Hagerstown Speedway
Jeremy Miller repeats in Hub City at Hagerstown
From track reports
Jeremy Miller (inside) faced Gary Stuhler in a team car. (Barry Lenhart)
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (Sept. 17) — After setting quick time Saturday night in qualifying for the 33rd Annual Sunoco Race Fuels Hub City National 150 at Hagerstown Speedway, Jeremy Miller stood in victory Sunday evening, winner of the prestigious late season event for the second consecutive and third overall time. Miller finished third in the first 50-lap feature and started fifth in the 50-lapper finale. He took the lead from Ronnie DeHaven Jr. on the 21st lap and later won $7,500 with a 4.66-second margin of victory over Bo Feathers. | Slideshow
“It was pretty surprising to me,” Miller said. “We weren’t bad in the first (50-lapper), but we weren’t as good as we needed to be. We really didn’t change a lot, just tires and it all worked out. I think the track came to us. Gary(Stuhler) was out there. It seemed like Ronnie was catching him and seemed pretty strong but the longer we ran, I felt like we got a little bit better.”
Charles Buckler, the owner of Miller’s Late Model, had made a declaration on qualifying night: “We didn’t come here to run second; we came here to win.”
With the weekend pushed back 24 hours because of Friday rain, Miller, of Littlestown, Pa., turned the quickest lap of 18.626 seconds around the half mile picking up the fast time trophy from Ernie’s Auto Enterprises and $250 from 21st Century Fireplace Services.
Feathers, of Winchester, Va., won the first 50-lap feature, his overall 14th victory of the season after snatching the lead from Miller on the second lap and edging DeHaven by a length at the end. Three-time event winner Gary Stuhler of Greencastle, Pa., capped the second victory in Miller’s backup car (motor problems on Saturday night prevented him from using his regular No. 90). Stuhler led all the way and beat Sagi by .44 seconds.
“I kind of get in the corners a little too hard and my guys always get on me, but it paid off in three and four so that makes it pretty nice,” Feathers said. “When you race Jeremy and J.T. (Spence). ... Little Ronnie (DeHaven) snuck up there at the end. I was just trying to see who was there. All I saw was a yellow car.”
“I have to thank Charles and Jenny (Buckler),” Stuhler said. “I got a good break on the time trial. Charles said to drive it like I owned it. I was getting loose there at the end and I knew someone was on me. I couldn’t get going any better. I tried to use the lapped cars to trap who ever was there.”
In the finale, Stuhler beat Feathers into the first turn as DeHaven and Miller followed. DeHaven took second on lap three and, following a lap-seven yellow, began putting the pressure on Stuhler until his efforts worked and he went ahead on lap 13.
Miller got by Stuhler on lap 16 and following a lap-20 restart, he disposed of DeHaven by charging around the top. Sagi was on the move and took third from Stuhler on the 20th.
Stuhler slowed and drove to the pits when the breather came off on lap 24 while another top-five car, Nathan Durboraw coasted to a stop the next circuit.
With the final 25 laps all green flag, Miller began stretching his lead as he entered rear traffic on lap 38 and was four seconds ahead of DeHaven and Feathers. Working through traffic, he never missed a beat and continued to hold a confortable advantage until getting to the checkered with 4.66 seconds and six lapped cars between he and Feathers. Sagi was next with DeHaven and Dan Stone completing the top five.
Hub City 150 (first semifeature): (1) Bo Feathers, (2) Ronnie DeHaven Jr., (3) Jeremy Miller, (4) J.T. Spence, (5) Brian Booze, (6) Barry Miller, (7) Jim Bernheisel, (8) Darryl Hills, (9) Scott LeBarron, (10) Eric Hons, (11) Chad McClellan, (12) Jim Yoder, (13) Jason Covert, (14) Dale Smith Jr., (15) Steve Axtell Jr) , (16) Tyler Hershey, (17) Steve Gibney, (18) Bryan Bernheisel, (19) Terry Lescalleet, (20) Ryan Hackett, (21) Waylon Wagner, (22) Lindsay Barton, (23) D) J) Myers, (24) Tim Wilson.
Hub City 150 (second semifeature): (1) Gary Stuhler, (2) Alan Sagi, (3) Dan Stone, (4) David Williams, (5) Booper Bare, (6) Nathan Durboraw, (7) Travis Dillman, (8) Marvin Winters, (9) Greg Fetters, (10) Jamie Lathroum, (11) Al Shawver Jr., (12) Tommy Armel, (13) Brent Smith, (14) Larry Baer, (15) Rusty Sites, (16) Bill Palmer, (17) Mike Lupfer, (18) Dave Shutski, (19) Mike Steck, (20) Bobby Dryden, (21) Mike Atherton, (22) Roy Deese Jr., (23) Chuck Schutz.
Hub City 150 (main event): (1) Jeremy Miller, (2) Bo Feathers, (3) Alan Sagi, (4) Ronnie DeHaven, (5) Dan Stone, (6) Jim Bernheisel, (7) J.T. Spence, (8) Booper Bare, (9) Darryl Hills, (10) Travis Dillman, (11) Brian Booze, (12) Jim Yoder, (13) Chad McClellan, (14) Jamie Lathroum, (15) Scott LeBarron, (16) Bill Palmer, (17) Barry Miller, (18) Eric Hons, (19) Al Shawver Jr., (20) Nathan Durboraw, (21) Gary Stuhler, (22) Tommy Armel, (23) Marvin Winters, (24) David Williams.
