HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Greg “Spike” Moore drove to his second straight late model sportsman victory at Hagerstown Speedway Saturday night.
As opening-night winner Scott Palmer powered around polesitter Zach Kauffman at the start, Moore moved around Kauffman into second a lap later. Palmer maintained the lead through lap eight until he encountered traffic and was held up by a slower car, giving Moore the opportunity to take lead away.
While Moore overtook the lead from Palmer, Barry Miller and James Lichliter battled for third. One more caution flag unfurled with just seven laps to go giving that group one more shot at the win.
Moore was able to distance himself from the group as they broke away from the rest of the field, and the Defiance, PA driver wasn’t going to be denied another trip to victory lane.
“Yeah I just kind of played it cool there because I figured maybe the track would come to me a little bit. My car was a little tight to start off with there, and I can’t say enough about my car and how it works down here. We’ve been trying stuff to get better here, and I think we got it,” said Moore.
Palmer, Miller, 14th starter Cody Kershner, and Lichliter completed the top five.
The IMCA RaceSaver Sprint feature came to a stop almost as quickly as it started as heat race winner Jake Karklin spun in turn one, backed it into the fence, and rolled on his top. He was OK.
On the restart, Jonathan Jones powered into the lead, and pulled away from the field. But as the laps wound down, second place Christian Rumsey began chasing Jones around the halfway mark.
Rumsey slowly chipped away at the lead, closing the gap through traffic in the final laps, but it was not enough as Jones took the checkered flag.
Jones said: “I’m speechless. I honestly don’t know what to say. I just can’t thank everybody enough that got us here. Thanks to Hagerstown for having us; nice, smooth surface and thanks to the fans that support us.”
Following Jones and Rumsey at the finish were Drew Ritchey, Tyler Denochick and Ryan Lynn.
Brad Kling used a late-race restart with just six laps remaining to move around Carl McKinney to pick up the Mid Atlantic Modifieds feature win. McKinney slid up a little coming to the green, allowing the former MAM champion to move underneath him and grab his first Hagerstown Speedway win of 2019.
“Well, I got in a little hot down there and I seen him (McKinney) on the top and I got a good run in the corner”, stated Kling in victory lane. Tim Fedder, Ray Kable, and Justin Cullum rounded out the top five.
Kevin Thomas drove off to his third Hobby Stock win of the season.