Brian Berger Holds off Brett Hearn for Victory at The Valley of Speed
Story By: PHIL ALLAWAY / LEBANON VALLEY SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By: MARK BROWN / RACERSGUIDE.COM
WEST LEBANON, NY- August 8, 2016- At Lebanon Valley Saturday, there was speed in the forecast and plenty of action on the track, that’s what the five classes in action brought to the masses.
In the Modifieds, Brian Berger earned the pole by virtue of winning his heat race. On the start, he was able to outdistance Guy Sheldon to turn 1 and opened up a small gap. Matt Pupello was able to follow past into second.
With his recent troubles, Brett Hearn started in sixth. On the start, Hearn was able to get up to fourth but could not get past Rob Pitcher, much like on Jul. 23.
Pupello was able to maintain second until he got into the wall in turn 2 on lap 11. That brought out the race’s only caution and closed the field back up. Pupello was able to continue and finished 16th.
On the restart, Berger pulled out to a decent lead while Hearn was able to get past Pitcher for second. Unfortunately, Pitcher was unable to take advantage of his good car as he slowed on lap 19 and had to settle for a 21st-place finish.
Hearn was able to run down Berger in the final laps and seemed to be faster on the outside of turns 1 and 2. The two drivers were side-by-side for the lead at the white flag, but Berger was able to get a better run off the corner and hold off the points leader to take his first win of the year.
Berger was quite surprised afterwards.
“I have to admit, with [Hearn] starting so close, I didn’t think I was going to be able to hold him off,” Berger said. “With five to go, I started to believe I could do it. With two to go, [Hearn] hit me, so I knew he was there. I did everything I could to keep him behind me and we did it.”
Behind Berger and Hearn was Keith Flach in third. Tyler Dippel, fresh from a seventh-place finish at Watkins Glen in the Bully Hill Vineyards 100 Friday, finished fourth, while Andy Bachetti was fifth.
In the Small Block Modifieds, Brett Hearn started from the pole in the third and final week of his evaluation of Scott Hamlin’s small block modified. On this night, Hearn liked what he felt.
On the start, Hearn literally drove off into the sunset. Ricky Davis, who showed improved pace thanks to a new fuel pump, was able to get past Chad Pierce on the start to take second and ran his own race.
Further back, Kenny Tremont, Jr. slowly moved up the order from the seventh starting spot. By lap 16, Tremont was fourth and running down Pierce and Davis.
By the end of the race, Tremont had the fastest car on track. He was able to get past Davis for second with a little more than two laps to go, but he could do nothing with Hearn as he took the win.
Behind Hearn and Tremont was Davis in third. Pierce finished fourth, while Tyler Dippel was fifth.
For the King of Dirt Sportsman Series, Lebanon Valley can be arduous. This race had trouble getting started. Nick Anatriello, who started 13th, smacked the wall in turn 2 on the first lap to bring out a yellow. Rob Maxon spun shortly after the restart to bring out another yellow. Then, Nikki Ouellette hit the wall on the frontstretch and got on her side to bring out a third.
Through these incidents, pole sitter Kevin Ward kept himself ensconced in the lead. Jeff Watson rose from the third row to be his primary challenger. Watson tried multiple times to get to the inside on the final 24 lap green-flag run to the finish, but he could not get past as Ward went flag-to-flag to take the win.
Behind Ward and Watson was Whitey Slavin in third. John Virgilio finished fourth, while Adam Pierson was the best non-Lebanon Valley regular in fifth.
Pro Stock saw Joe LaFlamme start from the pole and hold off Ray Hall, Jr. early. On the second lap, Rich Colasanti and Steven LaRochelle each spun to bring out the yellow.
On the restart, Rick Dempsey, who started third, was able to get by LaFlamme for the lead. Shortly after Dempsey converted the past, Rob Yetman spun on the frontstretch to bring out another yellow.
After another yellow for a spin by Bob Camilli, Dempsey opened up a huge gap on the pack. Ray Hall, Jr. was second and holding the pack back. A late caution for a Chuck Towslee brought the pack back together, but no one could do anything with Dempsey as he picked up his first win of the year.
Ray Hall, Jr. held on for second, followed by Rick Duzlak in third. Jon Routhier and Jay Corbin were fourth and fifth.
In Pure Stock, Ed Hatch, Chris Streeter and Gary O’Brien each took victories.
