United Late Model Series returns to MCR
Jeremy Perry – Smethport, PA – Photo Credit: A&S Mobile Photography
Rain or Shine, the show must go on and go on it did. Tonight’s United Late Model Series event was a huge success, with a packed house and all eight feature races completed despite rain being all around the fairgrounds.
For the first time since Oct 2nd, 2021, the United Late Model Series made its return to McKean County Raceway. A stout field of 19 Super Late Models come from all over the region. Early in the day, Drake Troutman had no plans on running at MCR, with a Lucas Oil Late Model race scheduled at Portsmouth. That all changed as Portsmouth decided to pull the plug and cancel the night’s events, allowing Troutman to make the tow to the fairgrounds then. Troutman pulled into the pits at 6:30 pm, giving him 30 minutes to prepare for hot laps and qualifying. Drake Troutman started out his perfect night by setting quick time during qualifying with a lap of 15.766. Troutman then went on to win his heat race in dominating fashion. Dylan Lewis and Michael Lake led the field to green. On lap one, Tyler Emory jumped the berm, bringing out the caution and making him restart in the 17th position. Michael Lake took the lead early on, working the bottom and opening the door for Troutman to work the high side. The two worked side by side for multiple laps until Troutman took the point. Ryan Montgomery and Lake then battled out for second for who had a chance to run down Troutman. On Lap nine, Montgomery finally got by Lake, hoping he could finally have a chance to reel in Troutman. The yellow flag flew on lap 12 for Lewis, setting up Montgomery for a shot at Troutman. Even after the restarts, Troutman proved to be too powerful, pulling away every time and making the field battle for second. After restarting 17th, Emory came home with a good rebound to grab 5th. But the night was all about Troutman as he set quick time, won his heat, and won the ULMS feature race, picking up the $4,000 payday.
Addi Chamberlain and Jake Skinner led the Troups Creek Heating Kids Mini Stock class to green. Chamberlain and Chase Tidd had trouble sending both Mini stocks to the pits early, ending their night. That set up the race that everyone is familiar with in Khloe Griffin Vs Skinner. Skinner took the lead early on until he got a little sideways in three and four, allowing Griffin to make her move the outside. Griffin led the rest of the way picking up her third feature win on the season.
The NY6A Hoosier 600 Sprint Tour visited MCR for the first time during the 2024 season. Cameron Wise and Eric Wise brought the field to green. After a lap one caution, the field started putting down laps, with Eric Wise pulling away early. After running ten straight green flag laps, Pete Coffey made his way to the front. Coffey finally got by Cameron Wise with three laps to go, and on lap thirteen, he ran the fastest lap of the night in the division with a 16.351. Even with Coffey running extremely fast lap times, he ran out of time, and Eric Wise won the NY6A feature event.
The Beaver Trucking and Excavating Sharp Mini Late Models took the stage next. The story so far this year is that four feature races have been run, and we’ve had four different winners. Josh Outman wanted to make it five different winners in five different events. Outman missed out in the redraw as he finished 4th in the heat race, which set him up deep on the starting grid. Before they could complete 4 laps, there had already been three cautions and now Outman had himself set up in prime position to battle for the win. Chris Whyte and Outman battled for multiple restarts and multiple laps before, finally, Outman took the lead at the halfway mark. Outman was on cruise control, looking to be the fifth different winner on the season, until he came to the two-to-go signal. A big puff of white smoke came flying out of Outman’s machine, but he was able to keep power. Outman took the white flag, and by the time they got to the backstretch, he had now lost all power. Whyte capitalized on the misfortune and picked up his second feature win at the fairgrounds in 2024.
Zain Harvey has been at McKean County Raceway all season long. In three nights of racing, he has won every race he competed in. Three heat race wins and three feature wins. Early in the night, Harvey picked up his fourth heat race win of the 2024 season, putting him in the redraw. Harvey drew the worst pill possible starting 9th on the field in the Kane Stebbins Construction Rush Pro Mods. Nick Arnold and Chad Silleman led the field to green, and Silleman took control early on. After multiple cautions with multiple restarts by lap twelve, Harvey found himself up to third, but that is about where it would end for Harvey as Silleman was near perfect every lap and every turn, picking up his first feature win in his first visit to McKean County Raceway in 2024.
