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Long Ride Pays Off with $3,500 ‘Clash for Cash Victory for Jamie Lathroum

Written by Chris Moore

GEORGETOWN, DE – Jamie
Lathroum had a hard time just getting to Georgetown Speedway on Friday night.

Lathroums drive from his hometown of Mechanicsville,
Md., is normally just over two-and-a-half hours. However, summer beach traffic –
combined with a crash that shut down the Chesapeake Bay Bridge during the
afternoon – lengthened Lathroums trip to five hours, 40 minutes.

He arrived just in time for the drivers meeting.

“I about fell out of the seat just getting here,â he
said with a laugh.

After 30 laps, the long ride was worthwhile as Lathroum
won a thriller over Rick Eckert in the Sunoco Super Late Model ‘Clash for Cash
pocketing $3,500 for his efforts.

The
feature event went non-stop from green to checkered, setting up an excellent
battle down the stretch between the top two cars for most of the night.

Lathroum
and local fan favorite, Amanda Whaley would lead the field to green. Lathroum
immediately jumped out to the early lead and began to open it up over Whaley.

Meanwhile,
the Millsboro driver was in a battle trying to hold off another fan favorite,
this one being Rick Eckert. Eckert was glued to the bottom searching and
searching for a way to get by Whaley.

Right
behind those two, Jason Covert was attempting to make another charge to the
front. Covert was the winner the last time the Sunoco Super Late Models visited
the Georgetown Speedway. After failing to make the redraw, Coverts car came to
life as he had gotten to fourth and was chasing the battle for second.

At
the halfway point, Lathroum had put more than a straightaway between himself
and the battle for second. On lap 16, Rick Eckert made the move that changed
the race.

Eckert
drove to the outside in turns three and four and went around Whaley to take the
second spot. Once he got to the second spot, Eckert went on a fishing trip,
reeling in Lathroum every lap.

The
lead began to evaporate, with Eckert taking off six-tenths of a second on some
laps. With seven laps to go Eckert had gotten within striking distance of
Lathroum and began setting up his move.

After
multiple attempts to get to the inside of Lathroum failed, Eckert went back to
the top and pulled alongside Lathroum as they came to the white flag. The two
went door-to-door, literally, into turn number with Lathroum staying in the gas
and sliding up in front of Eckert.

It
appeared the contact had cut Eckerts left-rear tire, as he slowed down the
backstretch and limped to finish line for a runner-up finish.

“I
dont know if he thinks I crowded him, but he didnt seem too happy with me
after the race,â Lathroum said of the battle.

Jason
Covert got by Amanda Whaley for third and had begun to catch the top two while
they battled for the win but ran out of time. The “Wild Child,â Amanda Whaley,
appeared to be fighting a tight racecar all race long, as she held on for a
fourth place finish. Ross Robinson completed the front five.

Matt
Hill started on the pole and went wire-to-wire taking the RUSH Late Model
feature worth $1,150: $1,000 from the posted purse and another $150 courtesy of
speedway supporter Ad-Art Sign Company of Georgetown.

Hill,
a Georgetown resident, outgunned Amanda Whaley on the initial start and paced
all 20 laps.

Whaley
picked up her second top five of the night after challenging Hill for the lead
early. Joe Warren quickly made his way from eighth to third before his charge
stalled out there. Nick Davis finished with a solid fourth-place night and Ross
Robinson rounded out the top five after starting dead last - 18th -
on the field.

Kelly
Putz, who has been close several times this season at Georgetown, picked up the
12-lap win in the Modified division of the Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car
class. David Tucker won the Sportsman division in his first race ever in the
class.

Kirk
Lawson used a fast racecar and the outside line to his advantage picking up the
Little Lincoln checkered flag over Jordan Herbert, and Melvin Joseph Jr.

Robert
Smith won a thriller over David Smith and Matt Esham in the Delaware Super
Truck feature. Following a yellow on the white flag lap, Smith used the outside
on the restart to take the lead and the win in the 12-lap affair.

Joe
Waters made up for heartbreak early in the season, grabbing the Delmarva
Charger feature victory. Waters led the whole way over Robert “Pac-Manâ
Paczkowski and Jarrett Chandler.

Next
up on-track at Georgetown is the ‘BetterTitleLoans.com Monster Truck Madness
featuring BIGFOOT, Snake Bite and a roster of Monster Trucks plus Quad Wars on
Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6. Two complete shows are planned. For more,
visit the speedway website at www.thegeorgetownspeedway.com.

Georgetown
Speedway, originally constructed by Melvin L. Joseph in 1949, is located at the
intersection of Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Del., just miles
from the Delaware beaches and less than a 40-minute drive from Ocean City, Md.

A
website is live for the speedway at www.thegeorgetownspeedway.com.
Like Georgetown Speedway on Facebook, follow @thegtownspdwy on Twitter, e-mail
georgetownspeedway@gmail.com or contact the speedway hotline at 302.563.GTWN
(4896).

‘CLASH FOR CASH RACE SUMMARY – GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY JUNE 28, 2019

Sunoco Super Late Model Feature Finish
(30 laps): JAMIE LATHROUM, Rick Eckert, Jason Covert, Amanda Whaley, Ross Robinson,
Austin Hubbard, Paul Cursey, Danny Snyder, Dale Hollidge, Donald Lingo Jr.,
Mark Pettyjohn.

RUSH Late Model Series Feature Finish
(20 laps): MATT HILL, Amanda Whaley, Joey Warren, Nick Davis, Ross Robinson, Trevor
Collins, Tyler Reed, Geoff Carey, Jonathan Rally, Jason Dean, Joe Pete, Billy
Thompson, Derek Magee, Mike Raleigh, Brian Goe Jr., Brandon Sturgis, Mike
Wharton, Ben Scott.

Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car
Feature Finish (12 laps): KELLY PUTZ, C.J. Schirmer, Freddy Brightbill, Jamie
Eicholz, Harold Sylvester, John Burton, Art Workman, Chris Phillips, Dave
Schamp, David Tucker, Robert Blann, David Tucker III, Don Davidson, Charlie
Moore.

Little Lincoln Feature Finish (12
laps): KIRK LAWSON, Jordan Herbert, Melvin Joseph Jr.., Sean Smith, Todd
Sammons, Bryan Piercy, Matt White, Scott Calhoun, Wayne Seaton, Ryan Walsen,
Wesley Smack, Bunky White.

Delaware Super Truck Feature Finish
(12 laps): ROBERT SMITH, David Smith, Matt Esham, Jerry Hill, Ryan Efford, Dale
Elliott, Kirk Miles Sr., Michelle Jackson, Thomas Jackson, Dick Beauchamp,
Billy Lockwood, Shane Clogg, Bill Dean.

Delmarva Charger Feature Finish (12
laps): JOE WATERS, Robert Paczkowski, Jarrett Chandler, Thomas LeCates, Ashley
Merritt, Hunter Bensel, Chris Carroll, Chris ‘Tippy Martinez, Randy Merritt,
Roy Whitehead, Greg Nailor, Ben Knotts, Derek Swafford.

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