Andy’s Speed Shop/Bulldog Concrete Modified Feature Results (30 laps): 1) Brian Berger, 2) Brett Hearn, 3) Keith Flach, 4) Tyler Dippel, 5) Andy Bachetti, 6) Eddie Marshall, 7) Kenny Tremont, Jr., 8) Steve Hough, 9) Kyle Hoffman, 10) Kyle Sheldon, 11) J.R. Heffner, 12) Elmo Reckner, 13) Chad Jeseo, 14) Kolby Schroder, 15) Kyle Armstrong, 16) Matt Pupello, 17) Mike Keeler, 18) Mike King, 19) Ken McGuire, 20) Paul Gilardi, 21) Rob Pitcher, 22) Denny Soltis, 23) Guy Sheldon, 24) Dave McFeeters, 25) John Ruchel, 26) Olden Dwyer
Small Block Modified Feature Results (24 laps): 1) Brett Hearn, 2) Kenny Tremont, Jr., 3) Ricky Davis, 4) Chad Pierce, 5) Tyler Dippel, 6) Frank Harper, 7) Ray Hall, Jr., 8) Olden Dwyer, 9) Frank Hoard, III, 10) Brett Haas, 11) Peter Carlotto, 12) Brian Sandstedt, 13) Ryan Darcy, 14) Steve Hough, 15) Alan Houghtaling, 16) Ryan Charland, 17) Art Collins, 18) Kim LaVoy, 19) Jason Herrington, 20) Michael Sabia. DNS: J.R. Heffner, Joey Scarborough, Kenny Aanonsen, Jr.
King of Dirt Sportsman Feature Results (30 laps): 1) Kevin Ward, 2) Jeff Watson, 3) Whitey Slavin, 4) John Virgilio, 5) Adam Pierson, 6) Chris Lynch, 7) David Schilling, 8) Frank Hoard, Jr., 9) Scott Duell, 10) Cody Hunt, 11) Cody Bleau, 12) Jim Morgan, 13) Hunter Bates, 14) Connor Cleveland, 15) Rob Maxon, 16) Cody Ochs, 17) Timothy Davis, 18) Adam Gage, 19) Tom Princiotta, 20) John Miller, 21) Michael Sabia, 22) Joey Scarborough, 23) Luke Klob, 24) Nick Anatriello, 25) Dan Lyle, 26) Carmon Carnibucci, 27) Kevin Chaffee, 28) Nikki Ouellette. DNS: Gerard LeClair
Pro Stock Feature Results (20 laps): 1) Rick Dempsey, 2) Ray Hall, Jr., 3) Rick Duzlak, 4) Jon Routhier, 5) Jay Corbin, 6) Paul LaRochelle, 7) Steven LaRochelle, 8) Rob Yetman, 9) Victor Hopkins, 10) Hugh Page, 11) Joe LaFlamme, 12) Scott Govertsen, 13) Chuck Towslee, 14) Byron Wescott, 15) Nick Hilt, Jr., 16) Brian Keough, 17) Bob Camilli, 18) Rich Colesanti, 19) Tim McCarthy, 20) Tom Dean
Pure Stock Feature No. 1 Results (8 laps): 1) Ed Hatch, 2) Dave Stickles, 3) Clifford Booth, 4) Ray Royals, 5) Joe Walcott, 6) Martina Martin, 7) Karen Verhagen, 8) Rich Smith, 9) Shawn Perez, 10) Dave Fachini, 11) Nick Reilly
Pure Stock Feature No. 2 Results (8 laps): 1) Chris Streeter, 2) Dan Cote, 3) Bob Palmer, 4) Tim Thompson, 5) Greg DeCamp, 6) Scott Morris, 7) Aaron Fachini, 8) Mark Dwyer, 9) Brian Walsh, 10) Kevin Paul, 11) Nathan Sweet
Pure Stock Feature No. 3 Results (12 laps): 1) Gary O’Brien, 2) Larry Perez, 3) Dom Denue, 4) Al Relyea, 5) Ray Hall, Sr., 6) Jason Meltz, 7) Jeff Kreutziger, 8) Jeff Meltz, Sr., 9) Harold Robitaille, 10) Zach Seyerlein, 11) Wuggie Burdick, 12) Mike Arnold, 13) Chris Murphy, 14) Jay Casey, 15) Jeff Meltz, Jr.
