By Mike Leone
May 26, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Hartford, OH.)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Pace Performance FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series opened the Bill Emig Memorial “Wild Card Weekend” at Sharon Speedway on Saturday night. It was the first of five Tour events at the Hartford, Ohio oval in 2012 as 34 cars from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia were on hand for race #5 of the 25-event slate.

It’s hard to imagine, but the 2012 season for three-time National Weekly and three-time Northeast Touring Champion Max Blair has gotten off to a better start than any of his prior four. On Saturday night, Blair performed a clean sweep of his heat race, the $100 John Buzzard Memorial K&N Dash, and the 25-lap $1,500 to-win feature for his unprecedented third straight Tour win and fourth in five races this season. Blair also received the $100 Genesis Shocks “Top Dog of the Night” certificate.

“I really struggle here- this feels great to be able to get a big win at Sharon,” acknowledged the 22-year-old Centerville, Pa. winner. “We won the Gary Knollinger Memorial race last year, but the planets or something were aligned perfect that night. You could race on the track tonight. It was a little rough on the bottom, but sometimes you have to give and take a little bit. I was right in the middle all night long, but you start on the front row and you don’t know any different so you run where you’ve run all night then he (Pegher) goes blowing on by you on the bottom so I knew I had to move down.”

Blair raced to the early lead with Pegher, Billy Henry, Jr., Clay Ruffo, and Andrew Satterlee filling the top five after one lap. Pegher got under Blair in turns one and two on lap two and the standouts raced side-by-side with Pegher getting by coming off of turn four for the lead. Satterlee passed Ruffo for fourth on lap two as 11th starting Dan Angelicchio followed in fifth one lap later.

The first caution occurred when John Garvin, Jr., Lauren Longbrake, and Michael Mitchell tangled in turn four with four laps scored. On the ensuing restart, Angelicchio made a great move to pass both Satterlee and Henry for third. Another driver on the move was two-time Sharon winner Will Thomas III. Thomas started 10th and made his way to the top five by lap eight getting around Henry.

Back up front, Pegher continued to set the pace, while Angelicchio caught Blair on lap nine. Angelicchio drove under and past Blair in turn four for runner-up on lap nine, but two laps later Blair returned the favor with an identical move. Thomas was able to gain the fourth position on lap 12 dropping Satterlee back another position. By now Thomas was a half-straightaway back of the front three, but slowly cut into the lead until the caution was displayed for a spin by Shane Bambarger.

When green replaced yellow, Blair made his winning pass driving around Pegher off the topside of turn two to lead lap 20. Pegher wasn’t about to go away as he stuck right with Blair, and the duo made contact on lap 21, but Blair continued to lead. Pegher’s night would come to an unfortunate end with a flat tire with 22 laps scored. Pegher was chosen as the Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night” award.

Joe Martin had raced just outside of the lead pack for most of the night, but was able to work his way into the top five then inherited fourth following the flat by Pegher. On the restart, Martin then overtook Thomas for third. Up front, Angelicchio tried everything, but wasn’t able to get by as Blair would go on for his all-time leading 16th career Tour win. It was Blair’s first Sharon win of the season and fourth of his career in his Specialty Products/Rohrer Trucking/Moody & Son Welding/Genesis Shocks-sponsored #111.

Angelicchio, Martin, and Thomas turned in their season best performances in second through fourth. Not only was it all three racers’ first top fives of the season, but Martin hadn’t placed better than 13th to date. Steve Dixon, who has really struggled at Sharon over the years turned in a solid fifth after starting 17th in just his second Tour start of the season.

John Over, who has joined the Tour full-time for the first time in his career, also had a season best effort in sixth for his third top 10 of the season. Super Late Model racer John Garvin, Jr. made his first career Tour start and came home seventh after starting 21st. That earned him the Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger. Bobby Whitling won his first career FASTRAK race at Sharon one week ago and on Saturday made his first Tour start of the season and finished a solid eighth. Josh Double was ninth after starting 16th and Chad Ruhlman made his way from 22nd to finish 10th. Jamie Brown was the final car on the lead lap at the finish and received the free FASTRAK Hoosier Tire presented by Utsinger’s Towing.

Junior Peters ended the night winning his first ever six-lap non-qualifier event. Peters led every lap for the $150 victory to become the amazing 18th different winner in 21 races run all-time as part of the “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series. The Olean, New York driver’s win came in his Blue Collar Work Wear/JDS Smokey’s Bar & Grille/State Farm Insurance/Don’s Music Shop/Jr. Peters Roadside Auto-sponsored #00. Brad Kling, Jason Stanke, and Bud Watson completed the field of eight possible entrants.

Heat winners were Henry, Satterlee, Blair, and Pegher, while Dalton and Garvin captured the B mains. With an invert three, those four racers made up the John Buzzard Memorial K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash. Blair was able to lead all four laps for the $100 victory. Pegher came from fourth to finish second and received the $100 K&N Filters certificate. Henry received a $50 K&N certificate and Satterlee won $25 cash. Buzzard was a former Bill Emig racer, who lost his life in an accident at Expo Speedway in 1975. John’s wife Diane, daughters Denise and Cheryl, brothers Larry and Rich, along with his grandchildren were in attendance.

Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Pace Performance FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series Race #5 (25 laps, $1,500 to-win): 1. MAX BLAIR (111) 2. Dan Angelicchio (14) 3. Joe Martin (55) 4. Will Thomas III (9) 5. Steve Dixon (50) 6. John Over (K2) 7. John Garvin, Jr. (J4) 8. Bobby Whitling (7W) 9. Josh Double (38) 10. Chad Ruhlman (Suppa 4s) 11. Matt Latta (Bidwell B1D) 12. Butch Lambert (27) 13. Ryan Montgomery (12) 14. Brian Booher (Hoover 00H) 15. Michael Mitchell (19) 16. Lauren Longbrake (27) 17. Jamie Brown (135) 18. Chad Wright (6) 19. Mike Pegher, Jr. (Geisler 1c) 20. Nolan Dalton (D2) 21. Shane Bambarger (68B) 22. Andrew Satterlee (2) 23. Clay Ruffo (14R) 24. Billy Henry, Jr. (McGee 21*) 25. Shane Weaver (Ruffner 325x). (Note: Ryan Montgomery took s Series provisional).

Non-Qualifier Race (6 laps, $150 to-win): 1. Junior Peters (00) 2. Brad Kling (Powell 100) 3. Jason Stanke (44) 4. Bud Watson (Lukon 1B) 5. Josh Holtgraver (00)-DNS 6. Alan Dellinger (Longwell 114)-DNS 7. George Kowatic (5)-DNS 8. Bobby Rohrer (11)-DNS.

Heat Winners: Henry, Satterlee, Blair, Pegher
John Buzzard Memorial K&N Cold Air Induction Dash: 1. Max Blair 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. 3. Billy Henry, Jr. 4. Andrew Satterlee

B Main Winners: Dalton, Garvin
Feature Lap Leaders: Blair (1), Pegher (2-19), Blair (20-25)
Car Count: 34

Genesis Shocks “Top Dog of the Night”: Max Blair
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger: John Garvin, Jr. (+14)
Utsinger’s Towing Hoosier Tire Giveaway: Jamie Brown
Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night”: Mike Pegher, Jr.

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
May 20 Humberstone Speedway (ON)/Max Blair (3)/$2,000/26
May 26 Sharon Speedway (OH)/Max Blair (4)/$1,500/34