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By: ERNIE SAXTON COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
BECHTELSVILLE, PA MAY 27, 2007 . . . Not even a 90 minute rain delay, Randy Bailey leading 29 laps or an engine that was belching smoke could keep Duane Howard from winning his second of the season in the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All American Modified Series race at Grandview Speedway on Saturday night. The 20-lap Late Model race, part of Arnold’s Karting Center (Oaks, PA) Night, was won by defending champion Chuck Schutz for his first win of the season.
Once the Modifieds got settled down, two accidents before one lap was completed, fans that waited out the rain delay were treated to a fantastic feature event. Randy Bailey, a semi-retired veteran of stock car racing competition, put his Precision Motor Cars No.IK in front of the pack early. In fact it was all Randy Bailey until the midway point when Duane Howard, coming from 11th, started to put pressure on Bailey with his BPG Racing/Maverick’s Motorcycle Club No. 4.
The balance of the feature race was a battle between leader Bailey and challenger Howard ( smoke belching from the engine) with Ray Swinehart, Doug Manmiller and Jeff Strunk waiting for the two leaders to make mistakes.
With just one-half lap left in the feature, the leaders headed down the backstretch of the one-third-mile, banked clay oval Howard made his move and charged under Bailey in turn three. Bailey tried to regain his lost lead to no avail and was just a slim margin behind Howard at the finish.
In victory lane the Oley racer gave all the credit to his crew and engine man for his victory effort. Howard did point out that the Troyer chassis racer was down on power in one cylinder and that was the reason for the belching smoke. Second spot went to Bailey (Kutztown) who stopped at victory lane to congratulate the winner. Past champion Ray Swinehart (Bechtelsville) finished third followed by point leader Doug Manmiller (Shoemakersville) and five time track champion Jeff Strunk (Mohnton).
The Late Model feature saw Chuck Schutz get his first win of the season and what could only be called a crash fest with 17 minutes being spent on getting one lap completed.
Teenage ace Kyle Merkel went to the front at the start and holding the lead until the fourth lap when Schutz brought his Jesse Baro Trucking/Maverick’s Motorcycle Club No. 1 to the front from a fourth place starting position.
At the midway point Schutz had a comfortable lead on the field with four time champion Dean Stoudt running in second and trying to pressure the leader. At the 19th lap with Schutz leading comfortably Ron Kline and Dean Stoudt had a tremendous side-by-side battle going on for second. Unfortunately two lapped cars blocked the track, causing Stoudt and Kline to take evasive action and Kline ended up in the third turn wall.
With the checkered flag in the air Schutz (Pottstown) drove to victory followed by Dean Stoudt (East Greenville), Kyle Merkel (Gilbertsville), Mike Kellner (Lansdale) and Brian Shuey (Hamburg).
Qualifying heat wins for the Late Models went to Schutz, Kline and Kellner. In the Modifieds qualifying event wins were earned by Jeremy Banos, Ryan Grim, Jon Kellner Jr. and Randy Bailey while the consolation races were won by Danny Erb and Shawn Reimert.
SPONSORSHIP CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED. Modified racer Todd Marburger did not win the feature race but he did go home a winner. Marburger, who battles the dread disease MS, picked up more than $3,000 in cash and prizes for winning the Grandview Speedway/BPG Racing Sponsorship contest. Marburger, by vote of the judges, submitted the best sponsorship proposal and will receive $1,500 from Chad Sinon (BPG Racing), a sponsorship kit from Ernie Saxton Communications, Inc., a website created by Blake Tobias Motorsports and $250 worth of photo cards from Racerboy Marketing. Marburger gave crew member Chad Shalaway much of the credit for the creation of the outstanding proposal.
In a surprise announcement Sinon also presented a $1,000 check to Bill Henning and the Henning Motorsports Late Model team.
“The judging was so close that Chad felt that it would only be fair to give a second place award,” said Grandview Speedway public relations director Ernie Saxton. “There were several great proposals entered in the contest. It was a tough pick but Todd and Bill did an outstanding job in winning the contest. And a great big thank you goes to Chad Sinon for his support along with the support of the others.”
The Cornerstone Auto Sales of Fleetwood, PA Hard Charger Awards went to Randy Stoudt in the Late Models as he improved 12 positions in the feature having started 18th and finishing 6th. The Modified Hard Charger award was earned by John Willman who started 22nd and finished 7th in the 30-lap feature race.
The NASCAR Modifieds and Late Models will be the featured attractions during the Jeff D’Ambrosio Dodge Night on Saturday, June 2nd. The spectator gates open at 5:30 p.m. for the show with racing at 7:30 p.m. p.m. Adult admission price is $12 with children 6 through 11 admitted for $5. Under 6 admitted FREE with a paying adult. Always free parking on the speedway grounds.
Coming up on Wednesday, June 6th is a doubleheader open cockpit racing spectacular featuring the United States Auto Club sprints and the American Racing Drivers Club midgets. Racing gets the green at 7:30 p.m.
