HANOVER, Pa.: Super Late Model driver Jason Covert has been in a pretty foul mood over the last three or four weeks.
It’s been a difficult 2020 season. The Coronavirus pandemic aside, Covert’s destroyed a few cars and hasn’t performed up to expectations.
So, when Covert rolled into Trail-Way Speedway Friday night for the Junior Eckert Memorial, he had plenty of motivation. Not only did Covert turn his season around, he had a chance to honor a friend.
Covert did both.
The York Haven, Pa., driver methodically made his way to the front and was the class of the field over the 50-lap affair, taking the victory by .616 seconds over Max Blair. Covert earned $6,000 for the ULMS-sanctioned win.
“It means a lot to me with Rick [Eckert], he’s the best here,” Covert said. “That boy is the best there is in the country, as far as regional [drivers] go. He makes us have to earn it. To beat him, I’ll tell you, that’s something.
“I knew Junior. He always smiled when you were around him. He meant a lot to the racing community. To win that memorial, it absolutely ranks as one of the top five wins of my life, and we had to earn it there.”
Wyatt Scott jumped out front on the start and led Blair to the stripe to complete Lap 1. Gregg Satterlee settled into third.
The first caution of the event occurred on the second circuit. Bryan Bernheisel, Andy Anderson, and Dan Stone came to rest in Turn 4. Dale Hollidge stopped on the backstretch on the restart.
When the race went back to green, Satterlee slipped under Blair for second in the first and second corner. One lap later, Anderson stopped again in Turns 1 and 2 and slowed Scott’s pace.
Covert, who started sixth on the grid, entered the mix on the restart. He surged past Blair for third and started to chase down the top two. Meanwhile, Satterlee made a bid under Scott as the frontrunners started to enter lapped traffic on the ninth circuit, but he couldn’t pull off the pass.
Larry Neiderer stopped in Turn 3 on the 14th circuit. Covert found speed on the restart and got by Satterlee for second. Satterlee’s night came to end three laps later, when he suffered motor problems.
Scott, Blair, and Covert were locked in a three-car battle for the lead after a Lap 20 caution. Covert held off Blair, and when Scott pulled off the track on Lap 25, he inherited the lead one lap later.
Covert caught the back of the field again on Lap 34. Blair closed, and the two raced .465 seconds apart. Three laps later, Covert was able to distance himself by 1.243 seconds.
Blair was left to battle with Rick Eckert for second. The two weaved in and out of lapped traffic on Lap 40, with Blair holding the position on Lap 42.
Covert was on cruise control, but he got held up by backmarkers. That allowed Blair to close to within .392 seconds with five laps remaining.
“We were lapping that one car for the third or fourth time, and he changed lanes on me here, and it broke all of my momentum, which let Max get back to me,” Covert said. “Again, lapping a guy for the fourth or fifth time and changing lanes in the middle of the straightaway.
“You always have to wonder where [Max] is going to be, but honestly, I wasn’t worried with him. I just needed to hit my marks and do the best I could.”
Covert’s best was good enough. He held off Blair in the closing stages of the event to take the sentimental victory.
Blair settled for second, with Eckert finishing on the podium. Ross Robinson and Kenny Moreland completed the top five.
“I want to thank the guys,” Covert said. “They worked their guts out tonight. We were terrible in time trials, we were terrible in the heat, terrible in whatever [the scramble], and honestly, they changed everything on the car and got it to where I could at least hang on to it.
“The weakness in this car is not the car, the weakness in this car is the driver. I’ve been in a pretty foul mood for about three weeks, four weeks ... everything we touched for three weeks, we destroyed. So, this week we turned it around, and we won this, so it’s great.”
In Limited Stock action, Robbie Carroll topped the field in the 20-Lap feature. He banked $1,000 in the event, which was sponsored by Dunn-Right Services, Nick Garage Etc., McDaniel Salvage, Short Fuze Fabrication, and JWE Remodeling and Roofing.
Chris Anderson stormed from eighth to finish second. Nick McDaniel, Shannon Weaver, and Justin Oberlin completed the top five.
Prize money totaled $2,305. Chad Weaver took home $225 for Hard Charger, thanks to JWE Remodeling and Roofing, Owen Fauth, Integrity Towing Company, and Atlantic Property Maintenance.
Trail-Way Speedway
Hanover, Pa.
