By Mike Leone
June 8, 2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Strongstown, PA)…The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Pace Performance FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series made their first and only appearance of the 2012 season to Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday night. It was actually take #3 as April 27 was cancelled due to morning snow and cold temperatures and May 4 was rained out just before race time. A total of 41 cars were on hand between the two nights with 32 competing on Friday from all over Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, New York, and Maryland.

With each win, Max Blair continues to rewrite the FASTRAK history books. On Friday night, Blair passed nemesis Mike Pegher, Jr. on lap eight and went on for his unprecedented fourth straight Northeast Touring Series win of the season and has now set a personal Tour high with his fifth win of the season. Blair’s 25-lap victory came at a track he’s never conquered before in Tour or Weekly competition and was worth $1,200 plus the $100 Genesis Shocks “Top Dog of the Night” award.

“I never would have believed this would happen- ever,” stated the 22-year-old Centerville, Pa. driver when asked about his season’s successes. “This year has just been unbelievable up until now and I just hope we can keep it going. Of every track we go to, I struggle the most here. I’ve been upside down here, on the tilt-bed, double hooks- pretty much every scenario you can imagine. It really feels good to win a race here. It’s obviously nice to start up front and on that restart I wasn’t sure if I wanted him (Pegher) to pick the top or bottom. So I figured I was in a good position because I didn’t have to choose. I timed the restart good and it all worked out well.”

Pegher drew the pole position and took off in the lead. Blair started third and passed track regular Ron Smithley for second on the opening lap. Smithley settled into third with Rick Singleton and Andrew Satterlee in tow. Satterlee overtook Singleton for fourth on lap two. Pegher and Blair quickly started distancing themselves from the field, while the battle was on for third as Smithley tried to fend off track standout Satterlee.

Smithley and Satterlee put on a great race going at it side-by-side on laps five, six, and seven. Satterlee had just passed Smithley for third, but it came before the start-finish line as a caution was displayed with seven laps completed for Eric Wilson, who slowed in his first ever start at the track. Blair timed the restart just right to stay even with Pegher and was able to use the momentum off turn two to power into the lead on lap eight.

Satterlee and Ryan Montgomery were able to get past Smithley on lap eight to move into third and fourth respectively. The race’s final caution was displayed for a spin by Bobby Rohrer with 11 laps scored. This time Blair had the choice and chose the outside, which powered him to the lead on the last restart. The choice proved wise as he raced to the lead.

Dan Angelicchio started in 11th and was making his way forward. Angelicchio passed Smithley to crack the top five on lap 13 and set his sights on Montgomery. Angelicchio caught Montgomery on lap 15 and the two raced side-by-side for much of the remainder of the event.

Back up front, Blair checked out opening up a straightaway advantage by the time he caught lapped traffic on lap 19. Satterlee was all over Pegher for second, while further back Montgomery continued to fend off Angelicchio’s challenges. Pegher and Satterlee closed slightly on Blair as Blair dealt with lapped traffic, but no where close to pose a challenge.

The win was Blair’s all-time leading 17th in Northeast Touring Series competition in his Specialty Products/Rohrer Trucking/Moody & Son Welding/Genesis Shocks-sponsored #111. Blair also became the sixth different Dog Hollow Northeast Tour winner in seven races. Joe Martin is the only driver to repeat and in fact was the only other winner on hand.

“I love this car,” expressed Blair. “I hated it at the beginning of the year. We tweaked and kept changing stuff. We have something we really like right now. I’ve never had a car wheel around this place like that so whenever I come back it’s going to be just like this again. I have to thank my dad because without him I couldn’t do this, all my sponsors, everyone that helps out, and Mike (Leone) and Vicki (Emig) from FASTRAK. He’s racing at Little Valley (NY) tonight with a ULMS Super Late Model race, and it’s bugging me to not know how he’s doing.”

Pegher edged out Satterlee for second. It was just Pegher’s third top five in six races this season. Satterlee meanwhile recorded his first ever top five Tour finish in four years of competing periodically with the Series as his prior best finish was a seventh on August 6, 2010 at Dog Hollow.

“Max was definitely pretty good and better than me tonight,” said Pegher. “We’re just glad to finish a race. The last few weeks we’ve broke something everywhere we’ve went so it’s nice to get a top five finish. Hopefully we’ll get Max next weekend.”

Fourth place point man Ryan Montgomery edged out Angelicchio for his second fourth place finish of the year matching his season’s best finish. Angelicchio recorded his second straight top five effort and fourth top 10 in five races this season. Completing the top 10 were Singleton, Smithley, Mike Laughard, Martin, and Chad Ruhlman in his first ever visit.

