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by Brian Spaid
April 27, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRANKLIN, PA ... Spring-like weather conditions highlighted the
2008 season opener on Sunday night at Tri-City Speedway as Jeremiah
Shingledecker (Engles Trucking DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds), Dave Lyon (4
Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models), Carl McKinney (RPM Auto
Sales/Sherry Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Chris Haines (E.F. Rogers Plumbing &
Heating Pro Stocks) and Bill Myers (Klapec Auto Body Thundercars)
collected feature wins at the Venango County half-mile oval.
Jeremiah Shingledecker of Polk, Pa., took advantage of a restart
miscue by Joe Crawford on the 15th circuit and raced home the winner of
the 20-lap DIRTcar Big Block Modified feature. Driving his Lou Heath &
Son Excavating/Hards Welding Bicknell No. 37MD, Shingledecker collected
his ninth career feature win at Tri-City.
"This is an incredible track," said Shingledecker. "If not for Joe
making that mistake, I don't know if I could have caught him. We'll take
this win. We blew the engine in our Late Model car on Friday night at
Lernerville, so this will help the budget."
J.R. McGinley took the early lead from the pole position, but
Crawford took advantage of his outside front row start to move into lead on
the second circuit. Shingledecker followed him through and continued to
pressure Crawford for the next 13 circuits. After the fourth caution of
the race, Crawford drove too hard into the first turn on the restart,
drifted high, and Shingledecker dove under him into the lead. Crawford
recovered, but lost second to Andy Priest with four laps to go. In the
end, Shingledecker scored the win over Priest, Crawford, Kevin Bolland
and Jim Rasey.
The race was marred by a violent wreck as the cars were racing on
the 16th circuit. Del Rougeux Jr., who was running third at the time,
bounced off the second turn wall and Priest hit the back of Rougeux's car.
That turned Rougeux hard into the outside wall. With front end damage,
Rouguex's car coasted back across the track where McGinley slammed
into him and collected Les Myers, who was driving Jeremy Paup's race car.
No one was injured, but all three cars suffered major damage.
Tommy Kristyak and Bolland won the DIRTcar Big Block Modified heats.
Kristyak returned to competition after spending the last couple of
years on the sidelines, and scored a heat race win on his first night out.
Dave Lyon of Corry, Pa., captured the first-ever FASTRAK Late Model
feature at Tri-City. Lyon held off the stout challenges of three-time
Pro Stock track champion Bobby Whitling to win the 20-lap main event.
The race featured four lead changes among three drivers, and Lyon edged
Whitling by 0.103 seconds at the finish line.
"I knew Bobby was fast," said Lyon in victory lane after his first
career win at Tri-City aboard his Lias Tire/OZFabrication Rocket No.
14L. "He took the lead from me there, and I knew if I held my line on the
outside that I could catch him."
Former Thundercar track champion Chad Myers led the first three
circuits before Lyon took the lead racing around Myers in turn one on a
restart. Whitling charged into second on the same lap, and the race was on
for the win. With Lyon in the middle groove and Whitling down low, the
two had a stirring duel. On the 10th circuit, following another
restart, Whitling charged under Lyon in turn two, and took command. He
continued to hold off Lyon until the 15th circuit when Lyon raced outside
Whitling and went back into the lead. The fourth and final restart with
two laps to go gave Whitling one more opportunity to challenge Lyon, but
Lyon held off the local hotshoe at the line. Dennis Lunger Jr. placed
third over Tom Snyder Jr. and Max Blair. Lunger and Blair won the
FASTRAK Late Model heat races.
Carl McKinney of Cranberry Township, Pa., picked up where he left
off in 2007 as the defending E Mod track champion led every circuit to
win the 15-lap feature. Driving Mike Hendrickson's Dahlstrom Iron and
Metal Pierce No. 6M, McKinney was virtually unchallenged as he captured
his seventh career win at Tri-City.
"I have to hand it to Mike and his crew," said McKinney. "After last
season, they took the car home and basically put a cover on it. We
brought it back out and this car is so steady and reliable on this track.
Thanks to everyone for getting us here."
Starting on the outside pole, McKinney outraced Ron Roncaglione for
the lead at the start of the race. Shawn Shingledecker took second on
the fourth circuit, and chased down McKinney with Mike Potosky in hot
pursuit. McKinney was on a rail. No matter how hard Shingledecker tried,
he could not oust McKinney from the lead. Three restarts gave him the
chance he needed, but each time Shingledecker was no match. At the
finish, McKinney was the winner over Shingledecker, who barely held off
Potosky. Justin Carlson and Jim Frontz rounded out the top five.
Shingledecker and Carlson captured the E Mod heats.
Chris Haines of Sandy Lake, Pa., proved that the sophomore jinx can
be broken by winning his first career Pro Stock feature at Tri-City.
The 2007 Tri-City Pro Stock Rookie of the Year and Western PA Rookie of
the Year, Haines held off a hard charging Don Kramer, who is also a
sophomore Pro Stock racer, for the victory in the 15-lap feature. Haines is
also competing in the FASTRAK Late Models this season.
"This has been a long time coming, and to have it happen on opening
night is amazing," said Haines about the win in his Jerry's Auto Repair
Chevrolet No. 35H. "I just love racing."