A change in the Grandview Speedway schedule has the 358 Modifieds joining the 410 sprint cars on July 3rd as part of the Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek event.
Fans are reminded that they are free to visit with the racers in the pits after the racing action has been completed to collect autographs, take pictures and see the race cars up close. Many of the race teams do have FREE photo cards for fans and also offer t-shirts and other souvenir items for sale.
Grandview Speedway is located on Passmore Road, just off Route 100, in Bechtelsville, PA, 10 miles north of Pottstown. For race information telephone 610.754.7688 or visit their website at www.grandviewspeedway.com.
ARNOLD’S KARTING CENTER OF OAKS NIGHT NASCAR WHELEN ALL AMERICAN SERIES MODIFIEDS (30 LAPS): 1. Duane Howard 2. Randy Bailey 3. Ray Swinehart 4. Doug Manmiller 5. Jeff Strunk 6. Kyle Weiss 7. John Willman 8. Terry Meitzler 9. Shawn Reimert 10. Kevin Hirthler 11. Jon Kellner Jr. 12. Donny Erb 13. Ryan Beltz 14. Kerry Kratz 15. Chris Esposito 16. Todd Smith 17. Ryan Grim 18. Mike Laise 19. Mike Gular 20. Todd Marburger 21.Ryan Watt 22. Jeremy Banos 23. Tom Umbenhauer 24. Craig VonDohren 25. Jason Hamilton 26. Sean Merkel 27. Meme DeSantis 28. Danny Erb
ARNOLD’S KARTING CENTER OF OAKS NIGHT NASCAR WHELEN ALL AMERICAN SERIES LATE MODELS (20 LAPS):1. Chuck Schutz 2. Dean Stoudt 3. Kyle Merkel 4. Mike Kellner 5. Brian Shuey 6. Randy Stoudt 7. John Giesler 8. D.D. Keely 9. Dean Schaeffer 10. Jamie Undercoffler 11. Buddy Wharton 12. Bryan Sipe 13. Ray Deemer 14. Ron Kline 15. Wayne Pfeil 16. Carl Mertz 17. Rick Todorow 18. Bill Graham 19. Chad Rae 20. Eric Kauffman 21. Bill Henning 22. Greg Hoffmaster 23. Mike Myers 24. Dallas Breidenbach (DNS).
UNOFFICIAL POINT STANDINGS FOR NASCAR MODIFIEDS
AS OF MAY 26, 2007
1. Doug Manmiller, Wyomissing, PA #14 1315
2. Duane Howard, Oley, PA #114 1140**
3. Meme DeSantis, Temple, PA #11 1085
4. Jeff Strunk, Mohnton, PA #126 1083*
5. Shawn Reimert, Oley, PA #41 989
6. Jason Hamilton, Erwinna, PA #16 966
7. Danny Erb, Boyertown, PA #44 955
8. Ray Swinehart, Bechtelsville, PA #33 900
9. Kyle Weiss, Hamburg, PA #21K 878
10. Rick Schaffer, Woxall, PA #357 873
11. Terry Meitzler, Kutztown, PA #81 869
12. Kevin Hirthler, Green Lane, PA #117 869
13. Tom Umbenhauer, Richland, PA#19U 859
14. Jon Kellner Jr., Lansdale, PA #67 821
15. John Willman, Birdsboro, PA #74W 820
16. Mike Gular, Harleysville, PA #53 798
17. Craig VonDohren, Oley, PA #1C 782*
18. Ryan Watt, Phoenixville, PA #14W 741
19. Kerry Kratz, Bechtelsville, PA #87 687
20. Todd Smith, Hatfield, PA #39 649
Also Feature Winners, Sean Merkel
UNOFFICIAL POINT STANDINGS FOR NASCAR LATE MODELS
AS OF MAY 26, 2007
1. Randy Stoudt, Pottstown, PA #10 1398**
2. Brian Shuey, Shoemakersville, PA #5X 1355
3. Mike Kellner, Lansdale, PA #57 1315*
4. Dean Stoudt, East Greenville, PA #5 1213
5. Ron Kline, Salford, PA #3 1189*
6. Dean Schaeffer, Douglassville, PA #39 1166
7. Buddy Wharton, Birdsboro, PA #7B 1145
8. Wayne Pfeil Jr., Mohnton, PA #72 1087
9. Chuck Schutz, Pottstown, PA #ONE 1086*
10. Jamie Undercoffler. Pennsburg, PA #1J 1085
11. John Giesler, Aston, PA #ZT1 995
12. D.D. Keely, Linfield, PA #707 990
13. Kyle Merkel, Gilbertsville, PA #117 980
14. Rick Todorow, Quakertown, PA #93 978
15. Bryan Sipe, Leesport, PA #33 881
16. Mark Malcolm, Hatfield, PA #55 762
17. Chad Rea #8 695
18. Eric Kauffman #307 685
19. Carl Merz, Boyertown, PA #00 670
20. Mike Meyers, Alburtis, PA #7 655
* denotes feature win
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