HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Jason Covert picked up a big win at Hagerstown Speedway in the first running of the Tex Shaffer Memorial/Turn 5 Turnaround Summer Championship sanctioned by the Ultimate Northeast Super Late Model Series.
Covert picked up $5,046 for his efforts in the 46 lap feature event in honor of the car number of the longtime race team owner. It was his 19th career win at the Hub City half-mile.
Covert shared the front row outside of pole sitter Jamie Lathroum, but didn’t take the lead until pulling off a slide job coming out of turn two on the ninth lap.
Covert began working traffic on lap 13. Kyle Lee had just moved around Roy Deese, Jr. and Alex Ferree into third on lap 17, when a caution flag waved for Lathroum who was stopped from a flat right rear tire a lap later.
Lee inherited second, and followed Covert from the Delaware-style restart while keeping the leader within sight. Just past the halfway point, Covert was running the cushion through lapped traffic while Lee was working the bottom and top groove to reel in Covert’s lead.
With 10 laps remaining, Lee was within a couple car lengths of Covert before a slight bobble in turn four cost him some momentum.
Covert was able to maintain his distance the rest of the way toward the checkered flag.
“This is for Tex Shaffer. I came here when I was a kid, and that 46 car was here a lot longer than what I’ve been alive. Just the memory of him, and thanks for all of the fans for coming out. I hope we put on a little bit of show there,” Covert said.
Lee’s right rear tire went flat just as he crossed the checkered flag to finish second, while Trever Feathers made a late pass of Deese to finish third, and Jared Miley recovered from a spin that brought out a caution and sent him to restart in the rear before the first lap was completed to finish fifth.
After a few cautions and restarts resulting in a green/white/checkered finish, Joey Zambotti returned to Hagerstown Speedway after a lengthy absence and picked up his sixth Pure Stock feature win of the season after leading the whole distance from his outside front row starting spot.
Zambotti beat 2019 track champion Danny Atherton into the corner of turn one and never looked back to claim the $1,000 top prize.
Atherton battled third and fourth place finishers Dillon Wilson and Craig Parrill throughout most of the 15 lap event, while Jonathan DeHaven made a cameo appearance to round out the top five.
Brady Daniels came from ninth, and survived the attrition to take his third Hobby Stock feature win of the season. Davey Gross was second, followed by Sam Caravello, Gene Miller, and Mike Fuller.
Daniels picked up $500 for the win.