Friday, July 24, 2020
For Immediate Release
ULMS Super Late Models
Feature (50 Laps): 1. 72-Jason Covert ($6,000); 2. 111-Max Blair; 3. 0-Rick Eckert; 4. 7-Ross Robinson; 5. 24M-Kenny Moreland; 6. 4-Gary Stuhler; 7. 06-Mike Lupfer; 8. 2L-Kyle Lee; 9. 14-Tyler Horst; 10. 33K-Devin Hart (Hard Charger); 11. 24-Dylan Yoder; 12. 119-Bryan Bernheisel; 13. 75-Jason Dobson; 14. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich (DNF); 15. X-Wyatt Scott (DNF); 16. 4S-David Scott (DNF); 17. 22-Gregg Satterlee (DNF); 18. 76-Andy Haus (DNF); 19. 121-Larry Neiderer (DNF); 20. 20-Doug Eck (DNF); 21. 25-Andy Anderson; 22. 0H-Dale Hollidge (DNF); 23. 2-Dan Stone (DNF); 24. 32J-Shaun Jones (DNF).
Lap Leaders: Max Blair (1-25), Jason Covert (26-50)
Super Late Models Group A Time Trials: 1. 111-Max Blair 15.294; 2. 119-Bryan Bernheisel 15.370; 3. 4S-David Scott 15.528; 4. X-Wyatt Scott 15.541; 5. 20-Doug Eck 15.557; 6. 0-Rick Eckert 15.586; 7. 25-Andy Anderson 15.736; 8. 32J-Shaun Jones 15.743; 9. 24-Dylan Yoder 15.973; 10. 14-Tyler Horst 16.349; 11. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich 16.376; 12. 75-Jason Dobson 16.403; 13. 67X-Craig Wagaman 16.599; 14. 121-Larry Neiderer 16.729; 15. 40-Tommy Slanker 17.720; 16. 6-Terry Gingerich 20.248.
Super Late Models Group B Time Trials: 1. 22-Gregg Satterlee 15.359; 2. 7-Ross Robinson 15.401; 3. 72-Jason Covert 15.663; 4. 0H-Dale Hollidge 15.716; 5. 2-Dan Stone 15.901; 6. 24M-Kenny Moreland 16.051; 7. 76-Andy Haus 16.113; 8. 2L-Kyle Lee 16.130; 9. 33K-Devin Hart 16.147; 10. 06-Mike Lupfer 16.328; 11. 4-Gary Stuhler 16.433; 12. 17-Jim McBee 16.599; 13. 2-Andrew Yoder 16.661; 14. 68-DJ Groft 19.118.
Super Late Model Heat 1 Finish (10 Laps): 1. X-Wyatt Scott; 2. 0-Rick Eckert; 3. 119-Bryan Bernheisel; 4. 14-Tyler Horst; 5. 75-Jason Dobson; 6. 32J-Shaun Jones; 7. 121-Larry Neiderer; 8. 6-Terry Gingerich.
Super Late Model Heat 2 Finish (10 Laps): 1. 20-Doug Eck; 2. 4S-David Scott; 3. 25-Andy Anderson; 4. 24-Dylan Yoder; 5. 67X-Craig Wagaman; 6. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich; 7. 40-Tommy Slanker (DNF).
Super Late Model Heat 3 Finish (10 Laps): 1. 7-Ross Robinson; 2. 0H-Dale Hollidge; 3. 24M-Kenny Moreland; 4. 2L-Kyle Lee; 5. 06-Mike Lupfer; 6. 17-Jim McBee; 7. 68-DJ Groft (DNS).
Super Late Model Heat 4 Finish (10 Laps): 1. 72-Jason Covert; 2. 2-Dan Stone; 3. 76-Andy Haus; 4. 4-Gary Stuhler; 5. 22K-Devin Hart; 6. 2-Andrew Yoder.
Super Late Model Scramble 1 Finish (2 Laps): 1. Wyatt Scott 14.714; 2. 111-Max Blair 15.087; 3. 20-Doug Eck 15.419
Super Late Model Scramble 2 Finish (2 Laps): 1. 7-Ross Robinson 15.140; 2. 22-Gregg Satterlee 15.251; 3. 72-Jason Covert 15.420.
