The annual three day central Pennsylvania Labor Day weekend for the Zimmer Service Center ULMS Late Model Series took place with over $30,000 to win between Bedford Speedway, Port Royal Speedway and Selinsgrove Speedway.
Friday night the three day weekend kicked off at Bedford Speedway with the 35th annual Labor Day 55 paying $12,055 to win. A solid 32 car field was on hand with Gregg Satterlee setting the Integra Shocks Fast Time with a lap of 19.255 seconds for an average speed of 100 miles per hour.
Twenty five cars started the 55 lap main event with previous winners, Mason Zeigler and Rick Eckert starting on the front row. Zeigler took the early lead. Eckert hounded Zeigler lap after lap until he finally effected a pass for the lead on lap 22 as they were in lap traffic. While the lead duo captured the main attention, many were watching Gregg Satterlee climbing through the field slowly. Without the aid of a caution in the early laps, Satterlee was up to fourth by the time of Eckert’s pass, and kept climbing.
It took almost 20 green flag laps for Satterlee to catch and pass Ross Robinson for third, but only three more to zoom by the fading Zeigler for second. A move he made just as Nathan Lasalle brought out the first caution on lap 44. That caution changed the entire complexion of the race as Satterlee is known for late race heroics in extra distance Bedford races.
On the restart, Satterlee pounced on Eckert, whose car seemed not nearly as strong as it had been in the earlier laps. Eckert held on but Satterlee made his presence known. The pair came down the front stretch side by side on lap 52 as Satterlee amped up the pressure with Robinson and a fast closing Dylan Yoder in hot pursuit. But it all ended a lap later as Satterlee spun wildly entering turn three attempting to pass Eckert for the lead. Robinson evaded the sliding 22 but Yoder was not as lucky and the pair collided hard, causing the red flag to fly.
On the restart with only two laps to go, Robinson and Matt Cosner lined up behind Eckert in the ULMS Delaware restart procedure. Eckert did not get a good start as he had a tire going flat and Robinson and Cosner sandwiched him three wide as they all charged down the front stretch trading paint. Cosner, from the outside emerged entering turn one as the leader as Robinson also got by Eckert for second.
With open track ahead, Cosner ran off the last two laps for the win as Robinson trailed. Eckert, with his car clearly off the pace, fell back and limped into the infield. At the finish, Cosner crossed the line almost two seconds ahead of Robinson. Alex Ferree was third ahead of Eddie Carrier and defending winner Michael Norris, who had started 18th and 19th in the field.
Bedford Labor Day 55: MATT COSNER, Ross Robinson, Alex Ferree, Eddie Carrier Jr., Michael Norris, Bryan Bernheisel, Brian Booze, Justin Weaver, Mason Zeigler, Dan Angelicchio, Spike Moore, Tyler Emory, Jared Miley, Rick Eckert, Deshawn Gingerich, Gregg Satterlee, Dylan Yoder, Dave Stamm, Coleby Frye, Nathan Lasalle, Jeff Rine, Matt Sponaugle, Danny Snyder, Daryl Charlier, Tim Smith Jr. DNQ Jim McBee, Brad Feight, Chuck Clise, Danny Kiento, Larry Neiderer, Travis Stickley, Gene Knaub
On Saturday the Zimmer Service Center ULMS Late Model Series rolled into Port Royal Speedway for the 19th annual Butch Renninger Memorial paying $7,333 to win in honor of one of the greats of The Speed Palace.
Gregg Satterlee capitalized on a front-row starting spot to pick up his record fourth ULMS Racing Series Butch Renninger Memorial Race Saturday night over Michael Norris, Austin Berry, Rick Eckert and Alex Ferree. The win was also his seventh ULMS win of the season. The win was Satterlee’s second of the season at the Speedway and was worth a race-record $7,333 in memory of the legendary Renninger.
Satterlee lined up from the pole position alongside of Berry and it was Satterlee getting the early jump to lead the opening lap. Third-place starter, Ferree, settled into the runner-up spot followed by Berry, Norris and Eckert.
Little changed over the opening 11 laps of the 33-lap feature event, until Jared Miley came to a slow exiting turn two to bring out the caution.
While Satterlee remained steady up front following the return to green-flag action, Berry was the benefactor of the restart as he slid by Ferree for the runner-up spot.
Eighth-place starter, Gary Stuhler, moved into the fifth position on the restart as well, while ninth-place starter Colton Flinner moved to sixth. It only took two more laps for Norris to dispatch of Ferree for the final podium spot and the driver of the No. 72 set his sights on Berry. Just past the halfway mark Norris made his move on Berry for the runner-up position and with 10 laps to go the margin between him and Satterlee was just 1.138 seconds.
Norris closed the gap several times over the final ten circuits, but Satterlee kept opening the distance throughout lapped traffic.
