9/30&10/1/2005

LOCAL RACERS REPRESENT LES WELL IN INEX LEGEND NATIONALS

North East, PA – Saturday, October 1st, 2005: Local talent found its way onto the LES oval one more time Saturday night at the INEX Legend Nationals. Four Lake Erie Speedway racing regulars competed and contended for the National Championships in their respective divisions. Home track advantage might have had something to do with the success, but talent however prevailed!

Chris Bailey, Jr. #17 from South Park, PA finished fifth in the nation running in the Semi-Pro division. Chris won the Lake Erie Speedway Pepsi Legend championship as a rookie. Bill Lyden #22 from Erie, PA also qualified for the Semi-Pro C-Main event. Lyden finished 9th in the C-Main event not qualifying for the A-Main feature.

Larry Occhibone #9 from North East, PA about 4.5 miles from the track took 3rd place in the Masters B-Main event. Occhibone’s 3rd place finish in the B-Main event qualified him to start 23rd in the Masters A-Main national championship race. Larry battled from 23rd position to finish 19th respectively.

Eric Hammill #14x from Erie, PA competed in the Pro C-Main event. Hammill fought hard with the statewide competitors before settling for a 9th place finish. Hammill finished 5th in the Lake Erie Speedway Pepsi Legend class in 2005.

Lake Erie Speedway has one race remaining on the 2005 schedule. The October 29th Halloween Howler featuring Krazy Kompacts, Enduros and Demolition Derby’s!

C-Main Events
Semi-Pro
1. #94 Brian Terrell/ Windsor, NY
2. #48 Tyler Cordell/ Murfreesboro, TN
3. #96 Ryan Jemigan/ Charlotte, NC
4. #00AK Carl Bud Black/ Wasilla, TX
*9. #22 Bill Lyden/ Erie, PA

Masters
1. #H2O Darrell Buckingam/ Calgary, Canada
2. #17 Terry Kirk/ Durham, ME
3. #00 Don Brown/ Adedo, TX
4. #99 Bobby Baltera/ Flemington, NJ

Pro
1. #77 Tim Snyder/ Moorseville, NC
2. #71 Ryan Ellis/ Ashburn, VA
3. #8 Dana Fox/ NA
4. #99J Jason Urso/ Binghamton, NY
*9. #14x Eric Hammill/ Erie, PA

B-Main Events

Semi-Pro
1. #57 Bryan Silas/ Lake Worth, FL
2. #17 Justin Morton/ Mt. Pleasant, NC
3. #2 Michael Bilderback/ South Beloit, IL
4. #17CT Jason Palmer/ Berlin, CT

Masters
1. #20 Clarkson Warden/ Pinckney, MI
2. #37 Randy Thornton/ Oxford, GA
3. #9 Larry Occhibone/ Erie, PA
4. #1SC Tommy Jordan/ Hartsville, SC

Pro
1. #32 Christopher Bakaj/ Farmington, CT
2. #73 James Trenary/ Bunker Hill, WV
3. #22 Chris Eggleston/ Erie, CO
4. #91 Chris McGhee/ NA

A-Main Events – National Championships

Thunder Roadsters
1. #84 Kyle Beattie/ Concord, NC
2. #12 Thomas VanWingerden/ Huntersville, NC
3. #23 Michael VanWingerden/ Davidson, NC
4. #8Ball Craig Haack/ Lewisburg, TN
5. #15 Jim Fluharty/ Concord, NC
6. #60 NA
7. #1 Tom VanWingerden/ Huntersville, NC
8. #2 Randy Miles/ Addison, TX
9. #BOO Buddy Goudy/ Benbrook, TX
10. #42 Justin R. Long/ Haslet, TX

Semi-Pro
1. #19 Jordan Anderson/ Columbia, SC
2. #54 Brandon Thompson/ St. Cloud, FL
3. #115 Kory Abbott/ NA
4. #1 Jake Crum/ Charlotte, NC
5. #17 Chris Bailey, Jr./ South Park, PA
6. #80 Wesley Falk/ Virginia Beach, VA
7. #99 Jordan Paschal/ NA
8. #4 Kyle Fowler/ Smyrna, GA
9. #52 Mark Bakaj/ Lebanon, CT
10. #67 Chris Buesher/ Prosper, TX

Masters
1. #29 Clay Hair/ Mt. Pleasant, NC
2. #88 Kerry Gilbert/ Suffolk, VA
3. #40 Brian Weimer/ Cumming, GA
4. #16 Cotton Spry/ Salisbury, NC
5. #27 Kevin Yeatts/ Powhatan, VA
6. #13 Tim Brockhouse/ NA
7. #21VA Donald McLaughlin/ Chesapeake, VA
8. #1SC Tommy Jordan/ Hartsville, SC
9. #2 Don Barnard/ NA
10. #73 Dwight Pilgrim/ McDonough, GA
*19. #9 Larry Occhibone/ North East, PA

Pro
1. #91 John Gottsacker/ Dallas, TX
2. #40 C.E. Falk/ Virginia Beach, VA
3. #81 Craig Goess, Jr./ Greenville, NC
4. #99 Nick Pistone/ Mooresville, NC
5. #53 Duncan Molesworth/ Robbinsville, NJ
6. #3 Casey Tate/ Locust Grove, GA
7. #52 Scott Merino/ Plano, TX
8. #7-11 Jeremy Kalina/ Griffin, GA
9. #22 Chris Eggleston/ Erie, CO
10. #2 Max Smith/ Roanoke Rapids, NC

165 CARS QUALIFY FOR INEX LEGENDS NATIONALS AT LES

North East, PA - Friday, September 30th, 2005: Colorado driver Terry Plummer made the long pull from the Rocky Mountains pay during the 14th Annual RACEceiver Legends and 5th Annual Thunder Roadster Nationals at Lake Erie Speedway Friday night.

