Flinner in FASTRAK, Guidace, McEwen, Moore, Pfeuffer, and Hickok also Prevail
Mercer, PA (August 10, 2013): There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Adam Kekich crossed the finish line for the win in the 410 Sprint feature, presented by Luxaire Heating & Cooling, New Wilmington Motors, and Ralph Butch, Inc. As expected, the third generation driver dedicated the victory to his late grandfather, Paul “Putsy” Kekich, who was a very popular and successful racer in his day.
Colton Flinner won his first career Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC FASTRAK Northeast Regional Touring Series Event. Frank Guidace scored in the Approved Toilet Rentals 358 Modifieds in the final tune-up for next week’s Smackdown! with the BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour.
Joe McEwen chalked up a win in the Bonnell’s Collision Center Outlaw Sprint Warriors, and Shane Pfeuffer got back on track in his quest for a first championship in in the Modified Lites offered by Big Daddy’s Speed Center and Rock Concrete. Caleb Hickok and “Trusy” Rusty Moore took top honors in the Eperthener’s Auto Wrecking/Ray’s Racing Collectibles Mini Stocks and the Precise Racing Products Stock Cars, respectively.
Adam Kekich had a little extra help taking the win in the 410 Sprint Cars, presented by Luxaire Heating & Cooling, New Wilmington Motors, and Ralph Butch, Inc. No doubt, “Putsy” Kekich guided the young racer to victory lane. Although the young pilot started on the front row along with “Superman,” Arnie Kent, it was Kent who broke out to the early lead. Kent, who was substituting in the Martha Dionise 15 for vacationing Scott Preister, kept the top spot through several early cautions, one of which claimed point leader Eric Williams, who spun off the top side of turn 3.
Kent looked like he would earn his first win of the season, but he spun by himself coming off turn four. He did two complete 360s and kept moving, but he surrendered the lead to Kekich in the process. Remarkably, nobody else struck Kent, so the filed stayed under the green.
Kekich stayed on the point through the final yellow of the race, which was for the spinning cars of John McCracken and Brandon Spithaler on lap 22. Spithaler was holding down fourth spot at the time.
When racing resumed, there was no stopping Kekich. Second went to last week’s hard luck driver, Dan Kuriger. Jack Sodeman Jr. climbed form eleventh position to take third, gaining valuable points on Williams, who placed tenth.
Next came a pair of Andies, Priest and McKisson. Rounding out the top ten were Rod George, Carl Bowser, Stuart Brubaker, Travis Philo, and Eric Williams.
McKisson, Russ Sansosti and Priest took the three heats for the 23 car field. There was no B Main.
Colton Flinner tasted the sweet nectars of victory in the Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC FASTRAK Northeast Regional Touring Series event. The win was special for the young driver, who had a rough start to his 2013 season.
After a fireworks display and four-wide salute to the fans, Flinner and Matt Latta paced the field to the green. Flinner jumped ahead at the start and went on to lead all 25 laps, but he did have to overcome three different cautions.
The first caution came out for the spinning car of Bob Pifer in turn 3. On the restart, the evening’s fast qualifier, Max Blair, gained third position just four laps into the race. Jamie Brown brought out the second caution of the event by stopping on the front stretch on lap eight. The final stoppage took place on the ensuing restart, involving Adam Ademick and Mike Anderson.
On the final restart of the race, Blair passed Matt Latta for the second position and set his sights on the leader. Blair closed right in on Flinner, but he could not get next to him as they sliced and diced through the lapped traffic.
At the finish, it was Flinner by 1.509 seconds over Blair. Latta, Chad Wright, and Andrew Wylie rounded out the top five.
The next five across the line were Dave Airgood, Jr., Bruce Hordusky, Bobby Rohrer, Bobby Whitling, and Joel Prosser.
Blair, Latta and Wright took the heats for the 19 car field.
