Gazette staff
PORT HARDY—Glen Day maintained his lead in the stock racing season’s standings despite an early exit during last weekend’s racing.
Seven stocks were joined on the track by Chris Hardy in a modified racer Saturday for the first of a pair of makeup races in lieu of cancelled races over the summer. The season finale is set for October 4 at Tri-Port Speedway.
Superb racing and a dash of last-lap drama made for a memorable second heat as Daniel Hovey and Donny Lawrence battled it out for the checkered flag.
The pair had raced ahead of the pack with Hovey looking a certain winner coming out of the final turn until a yellow flag dropped. Across the track, Day had lost a bearing, sending him into the side wall with the resulting damage forcing him out for the remainder.
The cars reformed for an edge-of-the-seat, single-lap dash. Hovey held the lead, but looked to have run wide on the final corner and Lawrence slipped to the inside, leaving the pair neck-and-neck coming into the home stretch. Hovey’s outside line proved a shrewd choice, giving him the momentum to edge out Lawrence and take the checkered flag to appreciative cheers from the crowd.
The pair duelled it out once more at the head of the pack during the main event, Hovey once again claiming the win.
Jim Swift took the checkered flag ahead of a consistent Lawrence in the first heat, his win combining with two third places to keep the pressure on Day in the season’s standings.
Paul Weeks’ aggressive start in the Trophy Dash saw him barrel up the inside off the green flag, coming out of turn 2 with a lead he never looked like giving up.
The drivers will take to the track one more time this season on October 4, with Day a near-certainty to retain his track champion crown.
The racing starts at 7 p.m. with concession available.
Stock Racing
Tri-Port Speedway
Season points race
Saturday, September 20
Fast time
5 (Donny Lawrence), 17.44 seconds
Trophy Dash
24 (Paul Weeks)
Heat 1
17 (Jim Swift); 5; 77 (Glen Day)
Heat 2
7 (Daniel Hovey); 5; 17
Main event
7; 5; 17; 44 (Jared Breitkreitz)
Day points
5 86
7 61
17 59
44 45
77 42
24 19
Season points
77 672
17 566
44 424
7 418
5 377
24 334
13 (Brock Shore) 302