7/9/2005

VERN BLISS LEADS THE LIST OF WINNERS DURING BUSCH NORTH WEEKEND AT LES

While the stars of the NASCAR Busch North Series shined on Saturday during the Local Dodge Dealers 150, there was also a full weekend of racing from Lake Erie Speedway’s regular weekly divisions.

On Friday night, a crowd of over 4,800 took in the second $1.00 admission night of the season on the eve of the Busch North event.  In the Plyler Overhead Door Late Models, Vern Bliss would get his second win of the year after fending off a late race surge by Glenn Gault Jr.

Scott Nurmi and John Julicher would start on the pole for the 40-lap main, with Julicher taking the early lead.  He would give up the lead to Bliss on lap four after Bliss drove by him on the outside.  Bliss drove away from the field at that point, but he knew that late in the race the top dogs would be chasing him down.

The top three drivers in the point standings, Jay Sommers, Glenn Gault Jr., and Todd Hoddick, started midway through the field, and with no yellow flags early on, they were forced make up a lot of ground to catch the leader.  Todd Hoddick led the way for the trio as passed Dave Wollaber to move into second on lap 12.  Gault was right behind him, while Sommers would eventually join them at the front of the field. 

Gault, however, could not wait for Hoddick to catch the leader so he took it upon himself to do so.  After some dicey racing for position, Gault would move into second on lap 29.  He then had to run down Bliss, who had nearly a straightaway-sized lead over Gault. 

By race’s end Gault was knocking on the door to take the lead, but Bliss would not let him in.  Bliss stuck to the outside of the track in the corners while Gault tried to get the advantage down low.  In the end, Bliss’s strategy paid off and he picked up his second win of the season.  It marked the fourth time in 2005 that Vern Bliss and Glenn Gault Jr. finished in the top two spots together with each driver winning twice when it has happened.

Hoddick held off Sommers for third place allowing both Hoddick and Gault to slightly gain some ground in the standings.  Dave Wollaber picked up his second top five finish in a row.  For the first time this season all 40 laps of the Late Model feature were run without a caution.

John Memmer of Evansville, IN won the 25-lap Pepsi Legends feature.  Memmer surpassed Rodney Harrower for the top spot with just five laps to go and held on for his first LES career victory.  Chris Bailey Jr. would also get by Harrower late in the race to finish second and maintain the points lead.  Harrower, Tom Hall, and Eric Hammill completed the top five.

The wins keep on coming for Dave Krawczyk in the Advance Auto Parts Street Stocks.  Krawczyk faced a stiff battle from Terry Akerly, Dave Wilson, and Ken Moore for the top spot, but he took control of the race on lap 13 and never looked back.

On Saturday night, the Dodge Trucks and Cup Lite Racing Series were on hand as support divisions to the Busch North Series.  In the special 30-lap Dodge Trucks feature, Alan Fisher and Tim Card once again slugged it out for several laps, racing side-by-side, before Fisher prevailed for the fifth time this year.  Card tagged the backstretch wall late in the race and limped across the finish line with a flat tire in fifth.  Chris Brockway finished second ahead of Dale Peterman and John Coughlin.

Dennis Tybor of Darien Center, NY won the 40-lap Cup Lite feature.  Tybor passed series points leader, Dave Whittaker, for the lead with just 11 laps to go to secure the third win of the year for his team.  Whittaker hung on for second.  Shane Riffel picked up the third spot while Scott Wylie and Dave Rigan rounded out the top five.

The NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series racing continues at Lake Erie Speedway next week, July 15, with another full card of racing.  Racing starts at 7:30 PM

RESULTS:

FRIDAY NIGHT 7/8

PLYLER OVERHEAD DOOR LATE MODELS

Heat Winners – Glenn Gault Jr., Vern Bliss, Scott Bayle

Feature – VERN BLISS, Glenn Gault Jr., Todd Hoddick, Jay Sommers, Dave Wollaber, Gary Eicher, Ron Burkholder, Scott Bayle, Mike Hennessey, Jeremy Holbrook, Mike Reed, Steve Watson, Tim Williams, Greg Hoover, Scott Nurmi, Nick Crassi, John Julicher, and Vince Sands.

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS STREET STOCKS

Heat Winners – Dave Wislon Jr., Ken Moore

Feature – DAVE KRAWCZYK, Terry Akerly, Dave Wilson Jr., Ken Moore, Kyle Sharpe, Paul Thrasher, Russ Conti, Charles Houser, Dennis Kszos, John Shurmatz, Dan Cragle, Dean Craig, and Eric Hadley.

PEPSI LEGENDS

Heat Winners – Rodney Harrower, Chris Bailey Jr., John Memmer

Feature – JOHN MEMMER, Chris Bailey Jr., Rodney Harrower, Tom Hall, Eric Hammill, Rick Riffle, Jake Francis, Larry Occhibone, Steve Sunday, Justin Hines, Dan Weaver, Ken Jackson, Jeff Johnson, Tim Hoegel, Bob McQuiston, Ed Hoegel, Jim Alexander, Bill Lyden, Brian Downes, and Joe Hoegel.

SATURDAY NIGHT 7/9

CUP LITES RACING SERIES

Heat Winners – Shane Riffel, Kevin Blakely

Feature – DENNIS TYBOR, Dave Whittaker, Shane Riffel, Scott Wylie, Dave Rigan, Dan Tybor, Kreig Heroth, Dave Bittner, Nelson Rung, Ken Heckler, Glenn Attanasio, Rob McCall, Jason Eiseman, Glenn Absalom, Taylor Holdaway, Bill Burd, Kevin Blakely, and Kris Martin.

DOGE TRUCKS

Heat Winners – Tim Card, John Coughlin

Feature – ALAN FISHER, Chris Brockway, Dale Peterman, John Coughlin, Tim Card, Bill Ellison, Dana Nova, Shawn Wood, Bryanne Downes, Jay Greene, and John Malone.

Source: Dave Buchanan/Lake Erie PR
Posted: July 12, 2005