For Immediate Release:
The NDRL’s McKean County Raceway
www.mckeancountyraceway.com
www.theNDRL.com
2013 Champions Crowned at NDRL’s McKean County Raceway
Smethport, PA (August 30, 2013) Friday night capped off the regular season of action at the NDRL McKean County Raceway in E. Smethport PA. All six division champions were crowned at the end of the night. Rob Blair was crowned the 2013 super late model champion, as his son Max Blair won the RUSH Crate Late Model championship. Smethport’s Steve Dixon claimed the Emod championship, with Adam Ashcroft, Joe Boylan and Joe Layfield in the street stocks, mini stock and pure stock division. A total of 93 cars were on hand for championship night.
One week after the best race of the year, the Close Racing Supply Street Stocks were looking to repeat their performance. The front row saw 2013 champion, Ashcroft and multi-track champion Andy Michael on the front row. Michael got the initial jump with Ashcroft and Brad Ullman immediately following Michael. Ashcroft kept the pressure on Michael throughout the race till a lap 10 yellow for last week’s winner, Ted Mascho and Rich Wojowictz. On the restart Ashcroft, Ullman, Randy Taylor, Joe Chamberlain all went on attack of Michael with Ullman and Ashcroft getting together bringing out the yellow ending their shot at Michael for the win. On the next restart contact was made with several racers and resulting in Randy Taylor being turned sideways to bring out the yellow again. Michael restarted and led the final five laps which saw Ashcroft come roaring back to finish third challenging Mascho who rebounded from his lap 10 incident to finish second.
The super late models saw Brent Rhebergen and past champion, Dick Barton on the front row. Barton shot into the lead over Rhebergen with and Rob Blair in third. Blair would take second on lap two from Brent but Rheberegen would grab second back on lap five with Blair coming back on lap seven. Blair would try to track down Barton but he needed to look in his rear view mirror as Boom Briggs was flying around the top of the track charging from his 11th starting spot to third by lap 11. Briggs would surprise Blair to grab second on lap 12 and it was only matter of time for Barton to fall to Briggs. A yellow for Chris Hackett made it easier for Briggs on lap 13 as lap 14 saw Briggs sweep around Barton for the lead. Barton’s night ended on lap 16 with a undisclosed engine problem. Blair now had a chance at Boom with last week’s winner David Scott now third. Briggs was able to charge to front and Blair gave everything he had but it was Boom Briggs picking up his first win of the year over the track champion Blair, Scott, Jason Dupont and Brent Rhebergen rounding out the top five.
The Emods crowned their champion also but it was defending UEMS series champions, Carl McKinney and Randy Hall on the front row at the start. Hall grabbed the lead right at the start and looked like the Randy Hall of old. McKinney fought off the challenges of Kirk Bradley until lap 7. At the halfway mark it was Hall Bradley, McKinney, John Boardman and veteran Al Brewer in fifth. New track champion, Steve Dixon started to show his presence known as he grabbed fifth from Brewer on lap 13 only to bring out the yellow the very next lap for a right rear flat tire. Hall re-fired the field and the man on the move was Brewer who shot out like a cannon and was now third behind Hall and Bradley. Dixon came charging back through the field but at the checkers it was Hall, Bradley, Brewer, McKinney and Dixon.
The RUSH Crate Late Models saw champion, Max Blair and the “ole Hot Shoe” of Ed Carley on the front row. Max got the initial jump on Carley only to see the yellow lights come on for Joe Buccola and Cody Mason. Lap two saw another yellow for Mason, Adam Sixt, Bill Mesler and Critter Hemphill with the cars of Jeremy Wonderling, Garrett Mott and Dereck Frank all going to the pits. The 20 lap even saw eight yellows which kept the field tight most of the race. Carley and Doug Ricotta swapped second until lap eleven when Carley took over the spot for good with Chad Ruhlman following. Carley and Ruhlman would battle for second just a few car lengths from Blair with Ricotta and Zach Carley fifth. Ruhlman took second from Carley on lap 15 and the chase was on for Max. The other car on the move was Adam Sixt who was now fifth from his early race incident Ruhlman would make a last lap charge on Blair but ended up short at the line with Ed Carley third over his son Zach and Sixt in fifth.
