McKean County Raceway
Blair rebounds for RUSH victory at McKean County
Max Blair reached victory lane for the 10th time this season at McKean County. (pbase.com/cyberslash)
EAST SMETHPORT, Pa. (Sept. 22) — After falling out of contention in Friday’s Fall Classic opener at McKean County Raceway, Max Blair rebounded in the weekend finale Sunday evening to outduel rival and series point leader Mike Pegher Jr. of Wexford, Pa., for a $1,500 victory on the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Dirt Late Model Series.
Blair, who won eight of the nine weekly racing events to claim McKean’s Crate Late Model track title, won his second RUSH Series event of the season at McKean and his fourth series victory overall.
"It's been a real good weekend, but I think Friday night should have been better and we could have had that one. It didn't work out for us, but that's OK — we made up for it today," said the 23-year-old Blair, who overtook Pegher with nine laps remaining in Sunday’s 25-lap race. "You can't win if you follow so you have to move around and try to make something happen. We made it happen last week at Sharon and did it again today so that's awesome.”
Both Ryan Montgomery of Fairmont, W.Va., and Damian Bidwell of Elred, Pa., also got by Pehger in the closing laps to finish second and third respectively, while Pegher held on to the fourth position ahead of Ed Carley of Freedom, N.Y., in fifth. Friday night winner Chad McClellan of Stoysown, Pa., did not qualify for Sunday’s feature lineup.
The event wrapped up the weekend for McKean County’s season-ending Fall Classic doubleheader after Saturday’s events were pushed to Sunday because of rain. The weekend also featured action for Super Late Models of the NDRL’s ULMS Series with Boom Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., sweeping Friday’s $3,000-to-win event and Sunday’s $5,000 finale.
RUSH Tour competitors next head to Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, Pa., Sept. 27-28 for race No. 20 of 24 on the series. The Bill Hendren Memorial pays $2,000 to the winner.
RUSH @ McKean County: (1) Max Blair, (2) Ryan Montgomery, (3) Damian Bidwell, (4) Mike Pegher, Jr., (5) Ed Carley, (6) Bryce Davis, (7) John Waters, (8) Chad Ruhlman, (9) Zack Carley, (10) Dan Davies, (11) Ward Schell, (12) Butch Lambert, (13) Dusty Waters, (14) Ralph Morgan Jr., (15) Justin Smith, (16) Doug Ricotta, (17) Bruno Mowery, (18) Cody Mason, (19) Brad Mesler, (20) Adam Sixt, (21) Jason Knowles, (22) Joe Buccola Jr., (23) Shane Weaver, (25) Jason Genco. Fast qualifier (among 37 cars): Blair, 15.807 seconds. Heat race winners: Blair, Ruhlman, Pehger, Carley. Dash winner: Ruhlman. Consolation winners: Genco, Knowles.
