Bowers Tops E-Mods Special At Eriez Speedway
7 min readHammett, PA (July 28, 2019) — BB’s Truck and Auto Service presented a $2000 to win, 25-lap special for the Waterford Hotel E-Mods at Eriez Speedway and the cash wound up going home with Casey Bowers, the biggest win of his career! Max Blair again showed his mastery of the New Motors Super Late Model field, winning his seventh feature of the season! Darrell Bossard collected his first-ever RUSH Late Model feature at Eriez, leading from green to checkers. Matt Alexander won the Johnson’s Car Care and Collision, Chris McGuire took the lead on lap six, then went on to his fourth Curtze Food Service Street Stock win of the season. John Zeleznik won his first L & D Tree Service Challenger feature of the season.
The featured event of the evening was a $2000 to win special for the Waterford Hotel E-Mods, presented by BB’s Truck and Auto Service. Randy Hall and June 30 winner Mike Kinney were the front row for the 25-lap special. Hall took command at the start, leading Kinney, Josh Ferry, Gary Eicher, and defending champion Troy Johnson through lap one. On lap two Steve Simon and Carl McKinney spun in turn two setting up the first restart. Yellow flew again at lap three, for Dave Lamphere and John Boyd. At four laps, eighth-starting Casey Bowers made his presence know, coming into the top five. Disaster struck for Kinney on laps five when he looped his car on turn one and was collected by Ferry, who was unable to continue. When the race restarted Bowers immediately charged into second and set sail to track down Hall for the lead. Bowers caught Hall at lap eleven and took over the top spot but Hall wasn’t done yet, reassuming the lead at lap thirteen. At halfway the order was Hall, Bowers, Eicher, Joel Watson (driving the car normally driven by Steve Rex), and Johnson. Coming out of turn two at lap fifteen it was a three-wide fight for the lead with Hall and Eicher side by side and Bowers looking for a way by them. Coming out of four to complete the lap Bowers drove on by, securing the lead, then going on for his second consecutive win of the season over Eicher, Hall, Watson, and Johnson.
The New Motors Super Late Model feature started with Chris Hackett and Doug Eck leading the way. Hackett grabbed the lead with Max Blair coming from sixth to second on the opening lap, dropping Eck to third, Easton Hedman fourth, and Bump Hedman fifth. Last week’s winner Greg Oakes came into the top five at lap two and was third a lap later. The younger Hedman (Easton) spun in turn two at seven laps but kept going. However, yellow was shown and Hedman was restarted in the spot he rejoined the event before yellow flew. On laps eight, nine, and twelve Blair tried to get by Hackett but Hackett was able to rebuff every attempt. Finally at the halfway point Blair got by, leading Hackett, Oakes, Bump Hedman, and Eck. Yellow flew again at lap fifteen when Wendell Pinckney spun in turn two then Easton Hedman got into the front straight wall when coming back to green. Oakes powered into second on the back chute at lap sixteen with Matt Urban coming into the top five. Urban got by Bump Hedman before the checkers. The final order was Blair, Oakes, Hackett by a nose ahead of Urban, and Bump Hedman.
The Bonnell’s Auto Group RUSH Late Models feature had former champion Kyle Zimmerman and Darrell Bossard on the front row with Bossard the early leader over Zimmerman, defending champion Jason Genco, Andy Boozel, and Max Blair. The race for second was heated at four laps with Genco, Blair, and Zimmerman three-wide in turn two and Genco coming out on top. Zimmerman’s night was done at then end of lap four when his left rear tire went flat. Bossard now led Blair, Genco, Scott Gurdak, and Boozel. Genco got by Blair on the back stretch on lap six but Blair had the spot back at the line. Breyton Santee came into the top five at lap seven. Caution flew at fourteen laps for David Parker, spun in turn two. The race for the lead intensified coming to the white flag as Bossard and Blair went door to door on the back straight with Genco ready to pounce if either of the combatants faltered. Then the action was halted as Jacob Peterson spun in turn four, setting up a one lap dash for the win. Bossard wound up with the win over Genco, Blair, Gurdak, and Santee.
The Johnson’s Car Care and Collision Economods feature started with Jason Brightman and Mitchell Wright at the front for the start. Due to only ten cars signed in for the event there were no heats run. Wright took the early lead over Brightman, Matt Alexander, Bobby Vogt, and last week’s winner and points leader Kyle Miller. Miller got to fourth at lap three but Vogt again had the spot when caution appeared on lap five for a spin in turn three by Kyle Reinwald. When green again flew it was Alexander coming to second with Brightman and Miller side by side for third and Kyle Layton fifth by lap six. Wright led until lap thirteen when disaster struck and he spun in lapped traffic on turn two, collecting Justin Clark in the process. On green, Vogt spun, bringing the final yellow over the event. At the checkers it was Alexander for his second win of the season over Miller, Layton, Kyle Reinwald, and Brightman.
