FRANKLIN, Pa. – Jared Miley won the rubber match in his personal race with Max Blair. Each had won races earlier in the weekend with the ULMS Late Model tour, with the other driver running second.
Miley got the bragging rights as a result of his win on Sunday night at Tri-City Raceway Park. Blair was second.
“Max is pretty good, especially in the area, so running second to him is pretty good, and we can beat him,” Miley noted.
When asked what he credits for his recent success, which included a win worth nearly $8,000 at another area speedway, Miley said, “I think that I got my rust knocked off as a driver. I am going pretty good right now.”
Miley started on the pole as a result of his quick time in the ULMS scramble. Boom Briggs lined up beside him, with Blair and Wyatt Scott in row two.
Miley pulled into the lead and he ran a smooth and consistent pace, mostly in the low groove around the speedway. The battle was for second, with Blair and Briggs swapping the spot several times in the early going. Blair grabbed the position for good by the midpoint of the 30-lapper.
While running third, Briggs suffered a mechanical failure on lap 24 and he retired from the race.
Miley was superb on each of the restarts and the final one was no different. He pulled away from Blair with ease and he maintained a safe margin for the rest of the way.
Darrell Bossard, a former Pro Stock champion at Tri-City in the early days of his career, came home third. Ryan Scott was fourth, with Deshawn Gingerich, the youngest driver in the field, getting fifth.
Wayne Weaver was the sixth and final finisher despite pitting twice for new tires. Briggs, Wyatt Scott, Tyler Dietz, and Logan Jaquay rounded out the top 10 based on laps completed.
Jaquay was driving a team car to Briggs.
The heat races for the ULMS Late Models went to Blair and Briggs. There was no B Main. The evening’s fastest qualifier was Blair, turning a lap of 17.443 seconds around the big half mile. Miley topped the ULMS scramble with a quick time of 18.291 seconds.
In the Allegheny Sprint Tour 305s, the evening started off with a make-up feature carried over from the 2020 season. Jacob Gomola was the winner. However, in the waning laps, his engine soured.
While he was able to make repairs to run the second feature, the car was not up to its winning standards.
Gomola started the first 15-lapper from the pole with Andy Cavanaugh on his right hip. Jimmy Morris and Kyle Colwell were in the second row, with Steve Cousins and Logan McCandless in the third row.
Gomola blasted out to the early lead, but Colwell challenged for second on the opening lap. As the race progressed, Gomola opened up a 10 car length advantage over Colwell, whose engine began to falter. Just before the halfway mark, it exploded on the front stretch.
That moved McCandless into the second spot for the restart, and he held that position the rest of the way. Andy Cavanaugh raced in third, with Morris nipping on his heels. Meanwhile, Tommy Jansen and Justin Clark diced for the fifth position.
At the checkers, it was Gomola, McCandless, Cavanaugh, Morris, and Jansen. Clark and Jared Rosencrance were the two remaining finishers. Colwell, Cousins, and Vivian Jones were scored next on the basis of laps completed.
Of note, it was the first 305 sprint car race for Jones, a former track champion in the region in the Modified Lite class. Unfortunately, engine problems sidelined her for the rest of the night.
In the regular feature for the Allegheny Sprint Tour, Andy Cavanaugh had the pole with Justin Clark next to him. Steve Cousins and Logan McCandless were in the second row, with Tom Jansen and Jim Morris in the third.
Clark dashed into the early lead, with Cavanaugh and McCandless giving chase. McCandless was using the high side, but it became his undoing with just three laps in the books. He went into the second corner too hot and spun. He kept going but fell to the rear of the field.
Clark completed the appointed rounds without interruption. Cavanaugh was second, with Morris crossing in third. Jared Rosencrance and Gomola put on a spirited battle for the fourth position, which changed hands several times in the last few laps. Rosencrance got the nod.
Jansen and McCandless were the final finishers. Cousins was scored in eighth based on laps completed.
In the night’s regular racing for the Allegheny Sprint Tour, the heat race winners were Cavanaugh and Clark. There was no B Main.
The finish:
ULMS Late Model A-Main (30 laps): Jared Miley, Max Blair, Darrell Bossard, Ryan Scott, Deshaun Gingerich, Wayne Weaver, Boom Briggs, Wyatt Scott, Tyler Dietz, Logan Jaquay, Matt Lux.