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GUIDACE'S 1ST MOD WIN COMES IN $2,000 BILL EMIG MEMORIAL AT MERCER; THRILLING 1ST SPRINT WIN FOR EYLER; BOOHER ADDS #12 IN STOCKS; CAREER 1ST FOR KRUMMERT IN MOD LITES; MATHIESON WINS 1ST IN MINIS
By Mike Leone
August 25, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mercer, PA.Despite a 70% chance of storms that washed out other regional speedways, sunshine graced Mercer Raceway Park throughout the day with only a few sprinkles falling during the features allowing the 13th straight program on Saturday night to be completed as the following drivers celebrated in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane: Frank Guidace-Bill Emig Memorial American Racer/Lias Tire Modifieds, Rob Eyler-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Brian Booher-Tire Express-Stocks Cars, Garrett Krummert-Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lites, and Mike Mathieson-M& D Paving Mini Stocks. M&M Insurance Group of New Castle, Pa. was the presenting event sponsor for the first time and had approximately 300 people in attendance. The entire program was run off in just over three hours.
It was only fitting that Frank Guidace's first win of the season came in the running of the Bill Emig Memorial. As a kid, Guidace grew up turning the wrenches on the Emig #1 and later became a protιgι of the great Lou Gentile. The defending champion ran down and passed the Emig #1 of Rodney Beltz for the $2,000 victory in the 30-lap American Racer/Lias Tire feature and took over the point lead for the first time this season. The victory gave Guidace wins in the three major Modified events as he was victorious last season in the Jeff Hoffman Memorial and the Little Guy Nationals.
"Did I just win the Bill Emig Memorial," asked the Mercer, Pa. racer following a roof dance and a hug from Paul Krauss, who built all the Emig cars except for the last two and attended his first race in 14 years. "It's hard to believe I just won it. That's really, really special in my heart. I can't even breathe. I had to use eight wheels down there on the Emig 1, but that was a little payback from the heat race. Last week the flagman and I had a little disagreement. I was going to start on the backstretch on the last restart, but I knew we had them covered. The car has been getting better and better each week. We got Troyer in victory lane and keep creeping back up there in points."
Lonny Riggs used the outside to race past Beltz on the start to lead the opening lap, but Beltz got a great run off the bottom of turn four to take the lead on lap two. Seventh starting Jimmy Holden was on the move moving passing Ron Eperthener, Jr. for third on lap four then got under and past Riggs for second on lap five. Rookie Eric Gabany, who won his career first race two weeks ago, started ninth and charged to the front making a veteran-like move to pass both Eperthener and Riggs in turns three and four for third on lap nine.
Guidace, who started 11th, made his presence known on lap 10 when he and Eperthener passed Riggs for fourth and fifth. Eperthener's fine run ended when he slowed on lap 13 moving Guidace to fourth. On the ensuing restart, Guidace advanced to third ahead of Gabany. Holden suffered a heartbreaker when his mount slowed on lap 18 ending his night, which ascended Guidace to second, Gabany back to third, and Gary Smoker up to fourth.
With caution-free laps ticking off, Guidace slowly closed in on the leader and by lap 20 had Beltz in sight. Beltz then caught lapped traffic on lap 25 allowing Guidace to close in on his bumper. Guidace pressured Beltz the next two laps and on lap 27 saw an opening as Beltz slipped off the bottom in turns three and four. Guidace dove hard into through turn three as the two made slight contact in four with Guidace coming out on top. Beltz drove hard through turns one and two on lap 28 trying to get back under Guidace, but looped the car in turn two collecting Greg Davis and brought out the caution.
Guidace survived one more restart after Matt Reeher and Riggs tangled with 28 laps completed and kept Gabany at bay for his sixth career win in the division and 12th overall in his G&G Auto Outlet/Shadow Racing Products-sponsored, Hine Racing Equipment-powered #1G. Guidace became the division's ninth different winner of the season. Gabany continues to impress week in and week out coming home second. After pitting with three laps completed, Smoker charged back through the field to place third. In just his second start of the season, Steve Barr came from 10th to place fourth. Brad Rapp was fifth after starting 22nd. Completing the top 10 were Mike Stine, Mark Frankhouser, Beltz, Rick Hall, and Rich Whitney. Heat winners over the 22-car field were Beltz and Eperthener.
Making just fourth start of the season and first since June 16, Rob Eyler passed Scott Bonnell amidst heavy lapped traffic to capture a breathtaking non-stop victory on a scary-fast track in the 25-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car $1,500 to-win feature.
