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TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY 2007 SEASON REVIEW
by Brian Spaid
FRANKLIN, PA .. Tri-City Speedway concluded its 12th consecutive
season of dirt track action in September, and the 2007 track champions
will be honored on January 5th at the Rocky Grove Fire Hall near Franklin.
Top drivers at the venerable half-mile Venango County oval included
Rod George (4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints), Kevin Bolland
(Schwab's Ford DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds), Carl McKinney (RPM Auto
Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Doug Iorio II (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating
Pro Stocks) and Bill Myers (Klapec Auto Body Thundercars).
For the fourth time in his career, Rod George of Kittanning, Pa.,
captured the Super Sprint championship at Tri-City. Driving his Notary
Express/Dr. John Crawford III Family Practice Maxim No. 4, George ended
a bad luck streak that started halfway through the 2006 season.
George's triumphant return included 21 feature wins overall and two titles,
including the Mercer Raceway Park championship. At Tri-City, George
captured eight wins and four second place finishes in 12 point events. Thus,
he never finished outside of the top two, and he even placed third in
the All Star Circuit of Champions Series race on July 3rd. George also
scored nine heat race wins. George's other championships occurred in
2002, 2003 and 2005. Bob Felmlee finished second in the point standings
ahead of Brent Covell, Todd Bauer and Russ Sansosti. Joining George in
victory lane was Felmlee with three wins, Rob Eyler with a single
victory, and Dale Blaney, who won the All Star event.
Kevin Bolland of New Brighton, Pa., captured his third career and
second consecutive title at Tri-City in the DIRTcar Big Block Modified
division. Piloting his Northland Ford/Bolland Machine Bicknell No. 777,
Bolland earned three feature wins and 11 top five finishes in 12 events.
He also won three heat races. Bolland was also the track champion in
2000 and 2006. For the fourth season in a row, Ohio veteran Rex King
finished second in the point championship. He matched Bolland's stats with
three feature wins, 10 top fives and three heat race wins. However,
Bolland's performance edged King by 20 points in the final tally with
more feature races led and four third place feature finishes compared to
King's one in full-point events. BRP Modified Tour 2007 champion Russell
King finished third in the point standings ahead of Jeremiah
Shingledecker and Del Rouguex Jr. Like Bolland and King, Shingledecker scored
three feature wins. Single victories went to Joe Crawford, Russell King,
who won the BRP Modified Tour Dick Rankin Memorial on May 27th for the
second year in a row, and Del Rougeux Jr., who won the BRP Modified
Tour Kodiak Memorial on July 15th, ending his near two-year losing streak
at Tri-City. In the four-race Schwab's Ford Big Block Modified
Challenge Series run with Lernerville Speedway, Brian Swartzlander topped
Bolland for the title.
Carl McKinney of Cranberry Township, Pa., completed a stellar season
with his first career E Mod track championship at Tri-City. Driving
Mike Hendrickson's Holden Precision Machine/Gil Dahlstrom Iron & Metal
Pierce No. 6M, McKinney rolled over the competition in his first full
season of racing at Tri-City. McKinney captured five feature wins,
including both nights of the Oil Region Labor Day Classic Weekend. Those two
victories secured McKinney the 2007 Allegheny Toyota E Series
championship as well. In the end, he earned 12 top five finishes in 14 feature
events, and won five heat races. Similar to Rex King, Shawn Shingledecker
repeated his second place in the point standings for the third season
in a row with three feature wins. Jim Frontz captured two feature wins
while Russ Dunn, Jason Johns, Bobby Whitling, and Justin Carlson each
won once. Following McKinney and Shingledecker in the point chase were
Frontz, Whitling, and Mike Potosky.
