Marhefka holds off Awtey for 1st career win at Jennerstown Speedway
JENNERSTOWN — Kyle Crump led the final 38 laps of Championship Racing Association’s Laurel Highlands 150 on his way to a surprise win and $10,000 at Jennerstown Speedway on Saturday.
The three fastest cars of the race crashed with 47 laps to go, setting up Crump for the win. Pole sitter Michael House led the first 100 laps. After a competition caution, the leaders came to pit road.
House was penalized on the pit stop and had to restart at the tail end of the lead lap. The penalty gave the front row to Jesse Love and Derek Griffith, the 2021 champion of Jennerstown Speedway’s Motor Mountain Masters.
Griffith and Love were battling for the lead side-by-side for several laps, when Love got into the back of Griffith in Turn 3 and sent the two cars into the wall. House, who was working his way through traffic, was collateral damage and ended up in the wall as well.
With the field’s best three cars out of the way, Casey Roderick and Crump restarted on the front row. Roderick led the first few laps, but Crump chased him down for the lead, and cruised to a victory.
Stephen Nasse earned a second-place finish. Roderick was third. Logan Bearden finished fourth. Jennerstown’s 2020 Late Model champion, Albert Francis, finished fifth.
In the Martella’s Pharmacies Late Models, third generation driver Brandon Marhefka held off veteran Barry Awtey for his first career win.

Marhefka took the lead on Lap 12 from Owen Houpt. With just 10 laps left, the caution flag waved setting up a restart with Awtey to Marhefka’s outside. Marhefka cleared Awtey for the lead, but with just two laps to go, Marhefka got sideways out of Turn 4. Awtey pull up to Marhefka’s door down the front stretch on the last lap. However, Marhefka got a great run out of Turn 2 and cleared Awtey for the win.
Nick Niemec also picked up his first career win. The Farmers Union Co-Op Charger driver took the lead with four laps to go. Bob Mostoller led most of the race but battled with Niemec and Ken Burkholder for several laps. Niemec made the pass with four laps to go to celebrate in Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane.
A late race pass in the One Stop Auto Sales Pro Stock division gave Jeff Giles his first win of the year. Giles made the move around Dan Campbell, who was competing at Jennerstown after a long hiatus.
John Fama made a late race pass of his own for his second win of the year in the Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modifieds. Dale Glessner, chasing his first win on asphalt, led the first 18 laps. With two laps to go and Fama in his mirror, Glessner slipped up the racetrack opening the door for Fama, who made the pass and took the checkered flag.
In the Ron’s Collision Center Street Stock Division, Casey Fleegle picked up his second win of the season. Fleegle started on the pole and led all 20 laps. Dale Kimberly kept pace with Fleegle for most of the race, but the defending champion Fleegle drove away in the final five laps for a big victory.
Caleb Vasos earned his first win of the season in the Somerset Trust Fast N’ Furious 4’s. Despite two caution flags and restarts, Vasos led every lap of the 15-lap feature on his way to the win.
Jennerstown Speedway will host the ISMA and MSS Supermodifieds for a special event on June 11, along with all six weekly divisions. The gates open at 4 p.m. Racing begins at 6 p.m.