Jarrod Hayes Takes Second Career NELMA Late Model Challenge
Victory
By Gene Ostrowski
Despite a spin
during the early going, Jarrod Hayes of Calverton, NY Patiently
waited for the right moment and then moved from third to first
with four laps remaining to take the North East Late Model
Association (NELMA) Late Model Challenge win Sunday at Sundance
Vacations Speedway. Joe Barbush of Drums, PA edged his brother
Brad to the Street Stock Fender Fury event and Jason Palmer of
Berlin, CT took top honors in the Legends Fall Classic.
Late Model drivers
raced the clock during time trials prior to the start of the
100-lap main event and Kevin Metzger peeled off the quickest
lap. A redraw followed and the invert put Jerry Hildebrand on
the pole position for the show.
Hildebrand set the
early pace over Jarrod Hayes, Larry Fisher, Mike Coll and Kevin
Metzger. The first of several yellows waved when Metzger spun in
turns three and four.
A successful restart
was essential for the front-runners. Hildebrand got a good jump
over Hayes. Meanwhile, Coll and L. Fisher rubbed fenders and
doors as the duo battled for third. L. Fisher encountered a
handling issue and headed pit side during the next caution.
Travis Fisher
overtook Hayes for the second spot on a lap 13 restart. Hayes
began to fade and looped his machine in turn four on lap 37.
The competition
yellow flew on lap 50. The short period enabled drivers to
re-fuel for the second 50-lap run. Hildebrand led at the break
over T. Fisher, Coll, Dave Macomber and Mike Sweeney.
Green flag racing
resumed and T. Fisher wasted no time and took the top spot from
Hildebrand. Meanwhile, Zane Zeiner came to life and charged
toward the top five.
It appeared that T.
Fisher might run away with the race win but that was all about
to change following a lap 80 caution that involved a multi-car
tangle in turn one. The drivers involved were Sweeney, Francis
Gross III, Scott Wylie, Metzger and Will Schneider.
Green flag racing
resumed and Zeiner shot by Hildebrand. He hounded T. Fisher for
the race lead and got to the bottom of the leader with four laps
remaining. In typical NELMA fashion, T. Fisher tried to hold his
line and Zeiner in the process. The two finally tangled in three
and four and as Hayes shot underneath and into the race lead,
Hildebrand and Coll got a piece of the melee but continued to
hold their positions.
Uncontested, Hayes
drove off to his second career NELMA Late Model Challenge
Victory over Coll, Hildebrand, Mike Mortimer and Wylie.
Hayes was presented
with the first-ever Coastal 181 cup.
Joe Barbush timed
quickest for the 50-lap Street Stock Fender Fury and started
fourth after the redraw. Richie DiMarco led the field of Street
Stocks to the drop of the green flag and was overtaken by Kevin
Orlando before a lap was complete.
DiMarco held the
second spot in the early going, followed by J. Barbush, Chip
Wanamaker and Brad Barbush.
Orlando began to
experience a flat tire and lost the race lead to DiMarco on lap
23. J. Barbush moved to second with brother Brad in tow.
DiMarco appeared to
have the race win sealed but that all changed for the worse on
lap 33.
While trying to lap
Cory Swartz in turn four, DiMarco was forced to the high side of
the track and got caught up in the “loose stuff”. He spun, which
gave the lead to J. Barbush.
Uncontested over the
remaining laps, J. Barbush grabbed the special win over his
brother, Brad. Robert Fink finished a solid third over Orlando
and DiMarco put on a late race charge to finish in fifth.
Following heat races
that were won by Scott Hubler, Jason Palmer and Johnnie Gloor
IV, the Legend cars took to the speedway for the 35-lap WPW
Equipment Rental Fall Legends Classic.
Prior to the start f
the event, the top ten starters were inverted, which put Brandon
Michael on the pole.
Justin Grimm
overtook Michael before a lap was scored and then Karl Heisler
took the lead a lap later.
Heisler fell off the
pace for a moment on the third circuit and Gloor took command
with Mike Alcaro in second.
Alcaro attempted to
drive underneath the leader in turn one on lap six, but made
contact and spun Gloor. The incident also collected Kevin Nowak
and Jason Sendlewski. The change of events gave the race lead to
Mark Tischler.
Tischler held the
lead until Cameron Patrick on lap 14 overtook him. With 10 laps
remaining, Palmer made the race-winning pass on the leader.
Palmer went on to
take the checkers in the exciting event over Patrick, Hubler,
Roger Coss and Alcaro.
Sundance Vacations
Speedway is just minutes from Hazleton, Pa, located on St.
John’s Road, between Routes 93 and 309. Grandstand admission for
regular events is just $10. As always, children ages 10 and
younger are admitted for free.
Late Model
(100-Laps) 1. JARROD HAYES 2. Mike Coll 3. Jerry Hildebrand 4.
Michael Mortimer 5. Scott Wylie 6. Travis Fisher 7. Dave
Macomber 8. Zane Zeiner 9. Kevin Metzger 10. William Schneider
11. Doug Renalds 12. RJ Oxee 13. Justin Onderko 14. Mike Sweeney
15. Francis Gross III 16. Larry Fisher 17.Tommy Spencer Jr 18.
Johnny Electric 19. Geno Steigerwalt 20. Lorin Arthofer 21. Doug
Krpata
Street Stock
(50-Laps) 1. JOE BARBUSH 2. Brad Barbush 3. Robert Fink 4. Kevin
Orlando 5. Rich DiMarco 6. Steve Clark 7. Jay Henschel 8. Brian
Doyle 9. Chris McGuire 10. Frank Reakes 11. Alan Schlenker 12.
Paul Frantz 13. Darryl Schwartz 14. Jeremy McDermott 15. Brian
Brown 16. Chip Wanamaker 17.Barry Callavini 18. Chris Turbush
19. Cory Swartz 20. Tony Hilliard 21. Kory Comiskey 22.Todd
Ahner 23. Steven Booker
Legends (35-Laps) 1.
JASON PALMER 2. Cameron Patrick 3. Scott Hubler 4. Roger Coss 5.
Mike Alcaro 6. Johnnie Gloor IV 7. Mark Tischler 8. Justin Grimm
9. Brandon Michael 10. Van Michael 11. Chris Young 12. AJ Wright
13. Greg Rittenhouse 14. Karl Heisler 15. Mike Carroll 16. Chris
Turbush 17.Raven Schrantz 18. Jason Sendlewski 19. Max Zachem
20. Kevin Nowak 21. Drew Weisser
Courtesy of Sundance Vacations Speedway
