Bond Blasts AMRA Tru-Tech Late Models
Smith Blitzs to OVSCA Sprint Win
McPherson First in Malta Windows Mods
By Scott Wolfe
STEWART, OHIO- It wasn’t meant to be a full moon night, but the lunacy that is associated with the “full circle” of lunar gravitation made for some outstanding racing and last lap passes from the qualifying heats to the exciting feature events Friday night at Billy Jarrell’s Skyline Speedway. 76 cars in four divisons packed the pits with Coolville, Ohio Veteran Andy Bond bringing home the AMRA Tru-Tech Late Model victory and another veteran Danny Smith, Chillicothe, Ohio bringing home the 410 Ohio Valley Sprint Car Association A-main event. In the Malta Windows and Doors AMRA Modified Main, the Millfield Missile Mike McPherson registered his first-ever feature win. Cole Mayle, the 2011 champ in the WRA claimed the Mike’s Auto Body Mini-Wedge main.
Four of the night’s six heat races went right down to the wire and were won on last lap passes on a track that was both tough and tricky according to the winners during victory lane interviews. Never-the-less, track conditions made for some high speeds and high quality racing from the front of the pack and throughout the entire field in all three feature events.
Two-time Champion and four-time feature winner Chris Garnes (Evans, WV) and veteran Ralph Withem paced the field to the initial green flag in the $1,500 to win 25-lap AMRA Late Model main event. Withem’s mount spun in turn two of the first go-round and collected several cars including the K-C 44 of K-C Burdette who went airborne in a wild ride down the backchute. Burdette remained upright but his mount was badly damaged and out of action for the restart. With Withem whistled for the spin, Ronnie Mayle, Chesterhill, OH flanked Garnes on the front row.
The firestorm erupted with six cars two deep scrambling for the lead. Garnes emerged the leader of lap one, but Mayle worked the inside to lead lap two. Fast Freddie Carpenter turned on the afterburners to pass both leaders on the third circuit, then Mayle came back to lead the next two laps in what proved to be one of the greatest feature starts in recent times.
Andy Bond became the fourth different leader, blasting through the tacky turn one surface, then gliding high with a wave of momentum down the backchute and by the low-riding Mayle. Bond would lead the next 19 laps, but the drama didn’t end there.
Garnes recovered to pass Mayle on lap eight then began to track down the ultra, high-flying Bond. Bond’s #01 Rayburn was well-equipped for the hard ride the veteran gave his mount. Bucking through turns one and two then three-wheeling through turns three and four, Bond was on a mission. Garnes, however, is known for his late race surges. Friday he didn’t disappoint anyone making a late race bid on Bond and forcing a dualing hand in the final five laps.
Garnes pulled along side Bond on the two-lap signal, but Bond milked an extra wave of power from his Ernie Hoschar-owned Machine powered by a Watson-Ruppel powerplant. Garnes again challenged but Bond rode out the momentum and threading the needle between three lapped cars to claim the ever-close win at the finish. The last lap blast through traffic was the life saver for Bond, who fended off the feisty Garnes.
“The track wasn’t ideal tonight, but its good if you win,” smiled Bond in victory lane. “This Rayburn likes it rough,” laughed Bond. “Tonight it was just a matter of survival and being in the right place at the right time. Thanks to Ernie and my family and crew for helping me get to victory lane. Paul Wilmouth built us a great set of shocks and so far so good. It’s great to be back here tonight in victory lane.”
Rounding out the top ten were Bond, Garnes, Mayle, Freddie Carpenter, Kenney Newhouse, Bobby Adams, Jr., Jeff Burdette, Bub Crum, Ralph Withem, and Colten Burdette. Veteran Adams had his best run of the year, a very competitive sixth place finish. Jeff Burdette and Bub Crum also had great runs, but the talk of the race was the barnstorming effort of Kenney Newhouse. Newhouse was the hard charger in the Tru-Tech AMRA Late Models moving up nine positions from 17th to 5th. Withem had an equally impressive run back into the top ten after moving to the tail. The race was run in just over 12 minutes.
Some things never change, and that is something that Danny Smith likes. The former World of Outlaw star and multi-time track champion at various venues around the nation was again the class of the OVSCA sprint car field. For Smith of Chillicothe, it was his fifth Skyline Speedway win and third in a row in the potent OVSCA sprint series.
