ALLEGANY COUNTY SPEEDWAY
MAY 7, 2011

Arthur walks away with Steel Block Bandits victory at Allegany County Speedway

Walker Arthur came away with the Steel Block Bandits Late Model racing series victory to officially, and finally, start the 2011 season at The Rock, Allegany County Speedway on Saturday night.

The Rock’s season opener was delayed by a month after rain wiped out events in April.

Arthur, who also won the season opener at The Rock last year, grabbed the lead early and never relinquished it in the 30-lap feature.

Other action was furious in the final laps with Brian Duffy making a last-lap pass to win the Street Stock race and Jimmy Moreland holding on in the Hobby Stock race. DacRon Powell won his first 4-Cylinder feature and Elwood Hyre won the 6/8-Cylinder feature.

Arthur started on the outside front row for the main event and took off with the lead over Rick Singleton, D.J. Troutman and polesitter Bo Feathers. The Forest, Va., driver led Singleton throughout the race, including a handful of cautions to win by 10 car-lengths. He claimed $2,000 for the win in his title defense as the 2010 series champion.

Behind Singleton in second, Troutman was third after getting around Feathers on lap 13. Matt Sponaugle finished fourth after starting ninth and Kyle Merkel grabbed the fifth spot.

Sponaugle and Merkel got around Feathers, who ended up sixth, on lap 22. Sponaugle took fourth from Merkel on the following lap. Matt Cosner and Sean Merkel finished seventh and eighth. Booper Bare, who started 18th, finished ninth and Matt Howsare was 10th.

Duffy jumped to the outside in the final turns and beat Daryl Whetstone back to the finish line of the 16-lap Street Stock feature. Whetstone led early on with Duffy closing in. Duffy began to try the inside on Whetstone, edging him out on lap 12 only to watch Whetstone retake the lead in turn two.

Duffy choose the high side of turn three to start his charge on the final lap and came away with the win over Whetstone, Chris Chamberlain, Travis Brown and Rick Wright.

Moreland held off Marcius VanMeter with only a few feet to spare in the finish of the 15-lap Hobby Stock race. Moreland took off with the lead from the pole while VanMeter got to second over David Riley and Justin Michael.

Moreland, VanMeter and Riley set up the final push to the checkered flag nearly bumper to bumper with Moreland coming out of turn four with the advantage for the win. Behind Riley in third, Jarrod Brown and Bill VanMeter finished fourth and fifth.

Powell worked himself to the lead from the sixth spot over Jason Riggleman on a restart with two laps to go. The win was Powell’s first in the 4-Cylinder class. Dwain Rhodes, Andrew Pluta Jr., Riggleman and Robert Pluta rounded out the top five.

Powell got by Rhodes for second at lap nine and took the lead from Riggleman on a restart following a caution on the next lap.

Hyre led the final three laps for the 6/8-Cylinder class win. James Clark was out front while Hyre moved into second from the start. Clark held on through cautions on laps five and eight but Hyre found a way around him on lap nine in turn four.

Clark, Brian Ringer, Russell Hutzell and Dave Comer completed the top five positions.

The Rock will host racing next Saturday with the first 358 Bedrock Shootout for Limited Late Models along with Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, 4-Cylinders and 6/8-Cylinders. Kid’s bike races will be held during intermission.

Race Results
The Rock, Allegany County Speedway
Saturday, May 7, 2011

STEEL BLOCK BANDITS SERIES (30 Laps): 1. Walker Arthur, 2. Rick Singleton, 3. D.J. Troutman, 4. Matt Sponaugle, 5. Kyle Merkel, 6. Bo Feathers, 7. Matt Cosner, 8. Sean Merkel, 9. Booper Bare, 10. Matt Howsare, 11. Joey Leavell, 12. Matt Emerick, 13. Wes Bonebrake, 14. Corey Weaver, 15. Rick Hulson, 16. Eric Irvin, 17. Kristian Looney, 18. Barry Miller, 19. Ryan Christoff, DNS: Trever Feathers, Chris Harr.

STREET STOCKS (16 Laps): 1. Brian Duffy, 2. Daryl Whetstone, 3. Chris Chamberlain, 4. Travis Brown, 5. Rick Wright, 6. John Whitfield, 7. Zane Weicht, 8. Kevin Deremer, 9. Justin Bonnett.

HOBBY STOCKS (15 Laps): 1. Jimmy Moreland, 2. Marcius VanMeter, 3. Dave Riley, 4. Jarrod Brown, 5. Bill VanMeter, 6. Justin Michael, DNS: Kevin Van Horn.

4-CYLINDERS (12 Laps): 1. DacRon Powell, 2. Dwain Rhodes, 3. Andrew Pluta Jr., 4. Jason Riggleman, 5. Robert Pluta, 6. Neil Bauer, 7. Davey Lambert, 8. Nick Iski, 9. Chris Shoemaker, 10. Steve Riggleman, 11. Kevin See, 12. Jon Gephart, 13. Steve McMahon, 14. Jason Poland, 15. John Crowfis Jr., 16. Nathan Kaminsky, 17. Tyler Larkin, DNS: Dan Jackson.

6/8-CYLINDERS (12 Laps): 1. Elwood Hyre, 2. James Clark, 3. Brian Ringer, 4. Russell Hutzell, 5. Dave Comer, 6. Brandon Inglish, DNS: Rel Breedlove.