Hemric Scores Clean Sweep at LegendStock 2009

Current INEX Asphalt Pro division national points leader Daniel Hemric made the twelve-hour trip from North Carolina to Bethel (NY) Motor Speedway for LegendStock 2009 looking to go home with a $1,500 payday and a three-foot tall guitar-shaped trophy. Hemric not only won the race, but essentially scored a sweep of the day’s activities, as he recorded the fastest time in hot laps, set fast time in time trials, and won his heat race before the A-main hit the speedway.

Of the 30 cars signed in for LegendStock 2009, Hemric was the only one to post sub-15 second lap times all day, although seven-time 2009 Bethel Motor Speedway Legends feature winner Mike Alcaro was hot on his heels throughout the afternoon. The two ran lap times that were consistently within less than a tenth of a second of one another.

Hemric was among the first cars to time trial, and none of those who followed – including 2008 New Jersey State Asphalt Semi-Pro champion Alcaro (now a Pro division contender) – were able to unseat the 18-year-old driver from North Carolina once he had set fast time. Alcaro was the second fastest, followed by last year’s LegendStock winner Michael Gervais, 2008 Waterford (CT) Speedbowl Wednesday night Legends champion Jason Palmer, and Long Island ’s John Beatty. Beatty posted the fastest lap time of the Semi-Pro drivers on hand.

Hemric went on to lead his heat race from flag to flag, taking down the win by a comfortable margin. Other heat race winners were Alcaro, Gervais, and Palmer.

After both Glenn Maningo and Tom Gray scratched from the B-main, seven cars took to the speedway for the 15-lap B-main, from which four cars would transfer to the A-main. Justin Grim led the entire event, and collected the win. Anthony Cacioppo, Joe Graf, and Joe Fresco grabbed the final transfer spots.

The top eight cars were inverted for the feature, putting LegendStock 2008 Masters division winner Tim Brockhouse on the pole for the start of the race, with Young Lions driver Dusty Summers on his outside. Hemric started the feature in eighth.

Brockhouse quickly got out front on the start as Sommers settled into second with Coss behind him. His run was short-lived, however, as a multi-car incident at the entrance to turn one on lap two resulted in a lengthy caution period. Hemric had gained one position in the opening laps, and was on the track in seventh.

Brockhouse and Sommers restarted on the front row, with Coss and Palmer in the row behind them. Brockhouse again took off from the pole, and Coss grabbed second. Hemric took advantage of being on the inside line, and he worked his way into the top five.

The next caution came on lap nine, for an incident involving five cars, including Alcaro. Only two of the cars pitted, and the rest rejoined the rear of the field. Brockhouse and Coss took off side-by-side on the restart, but Joey Mattis had a problem on the restart, and the yellow came back out.

On the restart, Coss again challenged Brockhouse from the outside. Further back in the field, Tom Rogers spun but corrected it. No caution was thrown as the battle for the lead widened, involving not only Brockhouse and Coss, but Hemric as well. Rogers spun again on lap 23, drawing the caution.

The single-file restart saw Brockhouse out front, with Coss and Hemric in tow. Hemric wasted no time in making an inside pass to take second from Coss, and he glued himself right to Brockhouse’s rear bumper. Brockhouse and Hemric pulled away from the rest of the field, with Hemric looking to the inside of Brockhouse for the lead. Brockhouse was still holding on to the lead when the caution flew on lap 29 for Anthony Cacioppo.

This set up a six-lap shootout for the win, and Brockhouse took off from the pole. Palmer had joined the fray, and Brockhouse, Hemric, and Palmer ran nose-to-tail. Hemric again nosed to the inside of Brockhouse, and Hemric was able to move out front as the leaders approached lapped traffic. Palmer followed Hemric to grab second. Hemric put himself solidly out front, and had built a sizeable lead by the time he passed under the checkered flag to grab the win. Palmer was second, with Brockhouse third. Gervais and Summers rounded out the top five. Hemric was the Pro division winner, while Brockhouse repeated as the Masters division winner for the second consecutive year. Summers was the Young Lions division winner, and Coss was the winner for the Semi-Pro division.

Andrew Bickford took down the win in the Bandolero feature, after starting on the outside pole, and putting his car out in front of polesitter Joseph Graf Jr. at the drop of the green. Just prior to the halfway point of the event, AJ Hamilton worked her way into the second spot. The caution flew just after half of the laps had been completed, as Graf Jr.’s car came to a stop in turn two. On the restart, Bickford again got out front. Hamilton settled into second, and Graf Jr. worked his way back into the third spot. Bickford went on to claim the win, followed by Hamilton and Graf Jr.

Legends Feature Finish (35 laps): 1. Daniel Hemric, 2. Jason Palmer, 3. Tim Brockhouse, 4. Michael Gervais, 5. Dusty Summers, 6. Mike Alcaro, 7. Roger Coss, 8. Joey Mattis, 9. John Beatty, 10. Ron Poley, 11. Matt Maring, 12. Anthony Cacioppo, 13. Joe Fresco, 14. Shaun Buffington, 15. Kevin Nowak, 16. Malcolm Campbell, 17. Russ Bailey, 18. Johnnie Gloor IV, 19. Joe DeGracia, 20. Michael Blaskey, 21. Mike Carroll, 22. Justin Grim, 23. Joe Graf. DQ – Tom Rogers.

Bandolero Feature Finish (10 laps): 1. Andrew Bickford, 2. AJ Hamilton, 3. Joseph Graf Jr., 4. Mikey Policastro.