Weaver Takes Checkers on Fan Appreciation Night
By Brett Rose
HAGERSTOWN, MD- Late Model Sportsman teams were the headlining division on Fan Appreciation Night at Hagerstown Speedway, and Justin Weaver picked up the 20 lap LMS feature win last Saturday night.
Weaver started on the pole, but quickly had company in three-time 2017 LMS winner Kyle Lear in hot pursuit. Lear caught Weaver, and took the lead briefly before a caution flag waved on lap 8.
Lear didn’t get a great restart, and Weaver took the helm once again. Lear fell back to third, while Michael Walls began his hunt toward Weaver. Walls then engaged in a battle with Lear for second, allowing Weaver to pull away.
Weaver drove to his first win of the season at Hagerstown, and his 24th career LMS victory over Walls, Lear, fifteenth-place starter James Lichliter, and Alan Sagi.
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure there halfway through. It took Kyle (Lear) blowing by me there up on the top to realize that’s where I needed to be, but that’s sometimes how it works out. It feels good, man. We knew this car was good from the get-go everywhere we’ve been. It’s been awesome to drive.” said Weaver.
Brandon Churchey passed Sean Dawson for the lead in the Pure Stock feature event on the third lap after a restart from a multi-car pileup following the initial green flag.
Once Churchey got out front, he pulled away to his first career Pure Stock win. Dawson held off Craig Parrill to finish second, while Jamie Zentmyer and Wayne Hawbaker rounded out the top five.
Capping off Fan Appreciation Night was the Hobby Stock division, and Jamie Mills wired the field for his second feature win of the season. Dylan Rutherford nipped Bryan Neff at the finish line for second, while Davey Gross, Jr. and James Speelman completed the top five.
Notes: Both the Pure Stock and Late Model Sportsman feature races were quickly stopped for red flag incidents before the first lap was completed. Several cars were mangled up, but all drivers involved walked away.
With Super Late Models having the night off, the three division show was wrapped up by 9:30pm.
Our next race on June 10 returns with a regular lineup plus Crate Late Models.
Feature Results
Late Model Sportsman – 1. Justin Weaver, 2. Michael Walls, 3. Kyle Lear, 4. James Lichliter, 5. Alan Sagi, 6. Donnie Farling, 7. Ronnie Bottenfield, 8. Paul Cursey, Jr., 9. Matt Murphy, 10. Ryan Walls, 11. Eric Irvin, 12. Frankie Gordon, 13. Sean Merkel, 14. Brad McGinnis, 15. Dale Murphy, 16.Curtis Dunn, 17. Taylor Farling, 18. Joe Westerman, Jr., 19. John Rowland, 20. Justin Jesmer, 21. Barry Miller, 22. Elwood Sord, 23. Jason Sarver
Pure Stock- 1. Brandon Chruchey, 2. Sean Dawson, 3. Craig Parrill, 4. Jamie Zentmyer, 5. Wayne Hawbaker, 6. Tom Wakefield, 7. Frank DiBella, 8. Doug Hoffman, 9. Shane Wilt, 10. Jeremy Mills, 11. Brian Swiger, 12. Dickie Tharp, 13. Danny Atherton, 14. Nick DiBella, 15. William Crook, 16. Bryan Kerns, DNS- Marshall McMullen
Hobby Stock- 1. Jamie Mills, 2. Dylan Rutherford, 3. Bryan Neff, 4. Davey Gross, Jr., 5. James Speelman, 6. Willie Ling, 7. John Catlett, 8. Joe Rodgers, 9. Rodney Miner, DNS- Gary Cekovich