Super Late Model Consolation Finish (12 Laps): 1. 06-Mike Lupfer; 2. 75-Jason Dobson; 3. 121-Larry Neiderer; 4. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich; 5. 33K-Devin Hart; 6. 2Y-Andrew Yoder; 7. 6-Terry Gingerich; 8. 67X-Craig Wagaman (DNF); 9. 32J-Shaun Jones (DNF); 10. 17-Jim McBee (DNF); 11. 40-Tommy Slanker (DNS).
LIMITED STOCKS
Feature (20 Laps): 1. 69-Robbie Carroll[2]; 2. 516-Chris Anderson[8]; 3. 15-Nick McDaniel[4]; 4. 5-Shannon Weaver[3]; 5. 88-Justin Oberlin[1]; 6. 81-Matt Chronister[5]; 7. 38-Jason Chronister[15]; 8. 18W-Robert Nicklow[9]; 9. 2-Chad Weaver[18]; 10. 21-Ricky Weaver Jr[19]; 11. H15-AJ Hoffner[20]; 12. 4-Carl Davis Jr[17]; 13. 32-Jeff Foster[21]; 14. 72-Gary Claypoole[16]; 15. 18T-Tyler Denike[22]; 16. (DNF) 405-Justin Williamson[14]; 17. (DNF) 99-Cody Klinedinst[7]; 18. (DNF) 95-Kenny Startzman[13]; 19. (DNF) 17-Carl Cassell[6]; 20. (DNF) 6-Matt Worley[11]; 21. (DNF) 00-Anthony Varner[24]; 22. (DNF) 509X-Lane Nye[23]; 23. (DNF) 77-Justin Mong[10]; 24. (DNF) 92-Terry Hartlaub[12]
Lap Leaders: Robbie Carroll (1-20)
Limited Stock Heat 1 Finish (6 Laps/Top 5 Qualify to A-Main): 1. 69-Robbie Carroll[2]; 2. 88-Justin Oberlin[3]; 3. 18W-Robert Nicklow[9]; 4. 95-Kenny Startzman[7]; 5. 4-Carl Davis Jr[1]; 6. 47R-Robert Rudisill Jr[8]; 7. 36-Kyle Warnick[6]; 8. (DNF) 77J-Jeff Erb[5]; 9. (DNS) 22-Chad Martin.
Limited Stock Heat 2 Finish (6 Laps/Top 5 Qualify to A-Main): 1. 516-Chris Anderson[1]; 2. 81-Matt Chronister[3]; 3. 17-Carl Cassell[2]; 4. 405-Justin Williamson[8]; 5. 2-Chad Weaver[6]; 6. 19-Tim Raup[7]; 7. 509X-Lane Nye[9]; 8. 00-Anthony Varner[5]; 9. (DNF) 70T-Jim Tyson[4].
Limited Stock Heat 3 Finish (6 Laps/Top 5 Qualify to A-Main): 1. 5-Shannon Weaver[1]; 2. 77-Justin Mong[2]; 3. 92-Terry Hartlaub[3]; 4. 38-Jason Chronister[6]; 5. 21-Ricky Weaver Jr[4]; 6. 32-Jeff Foster[7]; 7. 67C-Brandon Beachum[5]; 8. 18-Bailey Tolson[8].
Limited Stock Heat 4 Finish (6 Laps/Top 5 Qualify to A-Main): 1. 15-Nick McDaniel[2]; 2. 6-Matt Worley[4]; 3. 99-Cody Klinedinst[8]; 4. 72-Gary Claypoole[3]; 5. H15-AJ Hoffner[7]; 6. 18T-Tyler Denike[1]; 7. 8-Tyler Kline[5]; 8. (DNF) J6-Jason Jarvis[6].
Limited Stock Consolation Finish (6 Laps/Top 4 Qualify to A-Main): 1. 32-Jeff Foster[3]; 2. 18T-Tyler Denike[4]; 3. 509X-Lane Nye[6]; 4. 00-Anthony Varner[10]; 5. 8-Tyler Kline[8]; 6. 19-Tim Raup[2]; 7. 67C-Brandon Beachum[7]; 8. 47R-Robert Rudisill Jr[1]; 9. 18-Bailey Tolson[11]; 10. J6-Jason Jarvis[12]; 11. (DNF) 36-Kyle Warnick[5]; 12. (DNS) 77J-Jeff Erb; 13. (DNS) 22-Chad Martin; 14. (DNS) 70T-Jim Tyson
Photo Credit: Tim Basehore (WRT Speedwerx)
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