Hackett scores first-ever McKean County Raceway win!
Ruhlman and Hall repeat, Williams, Schweikart, Heinemann get first of year!
By Jay Pees
East Smethport, PA (May 10, 2014) An overcast but warm day greeted fans as they arrived at the raceway to watch 117 cars battle in six divisions. Chris Hackett, a champion at other area track has made an occasional foray into McKean County but finally made it pay off with a win in the NDRL Super Late Model feature. Chad Ruhlman led a stellar field of RUSH Crate Late Models to the checkers for his second win of the season and Randy Hall led flag to flag in the Close Racing Suppy Modified feature for his second win of the season. Jeremy Williams made a visit to MCR pay off with his fist-ever win here. Roger Schweikart stopped Joe Layfield’s win streak at two for the season and Joe Boylan’s win streak also stopped at two, courtesy of Holden Heinemann.
Brent Rhebergen and Chris Hackett led nineteen of the twenty NDRL Super Late Models present to Curtis Peters’ green banner with two cautions slowing the early going before the first lap could be completed. Rhebergen led the first lap under green but caution again appeared at the end of two complete. After green David Scott came to second. One more lap was complete when seven cars piled up in turn one necessitating a red flag due to the track being blocked. Involved cars included Wally Fox, Joe Layfield, Devin Lewis, Bob Dorman, Dennis Fenton, and both Michael and Greg Oakes. Fox was towed from the scene and Fenton drove to the pit but all others were able to continue. At eight complete Scott was challenging Rhebergen for the lead as four cars spun in turn one, again slowing the race but all continued. After one lap of green Hackett was back to second and came around the leader at lap eleven, using the high line. With fourteen complete, week one winner Mike Knight was challenging Scott for third but Scott had pulled back ahead when caution was shown at lap 16 when week two winner Rob Blair had a tire go down. Rhebergen chose the inside for the restart and reassumed the runner-up spot at the drop of the green. Using the high line, Scott came to second with five laps remaining and Mike Knight then started challenging Rhebergen a lap later for third, competing the pass at the end of lap 22. Hackett cruised on to his first triumph of 2014 with Scott second and Knight third. Boom Briggs got by Rhebergen at the flag for fourth. It was Hackett’s first-ever win at McKean County Raceway.
Thirty-four RUSH Crate Late Models pulled into the pits with the twenty-four feature starters determined through four heats and a B-Main. Adam Sixt led from the pole with week one’s winner Chad Ruhlman second after starting outside front row. With seven complete Sixt was the leader with Ruhlman second and Mike Knight third when Zack Carley spun in turn four, causing caution, then catching fire, bringing a red flag over the raceway. Carley was able to rejoin the field. On the restart Matt Harvey spun in turn two, collecting Bobby Rohrer in the process. On this green five cars got together at the end of the back stretch, again bringing caution. During caution, Jason Genco, Zack Carley, and Dereck Frank all retired pitside. Justin Smith and Critter Hemphill needed towed from the scene. At the halfway point the top five were Sixt, Rhulman, Knight, Scott Waters, and Garrett Mott. With five remaining Ruhlman got by for the lead, using the low line. Ruhlman went on to his second win of the season with Sixt holding on for second, Knight third, Waters fourth and Jeremy Wonderling fifth at the checkers.
Outside front row starter Randy Hall took the immediate lead from Pole sitter Kirk Bradley at the start of the Close Racing Supply NDRL Modified feature and led with the race being slowed when Tim Walden spun in turn two. For the restart it was Hall leading Mike McGee, Greg Johnson, race two winner John Woodward, and Bradley. The field only made it to turn two when Woodward spun out of contention, retiring to the pit under the caution. When green again was shown, second-running McGee tried the inside of Hall in turn one, but spun himself out when his left front caught the infield. During the yellow period Woodward rejoined the field after changing a flat tire without losing a lap. At halfway Hall had a seven car length lead over Greg Johnson with Nathan Hill running third. Butch Southwell spun a lap past halfway and retired to the pit area. Dan Sasso was now fourth with John Boardman fifth. Only one lap past green and yet another yellow was necessary as Johnson spun from his spot and retired pitside. At the end of lap thirteen Woodward, who was back up to contending for third spun coming out of turn four, gathering up three more cars in the incident. Dan Sasso and Tim Walden had to be towed from the track. Carl Ballinger was able to continue. Johnson was able to rejoin the field, still on the lead lap. Hall went on to his second win of the season over Boardman, Hill, Johnson, and Woodward, who got by Vic Vena at the flag.