When the checkered flag dropped, Satterlee held a 1.552 advantage over Norris and the only thing left to do was to take a trip to victory lane to celebrate with the Renninger family. This was Satterlee sixth ULMS win in the last seven ULMS starts at the Speed Palace.
Flinner, Stuhler, fast-time award winner Hayes Mattern, Mason Zeigler and Tyler Emory completed the top ten. Ross Robinson finished 14th after starting 20th on the grid to earn the track’s Georges Used Cars Hard Charger Award.
Several other driver incentives were paid out thanks to various sponsors and the hard work and dedication of the Renninger family.
Butch Renninger Memorial Results- 1. Gregg Satterlee, 2. Michael Norris, 3. Austin Berry, 4. Rick Eckert, 5. Alex Ferree, 6. Colton Flinner, 7. Gary Stuhler, 8. Hayes Mattern, 9. Mason Zeigler, 10. Tyler Emory, 11. Dylan Yoder, 12. Donald Lingo Jr, 13. Coleby Frye, 14. Ross Robinson, 15. Jeff Rine, 16. Justin Weaver, 17. Chad Myers, 18. Nick Dickson, 19. Trevor Collins, 20. Jason Schmidt, 21. Danny Snyder, 22. Matt Cosner, 23. Matt Lux, 24. Jared Miley, 25. Dave Stamm
The final day oft the three day Labor Day weekend concluded at Selinsgrove Speedway with the 25 lap Ron Keister Memorial that was paying $11,052 to the winner. Rick Eckert of York, PA rebounded from his late race flat tire on Friday night to cash in on the Keister Memorial.
Front row starter Rick Eckert beat out polesitter Brett Schadel for the early lead in the Ron Keister Memorial for super late models. By the completion of the first lap, fourth-place starter Jeff Rine got by Schadel for the second spot.
Mason Zeigler’s car developed a flat tire on lap 11 and brought out the caution flag. When the race resumed, Eckert continued to set a torrid pace over Rine. With 10 laps to go, third-place starter Jim Bernheisel, who fell back a few spots, showed some speed and began to pressure Rine for the runner-up position.
On a lap 15 restart, J. Bernheisel passed by Rine for second only to have Rine secure the position again on lap 21. In the final laps Eckert stretched his lead and posted a four-second margin of victory over Rine, J. Bernheisel, Schadel, and seventh-place starter Coleby Frye.
Super Late Models – 23 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 0E Rick Eckert ($ 11, 052) 2) 2J Jeff Rine 3) 31 Jim Bernheisel 4) 22 Brett Schadel 5) F1 Coleby Frye 6) 10M Jared Miley 7) 119 Bryan Bernheisel 8) 27 Dylan Yoder 9) 3RK Daryl Charlier 10) 11 Deshawn Gingerich 11) 4S Danny Snyder 12) 9 Hayes Mattern 13) 2Y Andrew Yoder 14) 74 Randy Christine 15) 7 Meade Hahn 16) 63 Nathan Long 17) 92 Shaun Lawton 18) 55L Donald Lingo 19) 10 Dave Stamm 20) 9Z Mason Zeigler 21) 06 Mike Lupfer 22) G05 Paul Spear 23) 93 Cory Lawler
Heat Winners: Hayes Mattern, Jeff Rine, Rick Eckert
Time Trials: 1) 9 Hayes Mattern 19.597 2) 22 Brett Schadel 19.604 3) 119 Bryan Bernheisel 19.747 4) 10M Jared Miley 19.754 5) 2J Jeff Rine 19.769 6) 27 Dylan Yoder 19.793 7) 06 Mike Lupfer 19.849 8) 11 Deshawn Gingerich 19.949 9) 0E Rick Eckert 19.971 10) F1 Coleby Frye 20.005 11) 9Z Mason Zeigler 20.019 12) 3RK Daryl Charlier 20.031 13) 74 Randy Christine 20.042 14) 55L Donald Lingo 20.075 15) 31 Jim Bernheisel 20.173 16) 2 Andrew Yoder 20.330 17) 4S Danny Snyder 20.418 18) 10 Dave Stamm 20.481 19) 63 Nathan Long 20.622 20) 7 Meade Hahn 20.731 21) 92 Shaun Lawton 21.035 22) 93 Cory Lawler 21.216 23) G05 Paul Spear 21.255
United Late Model Series is proudly supported by Zimmer’s Service Center, Jay’s Auto Wrecking , Close Racing Supply, Precise Racing, Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic, Lias Tire, American Racer Tire, Chew on this Jerky, Insinger Performance, VP Race Fuels, DirtDefender, Genesis Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Shocks, Cousins Designs, Mary Norgrove Notary Public, Jays Automotive, Phantom Signs & Graphics, Accelo Race Wear, Hot Shoe RaceWear, and MACH Auto
pictures courtesy of Derek Bobik, Jason Walls,Rick Neff, Gary & Eileen Shrey
Press release – courtesy of tracks PR departments