Pittsburgh's Pa. Motor Speedway
Angelicchio fends off Pegher's charge at PPMS
IMPERIAL, Pa. (July 2) — Dan Angelicchio of Greensburg, Pa., held off a last-lap charge from 20th-starting Mike Pegher Jr. of Wexford, Pa., on Saturday at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway for a victory on Fastrak Northeast's Bully Dog Cross the Borders Speedweek.
Angelicchio's 25-lap victory paid $1,200 as he became the fourth different winner in the holiday weekend action. It was his second victory of the season and he pulled within one point of Max Blair in the Speedweek points heading into Sunday's finale at Eriez Speedway.
"The car was great," said the 22-year-old Angelicchio, who took the lead from Blair on the fifth lap. "The crew has just been unbelievable getting this car ready. I didn't need the caution. The tire was starting to go away and I saw (Pegher) coming and I got nervous. I didn't think he'd get that close, but he gave me a lane and I used every bit of it."
Pegher, who rebounded form losing a wheel while leading his heat race, edged ahead briefly on the last lap before Angelicchio swept back around on the backstretch.
He settled for second with 14-year-old Lauren Longbrake of Columbus, Ohio, scoring her best series finish in third. Shane Hitt and Blair rounded out the top five. Steve Dixon, who inherited a front-row spot when Scott Shempp was late to the starting grid, led only the first lap and finished seventh.
Longbrake, who won the night's Futures Cup feature for young drivers, improved on her brest previoius series finish of 13th.
Bully Dog Speedweek: (1) Dan Angelicchio, (2) Mike Pegher Jr., (3) Lauren Longbrake, (4) Shane Hitt, (5) Max Blair, (6) Michael Reft, (7) Steve Dixon, (8) Colton Flinner, (9) Josh Double, (10) Chris Steele, (11) Scott Schempp, (12) Mark Moats Jr., (13) Butch Lambert, (14) John Volpe, (15) Chad Wright, (16) Shane Weaver, (17) Josh Holtgraver, (18) Nico Dabecco, (19) Kyle Zimmerman, (20) Damian Bidwell, (21) Eric Wilson, (22) Ricky Meglaye, (23) Ryan Montgomery, (24) Robbie Marhefka. Heat race winners (among 33 cars): Steele, Hitt, Blair, Meglaye. Consolation winner: Pegher. Non-qualifers' race winner: Justin Lamb.