Smith’s Maxim/Coors Light/Kears/JD Engines powered #4 started on the pole as a result of a last lap pass of Aaron Higgins in the qualifying heat race. Smith and Nathan Skaggs paced the field to the green with Smith narrowly taking the lead into turn one. Skaggs hung close for a couple laps then Higgins made it a three-way race before Smith began to stretch out the lead.
Smith was dominant from the fifth lap on in the green-to-checkered run, lapping several cars multiple times and lapping all cars up to fourth place finisher Jimmy Stinson. Local fans have had the luxury of having such an opportunity to watch one of the all-time greats behind the wheel, sawing on the wheel with uncanny precision.
Higgins and Skaggs had runs worthy of a win, but despite their awesome efforts, they had to settle for second and third respectively. Rounding out the top ten were Smith, Higgins, Skaggs, Jimmy Stinson, Kory Crabtree, Wes McGlumphy, Dave Dickson, Josh Davis, Greg Mitchell, and Brian Benson. For much of the race Crabtree, McGlumphy, Dickson, Davis and Mitchell battled for a shot at fifth, sometimes zooming three abreast around the Skyline high banks. Brian Benson was the hard charger in the sprints moving up five positions from 15th to 10th. The torrid race lasted six minutes and 12 seconds.
Breathing in an extra gulp of air and with a sigh of relief, Smith acknowledged, “This was tough! It was a demanding track tonight…a little different than what we are used to. We had it loose enough to run through the tacky parts and tight enough to run through the slick. Tonight experience paid off.”
The Malta Windows AMRA Modified main was once again a dandy. Mike McPherson and Vince Conrad paced the field to the initial unfurled green flag with McPherson taking the lap one lead. He too led the second round but had to withstand pressure from Roy Roush on one flank and Vince Conrad on the other. Conrad led the next circuit after both he and Roush passed the RV1 after a slight bobble. Two-time defending National champ Kenny Johnson moved into second on lap four, but McPherson recovered the position as Roush and Conrad fought it out side-by side through lap eleven when Conrad once again grabbed the lead.
Johnson suffered front end damage and went pitside, on lap 13 just after Conrad led his second lap. On the 14th circuit, the Mad-dog Racing/Millfield Missile blasted into the lead as he and Conrad jockeyed for the top spot to the finish. Roush’s mount suffered suspension damage and also went pitside after dropping back to fourth on lap 14.
Known for his late-race heroics Jeremy Blake came on strong at the finish, storming from 7th to second. Throughout the night Jeremy Berwanger charged between second and fifth, finally nestling into fourth on the checkered flag and ousting last week’s winner Doug Henry for position.
Rounding out the top ten were McPherson, Blake, Conrad, Berwanger, Henry, Clint Keenan, Robbie Evans, Rick Venham, Frankie Roush, and Gary Gould. Dusty Boley came from the last row to 11th in a good run, while newcomer Clint Keenan had a great top ten run. Other notables putting on a show were Venham, F. Roush, and Gary Gould.
Robbie Evans was the hard charger in the MALTA Windows AMRA Modifieds moving up ten positions from 17th to 7th.
McPherson said, “I messed up in the first part of the race, then just sort of bided my time. I knew where I wanted to run by watching Andy Bond in the Late Model feature, but missed my marks a few times. When Andy went by (in the modified) feature I started hitting my marks and the car took off.”
“I was good in turn two and could carry some momentum, but had to hold the bottom off 3 and four. This Swartz Chassis really started hooking up when I got up in the seat and up on the wheel. Once I got the lead I wasn’t going to give it up,” concluded the elated McPherson who was swarmed with fans in a warming victory lane celebration.
McPherson gave much credit to his Swartz Chassis with a Griff Engine under the hood.
McPherson also dedicated his first feature victory to his Dad, who passed away last summer. “This win was for Dad. Thanks to Swartz Race Cars and to my family, my crew, and my fans.
Cole Mayle won the mini-wedge main. Rounding out the top ten were Mayle, Austin Washburn, Skylar Zimmerman, Coleman Evans, Samantha Roush, Lucas Shaw, Aiden Powell, Tanner Martin, Kalista Barnes, and Cale Stinson.
Coming June 29 is the 4th Annual Greg Schilling Memorial race paying $1,699 to win and $199 to start as part of a whopping $17,000 purse for the Malta AMRA Modifieds. Also coming is the July 6th Kids Gold Rush and Bicycle Races for the kids on Friday, July 27. For more information please visit << www.skylinespeedway.net >> or call 304-539-4410 or the track phone at 740-662-4111.
