PORT ROYAL
 Sometimes its good to be lucky in sprint car racing.

 Rick Lafferty was in the right place at the right time Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway as he assumed the lead on the final lap when Greg Hodnett blew a right rear tire while heading to the checkered flag.

 Instead of Hodnett winning for the second straight week, it was Lafferty, of Pennington, NJ winning for the second time this season in 410 Sprint car competition at the Juniata County track.

 Lafferty also won the season opener three weeks ago and his latest win marked the fifth time he visited Port Royal’s victory lane.

 “It’s unfortunate for Greg Hodnett because I didn’t have nothing for him tonight,” said Lafferty, who won $3,100 for his win. “I didn’t know it was the last lap but I didn’t have anything for him. I thought maybe we were close and I could try and slider and maybe get lucky or something but things just worked out for us tonight.”

 Tyler Walker, racing the Heffner Racing Enterprises sprinter grabbed the lead from his pole starting spot and immediately drove out to a big lead.

 Hodnett started fourth in the Jim and Sandy Kline owned sprinter drove by Mike Erdley for second place with two laps complete as Walker had already opened up a four-second lead.

 Walker maintained a three-second lead through the early laps as Hodnett began to close as they caught the rear of the field.

 Hodnett erased Walker’s lead at the halfway point of the race, pulling to within two car lengths of the California driver.

 Hodnett blasted by Walker for the lead on lap 17 and opened up a half straightaway lead only to have the event’s only caution appear on the 22nd lap when Jimmy Seger stopped on the speedway.

 It was apparent Hodnett was having problems following the restart as Lafferty and Lance Dewease were able to stay with the Thomasville racer when the right rear tire exploded entering the third turn on the final lap.

 Lafferty drove by for the lead and held off Dewease at the checkered flag aboard the Hank‘s Performance, Clugston Lumber, Glenn Harry Auctioneer JEI.

 “I really didn’t think we had much of a chance tonight starting ninth or wherever we started,” said Lafferty. “I seen Greg was in the lead early because he started up front and I got by Tyler and I thought there can’t be many more guys left and sure enough there wasn’t.”

 Dewease, who won Friday at Williams Grove Speedway finished in the runner-up spot over Chad Layton, Walker and Mike Wagner with Erdley, Cliff Brian, Daryn Pittman, Dave Ely and Justin Henderson completing the top 10 finishers.

 Heats for the 21 sprints were won by Erdley and Wagner.

 Port Royal returns to action next Saturday with the 410 Sprints, late models, pro stocks and powder puff beginning at 6pm.