Shane Applebee and Steve Yokum brought the Curtze Food Service Street Stock main event to Mark Matthews green flag with third-starting Gary Fisher leading Yokum at the end of one lap. At five laps it was Fisher now leading former class champion Chris McGuire, Yokum, Applebee, and Douglas Eck. A lap later McGuire was leading, having gotten by Fisher on the back straight. Michael Reed spun coming out of turn four at lap seven into the infield and yellow was shown. With the order the same, the race was restarted with Eck coming up to second by the completion of lap eight, defending champion and current points leader John Boardman, Applebee, and Jimmy Kennerknecht. With five to go it was McGuire, Boardman, Applebee, Anthony Marotto, and Eck, who came to fourth a lap later. Jeremy Perry spun after green and was collected by Reed, then Bill Applebee spun in turn two for the final caution. At the finish it was McGuire for his fourth win of the season over Boardman, Shane Applebee, Marotto, and Fisher.
The L & D Tree Service Challengers were led to green by Lane Reinwald and points leader Zack Eller. Eller led lap one with Reinwald second, John Zeleznik third, Tyler Walters fourth, and Brian McGarvie fifth. Yellow flew at two complete when Nick Robbie spun in turn two, with Andrew Pisarchick getting involved as well. Chris Horton came to fifth at lap three. Zeleznik came to the lead at lap five and went on to the win, his first at Eriez in 2019. Eller wound up second with Horton third, Walters fourth, and Jessica Harvey fifth.
New Motors Super Late Models:
Heat 1: Bump Hedman, Brandon Groters, Easton Hedman, Terry Porter, Wendell Pinckney, Dave Hess Jr
Heat 2: Max Blair, Chris Hackett, Doug Eck, Greg Oakes, Matt Urban, Chad Wright
Feature: Max Blair, Greg Oakes, Chris Hackett, Matt Urban, Bump Hedman, Brandon Groters, Terry Porter, Easton Hedman, Chad Wright (DNS), Dave Hess Jr (DNS)
Bonnell’s Auto Group RUSH Crate Late Models:
Heat 1: Darrell Bossard, Max Blair, Kyle Zimmerman, Paul Norman, Breyton Santee, Zach Wiech, Jacob Peterson
Heat 2: Andy Boozel, Jason Genco, Scott Gurdak, Khole Wanzer, Bruce Hordusky, David Parker, Buck Mason
Feature: Darrell Bossard, Jason Genco, Max Blair, Scott Gurdak, Breyton Santee, Zach Wiech, Khole Wanzer, Andy Boozel, David Parker, Brandon Porter, Jacob Peterson, Buck Mason, Paul Norman, Kyle Zimmerman, Bruce Hordusky (DNS)
The Waterford Hotel Outlaw Modifieds:
Top five time trials: Gary Eicher 16.709, Casey Bowers 16.846, Dan Davies 17.090, Josh Ferry 17.115, Randy Hall 17.124
Heat 1: Gary Eicher, Josh Ferry, Dennis Lunger, Mike McGee, John Boyd, Jarrod Silvis, Brandon Grossman, Gerry Kielar (DNS)
Heat 2: Randy Hall, Dan Sasso, Casey Bowers, Steve Simon, Steve Sornberger, Alan Atkinson, Rich Michael, Dave Lamphere
Heat 3: Mike Kinney, Troy Johnson, Dan Davies, Joel Watson, Carl McKinney, Garrett Calvert, Hunter Hulley, Justin Carlson
Feature: Casey Bowers, Randy Hall, Joel Watson, Rich Michael, Troy Johnson, Michael McGee, Mike Kinney, Dan Sasso, Alan Atkinson, Carl McKinney, Gary Eicher, John Boyd, Jarrod Silvis, Brandon Grossman, Steve Sornberger, Dave Lamphere, Gerry Kielar, Garrett Calvert, Dan Davies, Steve Simon, Josh Ferry, Hunter Hulley (DNS), Justin Carlson (DNS)
Johnson’s Car Care and Collision Economods:
Feature: Matt Alexander, Kyle Miller, Kyle Layton, Kyle Layton, Jason Brightman, Brad Boyd, Bob Vogt Jr, Tyler Davis, Justin Clark, Mitch Wright
Curtze Food Service Street Stocks:
Heat 1: Jimmy Kennerknecht, Joe Rohrer, Gary Fisher, Douglas Eck, John Boardman, Bill Applebee, Chris Fenno, Brent Crandall
Heat 2: Chris McGuire, Michael Reed, Steve Yokum, Shane Applebee, Anthony Marotto, Dale McDonald Jr, Dylan Green, Jeremy Perry
Feature: Chris McGuire, John Boardman, Shane Applebee, Anthony Marotto, Gary Fisher, Douglas Eck, Jimmy Kennerknecht. Steve Yokum, Michael Reed, Joe Rohrer, Brent Crandall, Chris Fenno, Dylan Green, Dale McDonald Jr, Bill Applebee, Darr Diegelman
L & D Tree Service Challengers:
Heat 1: Tyler Walters, John Zeleznik, Lane Reinwald, Brian McGarvie, Chris Horton, Nick Robie, Joe Mason, John Bueboles, Jeff Nunemaker
Heat 2: Zack Eller, Nick Steiner, Donnie May, Brandon Huffman, Andrew Pisarchick, Jessica Harvey, Chuck Rush, Joe Syzmanski
Feature: John Zeleznik. Zack Eller, Chris Horton, Tyler Walters, Jessica Harvey, Lane Reinwald, Brian McGarvie, Joe Mason, Nick Steiner, Jeff Nunemaker, Donnie May, Andrew Pisarchick, John Bueboles, Joe Richter, Brandon Huffman, Nick Robie, Chuck Rush