The summary: June 15, 2012
410 Sprint Cars (16)
Fast Time: Aaron Higgins 11:81
Heat One: Danny Smith, Aaron Higgins, Kory Crabtree, Wes McGlumphy, Mark Imler, David Smith, Bob Tucker, Trey Gustin
Heat Two: Nathan Skaggs, Jimmy Stinson, Greg Mitchell, Dave Dickson, Josh Davis, Eric Martin, Brian Benson, Benny Hickle
Feature: Danny Smith, Aaron Higgins, Nathan Skaggs, Jimmy Stinson, Kory Crabtree, Wes McGlumphy, Dave Dickson, Josh Davis, Greg Mitchell, Brian Benson, Eric Martin, Bob Tucker, David Smith, Mark Imler, Trey Gustin, Benny Hickle
Tru-Tech AMRA Late Models (23)
Fast Time: Chris Garnes 13:41
Heat One: Chris Garnes, Tyler Carpenter, KC Burdette, Darrin Roush, Barry Lowery Jr., Mike McPherson, Kenney Newhouse
Heat Two: Ralph Withem, Freddie Carpenter, Andy Bond, Bub Crum, Nelson Freshour, Justin Powell, Colten Burdette, Larry Clark
Heat Three: Jeff Burdette, Ronnie Mayle, Bobby Adams, Jr., Tony Roush, Mike Martin, George Klintworth, Eric Francis, Jason Gillian
B-Main: Kenney Newhouse, Colten Burdette, Jason Gillian, George Klintworth, Justin Powell, Eric Francis, Mike McPherson, Larry Clark (DNS)
Feature: Andy Bond, Chris Garnes, Ronnie Mayle, Freddie Carpenter, Kenney Newhouse, Bobby Adams, Jr., Jeff Burdette, Bub Crum, Ralph Withem, Colten Burdette, Darrin Roush, Mike Martin, Nelson Freshour, Barry Lowery, Jr., Tony Roush, KC Burdette, Jason Gillian, Tyler Carpenter
MALTA Windows AMRA MODIFIEDS (22)
Heat One: Mike McPherson, Kenny Johnson, Gary Gould, Rick Venham, Jr., Clint Keenan, Dusty Boley, Chad Roush, Shawn Donahue
Heat Two: Vince Conrad, Jeremy Berwanger, Andy Bond, Jeremy Roush, Tyler Evans, Robbie Evans, Jason Brooks
Heat Three: Roy Roush, Doug Henry, Jeremy Blake, Matt Holcomb, Frankie Roush, Brandon Barnhart, David Pryor
B-Main: Brandon Barnhart, Robbie Evans, Dusty Boley, Chad Roush, Jason Brooks, Shawn Donahue, David Pryor (DNS)
Feature: Mike McPherson, Jeremy Blake, Vince Conrad, Jeremy Berwanger, Doug Henry, Clint Keenan, Robbie Evans, Rick Venham, Frankie Roush, Gary Gould, Dusty Boley, Tyler Evans, Brandon Barnhart, Matt Holcomb, Roy Roush, Jeremy Roush, Andy Bond, Kenny Johnson
Mike’s Auto Body Mini-Wedges (15)
Heat One: Austin Washburn, Skylar Zimmerman, Coleman Evans, Cale Stinson, Lucas Shaw, Aiden Powell, Corey Miller, Matthew Gibson (DNS)
Heat Two: Cole Mayle, Zack Carr, Samantha Roush, Kalista Barnes, Tanner Martin, Austin Hayes, Martin Gibson, Jr. (DNS)
Feature: Cole Mayle, Austin Washburn, Skylar Zimmerman, Coleman Evans, Samantha Roush, Lucas Shaw, Aiden Powell, Tanner Martin, Kalista Barnes, Cale Stinson, Austin Hayes, Zack Carr, Matthew Gibson, Martin Gibson, Jr.
Upcoming Events:
Racing Every Friday!
June 29 4th Annual Greg Schilling Memorial
July 6 Kids Gold Rush
July 13 Wix Filters 100 Nights of Racing
Wix Prizes and Fan Appreciation door prizes!
July 27 Kids Bicycle Racing!
Friday August 24 Autograph Night!!
Re-release of Six Pack Information
Skyline/I-77 to Host Six-Pack Specials
Six Races Paying Special Point Fund
Six Pack at I-77 for Mods June 23rd