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MARTZ OPENS LITTLE GUY NAT'S WITH $1,000 STOCK WIN AT MERCER; JONES
AGAIN IN MOD LITES; REUSSER TAKES MICROS; KILGORE REPEATS IN MINIS
By Mike Leone
September 26, 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Mercer, PA)
Mercer Raceway Park opened the ninth annual "Little Guy
Nationals" presented by American Racer/Lias Tire on Friday night as
145 cars filled the pit area. Celebrating in the Hoosier Tire
victory lane were Rusty Martz-Stock Cars, Rod Jones-Big Daddy's Speed
Center Mod Lites, Todd Reusser-Micro Sprints, and Cory Kilgore-M&D
Paving Mini Stock Cars.
On Memorial Day, Rusty Martz captured the $1,000 Ken Carbone Memorial
for Stock Cars. Friday night, Martz added another $1,000 to the bank
account winning the 25-lap Little Guy Nationals preliminary
feature. "I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight and my
family and pit crew- it was a great night," expressed the Brookville,
Pa. winner. "We pulled a bad pill in the redraw, but I'd rather be
the guy coming and know I'm faster. We're going to go for that 3-
grand total tomorrow and that will help pay some bills."
Terry Wheeler led the opening lap before Chris Schneider, Chris
Haines, and Don Kramer all got by for the first three positions on
lap two. Schneider led laps two through six before getting high on
lap seven allowing Haines to take the lead with 12th starting Martz
to second. Schneider and Martz battled for second running side-by-
side with the two trading the position back and forth. Martz finally
cleared Schneider on lap nine and was all over Haines on laps 10-12
before Russ Byler spun to bring out the caution.
When racing resumed, Martz had too much power taking the lead.
Kramer was able to get by Schneider on the restart then drove to the
inside of Haines in turn four to take second later that lap. Martz
survived two more cautions and was never challenged for his third
career win in his St. Mary's Chevrolet/Cypress Gift Shop/Faster
Chassis-sponsored #16M.
It was a great battle for second with Kramer, who was making his
first ever appearance, holding off Haines and Schneider. Rush
Firestone was fifth. Completing the top 10 were Jamie Barber,
Wheeler, Dave Ferringer, Joe Rohrer, and Carl Marcy. Heat winners
over the season-high 65-car field were Rohrer, Mike Gonzales, Haines,
Martz, Wheeler, and Alan Dellinger. The three B mains were won by
Nick Shaffer, Byler, and Tim Bish.
Rod Jones won his track leading eighth victory of the season in the
20-lap Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lite feature. The victory was
the richest of the year worth $800 in an event sponsored by Jones
Performance.
After a five car pile-up on the opening lap, the 20 laps ran off non-
stop. From his third starting spot, Jones drove by Alan Knepper and
Mikey Hay for the lead on lap one. Jones drove a great race through
lapped traffic for his 18th career Mod Lite win and 20th overall at
the track in Jones Performance #820. Hay held off a great run by
Mark Marcucci in his new car for second. Knepper dropped to fourth
over Maryland invader Tim White. Heat winners over the season-high
30-car field were White, Knepper, and Jones.
Todd Reusser captured his first ever "Little Guy Nationals" victory
in the 20-lap, $750 to-win Micro Sprint feature. "Thank you for
putting a show on here," stated the Minerva, Ohio winner. "The track
was fabulous. I'm glad I could come in here and race. I wish you
could run us here every other week. I like coming over here and
running. I have to thank Scott and his wife Jo Marie for giving me
the ride and the fans for coming out. I think old George (Hobaugh)
missed a shift on that restart. That doesn't happen to him and feel
bad for poor George."
From the pole position, Mike Himes jumped out to the early.
Reusser, who started eighth, was up to fourth after a lap and moved
into third on lap two past central Pa. invader Jim Myers on lap two.
Himes looked primed for the victory, but broke on lap 10 handing the
lead to George Hobaugh.
Hobaugh was slow on the restart as Reusser blasted by and led the
final 10 non-stop laps in the Scott Gagne-owned #98 for his third
career win. Reusser became the third different winner in as many
Micro Sprint events run this season. Hobaugh was second over Steve
Dunmire, Matt Nulph, and Nathan Karenbauer. Heat winners over the
season-high 24-car field were Karenbauer, Reusser, and Hobaugh.
Cory Kilgore made it two-for-two this season and has now won in all
three of his career appearances after being declared the winner of
the 15-lap, $150 to-win M&D Paving Mini Stock feature when Russ
Colwell and Brennan McCracken were both disqualified.
Colwell, who was subbing for his two-time winning son, Kyle, led all
15 laps holding off a hard charge by ninth starting newcomer
McCracken; however, in post-race tech, Colwell was disqualified for
illegal tires on and McCracken for a header pipe. Kilgore's win came
in the Kevin Kilgore-owned #0. After winning his first career race
on September 5, Stephen Laslo came from 15th to finish second. Point
champion Dillon Kineston was third with Cody Colwell and newcomer
Chuck Magrell fifth. Heat winners over the season-high 26-car field
were Kineston, Dan Nagy, and Cody Colwell. Wally Stearns, Jr. won
the B main.
