Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
Beating and banging, bouncing off each other, Dan Archibald and Matt Bentley put on a show for the fans in attendance at Sunset Speedway on Saturday night. At the end of the race, though, it was Archibald that’d get the win as he beat Bentley by a bumper. Archibald becomes the third different feature winner this season.
The night didn’t start off cleanly for Archibald, though, as he’d get loose while underneath Miles Tyson on Lap 2, followed by spinning around to face the other direction. Matt Bentley was then left with no place to go, making contact with Archibald. Both drivers were both able to keep going with Archibald being involved in a second incident when Herb Walters spun him on the last lap.
Jordan Howse picked up the win ahead of Tyson, Ryan Semple, Stan Coe, Bentley, Coltin Everingham, Walters, Ethan Constable, Dustyn Mombourquette and Archibald.
The second wasn’t much cleaner as Tyler Liscum stalled on Lap 1, collecting Justin Holmes and Ric Watson in a wreck behind him. Then Anthony DiBello brought out the second caution on Lap 3 when he went around in turn two. Frank Davey picked up the win ahead of Paul Allard, Brandon McFerran, Mike Weeda, Treyten Lapcevich, Holmes and DiBello.
Nick Troback won the final heat ahead of Jade Franklin, Stefan Semeraro, Ken Grubb, Johnny Morrison, Kendra Adams, John Latimer, Fedele DiBello and Ken Semkin.
Jordan Howse went for the daily double, winning the Fast Qualifier’s Dash ahead of Troback, Tyson, Franklin, McFerran, Semeraro, Allard, Weeda, Davey, Grubb and Coe.
The b-main didn’t go smoothly as Fedele DiBello slowed with a problem in turns three and four after contact with Ethan Constable on Lap 3. The caution then flew once again two laps later for debris. Bentley picked up the win ahead of Lapcevich, Morrison, Holmes, Archibald, Everingham, Anthony DiBello, Walters, Mombourquette, Adams, Semkin, Lisum, Latimer and Constable.
Come feature time, it’d be Treyten Lapcevich on pole ahead of Justin Holmes, Mike Weeda, Paul Allard, Stefan Semeraro, Stan Coe, Nick Troback, Ken Grubb, Frank Davey, Brandon McFerran, Matt Bentley, Jade Franklin, Jordan Howse, Dan Archibald, Miles Tyson, Johnny Morrison, Coltin Everingham, Anthony DiBello, Herb Walters, Dustyn Mombourquette, Kendra Adam, Ken Semkin, Tyler Liscum, John Latimer and Fedele DiBello.
Lapcevich put the No. 32 Springer Meats, Troy Cove Marine, Cathcart Trucking and Epic Racewear Super Stock out front on the start ahead of Holmes and Weeda, but the caution flew on Lap 3 for Troback spinning Semeraro in turn two, collecting Everingham and Mombourquette.
With 28 laps to go, Lapcevich led Holmes, Weeda, Allard, Coe, Grubb, Bentley, McFerran, Davey, Archibald, Howse, Franklin, Davey, Morrison, Anthony DiBello and Walters.
The first restart brought forth the second caution as Holmes ran into a problem.
The second restart was clean with Lapcevich holding down the lead ahead of Weeda as Coe and Allard battled for third. Coe got the spot on Lap 6, bringing Bentley and Archibald through with him. Allard now ran fifth ahead of Howse, McFerran, Davey and Franklin.
Bentley continued his climb forward, getting alongside Coe for third at Lap 9. He’d complete the pass a lap later, bringing Archibald through with him before the third caution flew at Lap 12 for Tyson breaking something in the front end. With 19 laps to go, Lapcevich led Weeda, Bentley, Archibald, Coe, Howse, McFerran, Franklin, Davey, Grubb, Morrison and Walters.
Lapcevich got a good restart to maintain the lead, while Archibald made the move to get into second. Archibald got alongside Lapcevich for the lead at Lap 14, putting the No. 07 Seaton Structures Super Stock out front, while Lapcevich battled Bentley for second.
Bentley got the second spot on Lap 17, just before the caution flew two laps later for Morrison suffering a flat tire. With 14 laps to go, Archibald led Bentley, Lapcevich, Weeda, Howse, Coe, McFerran, Franklin, Davey, Allard, DiBello, Grubb, Walters, Liscum and Adams.
Archibld got a good restart to keep the top spot ahead of Bentley and Lapcevich as Howse and Weeda battled for fourth. Howse got the spot on Lap 21 ahead of Weeda, as McFerran and Coe battled for sixth. Coe got the spot on Lap 22, with Franklin getting alongside McFerran for seventh. The caution then flew at Lap 25, though, for an incident involving Troback, Grubb and Semkin. Under the caution flag, Liscum headed down pit road.
The final five laps were the show the fans had been waiting for to see as Archibald and Bentley battled side-by-side. Some contact back and forth, a couple bumps here and there and the pair stayed in the same formation for the entire final five laps. When the checkered flag flew, it’d be Dan Archibald edging Bentley out by a bumper to pick up the win.
“That was some of the best racing I’ve ever had,” Archibald said. “We were side-by-side, beating and banging – but not wrecking.”
Archibald added big thanks to Seaton Structures as the company’s owner bought the car for the veteran and told him to go win with it.
“I’m going to keep working on it and I promise this is not the last win,” he added.
Jordan Howse finished third, followed by Treyten Lapcevich, Stan Coe, Mike Weeda, Jade Franklin, Frank Davey, Brandon McFerran, Stan Coe, Paul Allard, Stefan Semeraro, Kendra Adams, Anthony DiBello, John Latimer, Ken Semkin, Fedele DiBello, Ric Watson and Nick Troback.