Joe Lockhart led at the start of the race before Haines was able to
wrest the lead from Lockhart on the sixth circuit. Behind Haines,
teenage sensation Jackson Humanic followed him into second and began to put
substantial pressure on Haines. Humanic, the 2006 Tri-City Pro Stock
Rookie of the Year, worked his way underneath Haines a few times, but
could not make the pass. On the 15th circuit, Denny Crawford slammed into
the second turn wall and flipped over causing a long red period to dry
the track from water that flowed out of overturned water barrels that
form a soft barrier along the fence. When racing resumed, Kramer dashed
by Humanic for second and charged after Haines. Kramer was unable to
mount a challenge, and Haines scored the win. Kramer, Humanic, Jason
Reagle and Dave Ferringer rounded out the top five. Reagle and Rod Laskey
won the Pro Stock heats.
Following the lead of McKinney, Bill Myers of Seneca, Pa., also
commenced his title defense in grand style by leading every circuit of the
12-lap Thundercar feature. It was the seventh career win for the 2007
Thundercar champion at Tri-City aboard his R.K. Virgile Scrap
Metal/Corner Pocket Bar/Color Tek Chevrolet No. 43M. A late race caution saved
Myers when he was mired in lapped traffic and prevented Chad Ubber from
making the winning pass.
"This is the same car with a different body from last year," said
Myers. "I knew Chad was coming when I looked at the scoreboard. He's
fast, and the lapped cars were difficult. I'm glad that caution came out."
By the luck of the inversion draw in the grandstands before the
feature events, Myers started on the pole position and immediately jumped
out to a huge lead. Behind him, Uber took second while Ed Deloe and
Curtis E. Bish challenged each other the entire race for third. All eyes
were focused on Uber, however. The quick upstart slowly closed in on
Myers when the leader entered lapped traffic. With two laps to go, Myers
was stuck behind a three-wide battle and Uber was closing quickly to make
a pass when Bill Baker lost a wheel in turns three and four. That
caused a caution, and gave Myers some much needed breathing room. Myers
went on to the win over Uber, Bish, Deloe and Greg Myers. Bill Myers and
Deloe snared the Thundercar heats.
With the 13th consecutive season of the modern era underway,
Tri-City Speedway returns to action next Sunday May 4th with a five-star
racing program of action that includes the Engles Trucking DIRTcar Big Block
Modifieds, 4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models, RPM Auto
Sales/Sherry Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro
Stocks and Klapec Auto Body Thundercars. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing
starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission will be a family friendly
$11.
DIRTcar BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS (20 Laps): 1. JEREMIAH SHINGLEDECKER, 2.
Andy Priest, 3. Joe Crawford, 4. Kevin Bolland, 5. Jim Rasey, 6. Kevin
Hoffman, 7. Dave Schrader, 8. Mark Flick, 9. Dean Pearson, 10. Tommy
Kristyak, 11. Steve Feder, 12. Carl Murdick, 13. Dave Murdick, 14. Del
Rougeux Jr., 15. J.R. McGinley, 16. Les Myers, 17. Kyle Fink, 18. Mike
Turner, 19. Skip Moore, 20. Garrett Krummert.
FASTRAK LATE MODELS (20 Laps): 1. DAVE LYON, 2. Bobby Whitling, 3.
Dennis Lunger Jr., 4. Tom Snyder Jr., 5. Max Blair, 6. Steve Hollabaugh,
7. Carl McKinney, 8. Scott Myers, 9. Chad Myers, 10. Jon Law, 11. Dave
Airgood Jr., 12. Bobby Powell, 13. Bryant Hank, 14. Chris Haines.
E MODS (15 Laps): 1. CARL McKINNEY, 2. Shawn Shingledecker, 3. Mike
Potosky, 4. Justin Carlson, 5. Jim Frontz, 6. Ron Roncaglione, 7. Bruce
Powell, 8. Evan Taylor, 9. Chip Mahood, 10. Jeff Deeter, 11. Andy
Buckley, 12. Troy Carr, 13. Dana Wellington, 14. Gary Sullivan, 15. Rick
Pratschler, 16. Quincy Turner, 17. Jonathan Taylor, 18. Jack Young. DNS:
David Atkinson, Jay Blum, Tim Engles, Butch Lambert.
PRO STOCKS (15 Laps): 1. CHRIS HAINES, 2. Don Kramer, 3. Jackson
Humanic, 4. Jason Reagle, 5. Dave Ferringer, 6. Rod Laskey, 7. Gerry
Bruce, 8. Bobby Sutley, 9. Joe Lockhart, 10. Rick Robinson, 11. Jason Johns,
12. Dale Yeaney, 13. Denny Crawford, 14. James Keith, 15. Ronnie
Davis, 16. Matt Thomas, 17. Josh Seippel, 18. Russ Coyne, 19. Terry Wheeler.
DNS: Steve D'Apolito Randy Wyant.
THUNDERCARS (12 Laps): 1. BILL MYERS, 2. Chad Ubber, 3. Curtis E.
Bish, 4. Ed Deloe, 5. Greg Myers, 6. Joe Blake, 7. Scott Kilgore, 8. Joe
Sloss Jr., 9. Ed Roberts, 10. John K. Miller II, 11. Don Blake Jr., 12.
Pat Fielding, 13. John K. Miller, 14. Alan Perry, 15. Bill Baker, 16.
Charlie McMillen, 17. Bill Winters, 18. Cody Manners, 19. Dave Baker,
20. Kenny Alcorn. DNS: Jon Huff.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 4 - DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods,
Pro Stocks and Thundercars
May 11 - Red Express Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK
Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks, Thundercars and Mother's Day Powder
Puff Pro Stock and Thundercar Race
May 18 - Fisher & Father Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds,
FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars (Armed Forces Day)
May 25 - Rankin & Sons Excavating Presents 5th Annual Dick Rankin
Memorial Featuring BRP Modified Tour 2008 (DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds),
FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars |
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