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Regional, two-division star Dave Hess Jr. had another memorable night during the Showdown in Sarvertown sponsored by Y108. Success on the Action Track is nothing new for Dave Hess Jr. Last season, Hess won features in two different divisions; (the only driver to do so last season and in recent memory). There were a handful of nights last year when Hess pulled “Double Duty” piloting both his Super Late Model and his UMP Modified.
Last night, Hess competed only in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event, but collected a $12,000 check for his success in the UMP Modified. While the news was conveyed a month ago, Hess was officially awarded the “Big Check” worth a whopping $12,000 for winning the Alltel All Star competition last night during the Showdown in Sarvertown. With the help of many of you reading this, Hess beat out over a dozen drivers, (including Donny Schatz, Billy Moyer, Danny “The Dude” Lasoski, Josh Richards and Brett Hearn), from four divisions whom won feature events at the 37th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in February. World of Outlaws Late Model Series Director Tim Christman made the presentation in Victory Lane to a very grateful Dave Hess Jr. following his thrilling B-Main victory.
On the track, Dave Hess Jr. enjoyed the success he has become accustomed to at Lernerville. His evening started out somewhat average, qualifying just 33rd quick of 51 cars and finishing seventh in a 13 car heat race. But Hess’s night got a whole lot better starting in the B-Main where he passed Outlaw regular Clint Smith for the lead on a late race restart. Hess’s B-Main win locked him into the 17th starting position of the 50-lap, $10,000-to-win A-Main feature; won by the red hot Billy Moyer. During the middle stages of the race, Hess was running in the top 10, but jumped the cushion in turns three & four. A dozen laps later, he got tangled up on the back straightaway with Tim Fuller and Alex Ferree, but Hess eventually recovered to score with a very impressive 13th place finish.
Matt Lux also got off to a hot start at the Lernerville Speedway during the Showdown in Sarvertown. Lux was one of three local drivers to set a top ten qualifying time, turning a lap of 15.698 seconds, good enough for sixth quick. He then took the checkers in his heat race against the likes of Chub Frank, Rick Eckert and a who’s who of local and regional stars (Alex Ferree, David Scott, Allan Dellinger, Jared Miley, Mark Banal, and Keith Barbara). The heat race win locked Matt Lux into the pill draw for the 50-lap A-Main feature event. He started sixth and ran in the top ten for much of the race before finally being scored in the 15th position, finishing all 50 laps.
The other two local drivers who qualified in the top ten last night were Allan Dellinger and Dutch Davies.
Allan Dellinger, (a.k.a. Jim Dandy Jr.), was behind the wheel of Mike Blose’s familiar #5, as Blose continues to recover from a medical condition. Dellinger set the second fastest time of the night with a lap of 15.571, (less than .2 seconds behind quick qualifier and reigning World of Outlaws Late Model Series Champion Steve Francis.), in a very talented field of 51 cars. Despite the extremely impressive qualifying time, Dellinger was not able to transfer out of his heat race and did not start the B-main.
Dutch Davies turned the ninth fastest lap of the evening with a time of 15.740 seconds. Davies was saddled with a brutal draw in the heat race, where he was stacked up against Outlaws points leader and red hot Billy Moyer, reigning Outlaws Champion Steve Francis, Lernerville track record holder Darrell Lanigan, Clint Smith, Brian Shirley and the aforementioned Dave Hess Jr. Despite battling for the final transfer position for most of the 10-lap heat race, Davies settled for sixth and had to go to through a B-Main if he wanted to make the feature. Davies again was in the mix for the final transfer position in the B-Main, but came up a few spots and few laps short, bringing his night to an early end.
The only other local driver other than Matt Lux to transfer into the A-Main from his heat race was “Slow Ride” David Scott. Scott’s night started with a best lap of 15.997 seconds, good enough for 26th quick. He finished fourth in the same heat that Lux won and started 14th in the 50-lap A-Main feature event. The Slow Ride’s night came to an early end when he pulled off the track on lap 30, officially being scored in the 23rd position.
The only other local driver to race his way into the Showdown in Sarvertown A-Main feature through his B-Main was “The Juice” Davey Johnson. Johnson set the 29th fastest time with a lap of 16.027 seconds and missed the transfer by one spot in his heat race that featured Vic Coffey, Josh Richards, Mike Balzano, Jeep Van Wormer, Billy Decker and five-time track champion John Flinner. The Juice would not be denied, however, in the B-Main where he finished second to Outlaw traveler John Blankenship. Starting 20th in the feature, Johnson completed just 21 laps before retiring into the pits, officially scored in the 25th position.
Reigning Track Champion Alex Ferree and 2007 runner-up/1998 Track Champion Gary Lyle used track provisionals to tail the Showdown in Sarvertown A-Main feature event. They qualified 33rd and 40th quick and seventh and eighth in their heat races respectively. Both drivers came alive in their respective B-Mains, Ferree in the first B-Main, Lyle in the second. Ferree made his trademark charge around the very top of the Action Track, (especially in turns three & four); a line he used multiple times last season on the way to nine A-Main feature wins. Lyle used multiple lines, working the track high and low looking for a way to get around Billy Decker and John Flinner into the transfer spot. When the checkers fell on the B-Mains, Ferree crossed fourth, Lyle crossed fifth.
