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by Brian Spaid
May 25, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRANKLIN, PA ... Gary Smoker scored a huge upset win in the 5th
Annual Dick Rankin Memorial as the BRP/Hoosier Race Tires/Sunoco Race
Fuels Modified Tour 2008 opened its season featuring the Engles Trucking
DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds on Sunday night at Tri-City Speedway.
In other action on a warm and sunny evening of racing, Max Blair
(FASTRAK Late Models), Carl McKinney (RPM Auto Sales/Sherry Shawgo Real
Estate E Mods), Jackson Humanic (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro
Stocks), and Cody Manners (Klapec Auto Body Thundercars) scored feature wins
on Rankin & Son Excavating Night. It was Tri-City's third show of the
season after two consecutive rainouts.
Driving a 358 Small Block Modified, Gary Smoker of Mercer, Pa.,
scored his first-ever DIRTcar Big Block Modified feature win at Tri-City.
Driving his Bill's Portable Restroom Rentals Bicknell No. 516, Smoker
took the lead from polesitter Joe Crawford on the seventh circuit. Then,
the Mercer Raceway Park regular held off the stout challenges of Andy
Priest to score the win in the prestigious race.
"I owe it all to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ," said Smoker with
tears in his eyes. "He did it all tonight. This is incredible. Andy
and I raced for years, and he always races me clean. I knew he was there.
I just can't believe I'm in victory lane tonight."
Crawford jumped into an early lead at the start of the race. Smoker
started second and stalked Crawford until the seventh circuit. Taking
the low lane in turn one, Smoker grabbed the lead. Priest moved into
second on the 11th circuit. In a race that featured six cautions, Smoker
would not be denied his chance at victory. Priest's best shot at Smoker
came with two laps to go as he managed to get his car to the low side
in turn three. Smoker held off the 2004 track champion and raced to the
popular win.
Brian Swartzlander finished third after he ran in that spot early in
the race, only to fall back into the bottom half of the top ten. At
the halfway mark with the lead duo out front, Jeremiah Shingledecker was
running third after passing Crawford with Swartzlander in fifth. The
four-time track champion started his charge back to the front on the 18th
circuit getting past Shingledecker and Crawford. Then, Kevin Bolland
entered the mix. Bolland took fourth from Shingledecker on the 21st lap.
He zipped by Swartzlander for third on the 26th circuit. Bolland hit a
rut in turn three with one lap remaining, which caused him to drift
wide. In the end, Swartzlander was third at the pay window over Bolland
and Shingledecker.
Rex King Jr., Crawford, Swartzlander and Del Rougeux Jr. won the
DIRTcar Big Block Modified heats. Tommy Kristyak and Gary Risch Jr. won
the B mains.
Max Blair of Titusville, Pa., led the youth charge at Tri-City as
the 19-year-old son of 1997 Late Model track champion Robbie Blair scored
his first career feature win at the track in the 21-lap FASTRAK Late
Model main. Fortune was on his side as he inherited the lead with two
laps to go after a hard crash eliminated Tom Snyder Jr. and Bobby
Whitling from the lead battle. Blair then raced the last two laps with a flat
left front tire. Blair also won Saturday night in the FASTRAK Northeast
Touring Series race at McKean County Raceway in his Moody & Son
Welding/Specialty Products Rocket No. 111.
"Dad told me not to race this much this weekend," said Blair, who
received word in victory lane that his father won the IRS Late Model
Series race at Cannonball Speedway. "We ended up doing pretty good with two
wins. My tire started to go flat after I hit a concrete strip on the
inside of turn two late in the run. I was just hanging on for third when
Whitling crashed. When I got the lead, I had to stay out there with
the flat and race for the win."
Snyder led the entire affair with Blair initially in tow most of the
way. Six cautions slowed the race, but Whitling was in second by the
ninth circuit. Whitling, a three-time Pro Stock track champion and fan
favorite, was running the outside cushion to perfection. With Snyder in
the mid-to-low line of the track, Whitling bided his time as he
continued to fend off Blair. With the white flag in the air, Whitling worked
his way around Snyder in turns three and four. Snyder did not give up,
however, and drifted high to block Whitling. The aggressive move forced
Whitling hard into the front wall. Whitling's car rode and then climbed
the fence pointing straight into the air before flipping upside down
on the frontstretch to the shock of the crowd. Whitling was unscathed in
the incident, but his car was heavily damaged. Snyder was sent to the
pit area for unsportsmanlike driving.