"Man am I tired," expressed the Franklin, Pa. victor. "I was ready to take a break out and start laying my head against the seat out there. We got into lapped traffic and I passed Scott and I thought man now I gotta go. Things went our way for a change. I got bottled up a couple times, but for the most part the traffic wasn't too bad. I have to dedicate this win to my brother-in-law, who passed away this week, but we're all here at the track. We're going to miss him, but this one's for Randy."
Despite starting on the pole, Eyler faded to third after the completion of lap one as Scott Bonnell took charge with fourth starting Tom Quarterson taking second. Eyler, Arnie Kent, and sixth starting Rod George all passed Quarterson for positions two through four in successive laps two through four.
Eyler closed in on Bonnell on lap four, but Bonnell was able to maintain his advantage as the laps ticked off. Not much changed until Bonnell caught heavy lapped traffic on lap 16, which greatly changed the complexion of the event. With Bonnell in a gaggle of lapped cars on lap 18, Eyler somehow found his way by in turn four to nose ahead at the line to lead the lap. Meanwhile, Kent and George, who were having their own battle for third, both caught the lead pack making it a four-car race for the lead. Kent was able to fend off George as he drove by Bonnell for second on lap 20. Two laps later George drove around Bonnell for third.
Up front, Eyler opened up some ground as he drove an impeccable race through lapped traffic to become the eighth different winner of the season capturing his 12th career Mercer win, but first since August 4 of last season. Eyler was victorious on June 10 at Tri-City Speedway for his only other victory of the season in his White Heating/Fezell Shop 'n Save, Designers-sponsored #5a. The feature went non-stop for the third straight week and was timed in 6:23.56.
Kent continued his late season surge with a runner-up after two wins and a third over the past three weeks. George was third and clinched his second track championship in the past three seasons. Bonnell held off fast closing Jesse Hockett for fourth. Hockett of Warsaw, Missouri, who has run some 70 races all over the country this season in various Sprint Car classes on asphalt and dirt, got to the track late missing hot laps and after never seeing the track before charged from 12th to finish fifth in his heat race. After starting seventh in the feature, Hockett finally figured out the tricky 3/8-mile track midway through the event and quickly erased a near one-half lap deficit running down the lead pack at the finish without a caution. Mike Lutz was sixth in the Preston #1P. Defending champion Bob Felmlee made his first start of the season and was seventh ahead of Andy McKisson, Quarterson in the Rudzik #49, and Friday's Lernerville Speedway winner, Brian Ellenberger. Eyler and Felmlee won the heats over the season-high 22-car field.
Brian Booher just keeps on rolling scoring his second straight win and 12th of the season in the 20-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. The $500 win clinched the Sandy Lake, Pa. resident's unprecedented third straight championship. "We wanted to make a different setup," explained the Sandy Lake, Pa. driver. "The track changed a little bit and the car did too. Boy we made the right guess tonight. The crew has done an awesome job all year and I'm glad we can put this car in victory lane for them and for all the people that come out and watch and support us each week. I want to thank them for that."
Rookie Chris Haines jumped out to the early lead in search of his second win. Booher, who started third, actually dropped back to fifth after the completion of the first lap. Booher got fourth from Rod Laskey on lap two, third from Gary Robinson on lap three, and second from Shaun Hooks on lap four before a caution for a spin by rookie Mike Dobrick. The restart was just what Booher needed as he was able to nose ahead of Haines to lead lap five.
The only thing to slow Booher's run to the checkered was a caution with 18 laps completed when Andy Buckley slammed the turn two wall. When racing resumed, Booher led the final two laps for his 32nd career win in the Terry Hoover-owned, Ed & Jerry's Auto Service/Harry & Tim's Roofing/Brad McEwen Garage Doors-sponsored #00H. Haines was second. Russ Byler had a strong run holding off Laskey for third. Brian Bush was a career best fifth. Hooks and Buckley were heat victors over the 16-car field.
Garrett Krummert has raced Modifieds for five years now and as hard to believe as it is has never won a feature. That changed Saturday night. Although it didn't come in a full-size Modified, Krummert's first career win came in the 15-lap Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lite feature to become the division's ninth different winner of the season.
"This thing is a lot harder to drive than the big cars," stated the New Castle, Pa. winner. "I can't get it done in the big cars so I don't know what to say. I have to thank Mike and Levi Spinneweber. Without them I wouldn't be here. They gave me a great opportunity. "
Krummert started second and had the lead from George Englert on the initial lap, while point leader Rod Jones raced from fifth to second after the completion of lap one. Todd Canter, who started seventh, grabbed third from Englert on lap three. By lap four it was a three-car race for the lead and that was much pretty much the case the remainder of the race. Krummert, Jones, and Canter put on an excellent race changing lines on the fast surface. On lap nine, Canter squeezed past Jones on the backstretch in lapped traffic to take second.
