Following a 6-year hiatus, the Appalachian Mountain Speedweek returned to racing scene, including a stop at the Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway for a 2-day event.
Thursday’s schedule of the Super Late Models and the Semi Lates was raced, however a string of strong storms moving through the area on Friday that caused the cancellation racing action.
On Thursday, John Miller won the 15-lap Semi Late feature, while Tyler Emory took the $4,000 to win Super Late Model Bob Elbin Tribute feature in his first year competing in the series.
The series return was announced back in December of 2022 with Bedford regular Jim Bernheisel taking over as the series director.
It began on Friday, June 9 at Clinton County Speedway, and had raced previously at Port Royal, Hagerstown, and Path Valley before making the stop at Bedford. The feature at Path Valley was rained out after the qualifying events occurred.
With 38 Super Late Models checked into the speedway, Emory dominated the track for his second career victory at the local historic track.
Bryan Bernheisel, Gregg Satterlee, Eddie Carrier, and Kyle Lee each won a heat race, while Colby Frye and Justin Weaver won the B-Main features.
Michael Norris started on the pole for the 35-lap Late Model feature with Emory sitting in second. Norris dominated the early portion of the feature, lapping traffic 5 laps in.
However, on a restart on lap 16, Emory shot past Norris for the lead and never looked back, even with a caution with 5 laps left.
While Norris and Emory battled, Jeff Rine and Drake Troutman battled over third with the drivers taking the spot away every other lap. Troutman took the spot away before falling back into the field on the late caution.
With Emory taking the win and Norris finishing second, Rine took back third before the finish, Lee was fourth, and Satterlee was fifth.
With Friday’s show washed out, the series races at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown on Saturday and Selinsgrove on Sunday to conclude the Speedweek.
Emory currently leads the points through 5 races with Kyle Hardy sitting in second, Rine third, Gregg Satterlee fourth, and Dylan Yoder in fifth.
In the Semi Late feature, Miller started sixth with Bob Jay and Dalton Weyant holding down the top 2 spots.
Bill Replogle made the start of the feature 3-wide as the top 3 cars all fought over the lead, but it was Weyant as the leader on the first lap.
Weyant continued to lead over the field as Miller worked his up from sixth. Just 5 laps in, he got past Replogle, and a lap later, he took second.
With 7 laps to go, Miller took the lead away from Weyant before Weyant’s night ended 2 laps later.
Jay finished second, Replogle third, Brian Weyandt, Jr. fourth, and Greg Hainsey fifth.
Miller and Weyandt won the heats.
With racing rained out on Friday, and the track taking off next week for summer break, racing resumes on Friday, June 30 with the Super Late Models, Modifieds, Semi Lates, Pure Stocks, and 4 Cylinders racing.
Results for the Bob Elbin Tribute Super Late Models — 35 Laps Feature
1. Tyler Emory; 2. Michael Norris; 3. Jeff Rine; 4. Kyle Lee; 5. Gregg Satterlee; 6. Dylan Yoder; 7. Kyle Hardy; 8. Eddie Carrier; 9. Matt Cosner; 9. Rick Eckert; 10. Bryan Bernheisel; 11. Dan Stone; 12. Austin Berry; 13. Jim Yoder; 14. Bryan Booze; 15. Keith Jackson; 16. Drake Troutman; 17. Chuck Clise; 18. Justin Weaver; 19. Mike Lupfer; 20. Andrew Wylie; 21. Jason Covert; 22. Colby Frye; 23. Jeff Miller; 24. Matt Sponaugle. DNQ — Dillon Stake; Cody Robbins; Kody Lyter; RJ Dallape; Ernie Millon; Matt Murphy; Andrew Yoder; Randy Christine; Larry Miederer; Ryan Christoff; Nathan Long; Jim McBee; Ron Fink.
B-Main Winners
Justin Weaver, Colby Frye
Heat Race Winners
Bryan Bernheisel, Gregg Satterlee, Eddie Carrier, Kyle Lee
Semi Lates — 15 Laps Feature
1. John Miller; 2. Bob Jay; 3. Bill Replogle; 4. Brian Weyandt, Jr.; 5. Greg Hainsey; 6. Kyle Weyandt; 7. Rick Potter; 8. Travis Calhoun; 9. Tony Catlett; 10. Brandon Grubb; 11. Laura Reilly; 12. Josh Ringer; 13. Devin Weyant; 14. Dan Patterson; 15. Josh Bumbarger; 16. Zack Frost; 17. Cale Martin; 19. Dave Brown.
Heat Race Winners
John Miller, Brian Weyandt, Jr.