Matching the feat performed by his father Doug (1996) and uncle Ron
(2001), "The Kennerdell Kid" Doug Iorio Jr. won the 2007 Pro Stock
title at Tri-City. Capturing four feature wins, 11 top five finishes in 14
feature events, and 10 heat race wins, Iorio outdistanced his rivals
aboard his Gil Dahlstrom Iron & Metal Chevrolet No. 28. The Kennerdell,
Pa., racer topped Danny Exley for his first career track championship by
a whopping 145 points. Dave Ferringer, Gerry Bruce and Rod Laskey
rounded out the top five in the point standings. Matching Iorio's win
total, Jason Reagle scored four feature victories, but did not race the
entire season, and was unable to contend for the title. Laskey and Bobby
Whitling each scored two feature wins while Ferringer and Steve D'Apolito
each won once. D'Apolito's victory came in the 11th Annual CSOnline
Applefest 100 on September 16th. Although he focused on his E Mod team
most of 2007, Whitling competed in all of the races on the William R.
Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series.
Both of his wins occurred in those events, which propelled him to the
2007 series title. This was Whitling's second career Detroit Iron Pro
Stock Series title at Tri-City, the first coming in 2003.
Bill Myers of Seneca, Pa., dominated the Thundercar division to
capture his first career title in the class. Driving his Color Tek/R.K.
Virgile Scrap Metals/Corner Pocket Bar Chevrolet No. 43M, Myers captured
five feature wins and 10 top five finishes in 14 feature events. He also
won 10 heat races. At the start of the season, Myers did not finish in
the top five in the first three events. He came on strong toward the
end scoring three wins and three runner-up finishes in six consecutive
midseason feature events, which throttled the competition. Charlie
McMillen, Jon Huff and young Cody Manners each scored two wins, but McMillen
and Manners were inconsistent otherwise, and Huff did not compete all
season. As a result, none of them stood a chance against Myers. Josh
Seippel, Curtis J. Bish and two-time track champion Jeff Manners each won
one feature. In the final point tally, Myers defeated Seippel, Regina
Deloe, Joe Blake and McMillen. Among his victories, Cody Manners won
the biggest race of the season, the Apple Core 20, on September 16th.
Although he finished second in the E Mod points for the third
consecutive season, Shawn Shingledecker won the 2007 Oyler Action Photo Hard
Charger Award. It was Shingledecker's first Hard Charger point title.
With points accumulated from all divisions based on the number of
positions a driver advances in the feature finish from his official starting
spot, Shingedecker beat DIRTcar Big Block Modified driver Russell King
by two passing points (49-47). E Mod track champion Carl McKinney
finished third in the Hard Charger points followed by E Mod racer Tim Engles
and Pro Stock star Denny Crawford.
All champions will be honored at the Tri-City Speedway season
banquet on Saturday January 5th at the Rocky Grove Fire Hall in Rocky Grove,
Pa., located about 6.5 miles from the track just outside Franklin. For
banquet information and tickets, please contact the track office at
(814) 473-4038.
TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY FINAL POINT STANDINGS 2007
SUPER SPRINTS: 1. Rod George (Kittanning), 1,495; 2. Bob Felmlee
(Franklin), 1,358; 3. Brent Covell (Titusville), 1,248; 4. Todd Bauer
(Clarion), 1,169; 5. Russ Sansosti (Youngstown, OH), 953; 6. Gale Ruth Jr.
(Pleasantville), 939; 7. Rob Eyler (Franklin), 916; 8. John Schuyler
(Jamestown, NY), 701; 9. Cory Good (Gibsonia), 592; 10. Jody Keegan
(Fremont, OH), 589.
DIRTcar BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS: 1. Kevin Bolland (New Brighton), 1,209; 2.
Rex King (Bristolville, OH), 1,189; 3. Russell King (Bristolville,
OH), 1,146; 4. Jeremiah Shingledecker (Polk), 1,075; 5. Del Rougeux Jr.
(Frenchville), 1,065; 6. Dave Schrader (Endeavor), 1,014; 7. Skip Moore
(Jackson Center), 1,013; 8. Dave Murdick (Slippery Rock), 1,010; 9. Carl
Murdick (Butler), 894; 10. Chris Schiffer (Franklin), 877.
