8/11/2017
Delaware International Speedway
DALE HOLLIDGE AVOIDS DISASTER & WINS BATTLE OF THE BAY SUPER LATES
By Charlie Brown, DELMAR, DE – Thursday night with the third and final race at Delaware International Speedway in the tri-track “Battle of the Bay.� Dale Hollidge of Mechanicsburg, Md. became the third different winner in the S.R. Pete & Sons Super Late Models after narrowly avoiding disaster just prior to halfway in the 35-lap main. Mike Franklin of Winchester, Va. captured the 20-lap RUSH Crate Late Model feature while James Hill took the Mod Lite main.
Heats for the Super Late Models were won by Hollidge and Kerry King. King would start on the pole and jump out to the early lead. Ross Robinson got by Hollidge and chased King until lap 12 when he took the lead. Hollidge followed into second.
King faded to fourth as Tyler Horst pulled into third. By halfway the top five. The leader started working traffic and on lap 15 Geoff Carey got crossed up coming off turn four in front of the leader Robinson. Carey clipped the rear of the leader’s car as Hollidge shot to the outside to avoid the pair.
The contact was just enough to turn Robinson head on into the wall. The car narrowly missed Hollidge slamming the war hard with the front then spinning and hitting the wall a second time with the rear and coming to rest under the flag stand.
Robinson climbed from the badly damaged car very upset but uninjured.
Hollidge was the new leader with Horst in second and Donald Lingo, Jr. up to third. Mark Pettyjohn, who started in ninth was up to fourth and King held on to fifth. Dylan Evans slowed with a flat right rear tire to bring out the yellow once again.
King regained fourth on the restart bringing Amanda Whaley into fifth. Hollidge would open up a straightaway lead over Horst and with five to go Whaley got by King for fourth. Hollidge continued to pull away in the Gunter’s Honey Express taking the checkered and the $3000 win.
“I hated to see Robinson go out like that,� said Hollidge. “I had just pulled out to get some clean air on the nose of my car when I saw the yellow car get sideway and start coming down the track. I didn’t see anything else until I came around and saw the Robinson’s car was trashed.�
Horst had a great run finishing in the second spot with Lingo, Jr. third. Fourth went to Whaley and Mark Pettyjohn rounded out the top five.
Lap money was provided by K&B Auto of Delmar. Action in the series moves to Potomac Speedway on Friday night and Winchester Speedway on Saturday night. The round two rain outs will be made up on Saturday August 26th for Winchester Speedway and Sunday September 3rd for Potomac Speedway.
Battle of the Bay Super Late Model Finish: 1. Dale Hollidge; 2. Tyler Horst; 3. Donald Lingo, Jr.; 4. Amanda Whaley; 5. Mark Pettyjohn; 6. Kerry King; 7. Ricky Elliott; 8. Nick Davis; 9. Robbie Emory; 10. Rob Schirmer; 11. Kellie Lewis; 12. Bob Geiger; 13. Dylan Evans; 14. Dale Murphy; 15. Geoff Carey; 16. Ross Robinson; DNS: Jason Dean.