Josh Wilcox and Joe Layfield paced the field for the Pure Stock feature with Layfield leading the opening two laps when Wilcox took over the top spot. Fred Ely would move into second on lap four and challenge Wilcox for the lead until lap eight when the #00 of Ely would be your new leader. Wilcox challenged Ely throughout the race but Ely would pick up the win over Wilcox, Mike Parmenter, Layfield, and Jim Challingsworth fifth. In post-race tech Ely would be disqualified for an illegal engine part. Wilcox was awarded the win with Roger Schweikert now your fifth place car. Layfield was crowned the track champion despite not winning an event all year. This was Layfield’s 20th championship of his career leaving him three behind his father, the legendary “Granddaddy” Bill Layfield.
The mini stock feature saw track champion, Joe Boylan shoot out to the lead from his fourth starting spot and was never seriously challenged as the second place battle between Eric Canfield, Mitch Boylan took place with the two Boylans finishing first and second, Canfield was third with Holden Heineman and Richard Kline rounding out the top five.
MCR sits idle until September 19-21 when the 8th annual MCR FALL CLASSIC takes place. Over $118,000 is up for grabs over the weekend. Over 225 race cars are expected to be on hand from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Michigan and Canada. An open practice will be held for all competitors on Sunday, September 15 from 3pm till dusk. This will be the racers final tune up for the HUGE Fall Classic weekend. Tickets still are available online at www.mckeancountyraceway.com.
RESULTS:
Close Racing Supply Street Stocks:
ANDY MICHAEL, Ted Mascho, Adam Ashcroft, Rick Wojowictz, Steve Mowery, Brad Ullman, Randy Taylor, Jeff Hellwig, Darryl Greene, Brad Curran, #3, Butch Talbot, Joe Chamberlain (BF)
Super Late Models:
BOOM BRIGGS, Rob Blair, David Scott, Jason Dupont, Brent Rhebergen, Chris Hackett, Darrell Bossard, Bob Dorman, Tom Kronenwetter, Dick Barton, Chuck Parker, Greg Oakes, Michael Oakes, Denny Fenton, Dutch Davies, Lou Jacoby Jr., Doug Eck, Rich Gardner
Emods:
RANDY HALL, Kirk Bradley, Al Brewer, Carl McKinney, Steve Dixon, Joel Watson, John Boardman, Mike Smith, Darren Tarabori, Chad Carlson, Dan Sasso, Carl Ballinger, Tim Walden, Vic Vena, Billy Peterson, John Woodward.
RUSH CRATES:
MAX BLAIR, Chad Ruhlman, Ed Carley, Zack Carley, Adam Sixt, Doug Ricotta, Damien Bidwell, Jason Genco, Dustin Waters Justin Smith, Craig Dean, Paul Grigsby, Jason Knowles Dave Shagla Jr., Ward Schell, Critter Hemphill, Garrett Mott, Steve Mowery, Bob Kish, Jeremy Wonderling, Bill Mesler, John Haggerty, Cody Martin, Dereck Frank, Garrett Stephen, Joe Buccola
PURE STOCKS:
JOSH WILCOX, Mike Parementer, Joe Layfield, Jim Challingsworth, Roger Schweikert, Mark Carlson, Tim Burkett, Rod Winans, Cliff Easton, Don Williams, Dennis Cummings
MINI STOCK:
JOE BOYLAN, Mitch Boylan, Eric Canfield, Holden Heineman Richard Kline, Denny Babcock, Chad Babcock and Riley Ellison
For more information on the NDRL’s McKean County Raceway and the 8th Annual Fall Classic please visit www.mckeancountyraceway.com.
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