The Costa’s Super Market Pure Stocks was arguably the most entertaining feature race of the evening. Mike Parmenter and Bruno Mowery started on the front row. Parmenter got the lead early on and faced multiple attempts by Mowery to get the lead back. On lap four, Mowery finally got by Parmenter, but before a lap could be completed, the yellow flag flew, giving the lead back to Parmenter. A delaware double file restart came next, and Mowery picked the bottom, which proved costly as Zach Hamer made a power move on the restart, taking over the second-place position. After another caution, the field would be stacked up again, this time creating a little more chaos up front. Mowery contacted Parmenter, slowing the two cars down and allowing Hamer to get the run he was looking for, taking over the lead. Hamer then started flirting with going over the backstretch before it finally bit him as he went too far over the backstretch, allowing Mowery to take control of the race yet again. With three laps to go, Hamer was doing everything he could to try and get to victory lane for the first time in 2024, even contacting Mowery a couple of times. Mowery fought off the competition and picked up his fourth win of the season at the fairgrounds.
The Final feature of the night was the Nittany Mini Mart Mini Stocks. It was all Trever Putt all the time on Friday night, as he never faced a threat during the 15-lap event. That didn’t mean there was a shortage of racing. Preston Cobb, Ridge Cobb, and Kurt Babock were in a fierce battle early on, going wide multiple times with each other while battling for Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth. The red flag came out on lap ten as Kevin Bacon took some hard contact in turn one. Bacon exited the car but seemed to be in pain. After a lap eleven restart, Putt pulled away yet again, picking up his third feature win of the season at McKean County Raceway.
Next week, the fairgrounds at McKean County Raceway will go silent as there is no racing. Racing will resume on Friday, July 19th, with autograph night. It’s a night you won’t want to miss. For up-to-date information, including point standings and results, check out our Facebook page or our website McKeanCounty-Raceway.com
Troups Creek Heating Kids Mini Stocks feature (12 laps) – KHLOE GRIFFIN, Jake Skinner, Addi Chamberlain, Chase Tidd
No heat races.
NY6A Hoosier 600 Sprint Tour feature (15 laps) – ERIC WISE, Pete Coffey, Cameron Wise, Karsten Petti, Shane Trout, Matt Foster, Jerry Gurney
Heat race winner – Cameron Wise
United Late Model Series feature (30 laps) – DRAKE TROUTMAN, Michael Lake, Ryan Montgomery, Logan Zarin, Tyler Emory, Greg Oakes, Jason Genco, Doug Eck, Garrett Mott, Jon Rohacevich, Bump Hedman, Mike Smith, Dave Stamm, Wesley McCray, Dylan Lewis, Nicholas Eck, Andy Boozel, Kevin Smith, Douglas Eck.
Heat race winners – Drake Troutman, Michael Lake, & Ryan Montgomery
PA Thunder on Dirt Vintage Modified feature (15 laps) -WALLY STOCK, Bryan Rhinestone, Steve Longo, Roger Williams, Vincenzo Fiollo, Brent Williams-DNS
Beaver Trucking and Excavating Sharp Mini Late Models feature (15 laps) – CHRIS WHYTE, Jesse Isadore, Travis Asel, Rob Eaton, CJ Sherwood, Carson Wonderling, Donovan Sevrey, Val Learn, Josh Outman, Rick Isadore, Brandon Blauser, Terry Mealy
Heat race winners – Chris Whyte & Rick Isadore
Kane Stebbins Construction Rush Pro Mods feature (20 laps) – CHAD SILLEMAN, JD Chamberlain, Zain Harvey, Steve Dixon, Al Brewer, Nick Arnold, Derek Austin, Tyler Oakes, Josh Canfield, Critter Hemphill, Kyle Babcock, Tim Schram, Bill Demmick, Bill Holmes, Garrett Miller, Ryan Sanders.
Heat race winners – Zain Harvey, Steve Dixon, and Kyle Babcock
Costa’s Super Market Pure Stocks feature (15 laps) – BRUNO MOWERY, Zach Hamer, Mike Parmenter, Roy Gearhart, Ryan Johnson, Joe Skinner, Ryan Sullivan, Matt Grigsby, Tom Wallace-DNS
Heat race winners – Joe Skinner & Zach Hamer
Nittany Mini Mart Mini Stocks feature (15 laps) – BOGEY PUTT, Dylan Strade, Ridge Cobb, Preston Cobb, Shain Putt, Bill Weatherly, Ryan Burke, Joe Gillespie, Ken Weatherly, Billie Huffman, Brayden Babcock, Cameron Miller, Kurt Babcock, Matt Mowery, Sherman Gage, Holden Heineman, Kevin Bacon, Brayden Williams
Heat race winners – Kurt Babcock, Ridge Cobb, and Bogey Putt