Stock Cars (25 laps, $1,000 to-win): 1. RUSTY MARTZ (16M) 2. Don
Kramer (95) 3. Chris Haines (35H) 4. Chris Schneider (55) 5. Rush
Firestone (21) 6. Jamie Barber (13) 7. Terry Wheeler (2W) 8. Dave
Ferringer (02) 9. Joe Rohrer (RT 8) 10. Carl Marcy (1M) 11. Shaun
Fawcett (224) 12. Jim Brunson (1-17) 13. Tim Bish (1B) 14. Ray
Reynolds (23R) 15. Levi Ardery (18) 16. Russ Byler (06R) 17. Mike
Gonzales (36) 18. Jim Bendishaw, Jr. (69) 19. Denny Curry (75) 20.
Rod Laskey (1R) 21. Alan Dellinger (Burns 70B) 22. Nick Shaffer
(22) 23. Bob Rosman (48) 24. Gary Little (2*) DNQ: Shaun Hooks
(65), Ken Zimmer (62), Rob Bates (99B), Tim Deutsch (11D), Chad
Stevenson (21c), Bobby Whitling (7w), Dale Yeaney (11Y), Mike Aley
(99), Stan Woomer (2), Matt Keith (15K), Matt Wagner (12W), Nick Goss
(80), Bob Schwartzmiller (28s), Rusty Wheeler (44), Denny Crawford
(75), Bruce Redman (27), Craig Koteles (64K), John Watson (78), Pat
Crawford (7c), Jason Breegle (22), Randy Zechman (2), Dick Pascorell
(87), Jamie Brown (135), Dave McLaughlin (115), Tim Folmer (00),
Randy Wyant (11T), Tim Burns (66), Jim McFadden (96), Willie Aley
(9), Gary Fisher (99F), Chris Edwards (037), Bobby Heim (92), Mike
Harmon (09JR), Zachery Downes (33x), Tim Thompson (5T), Ray Virgile
(11V), Russ Stanke (44), Ed Cornell (66c), Ed Snyder (039), Lee
Hummel (41H), Jason Reagle (888).
Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lites (20 laps, $800 to-win): 1. ROD
JONES (820) 2. Mikey Hay (22) 3. Mark Marcucci (8m) 4. Alan
Knepper (1) 5. Tim White (Carey 93) 6. Bud Watson (13) 7. George
Englert (11x) 8. Tony Tatgenhorst (63) 9. Adam Leslie (15) 10.
Kotie Kirkbride (97N) 11. Josh Sliter (17) 12. Todd Canter (Teague
9T) 13. Rick Ament (27) 14. Shawn Sliter (71) 15. Lynn Knepper
(10) 16. Shane Pfeuffer (Lawson 40L) 17. Anthony Gillespie (Smith
38) 18. Lynn Bartlett (11) 19. Bill Stivason (116) 20. Kenny
Meadows (Salvino 31) 21. Garrett Krummert (Spinneweber 20s) 22.
Levi Spinneweber (10s) 23. John Gerula, Jr. (54) 24. Charles
Campbell (99) DNQ: Gene Buck (55), Mylan Markovich (2), Kyle
Lawrence (41), Terry Young (98), Jamie Gilbert (53), Richard Lawson
(70x7).
Micro Sprints (20 laps, $750 to-win): 1. TODD REUSSER (Gagne 98) 2.
George Hobaugh (40) 3. Steve Dunmire (83) 4. Matt Nulph (9N) 5.
Nathan Karenbauer (7s) 6. Brian Kishbaugh (5) 7. Jeff Bacha (48)
8. Jay Groves (25) 9. Jim Myers (45) 10. Ryan Fredricks (22R) 11.
Brandon Gustin (80) 12. Tim Smith (404) 13. Mike Kerr (23K) 14.
Clayton Mullett (20x) 15. Matt Gardina (41) 16. Don Huffman
(Williams 7) 17. Dave Altman (20A) 18. Mike Himes (79) 19. Mike
Borawiec, Jr. (1) 20. Greg Stewart (15) 21. Mike McKnight (21)-DNS
22. Mark Hummel (1H)-DNS 23. Sam Fulmer (F16)-DNS 24. Wes Libert
(10L)-DNS.
M&D Paving Mini Stocks (15 laps, $150 to-win): 1. CORY KILGORE (0)
2. Stephen Laslo (55) 3. Dillon Kineston (19) 4. Cody Colwell
(67R) 5. Chuck Magrell (88) 6. Tim Callahan (Stewart 26T) 7. Jerry
Batcher (Blazczak 7) 8. Rich Hartzell (38) 9. Dan Nagy (17B) 10.
Wally Stearns, Jr. (33) 11. Steve Walker (4) 12. Cody McNaughton
(21) 13. John Shannon (14) 14. Troy Lehnortt (46) 15. Rudolph
Troples (28) 16. Bill Fuchs (10) 17. Adam Bulfone (19JR) 18.
Shannon Heberling (1H) 19. Dan McEwen (44) 20. Dillon Barr (15)
21. Bob Pease (10P) 22. Pete Blazczak (77) 23. Russ Colwell (80JR)-
DSQ 24. Brennan McCracken (17M)-DSQ DNQ: Jordan Ehrenberg (JD57),
Ed Haylett (8-ball).
Upcoming Events:
10/4 "Fall Brawl" presented by McElwain Motors Night 1 of the
$250,000 FASTRAK Grand Nationals ($2,000), Super Late Models
($2,000), E-Mods ($2,000), double Mini Stock features. Gates open at
3:30. Hot laps at 5 followed by FASTRAK time trials and heat racing
at 6 PM.
1/03 "Crashing Through the Snow" presented by Hovis Auto & Truck
Supply. "Jack Frost 150" Enduro ($150) & the Snowball Demo Derby
($500). Racing at 1 PM.
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 September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round
Monday through Friday late morning and after 1:30 p.m. 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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