Will Thomas and others victorious on
Race to Read night presented by Fox 66

.

(North East, PA- May 30, 2008)  Lake Erie Speedway’s second weekend of racing kicked off with a full night of feature races, presented by Fox 66 and showcasing a twenty-lap Jensens Target Collision Compact feature race.

            The Boyer RV Center Bandoleros were the first on the track with a car count of thirteen. The Bandoleros did not make it around even once before a caution flag was thrown and the cars had to realign, followed by another yellow flag after #33 Melissa Brockman spun out. #69 Brody Wood had taken the lead into Lap 2 when he spun out in turn 4 and fell to the back of the track. #1 Brandon DeBrakeleer gained the lead in Lap 3 with #21 Alexis Wilson right on his heels. Wood fought from last place and took over the 5^th position on Lap 7. Another yellow flag was pulled during Lap 8 when #48 AJ Hamilton and #97 Darrin Waldron tangled up. Wilson took the lead on Lap 10, followed by DeBrakeleer and Wood. Wilson ended the twelve-lap race in first, DeBrakeleer in 2^nd, Wood in the 3rd position, #26 Anthony Riforgiato in the 4^th position, and rounding out the top five came #81 Michael Walker.

            The Jensens Target Collision Compacts feature was the next showcase race of the night, with twenty cars racing twenty laps. #34b Brandon Huffman tangled himself with numerous other cars in Lap 1, remained in the race, then removed himself permanently. #7 Angela McAvoy took an early lead in Lap 5, closely followed by #17m Rich Miller. McAvoy passed many cars beginning in Lap 9. #95 Jonathan Breads made his way through the field after a black flag to secure the third position on Lap 12. #14 Jim Tobin removed his car from the race on Lap 18. McAvoy held the lead for the remainder of the race, followed by Breads in the 2^nd position, Miller in the 3^rd position, and #32 Eric McCray and #77 Julie McAvoy in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

The Street Stocks raced twenty-five laps during the next feature race. #1 Jeff Campbell took a quick lead in Lap 2, followed by #21 Dave Wilson. #35 Larry Houser was lapped in Lap 12 by both Campbell and Wilson then removed his car from the race. Wilson gained the lead in Lap 11, followed by Campbell and #99 Dennis Kszos. Wilson led the cars the rest of the way and came in first position. Campbell came in a close second place, then Kszos, #01 Leslie Bohrer, and #20 John Denny.

Following a brief intermission, the Career Concepts Legends feature took to the track. At the start of the race #25 Steve Sunday took a quick lead, with #98 Brett Coon and #39 Jeremy Haudricourt battling for second position. #8 Justin Hines brought out the yellow flag after he lost his muffler during Lap 8 on the frontstretch. Haudricourt took over 2^nd position while attempting to take the lead from Sunday for the next twelve laps. Hines returned to the race during Lap 12 but remained two laps down on the leader. #21 Patrick Lyden stayed on Haudricourts’ heels from Lap 16 through Lap 25. The first three positions maintained their steady lead, with Sunday coming in 1^st place, Haudricourt in 2^nd place, Lyden in 3^rd place, and #9 Larry Occhibone and #38w Daniel Weaver rounding out the finishers in fourth and fifth positions.

Next on the track were the Dodge Modifieds. Sixteen cars entered the track to race this twenty-five-lap feature. The race started with a quick caution flag as #32 Eric McCray spun out in Lap 1. #14 Carter Mook took the lead for the first 18 laps, followed by #28 Dale Murdock and #1 Terry Akerly. Murdock took the lead in Lap 19, Akerly took 2^nd position and Mook moved into the 3^rd position during the same lap. During Lap 23, #13 Nate Carlson hit the turn 4 wall and lost control of his vehicle, crashing into the barriers and stopping in the infield. A red flag was immediately thrown as he was treated in the infield. The car was then removed from the track and Carlson was transported to the hospital. When the race resumed and Akerly pulled into 1^st place just before the finish line. Murdock followed in 2^nd while Mook dropped into 3^rd place.

The night ended with the forty-lap Plyler Overhead Door Late Model feature event. #32 Glenn Gault Jr. began the race in first position; with #56 Rich Skora riding his bumper for the first fourteen laps. #55 Matt Barndt trailed the leaders in third position The cars raced 18 laps before a caution flag was thrown after #23 Jimmy Weller spun out in Lap 18. The caution flag was immediately thrown out again after #86 John Gallagher and #99k Ryan Kirkpatrick tangled during Lap 19. After the yellow flag was put away, #9 Will Thomas pulled into the lead, with Skora and Gault Jr. racing side-by-side for second position. Barndt held the fourth position as he battled his way for the third spot. Thomas began to pull away from the pack starting in Lap 35, with a fight for third position between Skora, Gault Jr., and Barndt. Thomas ended the race under the checkered flag in 1^st place, followed by Skora in 2^nd, and Gault Jr. in third place.

For more information, contact Branden Kaczay at 814-725-3303 or email at bkaczay@lakeeriespeedway.com.