Ferree and Lyle made up the back row of the starting grid for the A-Main, with nowhere to go but forward, and both drivers did so in a hurry! Ferree’s night, however, came to an early end when he tangled with Dave Hess Jr. and Tim Fuller entering turn three on lap 34. Ferree would roll into the pits and officially be scored in 21st position. Gary Lyle, on the other hand, completed all 50 laps of the Showdown in Sarvertown feature, riding home to a 19th place finish.
Five-time track champions Lynn Geisler and John Flinner failed to qualify for the A-Main, but for different reasons.
Lynn Geisler does not seem to have escaped the gremlins and bad luck that plagued him at Lernerville Speedway during the 2007 season. He spun off the banking between turns one & two in his heat race, (“with a little help from his friends” perhaps), and got caught up in a restart bottle neck in his B-Main, resulting in another spin ending his night too early.
John Flinner showed flashes of the brilliance that made him a five-time back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back champion, (from 2001-2005), slinging his familiar, but slightly different color-schemed, #48 around the top of the speedway. He and Davey Johnson put on a whale of a show in their heat race trying to catch Jeep Van Wormer for the final transfer position. Flinner and Johnson made contact coming to the flag stand, then did some jockeying on the back straightaway. Flinner then gave Outlaw regular Billy Decker all he could handle for the final transfer spot in the second B-Main, but came up short and was officially scored in fourth place.
2005 MACS Late Model Series Champion Mike Balzano had a rock solid ninth place finish in the Showdown in Sarvertown A-Main feature event. In doing so, Balzano earned the $500 World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Bonus Bucks’ for being the highest-finishing driver who’s never won a tour event. He raced his way into the A-Main by setting the 16th quick time of 15.843 seconds, then transferring directly into the A-Main by finishing third in his heat race.
Other local drivers in competition included Jared Miley, Greg Satterlee, Sam Stile, Keith Barbara, Ken Schaltenbrand (piloting the Doug Peterman #67, not his familiar #29), “The Copperhead” John Garvin, Dane Laraway, John Mollick, and Tom Kitchen.
Regional invaders from West Virginia (Doug Horton, Steve Wilmoth, and John Blankenship) Ohio (Mark Banal) and Pennsylvania (Jeremy Miller, Rick “Boom” Briggs, Dan Stone, Bump Hedman, Chris Hackett, Sheetz McGarvey, Ryan Scott and Jesse Smith) were also on hand to make up the stout field of Super Late Model competitors.
To put a exclamation mark on how deep and talented the Showdown in Sarvertown field was Tuesday Night, Regional star Jeremy Miller, (fresh off his first career World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main feature win last weekend at the “Rumble on the River IV” at Virginia Motor Speedway), did not even make the A-Main field after missing the transfer by one spot in his heat race, then breaking in his B-Main!!
If you missed or want to relive the action from last night’s Showdown in Sarvertown sponsored by Y108 featuring the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, log on to www.DIRTvision.com to watch the archived webcast of last night’s event!
Many of these local drivers will be back on the track this Friday Night, April 18, for the Opening Night of Lernerville Speedway’s 40th Anniversary Season in the ultra-competitive Friedman’s Freshmarkets UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models. The forecast looks beautiful for Friday Night, so don’t miss out on the action! Please log on to our website www.Lernerville.com for more details and plan on being in the stands with us Friday Night!
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Feature (50 Laps)
(21) Billy Moyer, Batesville AR.
(25) Shane Clanton, Locust Grove GA.
(1*) Chub Frank, Bear Lake
(19) Steve Francis, Ashland KY.
(24) Rick Eckert, York
(29) Darrell Lanigan, Union KY.
(1) Josh Richards, Shinnston WV.
(3S) Brian Shirley, Chatham IL.
(E1) Mike Balzano, Parkersburg WV.
(55) Jeep Von Wormer, Pinconning MI.
(39) Vic Coffey, Leicester NY.
(44) Clint Smith, Senola GA.
(44H) Dave Hess Jr., Waterford
(9K) Mike Knight, Ripley NY.
(21L) Matt Lux, Franklin
(18) Shannon Babb, Moweaqua IL.
(23) John Blankenship, Williamson WV.
(46) Doug Horton, Bruceton Mills WV.
(10) Gary Lyle, Hyde Park
(27J) Danny Johnson, Phelps NY.
(4) Alex Feree, Saxonburg
(19T) Tim Fuller, Watertown
(3) David Scott, Garland
(7J) Joe Isabell, Pennellville NY.
(1J) Davey Johnson, Latrobe
(91) Billy Decker, Unadilla NY.
