Max Blair Tops 50-Car RUSH Late Model Field Thursday at Georgetown Speedway

Jason Covert Takes First Delaware Super Late Model Win; Max Blair Tops 50-Car RUSH Late Model Field Thursday at Georgetown Speedway

Story By: Chris Moore/Georgetown Speedway

GEORGETOWN, DE – Jason Covert’s 2019 season has gotten off to a hot start including a win at Port Royal Speedway and a come-from-behind runner-up finish at Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania.

Thursday night was no different, as York Haven, Pa.’s Covert won the Sunoco Race Fuels Super Late Model 26-lap main, earning a $3,026 payday in honor of Mark “Coot” Williams Sr. at Georgetown Speedway.

“It’s been a humbling week,” an emotional Covert stated following his first-career Georgetown victory and breakthrough win in the First State.

“I lost a really close friend this week… this one’s for him,” Covert said following the death of his close friend Glenny.

Covert started in the sixth position at the banked half-mile Sussex County speedway. It appeared the outside row was the place to be on restarts and Covert put the exclamation point on that. Starting on the outside row, Covert quickly climbed to fourth before an early yellow reset the field. That was all Covert needed.

On the ensuing restart, he motored to the outside, around Amanda Whaley and Dale Hollidge and into second.

Covert than ran down pole starter Austin Hubbard in short order, sweeping around the outside to take a lead he would never relinquish.

From there the top-four remained relatively unchanged, with Federalsburg, Md.’s Hubbard coming home second. The ‘Wild Child’ Amanda Whaley of Millsboro, Del., finished her night with a third-place finish. Mechanicsville, Md.’s Dale Hollidge held onto a fourth-place result over a hard charging Donald Lingo of Millsboro, Del.

Lingo was caught up in a yellow with less than 10 laps remaining, which sent him back to the ninth position, before climbing his way into the top-five using the outside groove.

Sunoco Super Late Model heats went to Ross Robinson and Amanda Whaley.

The RUSH Late Models were in town for night two of four in their ‘Battle of the Bay’ weekend. All-time series wins leader Max Blair, coming off his win Wednesday night at Delaware International Speedway, rolled into the night with momentum on his side.

The Titusville, Pa., driver continued that momentum at Georgetown, winning the $3,000 paycheck.

50 RUSH Late Models entered the proceedings Thursday night, with 24 qualifying through six heat races and three B-Mains. Max Blair timed second overall in time trials, won his heat race, and won the six-lap Dash.

“We’re still fighting it a little bit, car’s a little tight,” Blair said after winning the Dash.

Blair’s No. 111 launched off the pole for the 30-lap main event. From there it was nearly smooth sailing for Blair. His lone mistake came on a restart in which Georgetown local Matt Hill dove to the bottom and slid by Blair for the lead.

However, the move would be negated by a yellow before a lap was completed.

“I thought I really messed up there, I was worried about them rolling the top on me, I left the bottom wide open,” Blair stated of the move made by Hill.

Hill would later fall victim to mechanical issues, ending his night short. Another Georgetown local, Ross Robinson fought a back-and-forth night to come home with a second-place finish.

Dale Hollidge, who started 12th, had a solid night as well, picking up top-five finishes in the Sunoco Super Late Models, and RUSH Late Models. Dillon Brown of Gafney, S.C., was the RUSH Fast Timer of the night, and rounded out his night with a fourth-place finish. Virginia’s Logan Roberson rounded out the top-five, coming from his ninth starting spot for a fifth-place finish.

C.J. Schirmer and Freddy Brightbill put on a thrilling show in the Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car feature. Following driver introductions and pace laps led by the Mark “Coot” Williams No. 26, Schirmer beat Brightbill to the line by a half car-length to pick up the win. L.J. Walbert was honored as the highest-finishing Sportsman racer in the Vintage Stock Car Feature.

Matt Esham got his second win of 2019 on Thursday night in the Delaware Super Truck feature. Esham and David Smith continued the theme of exciting racing. Smith threw everything but the kitchen sink at Matt Esham for the last seven laps, but never found a way by the now two-time winner, Matt Esham. Robert Smith, Shane Clogg, and Jerry Hill rounded out the top five.

Chris “Tippy” Martinez scored his first 2019 win in the Delmarva Charger main event. Joe Waters led the first eight laps before getting to the pit area after an engine appeared to expire.

From there Martinez held off the hard charging Ashley Merritt to pick up the win. Merritt, Brandon Riefler, Derek Swafford and Tommy LeCates rounded out the top five.

