YORK HAVEN, PA - Chase Billet was fast throughout the 2020 racing season, but he didn’t seem to have the good fortune needed to pile up wins.
That’s changed this year. Not only is Billet the fastest car in the 358 Late Model division at BAPS Motor Speedway, things are going his way ... especially in the higher paying events at the speedway.
None was bigger than Saturday’s Creekside Auto Sales/Hoffer Paving Late Model 50. Billet took the lead on the opening lap and dominated the field, earning his first career win in the prestigious event by a hefty 3.07 seconds.
“I’ve been close to winning the 50 lapper,” said Billet after his fourth win of the season. “I don’t know how many of these things I’ve led. I would take the lead and a caution would come out, I would blow up ... I should have five or six 50-lap wins, and finally, we were able to hold it together for one tonight.”
Holding it together is an understatement. Billet was never challenged throughout the entire race distance.
Joey Hoffer lined up on the pole with Billet to his outside. Terry Gingrich spun on the opening lap in Turn 1, but that only postponed the inevitable.
Billet got the jump on the second attempt at a start and took a commanding lead. The only thing that slowed his pace was the seven caution periods.
“The car drove itself tonight,” Billet said. “I was just along for the ride. We were hooked up, and I couldn’t do anything wrong.
“I knew the track was fast and locked down. This is the fastest feature track I’ve seen here in a long time, if ever. So, I knew starting on the outside pole that I needed to get the lead and get in clean air and just let them sit. That’s what we did tonight.”
The red flag was thrown on Lap 3 for Travis Mease, Jennifer Lesher, and Kyle Nicholas. Another red flag period occurred on Lap 27, when Shawn Miller flipped. He was OK.
Through all the breaks, Billet was the class of the field. Jed Latahsw was able to show his nose to the leader in Turn 1 on the last restart for a debris on Lap 32, but Billet blasted around the top and pulled away with ease over the last 18 circuits.
“I could peak at the Jumbotron coming down the frontstretch, so I knew we had a pretty good lead,” Billet said. “I could kind of take my time. The 711 [Jennifer Lesher[ got a little squirrely going down the backstretch and kind of scared me, but she held it together, and we got through it.
“We were fast all last year, but luck has been more on our side this year. We’ve been fast when it mattered and lucky when it mattered most.”
Latshaw started sixth and finished second in the main event. Ben Whitaker earned Hard Charger honors, advancing from 12th to third. Wayne Pfeil and Matt Murphy completed the top five. Bobby Beard set fast time for the event with a lap of 17.891.
In the BAPS Super Sportsman main event, Jay Fannasy made a furious late charge to blow by Russ Mitten and Troy Rhome and claim the 25-Lap feature.
Rhome started second and beat Nate Young to lead Lap 1. He held the top spot for the first 22 laps, holding off eighth-starting Russ Mitten the second half of the event.
As for Fannasy, he started sixth and was running third. After a Lap 21 caution for Matt Ondek’s flat tire, Fannasy rocketed around both Mitten and Rhome and took the lead by the completion of Lap 23.
Once out front, Fannasy stretched his advantage and took the checker 1.132 seconds ahead of Rhome and Mitten. Timmie Barrick and Scott Dellinger completed the top five. Tyler Wolford started 21st and ran sixth, earning Mac Tools Hard Charger honors.
Hunter Fulton took the lead on the 18th circuit and cruised to victory in the Superior Homes Extreme Stock main event.
Howard Williams led the first four laps before Chase Rehbein took over and led the next four circuits. Tim Berkheimer started eighth and took his turn at the front on Lap 9 and appeared to have the win in his pocket.
That changed on Lap 18. Fulton surged into the lead and led the final three laps to claim the win by 1.554 seconds over Patrick McClane, Berkheimer, Bob Scott Jr., and Donnie Broderick.
In Street Stock action, Eric Tripp started third and won a fierce battle with Ryan Smith for the win in the 20-Lap affair.
Smith led the first lap before Jasen Geesaman wrestled the lead away. Smith retook the lead on Lap 10, but Tripp was too good down the stretch and earned the win.