Plummer won the Legends Masters Race of Champions for the INEX state point champions at the three-eighths-mile asphalt oval. Plummer will start 13th in Saturday’s Master main event.

Semi-Pro driver James Buescher, of Plano, Texas, won the Semi-Pro Race of Champions. The 17-year-old will start 10th in the main event.

Georgia driver Beau Slocumb, Griffin, Ga., won the Pro Race of Champions, but will have to start the B-main after trouble in qualifying.

North Carolina’s Kyle Beattie proved too strong in the Thunder Roadster Race of Champions.

One-hundred sixty five cars qualified during today’s action at the track.

Pro driver Craig Goess, Jr., of Greenville, N.C., traveled the 3/8ths-mile asphalt oval in 17.303 seconds at 78.021 miles per hour, recording the quickest time in all RACEceiver Legends division. Scoring a heat race victory assured Goess of the pole for Saturday night’s Pro A-main.

Texas’s John Gottsacker will roll off second in the Pro feature after qualifying second behind Goess.

Other Pro heat race winners were Dean Abbey, of Comanche, Texas; C.E. Falk, of Virginia Beach, Va.; Chris McGhee, of Hillsborough, N.C.; and Jeremy Kalina, of Griffin, Ga.

North Carolina hotshoe Jake Crum swept the Semi-Pro division, scoring the quickest lap with a time of 17.449 seconds and cruising to a heat race victory to ensure the pole for tomorrow’s Semi-Pro A-main. Jordan Anderson, Columbia, S.C., will start second in the feature after winning his heat race.

Semi-Pro heat race winners were J. Buescher; Keaton Feller, Altus, Okla. and Florida’s Brandon Thomson.

Despite qualifying third, North Carolina’s Clay Hair proved why he is the Masters driver to beat, winning his heat race to nab the pole for tomorrow’s A-main. Georgia driver Brian Weimer will start outside the front row. Fast qualifier Donald McLaughlin, Jr., Chesapeake, Va., will start third after turning a lap of 17.535 seconds during qualifying and finishing third in his heat race.

Other Masters heat race winners were Cotton Spry, Salisbury, N.C.; Plummer; Tim Brockhouse, Shorewood, Minn.; and Tom Van Wingerden, Huntersville, N.C.

Despite turning a lap of 16.760 seconds in qualifying, Beattie, LaMoille, Ill., saw his advantage disappear after failing post-qualifying inspection. North Carolina driver Thomas Van Wingerden inherited the top qualifying spot after Beattie’s disqualification. Van Wingerden made the most of it by winning his heat race and earning the top spot for tomorrow’s A-main.

Beattie won the second Thunder Roadster heat, but will start the feature last. Tennessee driver Craig Haack will start second in the feature.

Local drivers #17 Chris Bailey, Jr. took 4th in the first semi-pro heat race, #38 Jake Francis took 4th place in the last semi-pro heat race and 14x Eric Hammill took 8th place in the fifth pro heat race. Hammill also represented PA with a 4th place finish in the Race of Champions main event.

Thunder Roadsters
Heat 1
1. #12 BEN KRENTZ/ LOCKPORT, NY
2. #23 Michael Van Wingerdon/ Davidson, NC
3. #15 Jim Fluharty/ Concord, NC
4. #711 Jim Gresham/ Stockbridge, GA
5. #2 Randy Miles/ Addison, TX

Heat 2
1. #84 Kyle Beattie/ Concord, NC
2. #8 Craig Haack/ Lewsiburg, TN
3. #1 Tom Van Wingerdon/ Huntersville, NC
4. #60 NA
5. #BOO Buddy Goudy/ Benbrook, TX

Semi Pro Division

Heat 1
1. #121 James Buescher/ Plano, TX
2. #47 Patrick Molesworth/ Robbinsville, NJ
3. #57 Bryan Silas/ Lake Worth, FL
4. #17 Chris Bailey, Jr./ South Park, PA
5. #24 John Memmer/ Evansville, IN

Heat 2
1. #111 Keaton Feller/ Altus, OK
2. #115 Kory Abbott/ NA
3. #4 Kyle Fowler/ Smyrna, GA
4. #46 Ernie Schaal/ NA
5. #17CT Jason Palmer/ Berlin, CT

Heat 3
1. #1 Jake Crum/ Charlotte, NC
2. #67 Chris Buescher/ Prosper, TX
3. #117P Brennan Poole/ Woodlands, TX
4. #82 Brandon Temple/ Emporia, VA
5. #91 Byron Stowe/ Dayton, OH

