Humberstone Speedway
Max Blair scores repeat at Humberstone
By Mike Leone
Fastrak NortheastPORT COLBORNE, Ontario (May 20) — Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., charged from the ninth starting spot at Humberstone Speedway to repeat last year’s Fastrak Northeast Series victory at the Canadian National Championship.
Blair outdueled nemesis Mike Pegher, Jr. of Waterford, Pa., and then held off a last-lap challenge from Chad Ruhlman of Bemus Point, N.Y., for the $2,000 victory.
"I love this place. I wish it was a little closer to home,” said the 22-year-old Blair, who has three series victories in five starts. "The track mirrored last year. It was a great race last year and again this year. This is one of the nicest tracks we go to so I hope we can come back soon.
Ruhlman led the first 11 laps before Pegher took over, but Blair moved in to challenge after the halfway point and took the lead on lap 22, leading the final nine circuits.
"I felt I was a little bit better than (Pegher), but we were going through some pretty heavy lapped traffic and
you never want to take a chance when you're doing that,” Blair said. "He slipped up just a hair coming off (turn) two and it opened the door. I've never had a car that I could go anywhere I wanted to. It felt great.”
Driving a Terry Suppa-owned car, Ruhlman made a fourth-to-second charge on the last-lap restart for the runner-up spot. Darren Peters of Stevensville, Ontario, crossed the line third after starting 13th, but his best-ever series finish was erased when he was disqualified for using a modified oil pump.
Nolan Dalton of Morgantown, W.Va., was third followed by 17th-starting Butch Lambert of Mars, Pa. Pegher was shuffled back on the final restart and finished fifth.
Three cautions slowed the action, two for spins by Robbie Blair (the winner’s father was driving Joe Martin’s car) and one for Brad Kling’s spin that set up the last-lap restart.
Notes: Winner Max Blair’s Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Specialty Products, Rohrer Racing and Moody & Son Welding. ... The track’s 26-car turnout topped last year’s by 10 cars. ... John Over was given the K&N Cold Air Induction Dash victory after the disqualification for Peters. ... Next up for Fastrak Northeast is a May 26-27 doubleheader at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio, with a pair of $1,500-to-win events.
Canadian National Championship: (1) Max Blair, (2) Chad Ruhlman, (3) Nolan Dalton, (4) Butch Lambert, (5) Mike Pegher Jr., (6) Wayne Robertson, (7) Chad Wright, (8) Justin Tatlow, (9) Jason Knowles, (10) Dan Angelicchio, (11) John Over, (12) Jamie Brown, (13) Ryan Montgomery, (14) Paul Milligan, (15) Bobby Rohrer, (16) Don Spiece, (17) Tim Gillespie, (18) Tim Sears Jr., (19) Lauren Longbrake, (20) Zack Carley, (21) Brad Kline, (22) Adam Ferri, (23) Ken Winfield, (24) Jorden Peters, (25) Robbie Blair. Disqualified: Darren Peters. Heat race winners (among 26 cars): Robertson, Rohrer, M. Blair. Dash winner: Over. Consolation winner: Lambert.