BATTLE BEATS: Georgetown Speedway’s pit area was a busy place with 110 race cars taking part in the Thursday night program. The breakdown was 50 RUSH Late Models, 14 Super Late Models, 17 Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Cars, 18 Delaware Super Trucks and 11 Delmarva Chargers. A very strong crowd took in the action….

Ross Robinson, Amanda Whaley, Dale Hollidge and Nick Davis competed in both the Sunoco Super Late Model and RUSH Late Model divisions….

The track crew provided a wide, multi-grooved surface with a cushion around the top drawing praise from competitors….

The finish in the Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car event required a review of the ‘video tape’ to determine the winner with C.J. Schirmer declared the victor by a matter of inches. The family of Mark Williams joined Schirmer in the Victory Lane festivities….

Racing started at 7:13 p.m., two minutes early, and despite time trials for 50 RUSH cars, the Super Late Model main was completed prior to 10 p.m. in a quickly run program….

Racing resumes at Georgetown Speedway on Friday, May 17 with the Deron Rust Memorial for L&J Sheet Metal Modifieds ($3,960 to win), Chesapeake Paving/J.W. Brown Trucking Crate 602 Sportsman ($1,396 to win), Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Cars, Little Lincolns, Delaware Super Trucks and Delmarva Charger.

Georgetown Speedway, originally constructed by Melvin L. Joseph in 1949, is located at the intersection of Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Del., just miles from the Delaware beaches and less than a 40-minute drive from Ocean City, Md.

A website is live for the speedway at www.thegeorgetownspeedway.com. Like Georgetown Speedway on Facebook, follow @thegtownspdwy on Twitter, e-mail georgetownspeedway@gmail.com or contact the speedway hotline at 302.563.GTWN (4896).

MARK WILLIAMS MEMORIAL BATTLE OF THE BAY – GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY APRIL 18, 2019

Sunoco Super Late Model Feature Finish (26 laps): JASON COVERT, Austin Hubbard, Amanda Whaley, Dale Hollidge, Donald Lingo Jr., Danny Snyder, Nick Davis, Ross Robinson, Jamie Lathroum, Herb Tunis, Kellie Lewis, David Dill, Dylan Evans, Rob Schirmer.

RUSH Late Model Feature Finish (30 laps): MAX BLAIR, Ross Robinson, Dale Hollidge, Dillon Brown, Logan Roberson, Michael Duritsky, Kyle Lukon, Jason Genco, Jeremy Wonderling, Scott Gunn, Darrell Bossard, Trevor Feathers, Nick Davis, Cody Dawson, Bill Kessler, Kevin Scott Jr., Derek Magee, Kyle Murray, Braden Dillinger, Matt Hill, Logan Zarin, Tyler Reed, Amanda Whaley, Zac Weller, Darren Alvey.

Did Not Qualify: David ‘Sparky’ White, Levi Crowl, Ben Scott, Billy Thompson, Charlie Sandercock, Trevor Collins, Matt Glanden, Joe Pete, Mike Wharton, Jamie Wrightsman, Joey Warren, Sam Pennachio, Charles Shawver, Jonathan Raley, Chuck Bowie, Timmy Booth, Jakob Piper, J.J. Mazur, Brad Rigdon, Andy Michael, Chad Sines, Jeremy Pikerton, Kerry King, Ryan Frazee, Jason Dean.

Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car Feature Finish (12 laps): C.J. SCHIRMER, Freddy Brightbill, Dave Parsons, John Burton, L.J. Walbert, David Cameron, Robert Paczkowski, Todd Miller, Art Workman, Dave Schamp, Jamie Schirmer, Dave Tucker, Chris Phillips, Wayne Roth, Jamie Eicholz, Robert Blann, Pete Morris.

Delaware Super Truck Feature Finish (12 laps): MATT ESHAM, David Smith, Robert Smith, Shane Clogg, Jerry Hill, Dale Elliott, Bill Dean, Mike Kennedy, Kirk Miles Sr., Dick Beauchamp, George Shupp, Michelle Jackson, Tim Quay, Billy Lockwood, Thomas Jackson, Tony Bowers, Cory Sapp, Ryan Efford.

Delmarva Charger Feature Finish (12 laps): CHRIS MARTINEZ, Ashley Merritt, Brandon Riefler, Derek Swafford, Tommy Lecates, Ben Knotts, Chris Carroll, Randy Merritt, Greg Nailor Jr., Joe Waters, Geoff Carey.