Bedford Speedway
August 15, 2014
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SPONAUGLE AND LOWERY END DRY SPELLS AT BEDFORD

Bedford Speedway PR
BEDFORD, PA  (August 16) - Matt Sponaugle ended a dry spell of almost two years by winning the Late Model 25 lapper at Bedford Friday night. Brian Lowery broke an even longer streak as he won his first Limited event since 2011 at the track. In keeping with the trend of the night, Brad Nesline held off a thundering herd to score his first ever Bedford win in Pure Stock action, while Robert Pluta took his first 2014 4 Cylinder win. Only Lou Wannyn broke the mold as he took his fifth win of the season in the biggest Semi Late race of the season, the Weyant memorial event.

Chuck Clise got by Wayne Johnson to lead the first Late Model laps with Mike Altobelli in hot pursuit. Matt Sponaugle joined the fray at the front by lap three and instantly gave Altobelli a battle. Lap after lap the pair went side by side as Clise pulled away.

The trio ran in that order until the first and only caution as Eric Zembower drifted to a halt on lap 6. Altobelli and Sponaugle continued the intense battle when racing resumed, running side by side for several laps. Sponaugle secured second on lap 7 but Altobelli didnt give up the fight. Sponaugle had to alternate his attention between wrestling with Clise for the lead and fending off pesky Altobelli.

Riding the cushion, each time he made a move on Clise, Altobelli snuck under him and he had to divide his attention. Lap after lap the trio ran that way until Sponaugle got a good run at Clise, blowing by on the outside on lap 19.

Clise battled hard for an entire lap before Sponaugle secured the spot and ran off the last six laps for the win. Clise held off Altobelli for second, followed by DJ Troutman and Justin Kann. Troutman ans Kann won the heats.

Brian Lowery seized the opportunity after starting on the Limited pole. He led Matt Eckman early as Robby Black, George Dixon and Rick Singleton clawed their way through the field. Black was the first of them to get to the front, taking second from Eckman on lap 7. From that point he battle was on.

Black on the inside and Lowery on the outside went side by side or nose o tail for the remaining laps. Several times Black inched ahead only to have Lowery power the MOPAR back down the straights. Meanwhile Singleton and Dixon slid up to third and fourth. Once into third, Singleton began to close down on the leaders in search of his 4th consecutive win.

But Lowery was on his game. holding off the furious challenges of Black to secure the win. Singleton took third followed by Dixon and Ron Bottenfield. Brian Lessley and Dixon won the heats.

The Semi Lates lined up for their biggest race of the year, the Weyant 35 lap Memorial with Kerry Molovich on the pole. The Semi Late event had a rough start as two separate red flag cautions dotted the first 6 laps. On lap two Zane Weicht spun in the pack creating a 10 car melee in turn one, and then on lap 6, Weicht flipped in the same place, again stopping things.

Through it all Molovich had the field under control. Lou Wannyn finally broke free from the traffic and ran Molovich down by lap 10. But just as Wannyn moved to the inside of Molovich for the lead, Dave Brown zipped them both on the outside. With Brown getting away, Molovich and Wannyn went side by side for several laps until Wannyn secured the second spot on lap 18.

From that point on, Wannyn hunted Brown down and slid by for the lead on lap 23. From that point on he stretched out for the win, followed by Brown, Molovich, Jesse Snyder and Bob Jay. Brown, Weight and Chad Gambol won the heats.

Brad Nesline who only a few weeks ago spun on the last lap while leading, completed the deal this time in the Pure Stock event. He started on the pole and led what became a traffic jam for the duration. With Dave Lambert to his outside, they headed up a 12 car mob scene lap after lap as the field went two and three wide.

Finally the inevitable happened on lap nine as a five car pileup thinned out the traffic jam, but Nesline continued to hold Lambert off at the front. On the last lap, Brad Feight finally weaved his way up to second and took a shot at Nesline, falling short at the line. Feight, coming off a win a week ago , finished second, ahead of Lambert, Ed Vogel and Kyle Beckett. Vogel and Feight won the heats.

Robert Pluta got the jump on the start of the 4 Cylinder event, leading Cale Martin in a formation that lasted the entire 12 laps. Bailey Johnson and later Ryan Peer ran the pair down but could not challenge for the top two spots. At the finish it was Pluta, Martin, Peer, Johnson and Keith Deeter. Wayne Brenize and Martin won the heats.

LATE MODEL 25 LAP 1 Matt Sponaugle, Chuck Clise, Mike Altobelli Jr, DJ Troutman, Justin Kann, Jeff Rine, Wayne Johnson, Gene Knaub, Eric Zembower.

LIMITED 18 LAP 1 Brian Lowery, Robby Black, Rick Singleton, George Dixon, Ron Bottenfield, Troy Swindell, Josh Berrier, Brian Lessley, Eric Irvin, Matt Murphy, Will Rowe, Darrell Dick, Curtis Heath, Bob Foote, Travis Calhoun, John Harr, Matt Eckman, Nathan Lasalle, Dale Claycomb, DNS Kayden Smith

SEMI LATE 35 LAP 1 Lou Wannyn, Dave Brown, Kerry Molovich, Jesse Snyder, Bob Jay, Brian Duffy, Dave Whetstone, Greg Cornell, Chad Gambol, John Fama, RT Troutman, Paul Gambol, Justin Michael, Greg Hainsey, Chris Chamberlain, Jim Sayler, Zaqne Weicht, Dennis Collins, Jim Sacco, Scott Sturtz, Justin Bonnett, Chris Ebersole,

PURE STOCKS 12 LAPS 1 Brad Nesline, Brad Feight, Dave Lambert, Ed Vogel, Ryan Beckett, Travis Group, Preston Imler, Tyler Ritchey, Brian Ringler, Dave Riley, Denny Norris, Amber Mills, Terry Norris, Cale Leppert, Travis Vogel, Charlie Walter,

4 CYLINDER 1 Robert Pluta, Cale Martin, Ryan Peer, Bailey Johnson, Keith Deeter, Andrew Pluta, Ian Wil, Tom Brady, Josh Ringler, Dave Harclerode, Phil Best, Rusty Martin, Shawn Reckner, Wayne Brenize, Claycomb, Mike Meck, Joe Shoor Steve Frederick, Brandon Kinser