Hagerstown Speedway
Flat hampers Richards as T-Mac wins Octoberfest
By Doug Watson
Hagerstown Speedway
Tim McCreadie enjoys victory lane after his 100-lap victory. (pbase.com/cyberslash)
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (Nov. 8-9) — Benefitting after a flat tire hampered Josh Richards, Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., led the final 50 laps at Hagerstown Speedway for a $10,000 victory in the Late Model portion of the weather-postponed Octoberfest 350. | Slideshow
McCreadie jumped into the lead at the outset of the 100-lapper, but the 11th-starting Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., worked his way up to second by the 12th lap and overtook McCreadie on the 28th lap in the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25. Richards lapped all but seven competitors before the 50-lap fuel stop, but a deflating tire during the break forced him to pit when the race went back to green. That handed the lead to McCreadie and he led uncontested the rest of the way.
"Josh had the better car," McCreadie said in victory lane. "I knew during the fuel stop that unless something happened to Josh, he had the car to beat. I didn't even realize that Josh had made it back to second until the checkered was out."
Richards indeed finished second in the season-ending race at the half-mile oval while Jason Covert of York Haven, Pa., was third. Rick Eckert of York, Pa., finished fourth and hometown driver Alan Sagi rallied from 13th to finish fifth.
Notes: Tim McCreadie's Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Sweeteners Plus. ... Other $10,000 winners in the other three Octoberfest divisions were Brett Hearn (big-block modified), Fred Rahmer (410 sprints) and Rick Laubach (small-block modifieds). ... Among Late Model drivers failing to make the feature: Roy Deese Jr., Dan Stone, Mark Pettyjohn and Ronnie DeHaven Jr.
Hagerstown Octoberfest: (1) Tim McCreadie, (2) Josh Richards, (3) Jason Covert, (4) Rick Eckert, (5) Alan Sagi, (6) Gary Stuhler, (7) Frankie Plessinger, (8) Jim Yoder, (9) Brian Rulhman, (10) Jeremy Miller, (11) Jamie Lathroum, (12) Keith Jackson, (13) Darryl Hills, (14) Mike Lupfer, (15) Matt Parks, (16) Rodney Swietzer, (17) Al Cheney, (18) Ray Kable Jr., (19) Luke Hoffner, (20) Kirk Ryan, (21) Kenny Pettyjohn, (22) Bruce Kane, (23) Devin Friese, (24) Marvin Winters, (25) Danny Johnson, (26) Tyler Armstrong. Heat race winners (among 38 cars): Friese, Plessinger, McCreadie. Consolation winner: Stuhler.
