Sharon Speedway
Max Blair gets 25th win of the season
HARTFORD, Ohio (Sept. 14) — Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., continued his stellar year with his 25th overall victory of the season in Saturday’s Crate Late Model portion of Sharon Speedway’s two-day Apple Festival Nationals. Blair earned $2,000 for his third victory of the season on the first-year Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series.
After running around the fourth and fifth positions for much of the race, Blair stole the lead from rival Mike Pegher, Jr of Wexford, Pa., on a late race restart. Blair was the final leader in a race that featured five lead changes amongst four drivers.
Not only was it a valuable point night for Blair in the tour standings, but it was also a strong night in the chase for RUSH’s $5,000 Sweeney Weekly Series Championship. Blair leads Pegher in the weekly standings with just two weeks remaining. which concludes at the end of the month.
"I don't know what to say," Blair said in victory lane. "Mike (Pegher) by far, hands down, had the best race car. The last Tour race here I felt like we had the best car and Ryan Montgomery got by me on a late race restart in turn one so I guess this evens it up for me.
“I didn't think I could get him. Josh (Double) turned down just early enough on the next-to-last restart that I could get by him then was just hoping the yellow would come out. It's fun racing with Mike ... That was a lot of fun."
Will Thomas III of Sharpsville, Pa., also got by Pegher late in the race to finish second. Pegher settled for third but extended his points lead to 22 points over Ryan Montgomery of Fairmont, W.Va., who finished fourth after leading two different times during the first half of the race. Chad Ruhlman of Bemus Point, N.Y., rounded out the top five.
Apple Festival Nationals: (1) Max Blair, (2) Will Thomas III, 3. Mike Pegher, Jr., (4) Ryan Montgomery, (5) Chad Ruhlman, (6) Jeff Ferguson, (7) Matt Latta, (8) Joel Watson, (9) Dennis Lunger, Jr., (10) Matt Glanden, (11) Butch Lambert, (12) Scott Tessman, (13) Rocky Kugel, (14) Bobby Pifer III, (15) Bobby Whitling, (16) Eric Wilson, (17) Clay Ruffo, (18) Jeremy Adamik, (19) Cody Rogers, (20) Cody Dawson, (21) Russell King, (22) Russ Byler, (23) Andrew Wylie, (24) Jamie Wrightsman, (25) Josh Double, (26) Michael Lake, (27) Randy Wyant. Fast qualifier (among 27 cars): Double, 16.665 seconds. Heat race winners: Double, Montgomery, Thomas. Dash winner: Thomas.
