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Rob Blair noses Josh Richards for Challenger UFo win in a thriller!
Indiana, PA (April 27, 2008) – Rob Blair from Centerville was the winner of Unified Force Race Championship Tour event for Super Late Models presented by Comcast on Sunday night at the Challenger Raceway. His thrilling win by inches over Josh Richards in a classic battle over the last seven laps of the “Area 51-lap” championship feature was worth $5,000. In other action as a part of the PA State Short Track Championships, Chad McClellan of Stoystown charged from the last starting position in the 16-car Semi-Late feature race to win the $1,000 first place money. Dave Hess, Jr. from Waterford topped the E-Mod feature event earning $800. The Roadrunner main event went to Merle Bolette of Cherry Tree worth $250. The top 12 redraw for starting positions in the “Area 51-lap” main event produced David Scott and Rob Blair as front row starters, with Scott leading from the start. Scott led through the first yellow on lap 5, as Blair took the lead on that double file restart. With Scott utilizing the extreme outside groove of the Challenger surface, Dave Hess, Jr. moved in to challenge Scott for second using the middle groove. Hess passed Scott on lap 10, with the next caution period coming at lap 11. On another restart a lap later, the battle was on for the lead as Hess passed Blair for the lead on lap 13. After a lap 16 restart, ninth starting Josh Richards joined the lead battle moving to third place. Richards was also using the extreme outside lane, and he moved past Blair for second on lap 18 to set up a war for the lead with Hess. Blair and Scott were waging their own battle for third, with Scott taking the spot on lap 21. Richards finally nosed by Hess on lap 23, as drivers raced high, low, and in between. The race for the lead between Richards and Hess continued to thrill the crowd, as the fifth caution period on lap 31 slowed the torrid pace. With the field stacked again for a double file restart, the race took another turn as green flag racing returned. Blair now reentered the picture, as he took second from Hess on lap 32, and now was all over Richards for the lead. A lap later, it was Blair in command again as Richards and Hess resumed their battle, this time for second. Blair inched away in the lead, but the final caution at lap 44 set up a seven-lap race to the end, setting the stage for an exciting finish. On the double file restart, Richards was still working the extreme outside lane as hard as he could, and he would be the leader at lap 45. Blair worked the low/middle lane, with Richards high, and their side-by-side war for the lead saw the lead change hands at every turn. Separated by inches at the scoring line, it was still Richards ahead as the two to go sign was given. Blair nosed ahead at the white, and Richards again pounded the high side through the final turns. At the checkered flag, it was Blair winning the race to the flag over Richards, ending their classic battle. Hess raced home third, with Scott fourth. Illinois resident Billy Drake, the winner of Challenger’s “The Ultimate” as a part of Fall Fest 13 last October, came home fifth. Filling the top ten were Alex Ferree, Alan Dellinger, Ron Davies, Wayne Chinn, and Steve Francis. Heat winners in the 43-car field were Hess, Richards, Dellinger, and Lynn Geisler. Davey Johnson and Bobby Stokes were B-Main winners. The Semi-Lates ran a clean event with just two caution periods in their 30-lap main event. Daryl Charlier and Andrew Satterlee led the 16 starters to green, with Satterlee showing the way. As he inched away in the lead, an exciting battle for second place developed between Terry Rayko, Charlier, and Chris Angelicchio. Tenth starting Craig Perigo entered the top five at lap 5, as he moved to fourth, with Andy Teno fifth. Perigo moved to third on lap 7, but a half spin dropped him out of contention as green flag racing continued. At lap 11 it was Satterlee with a big lead over Rayko, Angelicchio, and Chad McClellan from the 16th and last starting spot. The first yellow flag of the event came on lap 14, wiping out Satterlee’s big lead. When racing resumed, McClellan moved to second on lap 15, and with a pass of Satterlee off of turn two, would be the leader at lap 16. After the final restart on lap 20, seventh starting Dwayne Taneyhill passed Satterlee for second on lap 23, and tried as hard as he could to reel in McClellan. Actually he tried too hard, as a bobble on lap 27 cost him second place. McClellan, who formerly served his country in Iraq, came home the winner in the impressive drive from last starting spot over Satterlee, Taneyhill, Teno, and Paul Dominick. Taneyhill and Rayko took the heat race wins. The 20-lap E-Mod Sportsman feature event had Dennis Perigo and Daryl Charlier atop the starting grid. A yellow flag flew before a lap could be complete for a spin by Richard Michael, Jr., but this would be the only caution period of the event. Perigo grabbed the lead at the start, ahead of Louie Krushansky, Dave Hess, Jr., and Daryl Charlier. Randy Hall advanced forward quickly from tenth starting spot, moving to fifth on lap 2. A slip by Krushansky allowed third starting Hess to take second on lap 3. They continued to battle for second, and moved in closer to race with Perigo for the lead. Hess made a pass down the backstretch to move to the lead at lap 7, ahead of Perigo, Krushansky, Hall, and 11th starting Russ Dunn. With the green flag laps clicking by, Hess pulled to a comfortable lead as the battle was for second. Hall made a move in race traffic to go from fourth to second on lap 15, but by that time Hess was well out ahead. At the finish it was Hess winning by a wide margin over Hall, Krushansky, Perigo, and Dunn. Heat winners were Charlier and Hess. Mark Seiler and Dan Adams led the 20-lap Roadrunner feature to the green flag with Seiler leading lap 1. Fourth starting Ray Hickok took command on lap 2, and pulled out to a comfortable lead before the first caution period of the race on lap 7 for debris. On the restart, Hickok’s car lost power, knocking him from the event. Chris Hickok inherited the lead at this point, but on lap 10 his car lost power as he coasted to the infield off turn two. Fifth starting Merle Bolette took command at this point and raced home the winner over Bob Pease, Brennan McCracken, Cory Kilgore, and Todd Janas. The next scheduled event at the Challenger Raceway is the Mega-Blitz 2008, scheduled for Sunday, June 1. It will also be a part of the UFO Championship Tour presented by Comcast. The Challenger Raceway is located 6.4 miles southwest of US 422 on PA 286, then one mile north on McIntyre Road. For the most complete source of Challenger Raceway information, please visit the track's web site at www.challengerraceway.com. Additional information on the UFo Race Championship may be obtained at www.uforacechampionship.com. Information may also be obtained by calling 724-726-9808 on race days or 724-726-5494 during weekdays. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Challenger Raceway results for Sunday, April 27, 2008 UFo Super Late Models, car count – 43.
