Hagerstown Speedway
June 23, 2012
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RUSTY SITES POSTS SECOND CAREER LATE MODEL VICTORY AT HAGERSTOWN
Second Pure Stock to Boyer, Third Hobby Stock to Kenny Thomas 
 
by Bob Vores
Hagerstown, Md. – Rusty Sites was the final late model driver of the top eight qualifiers remaining after each chose a young race fan with their starting position and Sites ended with number one. The Chambersburg racer then led all the way to score his career second triumph in Saturday’s Buchanan Auto Stores Late Model Championship Series event at Hagerstown Speedway during Armed Forces Appreciation Night. Following a complete restart after a skirmish on the opening lap, he later took the checkered by 2.236 seconds over Jerry Bard that then went all the way under green.

“When you’re out front, you don’t know what’s going on behind you,” Sites said. “My brother in law Lance was giving me signals that I had a good lead, so I kind of picked them off without getting into any trouble. We got through the lapped traffic and here we are.”

Kevin Boyer, Frederick, MD, came from seventh to take over just past the halfway marker and continue on to post his career second Ernie D’s pure stock win by 2.081 seconds over Tony Catlett while eighth starter, Kenny Thomas of Greencastle, PA was declared the D & D Auto Recycling hobby stock winner, making it his third, following a post-race inspection of the top five finishers. 

Sites and Bard luckily chose the youngsters that had the numbers one and two and took off but the opening lap was not good to current points leader Nick Dickson who was involved in a first turn incident with Ashley Barrett, Duane Harbaugh and Colby Frye. Harbaugh and Frye were unable to restart. 

When the green flag waved again, Sites got out front and steadily opened distance on Bard while Frankie Plessinger was third until eighth starter Roy Deese Jr. advanced past Alan Sagi and Plessinger to take third on the ninth circuit. 

Sites entered rear traffic on the 12th lap and continued to waltz his way while stretching his lead to just over three seconds by the 16th lap as Deese was attempting to close the gap on Bard.

Bard was narrowing the gap on Sites but time was running out as he charged past the checkered 2.236 seconds to the good.

“I have to thank Mastersbilt by Huey,” Sites said. “The last couple weeks we’ve had nothing good. He told me what to do. We sit down and talked about it, what I liked and what he thought, and what a difference. Wow! It took some finesse tonight. I had a really good car and good traction coming off and easing on the throttle. My car was easy to drive. It was a pleasure.”

Deese held to a strong third over Sagi and Darryl Hills. Brian Booze was sixth with Kenny Moreland, Dickson from 15th on the opening lap restart, Plessinger and Steve Axtell Jr. completing the top ten. Sagi and Frye were heat winners. Deese earned the Nininger Tire and Auto Hard Charger award while Frye received the Nininger Hard Luck Award. 

Keith Koontz led the pure stocks on the start with Chris Ebersole chasing him while Boyer was steadily coming through traffic. He drove past Danny Beavers into second on lap six and finally got under Koontz on lap nine before the caution waved for a Beavers flat tire. Boyer lead the rest of the way as ninth starting Tony Catlett took second on the tenth, but Boyer kept easing away to capture the win by 2.0981 seconds. Steve Lowery was third and the Ecton and Son Repair and Service Hard Charger while Koontz and Drew Fitzsimmons completed the top five. Darrin Younker and Boyer were the heat winners.    

After Lane Hessong started seventh and had the lead on the opening lap only to spin, the restart found eighth starting Kenny Thomas at the front and being challenged by 11th starter, Bryan Neff. Following a tenth lap restart, Neff kept the pressure on Thomas until getting past and leading the final three laps to win by .641 seconds but a post-race inspection discovered an engine component illegal and Thomas therefore declared the winner. William Crook, Gary Cekovich, Kyle Durboraw and Matt Smith were next. The Lucky Seven winner sponsored by Bob Davis Home Improvement was sixth finisher Dave Shatto. 

The latest news, results, photos, schedule or rule changes can be on the speedway’s website:  www.hagerstownspeedway.com. Follow the speedway on Twitter and Facebook. Also check the website for any changes in weather conditions that may delay or cancel the program or contact the speedway office at 301-582-0640.

Hagerstown Speedway Results

Buchanan Auto Sales Late Model Championship Series
25 Laps, 19 entries (Lap Leaders: Rusty Sites 1-25) 1. Rusty Sites, 2. Jerry Bard, 3. Roy Deese Jr. (Hard Charger), 4.Alan Sagi, 5.Darryl Hills, 6.Brian Booze, 7.Kenny Moreland, 8.Nick Dickson, 9.Frankie Plessinger, 10.Steve Axtell Jr., 11.Marvin Winters, 12.Ashley Barrett, 13.Dale Hollidge, 14.Larry Baker, 15.Tim Murphy, 16.Pancho Lawler, 17.Matt Murphy, 18.Colby Frye (Hard Luck), 19.Duane Harbaugh 
  
Ernie D’s Pure Stocks, 15 Laps, 18 Entries (Lap Leaders: Keith Koontz 1-8, Kevin Boyer 9-15) 1.Kevin Boyer, 2.Tony Catlett, 3.Steve Lowery (Hard Charger), 5.Drew Fitzsimmons, 6.Brian Miller, 7.Wayne Hawbaker, 8.Kenny Dillon, 9.Dave Stouffer Jr., 10.Brian Swiger, 11.Dave Boring, 12.Kevin Koontz, 13.Danny Beavers, 14.Chris Ebersole, 15.Darrin Younker, DNS – Charlie Pensinger, Lloyd Kane, Brandon Churchey

D&D Auto Recycling Hobby Stocks, 15 Laps, 13 Entries, (Lap Leaders:  Lane Hessong 1, Kenny Thomas 2-12, 15, Bryan Neff 13- DQ)  1.KennyThomas, 2.William Crook, 3.Gary Cekovich, 4.Kyle Durboraw, 5.Matt Smith, 6.Dave Shatto, 7.Lane Hessong, 8.Tom Caravello, 9.Kelly Williams, 10.Gary Proctor, DNS – Joe Rodgers, DQ – Bryan Neff, Nick Dibella