Krummert though was too much as he held on for the win in the Levi Spinneweber- owned #21s. Canter held off Jones for second. Doug Stanley came from ninth to place fourth as Englert dropped to fifth. Stanley and Marcucci won the heats over the 17-car field.
Mike Mathieson has competed in Sportsman Modifieds, Stock Cars, and even Demolition Derbies. This year he took over the driving duties for Jason Bell's Mini Stock on July 21. Making just his fifth start of the season, the Jackson Center, Pa. racer captured his second career win and his first since October 12, 2002 in a special backwards Stock Car feature. Mathieson started the 12-lap M&D Paving feature from the seventh spot, but had the lead after the completion of lap one.
Point leader Mike Anderson (Jr.) started eighth and passed Steve Polkabla for second on lap three. Anderson closed on Mathieson with two laps to go. On the final lap, Anderson drove hard into turn four and the two made contact, but Mathieson held on for the victory in the #725 and dedicated the win to his good friend- the late Steve Guthrie, Jr.. Pete Wearing passed Josh Verrill on lap six to finish third. Verrill was fourth over last week's winner Dillon Barr. Wearing and Verrill won the heats over the 16-car field.
Bill Emig Memorial American Racer/Lias Tire (358) Modifieds (30 laps): 1. FRANK GUIDACE ($2,000) 2. Eric Gabany 3. Gary Smoker 4. Steve Barr 5. Brad Rapp 6. Mike Stine 7. Mark Frankhouser 8. Rodney Beltz 9. Rick Hall 10. Rich Whitney 11. Matt Reeher 12. Alex Anderson 13. Kevin Green 14. Lonny Riggs 15. Steve Young 16. Greg Davis 17. Jimmy Holden 18. Dillon McElrath 19. Garrett Krummert 20. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 21. Jr. Baker 22. Jeff Schaffer.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling (410) Sprint Cars (25 laps): 1. ROB EYLER ($1,500) 2. Arnie Kent 3. Rod George 4. Scott Bonnell 5. Jesse Hockett 6. Mike Lutz 7. Bob Felmlee 8. Andy McKisson 9. Tom Quarterson 10. Brian Ellenberger 11. Gale Ruth, Jr. 12. Chris Shuttleworth 13. Brent Matus 14. Jeff Taylor 15. Paul Kapuchuck 16. Paul Kish 17. Joe Butera 18. Brian Steinman 19. Butch Beasley 20. Bill Williams 21. Danny Holtgraver-DNS 22. Mike Dehner-DNS.
Tire Express Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. BRIAN BOOHER ($500) 2. Chris Haines 3. Russ Byler 4. Rod Laskey 5. Brian Bush 6. Bobby Heim 7. Matt Wagner 8. Skip Reseigh 9. Andy Buckley 10. Jeff Christy 11. Shaun Hooks 12. Gary Robinson 13. Brandon Johnston 14. Mike Dobrick 15. Bob McCann-DNS 16. Paul Reiser-DNS.
Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lites (15 laps): 1. GARRETT KRUMMERT ($300) 2. Todd Canter 3. Rod Jones 4. Doug Stanley 5. George Englert 6. Mark Marcucci 7. Dave Innes 8. Levi Spinneweber 9. Angie Grzelak 10. Bill Stivason 11. Kotie Kirkbride 12. Chad Yeager 13. Kyle Lawrence 14. Ted Williams 15. Kenny Meadows 16. Tom Klein 17. Dave Jones-DNS.
M&D Paving Mini Stocks (12 laps): 1. MIKE MATHIESON ($60) 2. Mike Anderson (Jr.) 3. Pete Wearing 4. Josh Verrill 5. Dillon Barr 6. Steve Polkabla 7. Bill Fuchs 8. Sam Kloos 9. Braden Bice 10. John Shannon 11. Rudolph Troples 12. Skinny Hall 13. Rich Hartzell 14. Dan Nagy 15. Wally Stearns-DNS 16. Lucas Sprouse-DNS.
Upcoming Events:
9/1 No Racing
9/8 19th Annual Western PA Sprint Championship presented by Armstrong. Sprints ($3,000), Mods ($800), Open Stocks ($500), Mod Lites ($300), & Mini Stocks ($60). Final night of points except for Modifieds. Gates open at 4:30 with hot laps at 6:15 and racing at 7 p.m.
9/15 USA-East Regional Finals. Semi Trucks, RWYB Trucks, 4x4 Diesel Trucks, 4x4 Gas Trucks, Limited Pro Stock Tractors, & Super Farm Tractors. Pulling begins at 6:30. Rain date 9/16 at 2 PM.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round late mornings and after 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypa rk.com for the latest.
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