Lead
Changes: 6 Feature – 1, Rob Blair, Centerville; 2, Josh Richards, Shinston, WV; 3, Dave Hess, Jr., Waterford; 4, David Scott, Garland; 5, Billy Drake, Bloomington, IL; 6, Alex Ferree, Saxonburg; 7, Alan Dellinger, Hermitage; 8, Ron Davies, Warren; 9, Wayne Chinn, Bradford, OH; 10, Steve Francis, Ashland, KY; 11, Bob Close, Eldred; 12, Matt Gaston, Rochester Mills; 13, Sam Stile, Charleroi; 14, John Mason, Millersburg, OH; 15, Shawn McGarvey, Coalport; 16, Ron Delano Jr. , Stoystown; 17, Keith Barbara, South Park; 18, Steve Baker, Fairmont, WV; 19, Jacob Hawkins, Fairmont, WV; 20, Lynn Geisler, Cranberry Twp.; 21, Davey Johnson, Latrobe; 22, Michael Altobelli, Jr., Saxton; 23, Mike Knight, Ripley, NY; 24, Bobby Stokes, Milton. Heat winners – Dave Hess, Jr., Josh Richards, Alan Dellinger, Lynn Geisler. B-Main winners – Davey Johnson, Bobby Stokes. Did not qualify - Jared Miley, South Park; Tommy Shaffer, Punxsutawney; Mike Johnson, Imperial; Doug Eck, Corry; John Mollick, Toronto, OH; Herman Bertolini, Creighton; Shane Beegle, Bedford; Matt Lux, Franklin; Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills; Greg Oakes, Franklinville, NY; Clate Copeman, Greensburg; Dutch Davies, Warren; Matt Dobnak, West Mifflin; Chris Farrell, Clearfield; Gary Lyle, Hyde Park; Mel Minnick, Jr., Uniontown; Dave Satterlee, Rochester Mills; Darrin "D.J." Miller, Hookstown; Rodney Sweitzer, Stoystown.
Semi-Lates,
car count – 18. Feature – 1, Chad McClellan, Stoystown; 2, Andrew Satterlee, Rochester Mills; 3, Dwayne Taneyhill, Bellwood; 4, Andy Teno, Portage; 5, Paul Dominick, Hannastown; 6, Craig Perigo, Stoystown; 7, Chris Angelicchio, Greensburg; 8, Tim Snare, Jr., Huntingdon; 9, Bobby Watt, Latrobe; 10, Daryl Charlier, Midway; 11, Gary Stahl, Johnstown; 12, Jeff Compton, Jeanette; 13, Terry Rayko, Atwood; 14, Tyler Dietz, Saxonburg; 15, Burton Fingado, Knox; 16, Jeff Enos, Blairsville. Heat winners – Dwayne Taneyhill, Terry Rayko. Did not start, Matt Gaston, Rochester Mills; Brian Smith, Reynoldsville
E-Mod Sportsman , car count – 14.
Lead
Changes: 1 Feature – 1, Dave Hess, Jr., Waterford; 2, Randy Hall, Olean, NY; 3, Louie Krushansky, Morgantown, WV; 4, Dennis Perigo, Stoystown; 5, Russ Dunn, Fennelton; 6, Richard Michael, Jr., Ischua, NY; 7, Jim Turley, Cranberry Twp.; 8, Josh Cramer, Latrobe; 9, Nick Cramer, Latrobe; 10, Kevin Miller II, Toronto, OH; 11, Bruce Dreistadt, West Mifflin; 12, Daryl Charlier, Midway. Heat winners – Daryl Charlier, Dave Hess, Jr. Did not start, David Scott, Garland; Will Rowe, Chambersburg.
Roadrunners, car count – 14.
Lead
Changes: 3 Feature – 1, Merle Bolette, Cherry Tree; 2, Bob Pease, Blairsville; 3, Brennan McCracken, Cherry Tree; 4, Cory Kilgore, Kittanning; 5, Todd Janas, Coraopolis; 6, Dave Friend, Connellsville; 7, Dan Adams, Nanty Glo; 8, Mark Seiler, Hopwood; 9, Eddie Livingston, Uniontown; 10, Damian Bidwell, Eldred; 11, Chris Hickok, Commodore; 12, Ray Hickok, Jr., Commodore; 13, Tom Pavelko, Cherry Tree; 14, John Watt, New Alexandria.
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