It’s been ten months since Hagerstown Speedway opened its 2009 season at the Race-A-Rama show at Hagerstown’s Valley Mall.

Unfortunately, that Saturday, February 21st  and the 28th race dates were abandoned due to the weather, but Josh Richards (late model) and Richie Pratt Jr.(big block modified)  drove to victory on opening day a week later. Only three other race dates were lost to the weather all season but included both the DIRT modified opener plus the PA Sprint Speedweek show.   

Each race for the championship titles was a weekly effort in each division as three drivers were swapping the lead for half of the season. Even then, it was far from over in the late model sportsman and pure stock division while the late model title was kept under wraps until the final race and final lap for Laurel, Md’s Roy Deese Jr. who defended his title successfully for the  seventh time. He won only once in an early season pre-point show. His championship was won by hard work and weekly consistency.

Kyle Lear of Severna Park, Md, maintained a marginal lead since late May until the finale for his career first Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic late model sportsman title, winning twice and also ending with victory in the non-point Small Car Nationals. Hagerstown’s Mike Warrenfeltz did the same after taking over on July 4 and scoring his fourth title in the Ernie D’s pure stocks. Warrenfeltz ended with two wins.

Deese was on his toes all season long after winning the early pre-point race. He then became entangled in a week by week up and down chase with Jim Yoder and Frankie Plessinger with Plessinger going on top by seven points heading into the 44-lap McBee/Hays double point finale event. With Deese ending eighth and Plessinger ninth, Deese secured his championship by one mere point.

“The way he ran the next to last points race, I thought ‘I don’t have a chance’”, Deese said. “I was prepared to congratulate him in victory lane. His car was always better at the end, and mine was at the beginning. He was gaining spots and I was losing. A couple more laps and he would have been the champion. I really enjoy Hagerstown. It was a joy to race with Frankie and Jim. We maintained friendships all year and raced each other hard.”  

The late model wins were spread over 15 different drivers sharing the 23 events as Jason Covert led in the win column with five triumphs including all three Three State Flyer’s events:  Shootout I and II (Red Nininger Memorial) and the Bonebrake Tribute. He was the Appalachian Speedweek winner and also scored the Ernie’s Special 25 win. 

Tim Fuller, Jeremy Miller, Marvin Winters and Andy Anderson were each two time winners. Fuller won both the Lucas Oil Schetrompf Classic and the second World of Outlaws event. Miller won both the Johnny Roberts Memorial and the Bowers/Durham Championship events while Winters had a point race win and added his name to the prestigious Hub City 150 win list. Andy Anderson was a two time point race winner.

Single wins went to Josh Richards (season opener), Deese, Nathan Durboraw, Plessinger, Steve Francis (World of Outlaws), Yoder, Brad Neat (career first Lucas Oil), Al Shawver Jr and Jamie Lathroum, (both career firsts) and Rick Eckert ended with the Octoberfest victory.      

There were 170 different drivers in competition throughout the season with an average of 25.5 cars for the 10 point events, 34.3 for the 23 overall evens and 44.3 in the six special/sanctioned events.

In the Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic late model sportsman division, Lear, a full time racer at Hagerstown since the 2005 season, ended a close week by week chase with three time defending champion Andy Fries in the Lear Family racer. He finished just 16 points behind Fries in 2007, had a mediocre 2008 year, but came on strong in 2009.

“We didn’t have the steady results we should have had last year but once we got on track, we ran through 2008 really well,” Lear said. “Last year ended so good that we carried our momentum into 2009. Championships are hard to come by anywhere but to get one at Hagerstown means even more in the world.”

There were 83 different drivers with an average of 27.8 cars in the 16 point events and 28.7 in the 17 overall events that included the Small Car Nationals. There were nine different winners as Ashley Barrett the leading winner for the second consecutive year with four including the Hoosier Daddy event. Lear followed with three including the Small Car Nationals while rookie Glenn Elliott also scored his career first plus two more. Fries had two scores while single wins went to Terry Flaherty, Pete Weaver, Wayne Walls Jr., Richard Walls and Steve Axtell Jr.

Driving the Todd Smith owned pure stock since 2000, Warrenfeltz also won the 2004 championship aboard the car. His earlier championships were in 1992 and 1997. He also ended the season with 74 career wins, a record that will unlikely never be beat.

“We worked hard this season and had a good year,” Warrenfeltz said. “We didn’t drop out of any races. We all get along and have been friends and worked together for years. I have a good bunch of guys I race against every week that try their hardest. I help them all I can but I can’t give all my secrets away.”

 Seventy four different drivers competed in the pure stock events with a 24.7 car average in the 15 point events and 26.2 in the 16 overall events. There were six winners with defending champion Stamberg leading the group with eight, two more than his last season effort and included the Cornett Tribute and Small Car National events. Warrenfeltz, Younker and Kenny Dillon each posted two wins apiece while Kevin Boyer and Dave Stouffer Jr. each scored their career first wins.

The enduro racers were on hand for their 30-lap events with “Krazy” Kenny Thomas taking three wins with two apiece for Mark Vegh and Kenny Thomas, who posted the 75-lap championship finale. Chris Ebersole was the only other winner.  

After the 410 sprints lost the season opener, the Keystone Cup Series on May 21st became the first event and was won by Stevie Smith. Chad Layton then wired the Octoberfest field to win that event for the second time and close the season.

Richie Pratt Jr (big block modified) and Matt Sheppard (small block) took the March Octoberfest qualifier events but Brett Hearn (big block) and Tim McCreadie (small block) were victorious in the 100-lap features several weeks ago.  

The (Silver Spring) super sportsman racers made their first appearance since 1999 as Chad Criswell made the best of the final two laps to score the 50-lap win as part of the Hub City program. Greg Gunter scored the four cylinder victory as part of the Small Car Nationals.  

For all the up to date news, the 2010 schedule, driver information and more, check out the speedway’s website