CREEKSIDE AUTO SALES/HOFFER PAVING LATE MODEL 50
Late Model Feature (50 Laps): 1. 22-Chase Billet[2]; 2. 25-Jedadiah Latshaw[6]; 3. 13X-Ben Whitaker (Hard Charger)[12]; 4. 72-Wayne Pfeil[5]; 5. 21M-Matt Murphy[7]; 6. 711-Jennifer Lesher[15]; 7. 15-Jared Miller[8]; 8. NINEX-Ross Leinbach[9]; 9. 48-Kyle Nicholas[14]; 10. (DNF) 99-Chad Smith[10]; 11. (DNF) 115S-Shaun Miller[3]; 12. (DNF) 42-Bobby Beard[4]; 13. (DNF) 11-Joey Hoffer[1]; 14. (DNF) 6-Terry Gingerich[13]; 15. (DNF) 116-Travis Mease (Hard Luck Award)[19]; 16. (DNS) NINE-Randy Stoudt; 17. (DNS) 115-Troy Miller; 18. (DNS) ONE-Chuck Schutz; 19. (DNS) 1T-Tim Murphy; 20. (DQ) 20-Colin Knaub[11]
Lap Leaders: Chase Billet (1-50)
Late Model Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 22-Chase Billet[4]; 2. 72-Wayne Pfeil[2]; 3. 21M-Matt Murphy[1]; 4. 11-Joey Hoffer[3]; 5. 99-Chad Smith[6]; 6. 13X-Ben Whitaker[8]; 7. 6-Terry Gingerich[10]; 8. (DNF) NINE-Randy Stoudt[7]; 9. (DNS) 116-Travis Mease; 10. (DNS) 1T-Tim Murphy
Late Model Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 115S-Shaun Miller[3]; 2. 25-Jedadiah Latshaw[8]; 3. 15-Jared Miller[5]; 4. NINEX-Ross Leinbach[10]; 5. 20-Colin Knaub[6]; 6. 42-Bobby Beard[4]; 7. 48-Kyle Nicholas[9]; 8. 711-Jennifer Lesher[7]; 9. (DNF) 115-Troy Miller[2]; 10. (DNF) ONE-Chuck Schutz[1]
Late Model Qualifying 1 (3 Laps): 1. 22-Chase Billet, 00:18.287[7]; 2. 11-Joey Hoffer, 00:18.299[2]; 3. 72-Wayne Pfeil, 00:18.448[10]; 4. 21M-Matt Murphy, 00:18.559[1]; 5. 116-Travis Mease, 00:18.897[8]; 6. 99-Chad Smith, 00:18.993[4]; 7. NINE-Randy Stoudt, 00:19.043[3]; 8. 13X-Ben Whitaker, 00:19.131[5]; 9. 1T-Tim Murphy, 00:19.973[6]; 10. 6-Terry Gingerich, 00:20.864[9]
Late Model Qualifying 2 (3 Laps): 1. 42-Bobby Beard, 00:17.891[4]; 2. 115S-Shaun Miller, 00:18.564[1]; 3. 115-Troy Miller, 00:18.636[2]; 4. ONE-Chuck Schutz, 00:18.665[9]; 5. 15-Jared Miller, 00:18.786[8]; 6. 20-Colin Knaub, 00:19.003[5]; 7. 711-Jennifer Lesher, 00:19.124[7]; 8. 25-Jedadiah Latshaw, 00:19.314[3]; 9. 48-Kyle Nicholas, 00:19.548[10]; 10. NINEX-Ross Leinbach[6]
BAPS SUPER SPORTSMAN
Super Sportsman Feature (25 Laps): 1. 360-Jay Fannasy[6]; 2. 00-Troy Rhome[2]; 3. 77-Russ Mitten[8]; 4. 7-Timmie Barrick[3]; 5. 30-Scott Dellinger[9]; 6. 25-Tyler Wolford (Mac Tools Hard Charger)[21]; 7. 8M-Chris Meleason[12]; 8. 1A-Chase Gutshall[7]; 9. 17J-Tony Jackson[11]; 10. 3B-Mike Enders[16]; 11. 14-Nate Young[1]; 12. 8-Rich Eichelberger[4]; 13. 318-Davey Walsh[15]; 14. 38-Allan Hallman[18]; 15. 21R-Jamie Rickert[19]; 16. (DNF) 2M-Matt Ondek[14]; 17. (DNF) 35-John Edkin[5]; 18. (DNF) 70D-Frankie Herr[10]; 19. (DNS) 75-Kenny Edkin; 20. (DNS) 16R-Ryan Rutz; 21. (DNS) 22-Daniel John; 22. (DNS) 71K-Glen Keller Jr
Lap Leaders: Troy Rhome (1-23), Jay Fannasy (24-25)
