HAGERSTOWN – Trever Feathers slipped out of the cockpit of his apple-red late model and sprung to the roof where he pumped his fists into the clay-laden atmosphere after manifesting another racing clinic.
An hour later, with a cold Budweiser and $2,000 check in hand, the 24-year-old reflected on a demoralizing three-year stretch that featured slipup after slipup. But in that jubilant, victory-lane moment, the overdue confidence beamed from the third generation dirt racer, where he celebrated his second win in three weeks in the 25-lap Super Late Model Frank Sagi Memorial feature on Saturday night at Hagerstown Speedway.
The victory marks Feathers’ fourth in nine races. He’s also produced eight top-five’s in those nine qualified starts to date.
“The past three years, we’ve sucked,” said Feathers, who’s been on the dirt circuit since he was 16 years old. “Through the time of sucking, we’ve learned a lot about what to do to make these cars good, and I’ve learned a lot as a driver. Feel to a driver is everything. And when you can feel everything on that track, it’s going to make you faster through the night.”
.@TFeathers27 with another dominant W: Leads 23 of 25 laps for second win in three weeks. Beats Andy Anderson by about six seconds. pic.twitter.com/HepO97bJZ9
— Kyle McFadden (@k_fadd) June 25, 2017
“That means everything,” Feathers added. “A lot of times these days, guys are going out and buying them. And when you go out and buy it, it doesn’t help you, because when something else comes along, or when somebody else is faster, you don’t know what to do with your car. We’ve been working with these Barry Wright race cars since 2011, and through the years, I’ve had four or five of them, and dad’s had two of them. And every year, we’ve gotten faster and faster and faster.”
Feathers, who led the final 23 laps and maneuvered through lap traffic to top second-place Andy Anderson by six seconds, took the lead from pole-sitter Bryan Bernheisel for good on a Lap-2 restart.
.@Hagerstownspdwy super late model feature https://t.co/eLtDBVbxpu
— Kyle McFadden (@k_fadd) June 25, 2017
The Winchester, Va., native is now three wins away from tying his career high with wins in a season with seven (2011), and plenty of trek remains. Like the previous three years, things looked dire in the early weeks of 2017. In the first heat race of the year at Winchester Speedway, Feathers blew an oil line. His second night out, he blew the motor.
“We started out kid of rough, the first three weeks,” Feathers said.
On a night that payed homage to Sagi, longtime PA announcer of the speedway who died in 2012, dozens of the track’s legends were in the house to honor the remembrance. National Dirt Racing Hall of Famers Frank Plessinger, Rodney Franklin and Denny Bonebrake were a few names in attendance. Five-time track champion Buddy Armel, a role model to Feathers, was also on site.
Feathers’ father, Bo (over 100 wins in dirt racing career), and grandfather, Wayne, were honored as well.
Wright, the manufacturer of the Feathers’ race team, is also a dirt racing hall of famer who was recognized.
“It was cool to win in front of them guys,” Feathers said. “A lot of those guys are heroes from the 70s, the 80s, and even the 60s. Those were the real racers back in the day. That thing was like driving a Cadillac going down the road. Those guys were out there with no power-steering and cars that wouldn’t hook-up into the race track. Racing these days, compared to what they did back in the day, is totally different. … I mean, you talking Buddy Armel, Jimmy Spence, my dad, my grandad. … What these guys have done is amazing, and to win in front of them is pretty cool.”
Bernheisel, Kyle Hardy and Kenny Moreland rounded out the top-five. Bernheisel also won the 20-lap Late Model Sportsman feature. Craig Parrill won his fifth straight Pure Stock feature and Dylan Rutherford won his fourth Hobbystock race in wire-to-wire fashion, both 15-lap events.
SLM heat winners: Trever Feathers, Kenny Moreland, Gene Knaub. Notables: Andy Anderson 2nd (H3), Kyle Lee 3rd (H1), Gary Stuhler 4th (H1).
— Kyle McFadden (@k_fadd) June 25, 2017
As for the remaining top-10 finishers in the Super Late Model feature, Kyle Lee placed sixth, Marvin Winters came seventh, Scott Palmer managed eighth, Gary Stuhler – a 2008 inductee in the National Dirt Racing Hall of Fame – salvaged ninth, and Reese Masiello came 10th.
Stuhler remains atop the point standings heading into the bye week, but Winters remains on the heels, four points back in second. Lee sits third, 18 back; Anderson sits fourth, 88 back; and Roy Deese, Jr., rounds out the top-five in points, 107 back.
Back from my one-week vacay: Hanging out at @Hagerstownspdwy tonight for some dirt racing. Always a good time reporting from the track. pic.twitter.com/nHgnIOqeRT
— Kyle McFadden (@k_fadd) June 24, 2017
Feathers, who’s ran in half the races at Hagerstown (five of 10) because of a touring schedule, jumps to 13th points.
“I just hope we can keep it up,” Feathers said. “We’ve been really good so far this year … it’s been amazing. Hopefully we can keep it going. … Now, we’ve been kind of above everybody, but it’s not like we’re back relaxing. We’re still working. There’s always room for improvement.”
