Rob Blair of Titusville, Pennsylvania captured the biggest FASTRAK Late Model event at McKean County Raceway on Saturday night by winning the $5000 to win FASTRAK Northeast/National Touring Series event where 42 cars were registered for the big money event for the Maynard’s Electric FASTRAK Late Models . Rich Michael Jr. won the Crosby Mini Marts Emod feature that was sanctioned by the Kinzua Water Service United Emod Series. While Justin Baxter of Friendship, NY won the $1000 “Tireman 50” Memorial and Jim Galloway captured the Matt Wheeler Memorial for the mini stocks

Forty-two FASTRAK Late Models registered for the big $5000 to win event with Rob Blair setting fast time. The front row starters were defending track champion John Lacki and Danny Angelicchio from Pittsburgh lead the 24 car field for the 40 lap event. Lacki would get the quick jump on Angelicchio with Jim Frank in tow followed by hometown favorite, Steve Dixon. Blair would move into fourth on lap two before the yellow lights came one for a four car pileup in turn two for the cars of David Scott, Justin Tatlow, Kyle Lukon and Danny Karalagas. Angelicchio would get the jump on Lacki on the restart as Rob Blair was now in third with Jim Frank sliding back to fourth. The yellow lights came back on lap six for Matt Cobb and Kyle Zimmerman. Angelicchio would refire the field with Mike Pegher moving into the top five and up to second on lap seven but only to see Blair come back and take the runner up spot back on lap eight. With ten laps in the books it was still Angelicchio, Blair, Pegher, Frank and Lacki your top five. The caution lights came back out again for Zimmerman on lap eleven.

Angelicchio again refired the field and held off Blair on the double file restart. This would last for four laps as the “Titusville Terror” would take the top spot away on lap fifteen. The top five remained the same till lap twenty when Frank went pitside moving Max Blair into the fifth position. Lacki would get around Angelicchio for second on lap twenty one as Pegher was now fourth and sitting in sixth was Dixon and nineteenth starting Damien Bidwell was up to seventh. Dixon and Bidwell would both get around Max as the Smethport hometown favorites were now fifth and sixth. With thirteen remaining, Lacki would make contact with Blair as they battled for the lead and resulting in him spinning out and collecting the Pegher and Bidwell machines in the melee. With twelve laps remaining it was Blair, Angelicchio, Dixon, Max Blair and Kyle Zimmerman your top five. Blair would refire the field with Angelicchio trying everything to get around the twenty-six year racing veteran. Blair would lead the final laps and go on to win the $5000 FASTRAK Northeast Regional/NATIONAL event over Angelicchio, Dixon, Max Blair and Kyle Zimmerman rounded out the top five.

Rich Michael Jr. picked up his first Crosby Marts Emod win at MCR since 2006 in the Kinzua Water Service United Emod Series event. John Woodward Jr. and Butch Southwell were the front row starters for the 25 lap event. Woodward would lead the opening lap only to see the caution lights come on for Dennis Asel for smacking the front stretch wall. Woodward would lead the second lap but the hottest Emod driver in the northeast, Rich Michael jumped into the lead on lap 3. With five laps in the books, Brent Rhebergan now was second with Woodward third followed by Bob Close subbing for Vic Vena and Southwell was back to fifth. Rich Gardner would move into the fifth spot on lap seven. With ten laps in the books, Michael was still in control as Close was now back in second, but a heated contest was going on for sixth between Mike Knight, Dan Davies, Kyle Bedell, Al Brewer and Randy Hall. The yellow would come out on lap eleven for Kyle Bedell and Hall in turn three and four. Michael was still your leader with Closes, Rhebergen, Southwell, and Gardner rounding out the top five.

Michael jetted away on the restart from Close and Rhebergen. The car on the move was Dan Davies who went to the top of the track and was looking like his dad, rim riding himself into the top five. Carl McKinney was another car that was now on the move as the thirteenth place starter now found himself in seventh on lap fourteen. The yellow lights came back out with four remaining. This would give Close another shot at Michael on the single file restart, but it was Michael again getting a good start, but the #01 of Close stuck with the Michael and challenged him in each corner and pulling beside Michael’s a few times in the remaining laps to bring the fans to their feet as the duo charged into turn one on the last lap, Rhebergen would sweep to the outside and try to make it a three car battle for the finish, but Michael’s held off Close to take his first MCR win since 2006 and his third KWS UEMS win of the year. Close subbing for Vena came home an impressive second, with Rhebergen, Southwell and Carl McKinney edging Davies for fifth. Rich Gardner, edged Brewer by a few inches for seventh with Mike Knight and Bryan Douglass finishing tenth from his sixteenth starting spot.

