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SCHAFFER WINS T3 ALL-STAR MOD MAKE-UP; LEWIS OPENS LITTLE GUY NATIONALS WITH $1,000 STOCK WIN; JONES WINS MOD LITES; KISHBAUGH IS 1ST TIME MERCER MICRO WINNER; KILGORE TOPS MINIS
By Mike Leone
September 28, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mercer, PA.Mercer Raceway Park opened the eighth annual "Little Guy Nationals" on Friday night as 200 race cars jammed the pit area. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane were Jeff Schaffer-T3 All-Star Modified July 4 make-up, Dan Lewis-Tire Express Stock Cars, Brian Kishbaugh-Micro Sprints, Rod Jones- STAR's Championship Mod Lite Tour, and Cory Kilgore-M&D Paving Mini Stocks.
Jeff Schaffer kicked off the Little Guy Nationals winning the July 4 make-up for the T3 All-Star Modifieds. The 30-lap win was worth $1,500 and was Schaffer's fourth win of the season. "The smoother you are the faster you are going to be," acknowledged the Fombell, Pa. racer. "I had good traffic to run by and it was good."
Lonny Riggs went from third into the lead on the opening lap past Gary Smoker and pole-sitter Ray Bliss, Jr. Schaffer started the event in fourth and made his way into runner-up on lap six taking the spot from Bliss. Riggs' night came to a disappointing end when a malfunction sent his car into the turn one wall.
When racing resumed, Schaffer inherited the lead with Bliss back to second. Steve Young and Garrett Krummert took second and third from Bliss on laps eight and nine. Young, who started seventh with a borrowed motor from Riggs' team, saw his power-plant go up in smoke on lap 12 moving Krummert to second. All eyes shifted to Billy VanPelt, who started the event in 19th. VanPelt driving his brother Curt's #12 worked his way into contention on lap 21 taking fourth from Jimmy Holden then two laps later drove around Bliss for third. VanPelt passed Krummert for second on lap 27, but ran out of laps as Schaffer captured his 11th career win at Mercer in the Approved Toilet Rentals-sponsored, Jerry Schaffer-owned #4. Krummert was third and captured his first ever championship despite going during the season. Holden and Bryan Terwilliger finished fourth and fifth after starting 11th and 12th respectively. Sixth through tenth were Dylan DeWert, Bliss, Mike Stine, Mark Frankhouser, and Rick Hall.
Making his first appearance since the 2003 Little Guy Nationals, Dan Lewis scored the preliminary win for the Tire Express Stock Cars in the 25-lap $1,000 to-win feature holding off three-time champion and 12-time 2007 winner Brian Booher. "I come to win them all," stated the Hubbard, Ohio driver. "I probably went with a too soft of a tire, but that's all we got. We run what we brought."
Lewis started on the pole and first had to fend off Raceway 7 champion Rusty Wheeler, who was won the last two Little Guy National mains. Wheeler started fourth and took second from Rod Laskey on lap three. Wheeler was on Lewis on lap 10, but pulled off the track two laps later with mechanical problems handing second to Booher. September 8 winner Rusty Martz passed Laskey for third on lap 16 and made it a three-car race the final six laps.
Lewis though was too strong scoring the fourth win of his career in his #64 and became the first driver to repeat in preliminary Little Guy National nights as he was also the winner in the 2002 event. Booher edged Martz for second. Mike Pegher, Jr. was fourth after starting 12th and Laskey dropped to fifth. Only one caution slowed the event. Heat winners over the 69-car field were Pegher, Shaun Hooks, Gary Little, Dan Smeal, Martz, and Booher. Chris Haines, Jason Reagle, and Andy Buckley won the B mains.
Brian Kishbaugh made the long tow from eastern Pennsylvania in Nescopeck pay off winning his first ever at Mercer in the 20-lap $750 to-win Micro Sprint feature. It was the first and only appearance by the division at Mercer in 2007.
Kishbaugh started second and overtook Chad Carpenter on the first lap. Steve Dunmire, who started 12th, worked his way to the front passing Mike Himes on lap seven for second. Dunmire chased the #5 of Kishbaugh the rest of the way and was all over the leader in heavy lapped traffic in the final laps, but couldn't find a way by. Himes was third over Doug Karlene and Jay Groves. Heat winners over the 36-car field were Kishbaugh, Dunmire, Tim Eakin, Sr., and Jim Young. The two B mains went to Jim Myers and D.J. Furney.
The Mod Lites began their first of two days at the Little Guy Nationals and it was track champion Rod Jones topping a star-studded field in the 20-lap $500 to-win Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lite feature as part of the STAR's Championship Tour.
Jones of West Middlesex, Pa. started sixth. Mikey Hay and Jones passed leader Levi Spinneweber on lap 12 for first and second. The two ran side-by-side on laps 14 and 15 with Jones on the bottom and Hay on top. Jones was able to edge by to lead lap 15 and then survived two cautions to capture his ninth win of the season and 11th of his career in the Jones Performance- sponsored, Dave Jones-owned #820. Hay was second. Kenny Meadows and 12th starter Doug Stanley passed Spinneweber on laps 18 and 20 to finish third and fourth respectively. Spinneweber dropped to fifth after a strong early run. Hay, Stanley, Steve White, and Matt Hay won the heats over the 43 cars. Shawn Sliter and Anthony Gillespie won the two B mains.