Heat 4
1. #54 Brandon Thompson/ St. Cloud, FL
2. #99 Jordan Paschal/ NA
3. #23 Spensor Mosley/ McDonough, GA
4. #17 Justin Morton/ Mt. Pleasant, NC
5. #2 Michael Bilderback/ South Beloit, IL

Heat 5
1. #19 Jordan Anderson/ Columbia, SC
2. #52 Mark Bakaj/ Lebanon, CT
3. #95 Tyler Sjoman/ NA
4. #38 Jake Francis/ LeRoy, OH
5. #79 Steven Abbey/ Comanche, TX

Pro Division
Heat 1
1. #91 TX John Gottsacker/ Dallas, TX
2. #20 Cameron Patrick/ Richmond, VA
3. #8 Beau Slocumb/ Juliette, GA
4. #64 Greg Turner/ Gate City, VA
5. #5 Danny Jackson/ Loveland, OH

Heat 2
1. #81 Craig Goess, Jr./ Greenville, NC
2. #25 Jason Reisman/ NA
3. #9 George Whitney/ Westbrook, CT
4. #62 Mark Merino/ Plano, TX
5. #12 Thomas VanWingerden/ Huntersville, NC

Heat 3
1. #12 Nick Smith/ Hampton, VA
2. #3 Casey Tate/ Locust Grove, GA
3. #22 Chris Eggleston/ Erie, CO
4. #62 Andrew Smith/ Podler, GA
5. #73 James Trenary/ Bunker Hill, WV

Heat 4
1. #40 C.E. Falk/ Virginia Beach, VA
2. #99 Nick Pistone/ Moorseville, NC
3. #77 Tim Snyder/ Moorseville, NC
4. #28R Levi Rouster/ Brooklyn, MI
5. #6 Curtis Gnatzig/ Hartford, WI

Heat 5
1. #99 Chris McGhee/ Hillsboro, NC
2. #1 Travis Pennington/ Winston, GA
3. #26 Jeremy Cook/ NA
4. #22 Scott Mosely/ Stockbridge, GA
5. #80 Daniel Russell/ Albany, IN
*8. #14x Eric Hammill/ Waterford, PA

Heat 6
1. #7-11 Jeremy Kalina/ Griffin, GA
2. #84 Kyle Berattie/ Concord, NC
3. #52 Scott Merino/ Plano, TX
4. #53 Duncan Molesworth/ Robbinsville, NJ
5. #96 Jesse Bunnell/ Monroe, NC

MastersDivision

Heat 1
1. #16NC Cotton Spry/ Salisbury, NC
2. #40 Brian Weimer/ Cumming, GA
3. #1SC Tommy Jordan/ Hartsville, SC
4. #25 Dale Blankenship/ Poquoson, VA
5. #H2O Darrell Buckningham/ Calgary, Canada

Heat 2
1. #14 Terry Plummer/ Loveland, CO
2. #88 Kerry Gilbert/ Suffolk, VA
3. #21VA Donald McLaughlin/ Chesapeak, VA
4. #66 Billy Gomez/ Fayetteville, NC
5. #9 Larry Occhibone/ North East, PA

Heat 3
1. #13 Tim Brockhouse/ Shorewood, MN
2. #71 Jay Young/ Lexington, NC
3. #09 Mike Beebe/ Old Say Brook, CT
4. #24 Andy Warbutton/ NA
5. #03 Bobby Pence/ NA

Heat 4
1. #1 Tom VanWingerden/ Huntersville, NC
2. #8 Eric Lokemoen/ Merrill, WI
3. #2 Don Barnard/ NA
4. #37 Randy Thornton/ Oxford, GA
5. #27 Kevin Yeatts/ Powhatan, VA

Heat 5
1. #29 Clay Hair/ Mt. Pleasant, NC
2. #399 Robert Weymouth/ Topsham, ME
3. #20 Clarkson Warden/ Pinckney, MI
4. #2 Richard Thomas/ Monroe, MI
5. #32 Todd Johnson/ Cornellius, NC

Race of Champions
Pro Division
1. #8 Beau Slocumb/ Juliette, GA
2. #22 Chris Eggleston/ Erie, CO
3. #5 Danny Jackson/ Loveland, OH
4. #14x Eric Hammill/ Waterford, PA
5. #73 James Trenary/ Bunker Hill, WV

Semi Pro Division
1. #121 James Buesher/ Plano, TX
2. #115 Kory Abbott/ NA
3. #4 Kyle Fowler/ Smyrna, GA
4. #37 Duncan Molesworth/ Robbinsville, NJ
5. #95 Tyler Sjoman/ NA

Masters Division
1. #14 Terry Plummer/ Loveland, CO
2. #40 Brian Weimer/ Cumming, GA
3. #29 Clay Hair/ Mt. Pleasant, NC
4. #13 Tim Brockhouse/ NA
5. #26 John Wachter/ Louisville, KY

*Bold – Local LES Driver

Source: Matt Fletcher/Lake Erie PR
Posted: October 3, 2005