Hagerstown Speedway
Miller captures McBee-Hays Championship, $3,000
Jeremy Miller waves to the Hagerstown crowd. (wrtspeedwerx.com)
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (Aug. 30) — Polesitter Jeremy Miller of Gettysburg, Pa., won a mid-race duel with fast qualifier J.T. Spence of Winchester, Va., to win Friday at Hagerstown Speedway in the first of three holiday weekend Three State Flyers events. | Slideshow
Miller timed third, finished second in his heat and topped off the night at the half-mile oval with a victory in the 28th annual McBee-Hays Memorial for a $3,000 victory. It marked Miller’s 29th career Hagerstown victory as he lowered the track record for the non-stop 44 laps in just under 16 minutes.
“The races are so tough today that the starting spot helped a lot but we’ve also came from the back down here,” Miller said. “We weren’t perfect but we did get a little luck from that little boy (who drew his starting spot) tonight. Probably this is all due to him, so we have to thank him for that. I wanted to win one for my mother, she’s always watching over us. My wife Julie and daughter Morgan couldn’t be here tonight but I know they’ll be happy.”
Eighth-starting David Williams of Charlotte Hall, Md., finished second with series points leader Mark Pettyjohn of Milton, Del., in third. Spence and Marvin Winters of Mercersburg, Pa., rounded out the top five finisher. Mark’s brother Kenny Pettyjohn was seventh in sewing up Hagerstown’s Late Model division crown.
Miller got the early jump on Spence with Winters and Jason Covert in tow. Spence was nearly two seconds behind by the sixth lap with seventh-starting Joey Leavell moving into fourth the next circuit. Williams was up three positions when Miller was approaching the rear of the field by lap 12.
Spence was on Miller’s bumper by the 13th lap while behind him, Williams got past Winters and joined the lead duo by the 17th lap.
Spence found a way around Miller to lead lap 18, but Miller battled back to regain the spot the next lap while still trying to get past the cars of 2011 event winner Rusty Sites and Hagerstown’s newly crowned Late Model Sportsman champion Justin Weaver. Williams grabbed third from Spence on the 22nd lap with Miller maintaining control and passing Weaver on the 26th while Williams tagged along and challenged Miller.
Miller later cleared Sites on the 38th lap with Williams following while the 13th-starting Mark Pettyjohn, who earlier passed his brother, Kenny, headed past both Covert and Winters into fourth. Miller sped to the victory by .673 second over Williams with Mark Pettyjohn taking third from Spence on the final lap.
“When we started off, we had our car about perfect, but then we didn’t tighten up enough and we really couldn’t maneuver,” Miller said. “I think this is the toughest competition in this area that I’ve ever raced against. It’s just very, very tough. Everybody has the same stuff and a lot of time, luck of the draw helps and little tweaks here and there.”
Miller previously won the McBee-Hays Memorial in 2004. The race honors Ronnie McBee, the former driver of the Ronnie “Speedy” Hays Late Model and his long-time car owner Hays, who died after battling medical problems for a number of years.
“When I was a kid, I remember watching Ronnie McBee race and it was pretty awesome. I remember it but don’t remember everything. They rank him up there as one of the best. It’s a pretty cool accomplishment.”
Notes: Jeremy Miller’s Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Morgan Company, Miller Fabrication, Allstar Performance and Hoosier Racing Tire. ... The victory was Miller’s second of the season on the circuit; he won May 26 in Hesston, Pa. ... Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa., earned the Round Hill Auto Hard Charger honors with his 25th-to-11th run. ... Drivers failing to transfer to the main event: Devin Friese, Brad Ritter, Mike Lupfer, Brad Omps, Al Shawver Jr., Kerry King Jr, Brian Tavenner, Barry Miller, Rick Hulson, Chaz Walls, Steve Gibney, Tyler Castle, Kerry King, Mike Altobelli Jr., Steve Axtell Jr. and Jimmy Richards. ... Three State Flyers action continues Labor Day weekend with the $3,333-to-win Butch Renninger Memorial on Saturday at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway and a $5,055-to-win event Sunday at Bedford (Pa.) Speedway. ... Bedford’s race is a day earlier than initially scheduled after an event at Hesston (Pa.) Speedway was scrapped.
McBee/Hays Championship: (1) Jeremy Miller, (2) David Williams, (3) Mark Pettyjohn, (4) J.T. Spence, (5) Marvin Winters, (6) Jason Covert, (7) Kenny Pettyjohn, (8) Gregg Satterlee, (9) Joey Leavell, (10) Jerry Bard, (11) Dan Stone, (12) Tim Wilson, (13) Chad Hollenbeck, (14) Jamie Lathroum, (15) Bo Feathers, (16) Frankie Plessinger, (17) Tyler Hershey, (18) Jason Miller, (19) Roy Deese Jr), (20) D.J. Myers, (21) Gary Stuhler, (22) Trever Feathers, (23) Lindsay Barton, (24) Justin Weaver, (25) Rusty Sites. Fast qualifier (among 42 cars): Spence, 19.250 seconds. Heat race winners: Spence, K. Pettyjohn, Satterlee, Leavell, Bard. Consolation winners: T. Feathers, Hershey.
