Defending Freehold Ford Modified driving champion Steven Reed took a late race win in the 40-lap main event at Wall Stadium Speedway on Sept. 16. It was the third win of the year for the Jackson resident and his second victory in a row. Ricky Collins of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, was impressive as he rocketed to the lead at the outset. With no cautions to slow the race, Collins stretched an impressive lead as Reed, point-leader Jimmy Blewett of Howell and others worked their way to the front. The complexion of the race began to change in the final quarter as lapped cars came into play. As Collins wrestled with the lapped cars trying to get by, Reed and Blewett quickly gained ground and closed in. Then with just two laps to go, Collins went spinning from the top spot in turns one and two, and Reed was able to slip by and race on for the win. Blewett was second at the stripe, with Holmdel’s Andrew Krause, Derek Hopkinson of Toms River and Shaun Carrig of Little Falls wrapping up the top five. Collins recovered quickly for sixth place. Like many at the track, Reed was obviously thinking about race driver Ted Christopher, who passed away in a plane crash earlier in the day. “I feel like many of us tonight. Ted Christopher was a hero to me,” Reed said. “He would race anything anywhere. I’d like to dedicate this win to Ted.” Jake Nelke of Manahawkin raced to his first Snap On Sportsman win in his rookie season, holding off two-time champion Kevin Davison of Howell for the honor. Hard luck driver Kenny Green of Farmingdale actually led the race in the middle laps before a flat tire spoiled his night. Current point-leader Tyler Truex of Mayetta was third at the stripe, with Howell’s Eric Lane and Kyle Scisco of Jackson completing the top five. Wall’s Bob Haberstick raced to his third win of the campaign in the 25-lapper for the O’Shea’s Auto Repair Factory Stocks. Mike Montano of Fort Myers, Florida, moved into second in the closing laps, with point-leader Scott Riggleman of Manchester, Union’s Joey Helberg and Elliott Wohl of Beachwood finishing third through fifth. Point-leader Brian Osborn of Howell grabbed win No. 4 on the year in the 25-lapper for the Surfside Collision 4-Cylinder Stocks, moving to the front with 10 laps remaining. Jeff Loesch of Neptune City, Wall’s TJ Graves, Darren Burdge of Howell and early leader Darianne McLaren of Edison completed the top five finishers. Brian Doyle of Ronkonkoma, New York, extended his point lead by winning the 30-lapper for the Elite Maintenance Limited Late Models. Doyle dove to the inside lane and into the lead for good with six laps remaining. Defending champ Mike Tillett of Bayville was second, with Jackson’s Glen Conk placing third, Anthony Crimaldi of Port Monmouth finishing fourth and Bill Vanderveen of Toms River coming in at fifth. Racing returns Sept. 23 with “Pack the Track” action on tap with adult admission at just $10. The Snap On Sportsman cars, Factory Stocks, 4-Cylinder Stocks, Legend Cars and the Limited Late Models will all see feature race action. A Demolition Derby will also be contested, and fans can enjoy carnival games in the grandstand midway during the evening. The pit area will open at 1 p.m., with practice running from 3-5 p.m. Grandstands will open at 5 p.m. Qualifying starts at 5:45 p.m., and main event action starts at 7 p.m. More information on Wall Stadium and the 2017 Saturday night schedule can be obtained by visiting the website at wallspeedwayracing.com. Wall Stadium is located on Route 34 in Wall Township, just 1 mile north of Garden State Parkway exit 98 and Interstate 195 exit 35B. The speedway hotline number is 732-681-6400 and email address is [email protected].
