Justin Peck? wins Night 2 at the Rumble

FORT WAYNE, Ind  - Justin Peck won the  midget feature Saturday in the Rumble in Fort Wayne at the Memorial Coliseum Expo Center, becoming the youngest winner in the event's 16 years.  The high school freshman is 15.  Bobby East was 17 when he won in 2001.

In a late-race duel , Peck exchanged the lead twice with Friday night winner Russ Gamester in the closing laps before Peck moved in front for good with two laps to go.

Friday night Gamester, 47, had become the event’s oldest winner.  Peck made an impression last year at the Memorial Coliseum Expo Center last year, finishing second on Friday and third on Saturday.

Peck, driving a Volkswagen-powered Beast started outside in the front row, beating pole-sitter Lynsey Liguori into the first turn he seemed in total control of the race until  Gamester passed him on the inside with eight laps to go when the youngster got into turn two too hard.  “I thought I was done,” Peck said.

Instead, Gamester developed an engine problem, and Peck nudged his way past with just two laps remaining. Gamester’s engine finally blew in turn four on the last lap, relegating him to a ninth-place finish.
Mike Fedorcak, subbing for the injured Tony Stewart, wound up second, with Grant Galloway, Billy Hulbert and Derek Bischak completing the top five before a near-capacity crowd.
Gamester was trying to join Stewart (2006 and ’11) and Billy Wease (’09) as the only drivers to sweep the weekend features.

Peck expects to race USAC and POWRi midgets on dirt in 2014 as he continues on a path that he hopes will lead to Daytona or Indianapolis.  Peck is not entered in the Chili Bowl this year, but we we certainly see him in a few years; after high school is out of the way.