jr. (1)/$1,200/42
May 13 Eriez Speedway (PA)/Max Blair (2)/$1,200/32