Bedford race report

BEDFORD, PA - Lance Dewease won his first career feature at Bedford Speedway in 1987. Wednesday night at The Fabulous Bedford Speedway in the All Star sprint 30-lap All Star vs. NCRA Eastern Showdown opening feature, Dewease repeated that feat after a wheel banging pass of Chad Kemenah.

"It was a little tough to pass earlier in the night," Dewease recalled, standing beside his Don Ott powered J&J which rode on American Racer tires. "But the track widened out in the feature. I found a good line through three and four and Chad missed it one time and gave me an opening and I was fortunate enough to get by him." He then thanked the All Stars for putting on the show, and thanked the NCRA drivers for coming a long way to race here.

All Star points leader Kemenah started on the ButlerBuilt Hot Seat pole with Ed Lynch, Jr. alongside, then next were Byron Reed and Fred Rahmer in row two. Dewease and Curt Michael comprised row three. Kemenah jumped out to the immediate lead over Rahmer before a lap two yellow for a three car tangle in turn three involving Mike Wagner, Mark Smith and Greg Wilson. Kenny Jacobs also stopped on the track under the caution with a flat tire, sending him to the rear of the pack after a tire change as Smith and Wilson were forced pitside.

Kemenah jumped out to a big lead over Rahmer following the restart, with Lynch third and Dewease fourth. Dewease began to challenge Lynch on lap six, and on lap seven, Lynch's machine suffered mechanical failure, sending Lynch coasting to a stop in turn three for another caution, which put Dewease into third.

Dewease applied heavy pressure to Rahmer after the restart as Kemenah still led, and on lap 10 Dewease pulled a classic slide job off turn four to slide under Rahmer for second. Kemenah entered lapped traffic on lap 15, with the running order Kemenah, Dewease, Rahmer, Reed, Travis Rilat up from seventh, ninth starting Greg Hodnett and 12th starter Jason Johnson.

Dewease pulled right up to the leader's back bumper on lap 16, and exiting turn four Dewease pulled another slide job, banging wheels with Kemenah to emerge with the lead on lap 17. Dewease still had the lead when NCRA points leader Gary Wright stopped on the track for a lap 17 caution. Greg Hodnett went pitside with a flat under this caution dropping him from eighth to the tail, and a lap later Brian Ellenberger and Mike Goodman tangled, bringing out yet another yellow, which was turned into a red flag fuel stop.

With a dozen laps to go, Dewease led when the red changed to green as Rahmer went high off turn four to take second from Kemenah on the next circuit. Dewease pulled out to a full straightaway lead as the battle for fourth heated up amongst Travis Rilat, Dean Jacobs and Jason Johnson. With five to go, Rilat and Johnson were side by side and ran that way the final five laps, trading positions each turn. Curt Michael dropped a driveline on lap 28 for the event's final caution, dropping him out of sixth place.

Dewease pulled away to lead the final two laps, with Rahmer holding off Kemenah for third. Johnson passed Reed and Rilat to snare fourth on the last lap, with Reed holding on for fifth and Rilat sixth.

Keith Kauffman finished seventh, ahead of Dean Jacobs, 17th starting Danny Smith and 13th starter Sean Michael. Feature winner Dewease also earned the $100 TW Metals nightly cash bonus.

"We were just off a little bit tonight," Runner-up Rahmer said. "But Lance did a good job."

The K-T Equipment heat went to Mike Goodman, the JB Enterprise Racing Products heat to Danny Smith, the Crown Battery heat to Mike Wagner and the Engler Machine & Tool heat fell to Brook Weibley. Travis Rilat captured the Haulmark Dash. Curt Michael set a new track record in time trials at 17.398 seconds over the 34 car field which included seven NCRA drivers and he won the B Main. Jerrod Hull suffered a flat while running in a transfer spot in the B Main and restarted on the tail. He missed transferring to the A by one spot and started the main as a provisional starter.