Joe Moyer earned his first $100 Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger award after advancing the most spots in the feature. Moyer passed nine cars to Butch Lambert’s eight, but ironically it was Lambert finishing ahead of Moyer in both the B main and the feature. The two battled together in both races.

Troy Shields was the final car on the lead lap in 20th and earned the free Hoosier Tire presented by Utsinger’s Towing. Andrew Wylie received The Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night”. Wylie was scheduled to start sixth in the feature, but withdrew from the event due to motor issues.

After finishing a close runner-up in the “Wheelman” Non-Qualifier event in his first ever FASTRAK race on April 20 at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex, Kyle Wiser was able to find victory lane this time. Wiser led all six laps for the $125 victory and moved into second in the “Wheelman” Bonus Event Challenge Series points.

“This is awesome,” expressed the Orbisonia, Pa. racer. “I’m really glad they put this on and give a lot of guys like me a little extra incentive to come in case you don’t make it in. I wasn’t really sure how close he (Cody Dawson) was. I couldn’t hear anything, but a lot of times guys will go right by you without knowing they were coming. I have to thank Brianne- she’s my mechanic, all of my sponsors and Mike Ingram for building a good engine.”

Wiser become the amazing 19th different winner in 22 races run all-time in the Steve Price-owned, Steve Price Auctioneering and Tent Rentals/Shearer Custom Speed & Accessories/Hornbakers Landscaping/Ace Body Works-sponsored #34. New Egypt, NJ regular Cody Dawson made the six-hour tow from Westover, MD to compete in his first ever Tour race and finished a close second. Teammates Bernie Whiteford and Josh Valenti finished third and fourth over Scott Fitch as all three racers made their first Tor starts of the season.

John Over captured his second K&N “Cold Air Induction” Dash win of the season and has taken over the point lead in the K&N Filter Dash Championship. Over earned a $100 K&N certificate topping Ricky Meglaye, who received a $50 K&N certificate, while $25 cash went to Martin and Shane Weaver. Heat race wins went to Laughard, Smithley, Angelicchio, and Blair, while Shields and Lambert picked up wins in the B mains.

Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC Pace Performance FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series Race #6 (25 laps, $1,200 to-win): 1. MAX BLAIR (111) 2. Mike Pegher, Jr. (Geisler 1c) 3. Andrew Satterlee (2) 4. Ryan Montgomery (12) 5. Dan Angelicchio (14) 6. Rick Singleton (Enyeart 99*) 7. Ron Smithley (27s) 8. Mike Laughard (38L) 9. Joe Martin (55) 10. Chad Ruhlman (Suppa 4s) 11. Tim Snare, Jr. (99) 12. John Over (K2) 13. Butch Lambert (27) 14. Joe Moyer (LeComte 32) 15. Shane Weaver (Ruffner 325x) 16. Ricky Meglaye (5) 17. Brad Kling (Powell 100) 18. Chris Angelicchio (4) 19. Lauren Longbrake (27) 20. Troy Shields (11) 21. John Eckenrod (7UP) 22. Bobby Rohrer (11) 23. Eric Wilson (27W) 24. Steve Beatty (B4) 25. Andrew Wylie (84)-DNS (Note: Bobby Rohrer took a Series provisional)

Non-Qualifier Race (6 laps, $125 to-win): 1. Kyle Wiser (Price 34) 2. Cody Dawson (36) 3. Bernie Whiteford (Valenti 8V) 4. Josh Valenti (2J) 5. Scott Fitch (28F) 6. W.L. Stile (2$)-DNS 7. Jason Mullen (4M)-DNS (The following drivers did not return from the May 4 rainout: Josh Holtgraver, Nolan Dalton, George Kowatic, Chad Wright, Will Thomas III, Jeremy Shaffer, Joe Petyak, Billy Stile III, Justin Tatlow.)

Heat Winners: Laughard, Smithley, D.Angelicchio, Blair
K&N Cold Air Induction Dash: 1. John Over 2. Ricky Meglaye 3. Joe Martin 4. Shane Weaver.
B Main Winners: Shields, Lambert
Feature Lap Leaders: Pegher (1-7), Blair (8-25)
Car Count: 32 (41 between the 2 nights)

Genesis Shocks “Top Dog of the Night”: Max Blair
Precise Racing Products “Pedal Down” Hard Charger: Joe Moyer (+9)
Utsinger’s Towing Hoosier Tire Giveaway: Troy Shields (Rocket Racing)
Brake Man “Tough Brake of the Night”: Andrew Wylie