BIG BLOCK MODIFIED CHALLENGE SERIES: 1. Brian Swartzlander (Leechburg),
569; 2. Del Rougeux Jr. (Frenchville), 546; 3. Russell King
(Bristolville, OH), 515; 4. Rex King (Bristolville, OH), 497; 5. Dave Murdick
(Slippery Rock), 494; 6. Jeremiah Shingledecker (Polk), 488; 7. Skip Moore
(Jackson Center), 437; 8. J.R. McGinley (Fairmount City), 425; 9. Rex
King Jr. (Bristolville, OH), 425; 10. Kevin Bolland (New Brighton),
406.
E MODS: 1. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Twp.), 1,344; 2. Shawn
Shingledecker (Franklin), 1,282; 3. Jim Frontz (Cambridge Springs), 1,271; 4. Bobby
Whitling (Seneca), 1,252; 5. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills), 1,155; 6.
Jason Johns (Oil City), 1,101; 7. Tim Engles (Franklin), 1,010; 8. Butch
Lambert (Mars), 999; 9. Chip Mahood (Titusville), 967; 10. Evan Taylor
(Saltsburg), 965.
E SERIES: 1. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Twp.), 468; 2. Jim Frontz
(Cambridge Springs), 426; 3. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 406; 4. Shawn
Shingledecker (Franklin), 396; 5. Bill Thomas (Waterford), 388; 6. Mike Potosky
(Guys Mills), 374; 7. Butch Lambert (Mars), 364; 8. Jason Johns (Oil
City), 359; 9. Bruce Powell (Cochranton), 354; 10. Justin Carlson
(Sherman, NY), 346.
PRO STOCKS: 1. Doug Iorio II (Kennerdell), 1,257; 2. Danny Exley (Rocky
Grove), 1,112; 3. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 1,082; 4. Gerry Bruce
(Franklin), 1,064; 5. Rod Laskey (Seneca), 1,041; 6. Denny Crawford
(Franklin), 1,037; 7. Matt Thomas (Grand Valley), 1,011; 8. Chris Haines
(Sandy Lake), 1,001; 9. Bobby Sutley (Cooperstown), 1,000; 10. Jackson
Humanic (Titusville), 965.
DETROIT IRON PRO STOCK SERIES: 1. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 556; 2.
Jason Reagle (Oil City), 519; 3. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 516; 4. Doug
Iorio II (Kennerdell) and Rod Laskey (Seneca), 490 (tie); 6. Gerry
Bruce (Franklin), 468; 7. Danny Exley (Reno), 457; 8. Bobby Sutley
(Cooperstown), 455; 9. Russ Coyne (Cooperstown), 439; 10. Chris Haines (Sandy
Lake), 435.
THUNDERCARS: 1. Bill Myers (Seneca), 1,397; 2. Josh Seippel (Franklin),
1,299; 3. Regina Deloe (Cranberry), 1,268; 4. Joe Blake (Oil City),
1,261; 5. Charlie McMillen (Oil City), 1,257; 6. Curtis E. Bish
(Dempseytown), 1,230; 7. Cody Manners (Oil City), 1,221; 8. Ed Deloe (Oil City),
1,205; 8. Bill Winters (Cooperstown), 1,136; 10. Patrick Fielding
(Titusville), 1,084.
HARD CHARGER: 1. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin)(E), 49; 2. Russell King
(Bristolville, OH)(M), 47; 3. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Twp.)(E), 45;
4. Tim Engles (Franklin)(E), 43; 5. Denny Crawford (Franklin)(PS), 39;
6. Cody Manners (Oil City)(T) and Don Kramer (Meadville)(PS), 38 (tie);
8. Doug Iorio II (Kennerdell)(PS) and Joe Lockhart (Seneca)(PS), 36
(tie); 10. Rod Laskey (Seneca)(PS), 35. Key: Super Sprints (SS), DIRTcar
Big Block Modifieds (M), E Mods (E), Pro Stocks (PS), Thundercars (T).
Tri-City Speedway is owned and operated by Roger and Susie Crick and
Mike and Margaret Graham. They have promoted Sunday night racing at
the popular facility since they reopened it in 1996. The DIRTcar Big
Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks and "Sunday Night
Thunder" Cars will race each week at the Venango County half-mile dirt
oval in 2007. Tri-City is located seven miles north of Franklin, Pa.,
off State Route 417. |
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