Jason Gray has captured the Bear Ridge DIRTcar Sportsman Championship for the last three years consecutive.\u00a0 On Saturday night he added to his impressive resume by making a late race pass on Max Dolliver to take home a $1,056 top prize for winning the East Region opening event.<\/p>\n
The East Thetford, Vermont driver won the first heat on the evening, redrew the fourth starting position and with the wave of Dave Farney\u2019s green flag he went to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey worked the top to try and bring it back during intermission.\u00a0 Even though I started on the outside row I really wasn\u2019t sure if it was going to work,\u201d said Gray on his race strategy.\u00a0 \u201cI went low as soon as I could I really had the plan to stay there.\u00a0 It was real slick last week and even with what they did I thought it was going to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Gray had some work to do starting fourth, the redraw was kind to Dolliver drawing the number one spot.\u00a0 He also had a plan to stay on the low side of the track and immediately opened up distance on Matt Lashua and Gray.<\/p>\n
\u201cMax was strong.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure if I had speed to get him so I was hoping for lapped traffic,\u201d noted Gray, \u201cLuckily we had a long green flag run at the end.\u00a0 Max and I caught the slower cars and it changed the whole race.\u201d<\/p>\n
With less than ten laps to go, both front runners caught up to the lap car of Tim Martin.\u00a0 Martin was holding a steady line on the inside with Dolliver trying to get alongside and Gray staying right behind.<\/p>\n
The drama last for several laps until Gray made his move.\u00a0 \u201cI had to do something, I had to make a move and I did what I had to do,\u201d Gray dead-panned.\u00a0 With five laps to go he nudged the back bumper of Martin which made his car drift into Dolliver\u2019s lane.\u00a0 That was the move that won the race for Gray.<\/p>\n
Dolliver, while disappointed not to take home what would be his career highlight, he knew it was racing and was still smiles afterwards.\u00a0 \u201cYea, I really wanted to win this race, but I also can\u2019t blame Jason.\u00a0 He did what he needed to do; it was the smart move,\u201d Dolliver continued, \u201cThe Series event is a big deal and we had a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Invader Nick Heywood was one of the few that took to the newly worked outside groove and for about 2\/3rds of the event it worked as he went from his fifth starting spot to second.\u00a0 However, the lap 17 restart proved game changing with the sealing over of his right rear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I used my car up too early.\u00a0 I got heat in the tires and when the yellow came out I think they just sealed over.\u00a0 The car just wasn\u2019t the same after that,\u201d said the Sportsman star, \u201cIt was a bummer, I think I had something on the outside for them but I was more hanging on at the end.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Dave Farney waved the double checkered flag it was Gray a few car lengths ahead of Dolliver.\u00a0 Heywood just nipped DJ Robinson for third with Lashua coming home in fifth.\u00a0 Rounding out the top ten were Josh Sunn, Todd Buckwold, opening night winner at Bear Ridge in Richie Simmons, Jeff Huntington and Mike Ryan who also claimed the free Hoosier Racing Tire.<\/p>\n
Heat wins of the 25 cars on hand were captured by Gray, Buckwold and Lashua.<\/p>\n
DIRTcar Sportsman East Region Feature Finish \u2013 40 Laps<\/strong> \u2013 1. Jason Gray ($1,056), 2. Max Dolliver, 3. Nick Heywood, 4. DJ Robinson, 5. Matt Lashua, 6. Josh Sunn, 7. Todd Buckwold, 8. Richie Simmons, 9. Jeff Huntington, 10. Mike Ryan, 11. Derrick McGrew Jr., 12. James Fadden, 13. Robert Tucker, 14. Ryan Christian, 15. Tim Churchill, 16. Jason Bruno, 17. Jeremy Huntoon, 18. Melvin Pierson, 19. Kierra Backus, 20. Tim Martin, 21. CV Elms, 22. Chris Huntington, 23. Brian Chaffee, 24. Earl Maxham, 25. Jim Morgan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jason Gray has captured the Bear Ridge DIRTcar Sportsman Championship for the last three years consecutive.\u00a0 On Saturday night he added to his impressive resume by making a late race pass on Max Dolliver to take home a $1,056 top prize for winning the East Region opening event. The East Thetford, Vermont driver won the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":41988,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[663],"tags":[583,611,337,896,1510,1286,1507,1511,1054,1509,1508],"division":[1711],"series":[],"regions":[1725],"class_list":["post-41985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recap","tag-bear-ridge-speedway","tag-dirtcar-sportsman-modifieds","tag-feature","tag-jason-gray","tag-jeff-huntington","tag-josh-sunn","tag-max-dolliver","tag-mike-ryan","tag-nick-heywood","tag-richie-simmons","tag-todd-buckwold","division-dirtcar-ne-sportsman-modifieds","regions-northeast"],"yoast_head":"\n