The Approved Toilet Rentals 358 Modifieds feature had Carl Weatherby and Jeff Schaffer on the front row, but that changed quickly. Weatherby was called for a false start, and that moved Frank Guidace to the pole. Giudace capitalized on the opportunity, taking a lead that he would hold through the checkers.
On lap 11 Schaffer put on the pressure and was ready to pounce on any little mistake that Guidace may make. While this was going on, Kyle Fink and Jimmy Holden close in on them, putting all four cars in the same corner. With lapped traffic in front of the leaders, Guidace picked through them, gaining an advantage over Schaffer. The traffic also allowed Holden to slip by Fink for third.
At the line, it was Guidace by .359 seconds over Schaffer. Holden, Fink, and J.R. McGinley rounded out the top five. Gary Smoker, Steve Barr, Weatherby, Matt Reeher, and Shawn Fleeger finished in positions six through ten.
Giudace and McGinnley were the heat winners for the 15 cars.
In the Bonnell’s Collision Center Outlaw Sprint Warriors, Joe McEwen smoked the field from the start. Front row starter and current point leader Michael Bauer had problems early and came to a hault on the first lap.
A pair of incidents bunched the field again, but McEwen was not fazed in the least. The first came for the spinning cars of Chris Matthews, Mike Miller, and Andy Feil. On the ensuing restart Mike Marano, II come up lame and forced another restart.
McEwen cruised to victory, followed by Jimmy Morris, C.J. Jones, Jason Scoville and Rob Felix. Miller and Feil came back for sixth and seventh, respectively. Greg Dobrosky, Kotie Kirkbride, and Eric L. Williams claimed positions eight through ten.
Heat winners were Jones and Bauer for the 14 car field.
The Precise Racing Products Stock Cars had the makings of a feel good story, as car owner Bob Tarr offered his ride to Danny Exley, who is soon to be deployed to Irag. Unfortunately, Exley could not parlay the front row starting spot into a win. Joining him on the front row was youngster Garrett Calvert, who took the early lead. The race was slowed by spins by Andy Thompson and Exley coming off turn four on lap one. Their misfortunes continued on the restart when they were collected in the spin of Calvert in turn two. On lap four, “Trusty” Rusty Moore took the low line through turn two to grab the lead. Moore was ready to check out on the field. He prevailed by a full six seconds over last week’s winner, Bob Schwartzmiller.
Ryan Moyer, Bobby Hein and Thompson rounded out the top five. Exley recoverd for sixth, just ahead of Michael Tonkinson, Shawn Smith, Eric Reinwald, and Leigh Wheeler.
Heat race winners for the dozen cars were Schwartzmiller and Smith.
A very large field of Big Daddy’s Speed Center/Rock Concrete Modified Lites were on hand, but it was a familiar name at the top as Shane Pfeuffer won the 15 lap feature. Pfeuffer and George Englert lead the field to the initial green. The red flag came out on the first lap for Andrew Bruce after making contact with another car on the front stretch.
On the restart, a three-car pile-up in turn one involved Shane Webb, Dan Cain, and Paul Smith. The final caution appeared on lap nine when Glenn Tetters spun and collected Jason Darocha, Mike Flockerzi, Matt Cain and Dan Cain.
At the checkered flag, it was Pfeuffer winning over Mark Marcucci, Darrin Gallagher, Englert, and Cody Bova. Rounding out the top 10 were Darocha, Cory Stivason, Josh Deems, Cory Webb, and Glenn Teeters.
Darocha, Marcucci, and Pfeuffer captured the trio of heats.
The final race of the evening was the Eperthener’s Auto Wrecking/Ray’s Raing Collectibles Mini Stocks, with Steve Longwell, Sr. and Josh Eakman on the front row. The race would be slowed up early for the stopped cars of Ed Haylett and Pete Blazak. On the restart, Caleb Hickok came from the third starting position to lead. He went on to top them all.
The last caution for Ryan Carroll slowing off turn four bunched the field up again, but
Hickok went on to win the race. Following him to the line were Alex Paden, Steve Longwell, Jr., point leader Jamie Lee, and Todd Gabriel for the top five. Shane Smith, Steve Longwell, Sr., Matt Cwynar, Joel Wisser, and Rudy Troples were next in line.