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Time Trials
(19) Steve Francis 15.433
(5) Allan Dellinger 15.571
(18) Shannon Babb 15.608
(39) Vic Coffey 15.680
(99B) Rick Briggs 15.687
(21L) Matt Lux 15.698
(25) Shane Clanton 15.717
(1) Josh Richards 15.726
(40) Dutch Davies 15.740
(9K) Mike Knight 15.743
(46) Doug Horton 15.751
(13) Steve Wilmoth 15.760
(3S) Brian Shirley 15.773
(24) Rick Eckert 15.783
(21D) Dan Stone 15.809
(E1) Mike Balzano 15.843
(21) Billy Moyer 15.849
(1*) Chub Frank 15.871
(24M) Jeremy Miller 15.873
(55) Jeep Van Wormer 15.884
(29) Darrell Lanigan 15.889
(17) Keith Barbara 15.904
( 2S) Sam Stile 15.918
(B22) Bump Hedman 15.922
(33) Chris Hackett 15.966
(3) David Scott 15.997
(19T) Tim Fuller 16.007
(1J) Davey Johnson 16.027
(44) Clint Smith 16.060
(T8) Mark Banal 16.116
(23) John Blankenship 16.126
(48) John Flinner 16.146
(44H) Dave Hess Jr. 16.148
(4) Alex Feree 16.175
(1C) Lynn Geisler 16.196
(91) Billy Decker 16.198
(22) Gregg Satterlee 16.278
(7J) Joe Isabell 16.285
(67) Ken Shaltenbrand 16.286
(10) Gary Lyle 16.410
(J4) John Garvin 16.481
(H1) Jared Miley 16.504
(8H) Sheetz McGarvey 16.592
(27J) Danny Johnson 16.598
(1L) Dane Laraway 16.626
(4J) John Mollick 16.728
(18S) Sean Beardsley 16.802
(0) Ryan Scott 17.161
(65) Jesse Smith 18.490
(17T) Tom Kitchen 18.562
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Heat Race #1 (Top 4 Transfer)
(21) Billy Moyer, Batesville AR
(19) Steve Francis, Ashland KY
(3S) Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL
(29) Darrell Lanigan, Union KY
(44) Clint Smith, Senola GA
(40) Dutch Davies, Warren
(44H) Dave Hess Jr., Waterford
(22) Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills
(99B) Rick Briggs, Bear Lake
(33) Chris Hackett, Erie
(J4) John Garvin, Sarver
(65) Jessie Smith, New Richmond
(1L) Dane Laraway, Irwin
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Heat Race #2 (Top 4 Transfer)
(21L) Matt Lux, Franklin
(24) Rick Eckert, York
(1*) Chub Frank, Bear Lake
(3) David Scott, Garland
(9K) Mike Knight, Ripley NY.
(5) Allan Dellinger, Hermitage
(4) Alex Feree, Saxonburg
(T8) Mark Banal, St. Clairsville OH.
(H1) Jared Miley, South Park
(4J) John Mollick, Toronto OH
(17) Keith Barbara, South Park
(7J) Joe Isabell, Pennellville, NY
(17T) Tom Kitchen, Indiana - DNS
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Heat Race #3 (Top 4 Transfer)
(25) Shane Clanton, Locust Grove GA.
(46) Doug Horton, Bruceton Mills WV.
(19T) Tim Fuller, Watertown NY.
(18) Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL
(24M) Jeremy Miller, Gettysburg
(23) John Blankenship, Williamson WV.
(21D) Dan Stone, Thompson
(2S) Sam Stile, Charleroi
(8H) Sheetz McGarvey, Colport
(67) Ken Shaltenbrand, Sarver
(1C) Lynn Geisler, Cranberry Twp.
(18S) Sean Beardsley, Central Square NY.
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Heat Race #4 (Top 4 Transfer)
(39) Vic Coffey, Leicester NY.
(1) Josh Richards, Shinnston WV.
(E1) Mike Balzano, Parkersburg WV.
(55) Jeep Von Wormer, Pinconning MI.
(1J) Davey Johnson, Latrobe
(48) John Flinner, Zelienople
(91) Billy Decker, Unadilla NY.
(10) Gary Lyle, Hyde Park
(27J) Danny Johnson, Phelps NY
(0) Ryan Scott, Garland
(B22) Bump Hedman, Sugar Grove
(13) Steve Wilmoth, Clarksburg WV.
World of Outlaws Late Model Series B-Main #1 (Top 3 Transfer)
(44H) Dave Hess Jr.
(44) Clint Smith
(9K) Mike Knight
(4) Alex Feree
(99B) Rick Briggs
(40) Dutch Davies
(33) Christ Kackett
(4J) John Mollick
(J4) John Garvin
(22) Gregg Satterlee
(H1) Jared Miley
World of Outlaws Late Model Series B-Main #2 (Top 3 Transfer)
(23) John Blankenship
(1J) Davey Johnson
(91) Billy Decker
(48) John Flinner
(10) Gary Lyle
(27J) Danny Johnson
(67) Ken Shaltenbrand
(18S) Sean Beardsley
(13) Steve Wilmoth
(0) Ryan Scott
(21D) Dan Stone
(24M) Jeremy Miller
(1C) Lynn Geisler
(2S) Sam Stile
(8H) Sheetz McGarvey |
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