The 2nd Annual “Tireman Memorial 50” entered the track for the Johnson Distributing Street Stocks $1000 to win event. Chris Austin and Josh Wilcox led the 24 car field to John Powell’s green flag. Austin would take the lead immediately to lead the opening lap as Wilcox would come back and take lap two with John Ellwood in third. With five laps in the books it was still Wilcox leading the way over Austin Ellwood, Justin Baxter and Dan Giboo sitting in fifth. The top five stayed the same over the next five laps when the yellow lights came on for Art Peterson. On the restart, point leader Jason Dobson would enter the top five as Giboo was now sixth. Giboo would regain fifth one lap later and then would overtake Ellwood for fourth the very next lap. Meanwhile, Baxter was showing pressure on Austin for second and he would overtake the 22A machine and on lap fifteen it was Baxter now your new leader with Wilcox, Giboo, Austin and Dobson your top five. Austin would go pit side relinquishing a top five run.

Dobson would get a great restart and sweep into second behind Baxter with Wilcox now in third. Giboo would take second over on lap twenty but only to see him relinquish that spot as he went to the pits. With the race at the halfway point it was still Baxter leading Dobson with Butch Talbot now in third from his ninth starting spot. Bruno Mowery and Jeff Woodward were the remaining cars in the top five. Talbot was applying pressure to Dobson for the second position as Baxter was still leading the field till the yellow lights came back out on lap thirty six. Dobson would relinquish the second position to Talbot as he went to the pits. Talbot and Baxter would go after each other over the remaining laps to battle for the lead as the duo would have the crowd on their feet several times but Baxter would hold off the veteran Talbot to capture his biggest career victory in the “Tireman Memorial”. Finishing third behind Baxter and Talbot was Andy Michael who had a solid run all night for a fine third place finish, Bruno Mowery and Levi Watson rounded out the top five.

The Matt Wheeler Memorial for the Mini Stocks saw Jim Galloway come home the winner in memory of MCR’s favorite son, Matt Wheeler who has videotaped races at MCR for over twenty years. Dave Lowe and Dan Cunningham led the field to the green with Lowe taking the early lead till lap five when Cunningham would become the new leader. Galloway followed Cunningham into second as Lowe would slide to third and lose that position on lap seven to Doyle Harris. Galloway would overtake Cunningham on lap eleven coming out of turn four. As the white flag was waving, Cunningham was going for broke and spun in turn two going for the win allowing Galloway to scoot away to win the Matt Wheeler Memorial over Doyle Harris Jr., Dave Lowe, Kyle Babcock and Aaron Bartas.

Andrew Smith towed from Lockport, NY and made the two hour drive back home as a winner. Smith held off the early race challenges from Blaine Krott till Krott would break around the mid way point of the event allowing Smith to cruise to his first MCR win and making the long trip back to north Buffalo well worth it.


RESULTS:

FASTRAK REGIONAL/NORTHEAST $5000 EVENT (Unofficial until Blair passes tech)
ROB BLAIR, Dan Angelicchio, Steve Dixon, Max Blair, Kyle Zimmerman, Matt Cobb, Butch Lambert, Jason Genco, Bryan Force, Dennis Lunger, Bud Watson, Jim Frank, John Lacki, Damien Bidwell, Bill Cunningham, Mike Pegher, David Scott, Bobby Whitling, Josh Holtgraver, Adam Sixt, Paul Geiger, Danny Karalagas, Kyle Lukon and JustinTatlow

CROSBY MART – KINZUA WATER SERVICE UEMS EMODS
RICH MICHAEL, Bob Close, Brent Rhebergen, Butch Southwell, Carl McKinney, Dan Davies, Rich Gardner, Al Brewer, Mike Knight, Bryan Douglass, Kyle Bedell, Kari Gasser, Randy Hall, Mike Eschrich, Darren Tarabori, Tim Walden, Jaben Hill, Nathan Hill, Tim Peterson, Dave Atkinson, John Woodward and Dennis Asel Jr.

JOHNSON DISTRIBUTING STREET STOCKS “Tireman Memorial”
JUSTIN BAXTER, Butch Talbot, Andy Michael, Bruno Mowery, Levi Watson, Leon Szweda, Jason Schoonmaker, Rich Wotjowicz, Doug Jones, Chris Austin, Art Peterson, Jeff Woodward, Barry Tingue Jr., Jason Dobson, Chris Conkey, Mark Schweikert, Joe Chamberlain, Kevin Dzuroff, Dan Giboo, Steve Mowery, Josh Wilcox, Chad Green, John Ellwood, Randy Taylor, Fred Ely, Joe Skinner

MATT WHEELER Memorial MINI STOCKS:
JIM GALLOWAY, Doyle Harris Jr, Dave Lowe, Kyle Babcock, Aaron Bartas, Brad Ullman, Curt Pastorious, Casey Burch, Blaine Krott, Eric Canfield, Chris Parr, Dan Cunningham, Travis Skinner, Shawn Kemp, Eric Blauser, Teresa Shelley, Mike Miller, Bud Gustafson, Kurt Babcock, Brian Bidwell, David Kineston.

Wellsville NAPA Pure Stocks
ANDREW SMITH, MIKE Ely, Mark Schweikert, George Conkey, Dale Hamer, Blaine Krott, Zach Hamer