Blazak and Paden took the preliminaries for the 18 cars.
Next week, August 17, the Big Block Modifieds of the BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour will invade the Park to challenge the Approved Toilet Rentals 358 Modifieds in the annual Smackdown! So far, the Big Blocks have had the bragging rights at the Park. Could this be the year that a Mercer regular gets to talk some trash? It could happen, as New Yorker Chad Brachmann tops the Mod Tour points and he races a very potent 358 Modified himself. Along with the Modifieds will be the Bonnell’s Collision Center Outlaw Sprint Warriors, Precise Racing Products Stock Cars, Eperthener’s Auto Wrecking/Ray’s Racing Collectibles Mini Stocks and the Vintage Dirt Modifieds> This program is presented by Schaeffers Oil Company.
FASTRAK Northeast Regional Touring Series LM: Colton Flinner, Max Blair, Matt Latta, Chad Wright, Andrew Wylie, Dave Airgood, Jr., Bruce Hordusky, Bobby Rohrer, Bobby Whitling, Joel Prosser, Joel Watson, Breyton Santee, Mike Anderson, Khole Wenzer, Billy Henry, Jeremy Adamick, Jamie Brown, Bob Pifer, Dan Angelicchio (DNS).
Luxaire Heating & Cooling/New Wilmington Motors/Ralph Butch, Inc. 410 Sprint Cars: Adam Kekich, Dan Kuriger, Jack Sodeman, Jr., Andy Priest, Andy McKisson, Rod George, Carl Bowser, Stuart Brubaker, Travis Philo, Arnie Kent (15), Chris Best, Russ Sansosti, Bill Jones, Jr., Francis Sesco, Mike Flynn, Brandon Matus, Gale Ruth, Jr., Brent Matus.
Approved Toilet Rentals 358 Modifieds: Frank Guidace, Jeff Schaffer, Jimmy Holden, Kyle Fink, J.R. McGinley, Gary Smoker, Steve Barr, Carl Weatherby, Matt Reeher, Shawn Fleeger, Lonny Riggs, Greg Unrue, Max Smoker, Makayla Guidace, Andy Paden (DNS).
Bonnell’s Collision Center Outlaw Sprint Warriors: Joe McEwen, Jimmy Morris, C.J. Jones, Jason Scoville, Rob Felix, Mike Miller, Andy Feil, Greg Dobrosky, Kotie Kirkbride, Eric L. Williams, Chris Matthews, Cody Braden, Michael Bauer.
Precise Racing Products Stock Cars: Rusty Moore, Bob Schwartzmiller, Ryan Moyer, Bobby Hein, Andy Thompson, Danny Exley (29), Michael Tonkinson, Shawn Smith, Eric Reinwald, Leigh Wheeler, Matt Keith, Garrett Calvert, Buck Buchanan (DNS).
Big Daddy’s Speed Center/Rock Concrete Modified Lites: Shane Pfeuffer, Mark Marcucci, Darrin Gallagher, George Englert, Cody Bova, Jason Darocha, Cory Stivason (116), Josh Deems, Cory Webb, Glenn Teeter, Jason Johnson, Anthony Cavicchia, Tim Prelog, Shane Webb, Matt Cain, Dan Cain, Jacob Bova, Paul Smith, Andrew Bruce, Jordie McClaine (DNS).
Eperthener’s Auto Wrecking/Ray’s Racing Collectibles Mini Stocks: Caleb Hickok, Alex Paden, Steve Longwell, jr., Jamie Lee, Todd Gabriel, Shane Smith, Steve Longwell, Sr., Matt Cwynar, Joel Wisser, Rudy Troples, Chad Fry, Tricia Riffe, Ryan Carroll, Tyler Fulton, Pete Blazak, Josh Eakman, Adam Bulfone, Ed Haylett.