Sarver, PA (August 17, 2014) In this economic climate of limited sponsorship opportunities and dollars, it’s more important than ever to impress the sponsor, especially when they have the Night at the Races and have dozens of employees and their families on hand to watch. Carl Bowser did just that Friday Night! First and foremost, Carl had his car on display and met the employees of Turner Dairy Farms and their families during a pre-race Tailgate Party in the parking lot. Later in the night, he treated them to a post-race party in Sheetz Victory Lane after his fifth Peoples TWP Sprint feature win of the season that also clinched his second career Budweiser Track Championship. Prior to this, Both Alex Ferree and Rex King Jr. clinched their 2014 titles as well. Ferree chased Jared Miley to the checkered flag after having clinched his fifth career Precise Late Model Championship. Rex King Jr. became a first time Track Champion in the Diehl Mods by scoring his fifth feature win of the season. Joe Kelley, (a seven-time Track Champion), held off a hard charging Corey McPherson to win his first Pic-A-Part Sportsman feature of the season, while Jim Fosnaught scored a solid sixth place finish to make strides towards his first Track Championship.
The Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Models feature grid was front loaded with Jared Miley and Russ King on the front row followed by Michael Norris and Brian Swartzlander in row two and Dave Murdick and Alex Ferree in row three. Russ King took the early lead at the drop of the green flag, but after leading the first six laps of the race in a spirited battle with Jared Miley, King gave way to Miley and then faded with apparent, but unspecified suspension issues. Once out front, Miley checked out from the field in open air, but did have to fend off Alex Ferree on a late race restart and the final six laps to score his third win of the season and 22nd of his still rising career; in doing so he broke a tie with Ed Ferree to take sole possession of eighth on the All Time Late Model Wins list.
Ferree clinched his second consecutive and fifth career Budweiser Track Championship during heat race action earlier in the night and narrowly missed claiming his fifth feature win of the season. Brian Swartzlander tied his best Late Model finish of the season with a strong third place run ahead of Sarver drivers John Garvin Jr. and Kenny Schaltenbrand. Michael Norris, Dave Murdick, Chuck Sarver, Russ King and Doug Eck rounded out the Precise top ten. Garvin and Miley were heat race victors
Rex King Jr. entered Friday Night’s program with a 28-point lead over his father and four feature wins in his first full season of competition in the Diehl Auto Group DIRTcar Northeast Big Block Modifieds. He left as the 2014 Budweiser Track Championship and his fifth feature win of the season. Starting from the pole, King took the early lead, but a caution on lap five slowed his Championship parade. 2009/2011 Track Champion Jeremiah Shingledecker actually took the lead unofficially in turns one & two on the restart and challenged him the whole way to the checkered flag, but King was always better down the backstretch and through turns three & four; leading every lap and scoring his fifth feature win of the season to lock up the 2014 Title.
Shingledecker had to settle for second and Brian Swartzlander finished with his second third place finish of the night! Steve Feder had another solid run for his fifth top five finish of the season and outgoing Track Champion Mat Williamson returned to pilot the Rodney Beltz #64 to a top five finish. Dave Murdick, Tom Winkle, Jeff Miller, Rick Regalski and Bob Warren rounded out the Diehl Top Ten. Tom Winkle and Brian Swartzlander claimed checkered flags in heat race competition earlier in the evening.
Carl Bowser pretty much locked up his second career Track Championship in the Peoples TWP DIRTcar Sprints by taking the green flag Friday Night, but he wasn’t settled with taking the green flag, he took the checkers as well. But as has been the case for most of his wins this season, it didn’t come easy as Logan Wagner took the early lead and set a torrid pace. A caution for Billy Dietrich slowed the race on lap nine and again on lap 10. Bowser threw a slider at Wagner in turns one & two, only to see him cross back under to hold the lead. They traded a handful of slidejobs at both ends of the track before Bowser made one stick in turns three & four to take the lead for good on lap 12. And though he led the rest of the way, the race wasn’t over yet. After taking the white flag, Wagner made one last kamikaze slider in turns one & two under, but Bowser deftly crossed back under Wagner and held the lead down the back straightaway to score his fifth win of the season and secure his second career Budweiser Track Championship as his shared sponsor with the speedway Turner Dairy Farms/Premium Iced Tea watched on and then joined him in Victory Lane.
Wagner’ slidejob for the lead on the final lap not only fell short, but the loss of momentum also cost him second place as Danny Holtgraver shot past him and entering turn three to steal second place at the stripe. Wagner, while thrilling the crowd with an amazing finish, would have to settle for a third place finish. Last week’s feature winner Brandon Matus came from the fifth row to finish fourth and Michael finished fifth. Brent Matus, Eric Williams, Dan Kuriger, Daryl Stimeling and Mike Lutz rounded out the Peoples TWP Top Ten. Carl Bowser, Brandon Matus and Michael Wagner won their respective heat races, while George Hobaugh Jr. won the B-Main in his first run with a 410 under the hood.
With three Budweiser Track Championships locked up, only the Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar Sportsman title remained up for grabs. Pat Hanley jumped out to the early lead from the outside pole, but All Time Division wins leader Super Joe Kelley was on the move and looking for his first win of the season. He got past Colin Burke on the restart and then took the lead from Hanley three laps later and never looked back despite a furious charge and relentless pursuit by outgoing Track Champion Corey McPherson. Kelley’s first win of the season was the 47th of his career; tying Hall of Famer Ed Lynch Sr. for 11th All Time across all divisions.
To be fair, Friday Night’s runner up Corey McPherson has not been mathematically eliminated from his third straight title, but making up 37 points and passing two drivers to do so is highly unlikely! Mike Miller looked strong again Friday Night and is long overdue to return to Sheetz Victory Lane. Rob Shook remains in the hunt for his first career Track Championship with a solid fourth place run. Terry Young rounded out the Pic-A-Part Top Five ahead of Budweiser Points leader Jim Fosnaught in sixth, Pat Hanley in seventh, Aaron Easler in eighth, Joey Zambotti in ninth and Mark Sanders in tenth. McPherson, Miller and Pat Hanley won their respective heat races. Fosnaught carries a 23-point lead over Rob Shook and 37 points over Corey McPherson.
The season will come to a close this Friday, August 22 with Championship Night. With the titles locked up, the Peoples TWP Sprints, Precise Late Models and Diehl Mods features will essentially be cash & carry events with everyone gunning for a win, while Fosnaught, Shook and McPherson vie for the Millerstown Pic-A-Part Crown. The following Friday, August 29 will see the return of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series to the Action Track for the Working Man 50 and the rescheduled Uncle Sam 30 from Firecracker 100 weekend. The Uncle Sam 30 lineup is set and locked in from June. Tickets for the Working Man 50 can be purchased from our website www.Lernerville.com and clicking the “Buy Tickets” icon.