Dirt on Dirt - Blair earns home-state win in second semi

June 23

Lernerville Speedway,

Sarver, PA

Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (Firecracker 100 second Friday semifeature) - $5,000

Information provided by: Kevin Kovac and series reports (last updated June 24, 9:55 am)

Blair earns home-state win in second semi

Firecracker 100 second Friday semifeature

Max Blair
Daulton Wilson
Devin Moran
Michael Norris
Tyler Bruening
Tim McCreadie
Colton Flinner
Garrett Alberson
Ryan Montgomery
Logan Zarin
Breyton Santee
Cody Overton
Boom Briggs
Braeden Dillinger
Levi Yetter
Cory Sines
Dan Angelicchio
Chris Schneider
Mason Zeigler
Kevin Smith
Chuckie Lepsch
John Garvin Jr.
Joshua Powell
Ron Hall

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Max Blair celebrates a $5,000 semifeature victory at his home-state track.

What won the race: Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., overtook race-long pacesetter Devin Moran for the lead on lap 20 and held on to capture Friday night’s second 25-lap Firecracker 100 presented by Big River Steel semifeature at Lernerville Speedway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rookie beat Daulton Wilson to the finish line by 1.149 seconds for the $5,000 triumph at his home-state track.

Quotable: “I started running Devin (Moran) down a little bit there and I thought no way I was going to pass him, then I was thinking I was a little better than him, and then I passed him,” Blair said. “I messed up every corner for the next three laps so then I finally calmed myself down and just rode it to the end.”

Key notes: Blair’s victory was his first-ever in Lucas Oil Series competition, though this came in a split-field semifeature. … Wilson slipped past Moran for second on lap 23 but ran out of time to challenge Blair. … Moran settled for a third-place finish after leading laps 1-19. … The race’s biggest incident came on lap two when Michael Norris, bidding for third place, made contact with Wilson in turn one and spun between the corners; Tim McCreadie clipped the nose of Norris’s car and spun over the berm but was able to continue and finish sixth while Norris rallied from the rear to place fourth. … Cautions also flew for Dan Angelicchio (lap one), Chuckie Lepsch (lap seven) and John Garvin Jr. (lap 12). … The Friday evening program was delayed over two hours by a downpour that struck moments after time trials were completed; the second semifeature took the checkered flag to end the racing card at 11:57 p.m. … Points earned in the preliminary programs will determine the starting lineups for Saturday night’s heat races leading into the $50,000-to-win Firecracker 100.

On the move: Colton Flinner of Allison Park, Pa., started 18th and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Blair’s Briggs Transport Rocket Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Excess Storage, Murphy’s Logging, C and J Dairy, Penske Racing Shocks, Valvoline, Creekside Auto Sales, Briggs Transport, Meridien Hardwoods, Previty’s Auto Wrecking, Inc., Corner Stone Builders LLC, Viper Risk Management, C.J.’s Auto Transport, VP Race Fuels, Colonial Metal Products, Inc., Chub Frank Racing, Three Rivers Karting & Axe Throwing, Tucker Drums and ASEL Enterprises.

Points chase: Before Lernerville: 1. Ricky Thornton Jr. (3,660); 2. Hudson O’Neal (3,475); 3. Brandon Overton (3,320); 4. Tim McCreadie (3,230); 5. Devin Moran (3,100); 6. Jonathan Davenport (3,095); 7. Daulton Wilson (3,000); 8. Tyler Erb (2,925); 9. Max Blair (2,925); 10. Spencer Hughes (2,875).

Current weather: Overcast, 68°F

Car count: 49

Fast qualifier: Michael Norris

Time: 16.417 seconds

Polesitter: Devin Moran

Heat race winners: Devin Moran, Daulton Wilson, Max Blair

Next series race: June 24, Lernerville Speedway (Sarver, PA) $50,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

SARVER, Pa. (June 23) — Live updates from Friday night’s second 25-lap semifeature during the Firecracker 100 presented by Big River Steel weekend at Lernerville Speedway:

Semifeature

Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., overtook race-long pacesetter Devin Moran for the lead on lap 20 and held on to capture Friday night’s second 25-lap Firecracker 100 presented by Big River Steel semifeature at Lernerville Speedway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rookie beat Daulton Wilson to the finish line by 1.149 seconds for the $5,000 triumph at his home-state track.

Heat results

(Eight laps; all drivers transfer)

First heat finish: Devin Moran, Michael Norris, Cody Overton, Levi Yetter, John Garvin Jr., Joshua Powell, Ron Hall (DNS) Dan Angelicchio.

Second heat finish: Daulton Wilson, Logan Zarin, Mason Zeigler, Cory Sines, Breyton Santee, Ryan Montgomery, Chris Schneider, Kevin Smith.

Third heat finish: Max Blair, Tyler Bruening, Tim McCreadie, Boom Briggs, Garrett Alberson, Colton Flinner, Braeden Dillinger, Chuckie Lepsch, Todd Bachman.

Cars on track

With no rain falling since about 7:30 p.m., officials sent Crate Late Models onto the track at 8:45 p.m. to finish packing the surface. The green light for hot laps was turned on just after 9 p.m.

Officials announced that the schedule of events will begin with the six RUSH Crate Late Model heats, followed by the six Lucas Oil Series heats, the RUSH dash and the twin 25-lap Firecracker 100 semifeatures.

Rain delay

Friday night’s time trials were completed despite light rain falling during the second qualifying group, but moments later a downpour hit — beginning over the third and fourth turns — during RUSH Crate Late Model hot laps. The suddenly slick track surface caused Tony Musolino to hit the turn-four wall and all other drivers on the speedway to slide to a stop over the turn-four berm.

The burst of rain began at 7:03 p.m. and lasted less than 15 minutes, but it drenched the racetrack enough that Musolino’s disabled car was still on the track after the shower ceased because the surface was too slick for tow trucks to immediately reach him.

While spots of blue sky were visible off turns one and two at 7:20 p.m., a dark cloud hovering over the track simultaneously began to dump more rain. Officials have the program in a rain delay as they wait out the unpredictable weather.

Qualifying

1. Michael Norris (10), Sarver, Pa., 16.417
2. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 16.447
3. Max Blair (111B), Centerville, Pa., 16.550
4. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 16.612
5. Mason Zeigler (25z), Chalk Hill, Pa., 16.679
6. Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 16.730
7. Cody Overton (15K), Evans, Ga., 16.782
8. Ryan Montgomery (4s), Fairmont, W.Va., 16.784
9. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 16.871
10. Levi Yetter (9), Cabot, Pa., 16.924
11. Logan Zarin (1z), Moon Township, Pa., 16.925
12. Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 16.946
13. John Garvin Jr. (J4), Sarver, Pa., 17.032
14. Kevin Smith (97), Arkport, N.Y., 17.079
15. Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 17.188
16. Joshua Powell (11P), Sarver, Pa., 17.198
17. Cory Sines (25S), Orwell, Ohio, 17.276
18. Colton Flinner (48), Allison Park, Pa., 17.288
19. Ron Hall (01), Hookstown, Pa., 17.431
20. Chris Schneider (55c), Lower Burrell, Pa., 17.460
21. Braeden Dillinger (14D), Dawson, Pa., 17.505
22. Dan Angelicchio (14), Mt. Pleasant, Pa., 17.570
23. Breyton Santee (9), Conneaut, Ohio, 17.570
24. Chuckie Lepsch (1L), Johnstown, Pa., 18.168