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DEHAVEN JR. USES TRAFFIC TO HIS ADVANTAGE AND SCORES FIRST TIME IN ERNIE’S NON STOP EVENT

After battling for second and third, Ronnie DeHaven Jr. surveyed the situation as he closed on Ashley Barrett who got mired in traffic. DeHaven burst ahead with five laps to go in the 31st Annual Ernie D’s Shorty Bowers Bull Durham Championship at Hagerstown Speedway Saturday night. DeHaven of Winchester, Va. pulled away in his brand new Mastersbilt to score the triumph by 2.304 seconds over previous week’s winner Barrett in the non-stop late model event spun off in eight minutes 48 seconds. It was his first win since June 2008.

In the Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic late model sportsman event, it the #99W of Chaz Walls, Taneytown, Md. pitted against the #99 of Mike Walls (no relation), both going for their career first win and the pair running side by side for most of the race until Chaz held on by a length at the finish.

Tony Catlett of Hedgesville, WV scored his season second victory in the Ernie D’s pure stock feature after edging four time winner Steve Lowery by three feet.

Following the qualifying heats, the top 12 late model drivers drew for starting position in the Ernie’s event as Roy Deese Jr. and Barrett occupied the front row with DeHaven and Jamie Lathroum sitting in row two. Lathroum never turned a lap as his car came to a stop on the initial parade lap.

Barrett propelled around the top to pull ahead of Deese, Rusty Sites and DeHaven as Deese was sent to fourth by the second lap to battle with Kyle Lear.

Barrett enjoyed a more than two second advantage over Sites when he caught the rear of the field and tried to maneuver past two cars while Sites and DeHaven quickly advanced. DeHaven took the runner up spot on lap 16 and caught Barrett behind another rear car four laps later to seize the opportunity and speed into the lead.

Once ahead, he slowly advanced until taking the checkered by 2.304 seconds over Barrett and Sites.

“I could go about anywhere, it was a good race car,” said DeHaven Jr. “That Ashley Barrett drove the wheels off that car. That was the advantage of me watching what was going on and riding in second and third racing Rusty. I saw what the lapped cars were doing. I think it was my night. I had a good starting spot but luck plays a lot in it.”

Deese and Lear completed the top five. Jason Covert came from 19th to occupy sixth at the finish, with Marvin Winters (12th), Jim Bernheisel, Bo Feathers and Tyler Hershey completing the top ten.

Barrett picked up an additional $500 in lap money with DeHaven collecting $125. Heats went to Jeremy Miller, J.T. Spence and Feathers with Covert taking the consy.

Ronnie Dennis and Justin Weaver got together on the initial start of the late model sportsman feature with Weaver getting a left front flat. Dennis then led the first two laps with fourth starting Chaz Walls taking over on lap three as Mike Walls joined them.

By the fifth lap, it was Walls and Walls side by side with Dennis looking on. Mike Walls led lap eight but Chaz powered around the top to regain the point with Mike again getting the advantage on laps 11 and 12. Neither driver was giving up as Chaz again powered ahead as a lap 14 yellow put the procession in single file. A slight bobble with two to go allowed Mike to close to a length but settle for the runner up spot.

“It was a little tight and we had to put the three wheel brake on to get it done,” C.Walls said. “ I wasn’t holding back. I just kept it down.”

Dennis held to third over Cody Lear and Scott Palmer. Ronnie Dennis, Paul Cursey and Scott Palmer were heat winners.

Catlett began from the outside pole and beat pole sitter Keith Koontz off the second turn as Lowery began to challenge Koontz on lap three until getting past three laps later. Catlett was two seconds out front with a single caution waved when Koontz spun. Lowery pulled ahead following the restart but Catlett came on strong and dove into the turns to pull to the front again with the white flag waving. Lowery kept the pressure on but ended three feet short at the line.

“That was a hard race,” Catlett said. “It was good to race Steve. When we started, he was starting. I thought he had us and started getting away, but that old Ford likes it up top. It was fast.”

Rick Stouffer came from tenth to finish third and get the Turner Bowling Centers Hard charger award with Eddie McClellan and Dave Stouffer Jr. completing the top five.

Heat winners were Bill Ecton Jr. and Catlett.

Racing resumes Saturday, August 27th with the Small Car Nationals Qualifier for Late Model Sportsman and Pure Stocks plus the Hobby Stock Cruiser postponed from August 6. The 25th Annual Tommy Thompson Demo Derby will also conclude the program.

Hagerstown Speedway Results

31st Annual Ernie D’s Shorty Bowers/Bull Durham Championship Late Models, 25 laps, 29 entries, (Lap Leaders – Ashley Barrett 1-20, Ronnie DeHaven Jr. 21-25): 1.Ronnie DeHaven Jr., 2.Ashley Barrett, 3.Rusty Sites, 4.Roy Deese Jr., 5.Kyle Lear, 6.Jason Covert, 7.Marvin Winters, 8.Jim Bernheisel, 9.Bo Feathers, 10.Tyler Hershey, 11.Jeremy Miller, 12.Darryl Hills, 13.Frankie Plessinger, 14.J.T.Spence, 15.Brent Smith, 16.Jerry Bard, 17.Bryan Bernheisel, 18.Al Shawver Jr. 19.Tim Murphy, 20.Brian Booze, 21.Duane Harbaugh, 22.Jack Pencil, 23.Alan Sagi, DNS – Jamie Lathroum, DNQ – Matt Murphy, Lindsay Barton, Rick Hulson, Charlie Hageage, DNS – Gary Stuhler

Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Late Model Sportsman, 20 Laps, 22 entries (Lap Leaders – Ronnie Dennis 1-2, Chaz Walls, 3-7, 9-10, 13-20, Mike Walls 8, 11-12): 1.Chaz Walls, 2.Mike Walls, 3.Ronnie Dennis, 4.Cody Lear, 5.Scott Palmer, 6.Wayne Walls Jr., 7.Andy Fries (St. Thomas Towing/Checkered Flag Lube Hard Charger) 8.Pete Weaver, 9.Paul Cursey, 10.Bruce Kane, 11.Trevor Feathers, 12.Donnie Farlling 13.Chad Myers, 14.Glenn Elliott, 15.JustinWeaver, 16.Sean Dawson, 17.Terry Flaherty, 18.Tyler Horst, 19.Courney Shreiner, 20.Tyler Emory, 21.Robby Beall, 22.Travis Beaver

Ernie D’s Pure Stocks, - 15 laps, 18 entries, (Lap Leaders – Tony Catlett 1-8, 14-15, Steve Lowery 9-13): 1.Tony Catlett 2.Steve Lowery, 3.Rick Stouffer (Turner Bowling Centers Hard Charger) 4.Eddie McClellan, 5.Dave Stouffer Jr., 6.Kenny Dillon, 7.Kevin Koontz, 8.Bill Ecton Jr, 9.Wayne Hawbaker, 10.Drew Fitzsimmons, 11.Bill Ecton Sr., 12.Keith Koontz, 13.Mike Kratovil, 14.Brian Swigert, 15.Charlie Pensinger, 16.Charlie Shearer, 17.Kenny Day, DNS - Brian Cornett

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