Kurt Babcock led the Mini Stocks from the drop of the green with the first yellow coming at lap three when Leo Hanlon spun in turn three. With six complete Babcock and Holden Heinemann came by the flag side by side. One lap later two time winner Mitch Boylan made it three wide for the lead. At nine laps in Heinemann had the lead to himself but Boylan was challenging, drawing alongside at lap eleven. With the white flag flying Heinemann had two car lengths on Boylan and held on for the win with Boylan at his rear quarter panel coming across the finish line. David Bear was third, Davey Lowe Jr, and Aaron Bartas.
Dennis Cummings started the Pure Stock feature from the pole but it was outside front row starter Art Peterson leading lap one. Roger Schweikart was leading by the end of three with two time winner Joe Layfield coming to third behind Peterson. With five to go Layfield was challenging for second. Yellow was shown at eleven laps in when pole starter Cummings spun in turn four. At green Layfield immediately came to second but yellow again slowed the race with three to go. Layfield challenged the rest of the way but Schweikart held on for the win over Layfield, Peterson, Don Williams, and Cliff Easton.
Ted Mascho and Vaughn Nystrom led the Highway Auto Stock Car feature to the green with Mascho getting the early lead over Nystrom. Butch Talbot came to second at the end of one. Nystrom spun in turn three of lap two and Gary Fisher slammed the wall in the front straight, bringing out the third red flag of the night. Kurt Stebbins came to second at lap four and began challenging Mascho. Jeremy Williams came to third at lap seven just as Brad Curran Jr caught fire and came to a halt on the back straight, bringing yet another red flag. When the race was again green Williams immediately came to second and was alongside the leader at the end of one lap and in the lead on the back straight of the next. Stebbins came to second but caution again set up a restart at lap nine. Williams then stretched his lead with only one more caution period slowing his march to the checkers. Stebbins was second with Mascho third, Rich Wotjowicz fourth, and Talbot fifth.
Results:
Super Late Models:
Heat 1: Rob Blair, Chris Hackett, Mike Knight, Doug Eck, Bob Dorman, Rick Triodi,Dylan Fenton
Heat 2: Brent Rhebergen, Kirk Bradley, Devin Lewis, Darrell Bossard, Wally Fox, Dave Norton Jr, Joe Layfield
Heat 3: David Scott, Boom Briggs, Greg Oakes, Michael Oakes, Dennis Fenton, John Lacki
Feature: Chris Hackett, David Scott, Mike Knight, Boom Briggs, Brent Rhebergen, Darrell Bossard, Greg Oakes, Doug Eck, Bob Dorman, Rick Triodi, Devin Lewis, Dave Norton Jr, Rob Blair, Joe Layfield, Dylan Fenton, Kirk Bradley, Michael Oakes, Wally Fox, Dennis Fenton, John Lacki (DNS)
RUSH Crate Late Models:
Heat 1: Jeremy Wonderling, Ward Schell, Matt Harvey, Dusty Waters, Bobby Rohrer, Richard Hemphill, Bill Mesler, Ed Coast
