STEWART, Ohio — Always the man to beat in Ohio Sprint Speedweek competition, Dale Blaney held off opening-night winner Randy Hannagan to win round two of the series sanctioned by the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions June 25 at Skyline Speedway.
A 52-car field was on hand, with the fans and competitors having to endure a 20-minute rain delay during the B main.
Hannagan drew the pole, with Jim Nier alongside. Nier took the early lead, with Hannagan and Blaney following close behind.
Hannagan got around Nier for the lead on lap eight and Blaney also passed the K-C Raceway owner and continued to hound Hannagan.
Blaney finally made a move into the lead on lap 18 during the 40-lap event on the three-eighths-mile dirt track.
As Blaney weaved through lapped traffic, Hannagan kept him in his sights as Brian Smith battled Craig Mintz for third. Mintz finally took the spot away with 10 laps to go and began to challenge Hannagan, but Blaney pulled away for the victory.
“I made a bad lap in qualifying, but we got better in the dash,” said Blaney. “George (Fisher, team owner) worked on the car and told me to do my job driving it and not worry about it. I did and it was real good from about lap number eight on.”
Mintz finished third, ahead of B. Smith and Greg Wilson.
With the first two rounds of the series rained out, Blaney and Hannagan were the only two drivers with a shot at the $50,000 bonus for winning five Speedweek events, with only four races remaining.
The summary:
Fast time: Paul Weaver, 11.942 seconds (52 cars).
First Heat: Greg Wilson, Troy Little, Byron Reed, Brock Mayes, Jim Nier, Mark Keegan, Chris Andrews, Wayn McPeek, Kody Kinser, Paul Weaver, Josh Yenser, Craig Mintz, Bruce White.
Second Heat: Tim Shaffer, Brian Ellenberger, Phil Gressman, Dale Blaney, Randy Hannagan, Kenny Jacobs, Chad Blonde, Luke Hall, Josh Davis, Lee Jacobs, Scott Curren, Dean Jacobs, Kory Crabtree.
Third Heat: Brandon Martin, Dave Dickson, Tim Hunter, Aaron  Middaugh, Ian Louden, Dan Shetler, Danny Smith, Ryan Myers, Lance Dewease, Aaron Higgins, Keith Baxter, Brian Paulus, Ben Gregg.
Fourth Heat: Jimmy Stinson, Brian Smith, Todd Kane, Rob Chaney, Cole Conley, Cole Duncan, Greg Mitchell, Lee Stark, Blake Feese, Mark Imler, Todd King, Hud Horton, Chad Goff.
Dash: Louden, Hannagan, Hunter, Kane, Blaney, Ellenberger.
C Main: L. Jacobs, Myers, Baxter, McPeek, King, Gregg, Goff, Imler, Horton, Kinser, D. Jacobs, Curren.
B Main: D. Smith, Mintz, Shetler, K. Jacobs, Davis, Duncan, Andrews, Higgins, Dewease, L. Jacobs, Stark, Baxter, Hall, Yenser, Myers, McPeek, Blonde, Weaver.
Feature: Blaney, Hannagan, Mintz, B. Smith, Wilson, Nier, D. Smith, Shaffer, Ellenberger, Little, Hunter, Kane, Stinson, Reed, Conley, Gressman, Mayes, Martin, Louden, Shetler, Chaney, K. Jacobs, Dickson, Middaugh.