Eriez Speedway
Hard-charging Max Blair wins Fastrak at Eriez
By Mike Leone
Fastrak NortheastHAMMETT, Pa. (May 13) — Max Blair has had plenty of impressive performances in Fastrak Racing Series action over his career, but his performance Sunday at Eriez Speedway may go down as his best.
Blair, a three-time champion of both Fastrak’s national weekly points and Northeast Touring Series, charged from his 17th starting spot in Sunday’s Fastrak Northeast Touring Series feature and overtook Chad Ruhlman of Bemus Point, N.Y., with four laps remaining in the 25-lap race and led the rest of the way for a $1,200 victory.
The triumph was the second in the Crate Late Model tour’s three races contested this season for Blair, who after the race dedicated his triumph to great-grandfather Lynn Magee, who passed away on Friday.
"This victory is for my great grandfather Lynn Magee, who passed away from a heart attack on Friday while I was racing at Raceway 7," stated Blair, 22. "From now on for the rest of the year, everything is for him.
"We were terrible in the heat race. Then our front bumper got shoved into the track from contact. We honestly didn't change much after the heat other than to replace the bumper. The racetrack came to me. It had two grooves and was smooth.”
Ruhlman, who was looking for his first series victory, settled for the runner-up finish with Matt Latta of Conneaut Lake, Pa., third. Ryan Montgomery of Fairmont, W.Va., and Butch Lambert of Mars, Pa., rounded out the top five finishers.
Fastrak @ Eriez: (1) Max Blair, (2) Chad Ruhlman, (3) Matt Latta, (4) Ryan Montgomery, (5) Butch Lambert, (6) Steve Dixon, (7) John Over, (8) Bobby Rohrer, (9) Jason Genco, (10) Adam Sixt, (11) Nolan Dalton, (12) Will Thomas, (13) Bruce Hordusky Jr., (14) Mike Pegher Jr., (15) Justin Tatlow, (16) Lauren Longbrake, (17) Josh Holtgraver, (18) Joe Martin, (19) Wayne Robertson, (20) Brad Kling, (21) Billy Henry Jr., (22) Andrew Wylie, (23) Kyle Zimmerman, (24) Chad Wright, (25) Damian Bidwell. Heat race winners (among 32 cars): Holtgraver, Dixon, Longbrake, Genco. Consolation race winners: Zimmerman, Lambert. Non-qualifiers race winner: Bob Dorman.