On September 8 John Ford made his first ever appearance a successful one winning the Mini Stock feature. Friday night, Ford's nephew Cory Kilgore took over the reigns of the #34 because of Ford's work schedule and captured the 15-lap feature for the M&D Paving-sponsored division topping a season-high 27-car field. Kilgore led only one lap, but it was the one that counted and paid $150. Kilgore and Todd English overtook leader Bob Pease on the final lap to finish one-two. Jason Joiner was fourth and Bill Fuchs was the top Mercer regular in fifth. Kilgore, Joiner, and English won the heats.
T3 All-Star (358) Modified July 4 make-up (30 laps): 1. JEFF SCHAFFER ($1,500) 2. Billy VanPelt 3. Garrett Krummert 4. Jimmy Holden 5. Bryan Terwilliger 6. Dylan DeWert 7. Ray Bliss, Jr. 8. Mike Stine 9. Mark Frankhouser 10. Rick Hall 11. Brian Fink 12. Ron White 13. Jr. Baker 14. Kevin Green 15. Gary Smoker 16. Rich Whitney 17. Brad Rapp 18. Matt Reeher 19. Steve Young 20. Lonny Riggs 21. Keith Swartzlander 22. Ron Cartwright, Jr.-DNS 23. Alex Anderson-DNS DNQ: Rodney Beltz, Ryan Haney, Herb Wright, Frank Guidace, Brian May.
Tire Express Stock Cars (25 laps): 1. DAN LEWIS ($1,000) 2. Brian Booher 3. Rusty Martz 4. Mike Pegher, Jr. 5. Rod Laskey 6. Tim Burns 7. Gary Little 8. Jamie Barber 9. Jason Reagle 10. Shaun Hooks 11. Chris Haines 12. Bobby Whitling 13. Bob Rosman 14. Chris Schneider 15. Andy Buckley 16. Dan Smeal 17. Rob Bates 18. Bob Egley 19. Gary Robinson 20. Gary Fisher 21. Butch Lambert 22. Rusty Wheeler 23. Ken Zimmer 24. Doug Iorio II DNQ: Jamey Swank, Dave Ferringer, Mike Aley, Tim Deutsch, Shaun Fawcett, Randy Wyant, Bobby Heim, Russ Coyne, Jason Fosnaught, Terry Wheeler, Charles Beck, Dave McLaughlin, Ray Reynolds, Bob Schwartzmiller, Dennis Wagner, Tommy Dembowski, Tim Thompson, Randy Zechman, Willie Aley, Bill Phillips, Jr., Jake Simmons, Matt Keith, Chad O'Brien, Ryan Hills, Cory Webb, Bill Heffner, James Fosnaught, Corey Ruffo, Bob Sloss, Rick Hemphill, Mike Laughard, John Ramsey, Jr., Brian Bush, Tim Bish, Dwayne Clay, Brandon Johnston, Ed Cornell, Rusty Wheeler, Lauren Simmons, Bill Henney, Russ Byler, Eric Baun, Jeff Sweeney, Tim Folmer, Steve Horvath.
Micro Sprints (20 laps): 1. BRIAN KISHBAUGH ($750) 2. Steve Dunmire 3. Mike Himes 4. Doug Karlene 5. Jay Groves 6. Jeff Bacha 7. Bob Robertson 8. Sean Stolz 9. Todd Reusser 10. Jim Myers 11. Mikey Schall 12. Chad Carpenter 13. Matt Gardina 14. Brett Garrett 15. Tim Smith 16. D.J. Furney 17. George Hobaugh (Jr.) 18. C.J. Price 19. Tim Eakin, Sr. 20. Joey Sanger 21. Jim Young 22. Matt Nulph 23. Jo Marie Gagne 24. Jessica McDivitt DNQ: Wes Libert, Karlin Miller, Barry Lucas, Jr., Joe Butera, Eric Williams, Brandon Matus, Justin Stewart, Chris Plascak, Sam Fulmer, Mike Kerr, Mark Bak, Sam Carpenter.
Big Daddy's Speed Center STAR's Mod Lites (20 laps): 1. ROD JONES ($500) 2. Mikey Hay 3. Kenny Meadows 4. Doug Stanley 5. Levi Spinneweber 6. Matt Hay 7. Eric Hay 8. Brian Woodhall 9. Mark Marcucci 10. George Englert 11. Shawn Sliter 12. Anthony Gillespie 13. Adam Leslie 14. Jay Dye 15. Garrett Krummert 16. Jeremy Adamik 17. Angie Grzelak 18. Bill Stivason 19. Kevin Spencer 20. Chris Logan 21. Lynn Knepper 22. Kotie Kirkbride 23. Steve White 24. Tyler Reno DNQ: J.J. Metheney, Ron Debolt, Tom Klein, Ben Black, Calvin Clay, Jamie Gilbert, Dave Jones, Mark Brighton, Tiffany Williams, Ray Gregory, Wilbur Juillerat, Charles Campbell, Alan Knepper, Frank Dunkle, Jr., Adam Murphy, Bud Watson, Kevin Meadows, Ritchie Wilson, Todd Canter.
M&D Paving Mini Stocks (15 laps): 1. CORY KILGORE ($150) 2. Todd English 3. Bob Pease 4. Jason Joiner 5. Bill Fuchs 6. Dave Smail 7. Wally Stearns 8. Kris Anderson 9. Mike Mathieson 10. Dan Nagy 11. Scott Gilliland 12. Dillon Barr 13. Skinny Hall 14. Brian Tucho 15. Sam Kloos 16. Rich Hartzell 17. Ed Haylett 18. Gene Buck 19. Mike Anderson (Jr.) 20. Gary Fleming 21. Pete Wearing 22. John Hartman 23. Josh Verrill 24. Lucas Sprouse 25. John Shannon 26. Jason Tatgenhorst 27. Braden Bice-DNS.
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 after 1:00 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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