Winchester Speedway
Mark Pettyjohn grabs Three State Flyers victory
Mark Pettyjohn takes the checkers at Winchester. (Travis Trussell)
WINCHESTER, Va. (March 29) — Outside front-row starter Mark Pettyjohn of Milton, Del., came out on top amid a late-race flurry Friday at Winchester Speedway to capture his first victory on the Three State Flyers circuit. Pettyjohn’s victory in the Late Model tour’s opener paid $3,000 at the 3/8-mile track. | Slideshow
Fast qualifier Rick Eckert of York, Pa., piloting the No. 7 Rocket Chassis owned by Paul Crowl, finished second with former series champion Jason Covert of York, Pa., in third. Hometown driver J.T. Spence was fourth and D.J. Myers of Greencastle, Pa., rounded out the top five finishers while Nick Dickson of Lewistown, Pa., advanced 13 positions to finish sixth.
Polesitter Kenny Moreland of Waldorf, Md., was in the mix late the race before getting into the wall after contact with Pettyjohn, drawing a caution that set up a one-lap dash to the checkers for Pettyjohn’s victory.
“I wasn’t sure who that was that got into us in turn one.” Pettyjohn said . “I was trying to protect my line and someone got in there and almost took us out, but we were fortunate enough to hold and get the win here tonight."
Pettyjohn notched his second career victory at Winchester in a 35-lapper slowed by six cautions. His first victory came with an $8,000 payday Oct. 20 in the Raye Vest Memorial.
The second of 23 Three State Flyers events comes Saturday at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway for another $3,000-to-win event with many of the same competitors.
Notes: Pettyjohn drives a Swartz Chassis with sponsorship from Hitchens Bros. Trucking and Crosswinds Motel. ... Runner-up Rick Eckert, giving his self-owned No. 24 Bloomquist Race Car a rest, plans to drive the Paul Crowl-owned Rocket at select events in the Mid-Atlantic in 2013. ... Fourth-place finisher J.T. Spence was fourth in his return to Super Late Model racing at Winchester in a Greg Gunter-owned car; Spence replaced D.J. Myers, who was fifth in his own entry. ... Jamie Lathroum and David Pettyjohn each tagged the wall during time trials and their cars received heavy damage; Pettyjohn was scheduled to start on the pole of the fourth heat but didn't make the call. ... Others drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Kenny Pettyjohn, Roy Deese Jr., Pancho Lawler, Dan Swartzlander, Jimmy Richards, Justin Kann, Jason Miller, Kyle Hardy, C.S. Fitzgerald II, Tyler Castle, Chuck Clise, Don Woodruff and Tommy Armel. ... The Three State Flyers make three more stops at Winchester, the next on April 26.
Three State Flyers @ Winchester: (1) Mark Pettyjohn, (2) Rick Eckert, (3) Jason Covert, (4) J.T. Spence, (5) D.J. Myers, (6) Nick Dickson, (7) Tyler Hershey, (8) Dan Stone, (9) Trever Feathers, (10) David Williams, (11) Scott LeBarron, (12) Jerry Bard, (13) Keith Jackson, (14) Dale Hollidge, (15) Brad Omps, (16) Kenny Moreland, (17) Gregg Satterlee, (18) Gary Stuhler, (19) Andy Haus, (20) Tony Crim, (21) Matt Cosner, (22) Devin Friese, (23) Duane Harbaugh, (24) Brian Tavenner. Fast qualifier (among 39 cars): Rick Eckert. Heat race winners: Mark Pettyjohn, Tyler Hershey, Kenny Moreland, D.J. Myers. Consolation winner: Dale Hollidge.