At that point, Blair inherited the lead. Running on the left front
flat tire, Blair held off Carl McKinney for the win over the final two
laps, which extended the race an extra circuit. Butch Lambert finished
third followed by opening night winner Dave Lyon and Justin Kann.
McKinney and Whitling captured the FASTRAK Late Model heats.
Defending E Mod track champion Carl McKinney of Cranberry Township,
Pa., followed up his runner-up finish in the FASTRAK Late Model feature
with a win in the 15-lap E Mod feature. McKinney was supposed to start
on the front row beside Alan Dellinger, who was driving for Dwayne
Clay. An electrical problem forced Dellinger to the trailer as the cars
aligned in the pit area. As a result, McKinney cruised to his second win
of the season aboard Mike Hendrickson's Dahlstrom Iron and Metal Pierce
No. 6M. It was McKinney's eighth career win at Tri-City.
"Once again, hats off to the entire Hendrickson crew," said
McKinney. "We have a strong team, and our 'test and tune' car even finished
fourth. I would like to have raced against Dellinger because he's tough
and I wanted to see how our car compared with his. Either way, it worked
out for us tonight with this win."
McKinney led from the start and was followed to the checkered flag
by Mike Potosky and Shawn Shingledecker. Al Cressley drove McKinney's
team car to fourth over Jim Frontz. Dellinger and McKinney won the E Mod
heats.
Jackson Humanic, 15, of Titusville, Pa., became the youngest feature
winner in Tri-City history as he captured the 15-lap Pro Stock
feature. Driving for his father, Ken Humanic, in his third year of Pro Stock
competition, Humanic took the lead on the second circuit from his racing
mentor Gerry Bruce. Once out front, Humanic could not be denied as he
drove to the win over Bruce in the Humanic Racing Eagle Hoist &
Winch/Blue Ox Timber Chevrolet No. 17 for his first career feature win. He
even celebrated with a victory donut on the frontstretch and a Polish
victory lap around the track.
"It's about time," exclaimed Humanic in victory lane. "I don't know
what to say. Gerry taught me a lot. I have a lot of people I have to
thank for this. I have been waiting for this for a long time."
Bruce finished second to Humanic in the caution-free race. Bruce
held off point leader Chris Haines, who came on strong with a late race
charge through the top five. Haines got to third, but could not muster a
challenge for second. Dave Ferringer and Bobby Sutley rounded out the
top five. Russ Coyne and Jason Johns won the Pro Stock heats races.
Continuing the youth movement started by Blair and Humanic, Cody
Manners of Oil City, Pa., defeated Curtis E. Bish for the win in the
12-lap Thundercar feature. Piloting his Tarr Motorsports/Jerry's Auto
Chevrolet No. 16, the 17-year-old Manners scored his first win of the season
and the third of his career. It was made all the more special by the
fact that Manners underwent a kidney transplant during the offseason with
his mother, Evelyn, as the donor, and she enjoyed the winning moment
in victory lane.
"I'd like to thank my mom for donating her kidney to me," said
Manners in honor of her sacrifice. "That was a tough race with Curtis. I
just held my line."
Bish led at the start of the race, but Manners took the lead on the
fourth circuit. With Manners on the inside lane, and Bish in the
outside lane, the lead duo battled most of the race side-by-side. Two caution
periods did not deter them. On the final lap, Bish managed to take the
preferred inside lane on Manners. Then, Bish slid in some water left
on the second turn by an imploded radiator from another car. That caused
Bish to slide just enough that Manners raced off with win. Bish
finished second over point leader Chadd Uber, Bill Myers and Regina Deloe.
Myers and Jon Huff captured the Thundercar heats.
On Sunday June 1st, Tri-City Speedway heads into the summer months
as Armstrong Cable Presents Five-Star Racing featuring 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. The E Mods
will compete in the first 20-lap Welding Technologies E Series race of
the season. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult
grandstand admission will remain at $11 with students (13-15) at $5 and
children 12 and under admitted free.
