East Smethport, PA
July 3, 2013
By Jay Pees
Jason Dunham was an American hero, presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his April, 2004actions in Iraq. Dunham lost his life as a result of those actions which save many lives of his fellow soldiers. Every year McKean County Raceway remembers Corporal Dunham with a race in his honor.
With weather changing from beautiful at race time to overcast by the conclusion of time trials for both the UEMS E-Mods and the NDRL/ULMS Super Late Models preliminary events started but during the Street Stock heat rain struck causing a brief delay.
Third starting Rob Blair overtook Bob Close for the lead on lap 9, and went on to collect his 4th ULMS/NDRL Series event of the 2013 season.
Bob Close and Ron Davies started the Jason Dunham Memorial from the front row with Close blasting off to the lead and Rob Blair, winner the last two outings, in second by five laps into the race. At seven complete Blair was drawing even with the many time MCR champion and nosed ahead at lap eight by inches, then had a car length lead one lap later.
At halfway the top five were Blair, by ten car lengths, Close, Davies, David Scott, and Dick Barton. Blair began lapping cars with seventeen complete while a quarter lap behind him Close and Davies were fighting for second, Close relinquishing it on lap twenty. With five to go Blair still had the quarter lap lead but Scott was now third with Mike Knight coming to fourth. A lap later Barton also got by Close. The top five at the checkers in the caution-free event were Blair, Davies, Scott, Knight, and Barton.
NDRL Super Late Models:
Qualifying: Bob Close 14.961, Dave Scott, Robbie Blair
Heat 1: Bob Close, Rob Blair, Dick Barton, Brent Rhebergen, Matt Urban, John Volpe, Mike Oakes
Heat 2: Ron Davies, Mike Knight, David Scott, Jason DuPont, Dutch Davies, Greg Oakes, Randy Lobb
Feature: Rob Blair, Ron Davies, David Scott, Mike Knight, Dick Barton, Jason DuPont, Brent Rhebergen, Bob Close, Matt Urban, Boom Briggs, Greg Oakes, John Volpe, Dutch Davies, Randy Lobb, Mike Oakes
