This past Saturday, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway hosted week 2 of their 2021 season, featuring both their Thunder and NASCAR Nite divisions. Last week, the Pro Series 75-lap feature was the highlight event of the night and Corey Bubar took home the checkered. Week two brought more excitement as 12 drivers looked to knock Bubar off of the throne.
The Pro Series competition kicked off with two 12-lap qualifying heats. Trevor Sanborn took off with the early lead in the first heat. Dave Oliver lingered closely behind before pulling up to Sanborn’s door on lap 5, challenging him for the top spot and taking over the lead the following lap. Trevor Sanborn and Wyatt Alexander spearheaded a battle for the runner-up spot on the final lap, with Sanborn ultimately beating Alexander to the line as Dave Oliver secured the heat victory.
Joe Pastore and Bill Rodgers went head to head for the early lead in the second and final qualifying heat. Pastore pulled ahead with the slight edge in the early laps as Rodgers lingered closely behind. Pastore maintained his lead for the remainder of the race, securing the heat victory as Bill Rodgers and Alan Tardiff rounded out the top 3.
In a shocking turn of events, Joe Pastore made the dreaded right-hand turn to the pits prior to the start of the feature after facing mechanical troubles, never to return to the track.
Once the field got rolling, Bill Rodgers took off with the early lead in the feature. Trevor Sanborn was also on the move early, challenging Alan Tardiff for third on lap 12.
Dave Oliver was also making strides, going door to door with Bill Rodgers for the lead on lap 15. Rodgers pulled away for a brief moment before Oliver returned to his door just a handful of laps later. After battling it out for nearly 10 laps, Alan Tardiff succumbed to Trevor Sanborn on lap 23 as Sanborn took over third.
Wyatt Alexander joined the main pack on lap 30 after overtaking Tardiff for fourth. The leaders continued to swap the lead back and forth with every passing lap until Rodgers pulled away with the slight edge on lap 50.
Trevor Sanborn and Wyatt Alexander began to close in on Rodgers and Oliver in the closing laps and the top 4 began to pull away from the rest of the pack. Trevor Sanborn was all over Dave Oliver for the runner-up spot in the closing laps of the feature but Oliver managed to hold him off to the line as Bill Rodgers took home the feature victory. Wyatt Alexander and Alan Tardiff rounded out the top five.
The Pro Series division continues to remain highly competitive week-in and week-out. Drivers like Trevor Sanborn and Dave Oliver continue to show consistency and strength as drivers like Corey Bubar and Dave Oliver continue to prove that they still have what it takes to top the podium.
It’ll be interesting to see which drivers can break the mold and come out on top come points season.
You can watch it all go down next Saturday, May 15th at 4:00 pm. Kids of ALL AGES are now allowed in the pits. As always, grandstand admittance is only $12 for adults and kids 12 and under get in for FREE.
Continue chasing the checkered and support your local short tracks. I hope to see you soon!