Heat 2: Chad Ruhlman, Ed Carley, John Waters, Damian Bidwell, Jason Genco, Justin Smith, Brad Mesler, Jamie Brown, Sherman Gage
Heat 3: Adam Sixt, Scott Waters, Bryce Davis, Dereck Frank, Doug Ricotta, Steve Watson, Scott Fitch, Mike Robinson
Heat 4: Garrett Mott, Mike Knight, Zack Carley, Garrett Stephen, Dave Shagla Jr, Wyatt Scott, Kevin Dzyroff, John Haggerty
B-Main: Justin Smith, Steve Watson, Brad Mesler, Critter Hemphill, Bill Mesler, Jamie Brown, Mike Robinson, Wyatt Scott, Scott Fitch, Kevin Dzyroff, Bob Kish, Sherman Gage
Non-qualifiers race: Bill Mesler, Mike Robinson, Wyatt Scott, Kevin Dzyroff, Ed Coast, Sherman Gage, Jamie Brown (DNS), Scott Fitch (DNS), Bob Kish (DNS)
Feature: Chad Ruhlman, Adam Sixt, Mike Knight, Scott Waters, Jeremy Wonderling, John Waters, Garrett Mott, Bryce Davis, Damian Bidwell, Ward Schell, Doug Ricotta, Dave Shagla Jr, Dusty Waters, Garrett Stephen, Bobby Rohrer, Brad Mesler, Steve Watson, Matt Harvey, Dereck Frank, Jason Genco, Justin Smith, Critter Hemphill, Zack Carley, Ed Carley
Close Racing Supply Modifieds:
Heat 1: Randy Hall, Mike McGee, John Woodward, Vic Vena, Carl Ballinger, Butch Southwell, Adam Peterson, Rob Middleton
Heat 2: Greg Johnson, Kirk Bradley, Al Brewer, Nathan Hill, Dan Sasso, Tim Walden, John Boardman, Mike Smith
Feature: Randy Hall, John Boardman, Nathan Hill, Greg Johnson, John Woodward, Vic Vena, Carl Ballinger, Adam Peterson, Tim Walden, Butch Southwell, Dan Sasso, Al Brewer, Mike McGee, Mike Smith, Rob Middleton
Highway Auto Stock Cars:
Heat 1: Vaughn Nystrom, Gary Fisher, Kurt Stebbins, Dennis Asel, Josh Wilcox, Joe Chamberlain, Jeremy Perry, Brad Curran Jr
Heat 2: Jeremy Williams, Butch Talbot, Ted Mascho, Victor Earle Jr, Eric Harvey, Rich Wojtowicz, Elaine Best,Ryan Snyder
Feature: Jeremy Williams, Kurt Stebbins, Ted Mascho, Rich Wotjowicz, Butch Talbot, Vic Earle Jr, Josh Wilcox, Elaine Best, Dennis Asel, Eric Harvey, Vaughn Nystrom, Joe Chamberlain, Brad Curran Jr, Ryan Snyder, Gary Fosher, Jeremy Perry
Pure Stocks:
Heat 1: Roger Schweikart, Dennis Cummings, Joe Layfield, Don Williams, Derrick Dickerson, Rod Winans, Tim Burkett
Heat 2: Art Peterson, Mike Parmeter, Cliff Easton, R J Pistner, Jeremy Windus, Robert Murray
Feature: Roger Schweikart, Joe Layfield, Art Peterson, Don Williams, Cliff Easton, Jeremy Windus, Derrick Dickerson, RJ Pistner, Rod Winans, Robert Murray, Dennis Cummings, Tim Burkett
Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: David Bear, Aaron Bartas, Tom Cupp, Richard Kline Sr, Brandon Buchanan, Tim Fisher
Heat 2: Larry Mitchell, Kurt Babcock, Holden Heinemann, Davey Lowe Jr, C J Irons, Zach Bennett
Heat 3: Mitch Boylan, Todd Hanlon, Mike Eastman, Leo Hanlon, 69, Andy Proper
Feature: Holden Heinemann, Mitch Boylan, David Bear, Davey Lowe Jr, Aaron Bartas, CJ Irons, Tim Fisher, Richard Kline Sr, Kurt Babcock, Mike Eastman, Brandon Buchanan, Tom Cupp, Zach Bennett, Todd Hanlon, Larry Mitchell Sr
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