Super Sportsman Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 8-Rich Eichelberger[4]; 2. 1A-Chase Gutshall[6]; 3. 00-Troy Rhome[3]; 4. 35-John Edkin[5]; 5. 75-Kenny Edkin[7]; 6. 318-Davey Walsh[8]; 7. 71K-Glen Keller Jr[1]; 8. 21R-Jamie Rickert[2]
Super Sportsman Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 77-Russ Mitten[6]; 2. 30-Scott Dellinger[7]; 3. 14-Nate Young[2]; 4. 7-Timmie Barrick[3]; 5. 2M-Matt Ondek[5]; 6. 3B-Mike Enders[4]; 7. 38-Allan Hallman[1]
Super Sportsman Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 360-Jay Fannasy[5]; 2. 8M-Chris Meleason[2]; 3. 70D-Frankie Herr[7]; 4. 17J-Tony Jackson[6]; 5. (DNF) 16R-Ryan Rutz[1]; 6. (DNF) 25-Tyler Wolford[4]; 7. (DNF) 22-Daniel John[3]
SUPERIOR HOMES EXTREME STOCKS
Extreme Stocks Feature (20 Laps): 1. 7F-Hunter Fulton[6]; 2. 79-Patrick McClane[7]; 3. 50-Tim Berkheimer[8]; 4. 47-Bob Scott Jr[3]; 5. 97-Donnie Broderick[5]; 6. LAZY8-John Wright[2]; 7. 41-Howard Williams[1]; 8. 7J-Jordan Fulton[10]; 9. 64-Brandon Wanner[9]; 10. 12-Jake Markey[12]; 11. (DNF) 23-Taylor Bear[11]; 12. (DNF) 97J-Richard Daughtrey[14]; 13. (DNF) 45-Ernest Posey[15]; 14. (DNS) 33-Michael Goodwin; 15. (DNS) 25-Andrew Hogue; 16. (DQ) 54-Chase Rehbein[4]
Lap Leaders: Howard Williams (1-4), Chase Rehbein (5-8), Tim Berkheimer (9-17), Hunter Fulton (18-20)
Extreme Stock Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 79-Patrick McClane[1]; 2. 97-Donnie Broderick[4]; 3. LAZY8-John Wright[2]; 4. 41-Howard Williams[5]; 5. 64-Brandon Wanner[6]; 6. 23-Taylor Bear[7]; 7. 45-Ernest Posey[3]; 8. (DNF) 33-Michael Goodwin[8]
Extreme Stock Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 7F-Hunter Fulton[3]; 2. 54-Chase Rehbein[1]; 3. 50-Tim Berkheimer[5]; 4. 47-Bob Scott Jr[7]; 5. 7J-Jordan Fulton[4]; 6. 12-Jake Markey[8]; 7. 97J-Richard Daughtrey[2]; 8. (DNF) 25-Andrew Hogue[6]
STREET STOCKS
Street Stock Feature (20 Laps): 1. 543-Eric Tripp[3]; 2. 59-Ryan Smith[1]; 3. 52W-Jasen Geesaman[5]; 4. 64-Stan Wanner[4]; 5. 97-John Snesavage III[14]; 6. (DNF) 81-Eric Hollenbach[7]; 7. (DNF) 7P-Jim Palm[13]; 8. (DNF) 55-Brian Rehbein[6]; 9. (DNF) 14-Kyle Saylor[2]; 10. (DNF) 181-Butch Helsel[8]; 11. (DNF) 0-Bryan Bowersox[9]; 12. (DNS) 18-Bailey Tolson; 13. (DNS) 25-Matt Wampler; 14. (DNS) 48B-Dave Radabaugh
Lap Leaders: Ryan Smith (1), Jasen Geesaman (2-9), Smith (10-18), Eric Tripp (19-20)
Street Stock Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 55-Brian Rehbein[1]; 2. 64-Stan Wanner[2]; 3. 14-Kyle Saylor[4]; 4. (DNF) 18-Bailey Tolson[7]; 5. (DNF) 25-Matt Wampler[5]; 6. (DNF) 48B-Dave Radabaugh[3]; 7. (DNF) 7P-Jim Palm[6]
Street Stock Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 52W-Jasen Geesaman[3]; 2. 543-Eric Tripp[6]; 3. 59-Ryan Smith[1]; 4. 81-Eric Hollenbach[5]; 5. 181-Butch Helsel[4]; 6. 0-Bryan Bowersox[2]; 7. (DNF) 97-John Snesavage III[7]
- administrator on Aug 23, 2021
- Article Date: 8/23/2021 by BAPS Motor Speedway