BRP MODIFIED TOUR(30 Laps): 1. GARY SMOKER, 2. Andy Priest, 3. Brian
Swartzlander, 4. Kevin Bolland, 5. Jeremiah Shingledecker, 6. Dave
Murdick, 7. Joe Crawford, 8. Rex King Jr., 9. Gary Risch Jr., 10. Skip
Moore, 11. J.R. McGinley, 12. Mark Flick, 13. Carl Murdick, 14. Mike
Turner, 15. Tommy Kristyak, 16. Matt Baker, 17. Rodney Beltz, 18. Rick Hall,
19. Mike Miller, 20. Rex King, 21. Del Rougeux Jr., 22. Tom Mattocks
Jr., 23. Brad Rapp, 24. Kevin Hoffman, 25. Ron Eperthener Jr. DNS: Dean
Pearson. DNQ: Ken Moy Jr., Phil Evans, Doug Fleeger, D.J. Schrader,
Kyle Fink, Rich Whitney, Dave Reges, Jeremy Paup, Steve Barr, Keith
Swartzlander, Steve Feder, Rick Ryder, Dwayne Clay, Brian Sadler.
FASTRAK LATE MODELS (21 Laps): 1. MAX BLAIR, 2. Carl McKinney, 3.
Butch Lambert, 4. Dave Lyon, 5. Justin Kann, 6. Chris Haines, 7. Gary
Miller Jr., 8. Chad Myers, 9. Jim Frank, 10. Dereck Frank, 11. Tom
Copeland, 12. Bobby Powell, 13. Tom Snyder, 14. Bobby Whitling, 15. Steve
Hollabaugh, 16. Scott Myers, 17. Gary Stahl, 18. Alan Dellinger.
E MODS (15 Laps): 1. CARL McKINNEY, 2. Mike Potosky, 3. Shawn
Shingledecker, 4. Al Cressley, 5. Jim Frontz, 6. Butch Lambert, 7. David
Atkinson, 8. Jeff Deeter, 9. Tim Engles, 10. Evan Taylor, 11. Adam Beck,
12. Kevin Miller, 13. Jonathan Taylor, 14. Rick Pratschler, 15. Chip
Mahood, 16. Jared Domhoff, 17. Robert Double, 18. Bruce Dreistadt. DNS:
Bruce Powell, Alan Dellinger, Ed Wilson.
PRO STOCKS (15 Laps): 1. JACKSON HUMANIC, 2. Gerry Bruce, 3. Chris
Haines, 4. Dave Ferringer, 5. Bobby Sutley, 6. Rod Laskey, 7. Jason
Reagle, 8. Jason Johns, 9. Darrell Bossard, 10. Randy Wyant, 11. Ronnie
Davie, 12. Don Kramer, 13. Matt Thomas, 14. Russ Coyne, 15. A.J.
MacQuarrie, 16. Arthur Edwards, 17. Terry Wheeler, 18. Joe Drusko, 19. Josh
Seippel, 20. James Keith, 21. Ray Virgile, 22. Kevin Carson. DNS: Denny
Crawford, Jeff Manners.
THUNDERCARS (12 Laps): 1. CODY MANNERS, 2. Curtis E. Bish, 3. Chadd
Uber, 4. Bill Myers, 5. Regina Deloe, 6. Ed Deloe, 7. Greg Myers, 8.
Jon Huff, 9. Bill Winters, 10. Don Blake Jr., 11. Joe Sloss, 12. Joe
Blake, 13. Bill Baker, 14. Ed Roberts, 15. Dave Baker, 16. Alan Perry, 17.
Mike Dobrick, 18. Scott Kilgore, 19. Patrick Fielding. DNS: Charlie
McMillen, Jason Swartz, Cody Carson.
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 1 - Armstrong Cable Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds,
FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods (Welding Technologies E Series), Pro Stocks and
Thundercars (Little League Night: All Little Leaguers in uniform
receive free grandstand admission)
June 8 - WDDH 97.5 WDDH "The Hound" Presents DIRTcar Big Block
Modified, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks, Thundercars and
One-on-One Spectator Races
June 15 - Cranberry Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change Presents DIRTcar
Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks,
Thundercars and PPC Violence Network Ladies Charity Ladies Only Mid-Sized Car
Demo Derby
June 22 - McDonald's Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK
Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks (William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating &
Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series) and Thundercars (Kids
Night Bike Races)
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