Rick’s Racing Roundup: Titusville’s Blair Makes Clean Sweep

LERNERVILLE, Pa. – This past weekend found another full slate of racing on the western Pennsylvania racing circuit as the dog days of summer start to wind down.

(Photo: Max Blair was the big winner Friday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway. Photo by Penny Kay)

At Lernerville Speedway Friday night, it was AJ Flick who dazzled the crowd as he scored his third consecutive win in 410 sprint car competition.

This Friday, Flick will have his work cut out for him if he wants to make it four wins in a row. By virtue of winning three times in a row, Flick will have to start last in the twenty-five lap feature. Can the Apollo driver come from 20th to first? It should be exciting to watch! This will be part of another Fab 4 racing program along with the always popular fireworks.

The ULMS super late model series took center stage Friday at Thunder Mountain Speedway near Brookville for the 10th annual Conner Bobik Memorial. Fans got a chance to win some great prizes, and over seven thousand dollars was raised in the process for the Make A Wish Foundation in Conner’s memory.

With five thousand dollars on the line, nearly all of the area’s top late model drivers were on hand to do battle. When the checkers flew, it was the area’s winningest late model driver and ULMS point leader that took home the big check. Max Blair of Titusville added to his impressive season stats and took home the big check.

The ULMS series would head east to Hidden Valley Speedway in Clearfield for the first time in seven years on Saturday. The results were the same, though, as Blair made it a clean sweep taking home another 2,500 dollars for his efforts.

Michael’s Mercer Raceway was also back in action this past Saturday, where Jack Sodeman Jr ended Adam Kekich’s three-race win streak for his first sprint car win at the track since 2016. Rex King Jr won the big block modified feature and became the first driver non-New York driver to win a modified feature at the track this season.

Brandon Hawkins will be remembered this Saturday at Mercer Raceway with a race in his honor. Photo by Rick Rarer.

Brandon Hawkins will be remembered this Saturday at Mercer Raceway with a race in his honor. Photo by Rick Rarer.

This Saturday at Mercer Raceway, the 305 racesaver sprint cars will have their biggest race of the season as they honor the late Brandon Hawkins, who recently lost his life in a workplace accident. The Big Mav Classic will pay the winner 2,727 dollars to the winner and will pay 227 to start the 27 lap feature, which will start 27 cars.

Along with lap money and the hefty purse, look for a large field of 305 sprints to participate. Hawkins tragically lost his life at age 26 from a work accident on July 20th. He scored his first career 305 sprint car win that prior Friday at Bedford Speedway. He then competed for the final time the next night at Mercer Raceway.

It was another big two-race weekend for the Penn-Ohio Pro Stock Series, and it got started on Saturday at Pittsburgh Motor Speedway for one of their biggest races of the season. Local stock car legend Alan Dellinger took home the win at the monster half-mile and over three thousand dollars for winning the 9th annual Ed Laboon Memorial.

On Sunday, rain showers dissipated just in time for action to get underway at Tri-City Raceway, where the Penn-Ohio Stock Car Series made their first visit of the 2020 season. The stocks would compete in the 3rd annual “Ray’s Race” sponsored by R.K. Virgle Scrap Metals and R&R Enterprises in memory of the late Ray Virgle, a long time supporter of local racing.

Noah Brunell was the winner of the wild stock car affair, and it was his first win at Tri-City. Brandon Matus also became a first time Tri-City winner in the 410 sprint car feature. This Sunday, the 305 sprint cars will be at Tri-City, joining the 410 sprint cars and 358 modifieds.


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