Weller wins Big Block Battle at Raceway 7!
Johnson, Wilson, and Deutsch get first wins, Bossard and Downes get third win of year!
Conneaut, OH (June 29, 2018]: On a night with a full moon and blazing hot temperatures, Raceway 7 presented all five regular classes plus a visit by the Big Block Modified Tour. At the end of the night Jim Weller was in the Big Block Victory Lane after a mid-race “back and forth” battle with Kyle Fink. Darrell Bossard lengthened his early season points lead with his third win of the season in the Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Crate Late Model feature, Troy Johnson picked up his first win of the season in the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mod finale and Tim Deutsch in the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks went to Victory Lane, in the night capper for the Bonnell Auto Sales Economods Eric Wilson became the third generation of his family to win a Raceway 7 feature. Zach Downes continued to dominate the Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks with his third win of the season after an exciting race with June 15 winner Dillon Speer.
The Evergreen Lake Park Campground RUSH Crate Late Models started with fourteen cars, led by Joe Long and Darrell Bossard. Chad Sines had mechanical issues on the pace lap, ending his night and resulting in only thirteen cars taking the green. Bossard led from the start but Breyton Santee and Dave Airgood got together in turn four, spinning and eventually involving Matt Sipes. Neither Airgood nor Sipes were able to continue. After green Bossard continued to lead with Santee second and Matt Latta third. Tenth starting Kyle Zimmerman, the defending champion, was up to fourth with Khole Wanzer fifth at five laps complete. At seven laps complete Brandon Porter spun in turn four for caution number two. On the green Latta and Santee ran side by side for a lap with Latta second at the end of nine. At halfway it was Bossard, Latta, Santee, Wanzer, and Zimmerman. Latta began closing the gap on Bossard with seven to go but Bossard maintained his advantage until Porter slowed in turn one with caution again flying. After green again was on the raceway Bossard again shot away, going on to his third win of the season. The front five remained the same over the waning laps.
Pat Fielding and Tim Deutsch brought the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stock feature to green with Deutsch leading the way on lap one. Caution flew before the end of the lap when Bill Applebee got sideways in turn three eventually involving Sid Snyder, Jason Longwell, and Darr Diegelman. Deutsch again led after green with Fielding second, Rusty Moore third, Mark Frontera fourth, and Paul Schreckengost fifth. At lap five Mike Clark moved to fifth. Moore was working on Fielding for second at seven complete when Garrett Calvert slowed to a halt in turn four. This restart also saw Deutsch drive out to the lead with Moore second. With three to go Larry Kugel spun in turn two, slowing the race with Deutsch, Moore, Clark, Frontera, and Schreckengost the front five. Clark got second at the green but Deutsch opened his lead on the way to his first Raceway 7 win of the season. Clark was flagged as second but was deemed to have “jumped” the restart and penalized a position, moving Moore to second. Frontera and Schreckengost filled out the top five.
The 35-lap BRP Modified Tour started with J R McGinley and Kevin Hoffman on the front row. McGinley shot out to the immediate lead with Tyler Willard second. Steve Barr spun in turn two with one lap complete, slowing the event under caution. On the green McGinley contacted an infield marking tire, spinning in turn one, involving Sidney Unverzagt, and Steve Barr. Under the caution, Rex King headed pitside but rejoined the field as the green was again displayed. With two complete Skip Moore came to a halt at the pit entrance, again slowing the event. Tyler Willard, looking for his first ever tour win, was the leader for the restart with Hoffman second. With four complete Hoffman had problems and headed to the pit. Willard had a half straight lead at seven complete with Kyle Fink now second and Garrett Krummert third and challenging for second when Bob Warren and Rex King Jr spun in turn three with Chris Rudolph slamming into King Jr at full throttle. King Sr was also involved. Both King Jr and Rudolph needed help to get pitside, both out of competition. On the restart Jim Weller got into Krummert in turn one with Krummert spinning, negating the green. Krummert headed to the pit under the caution. The order was Willard, Fink, Weller, Rick Regalski, and Dave Murdick, from 23rdat the start. Richard Whitney spun in turn two at eleven complete for the next caution. Willard, Weller, Fink, Regalski, and Murdick brought the field back to green with Fink getting to second at lap twelve. Weller was back to second at fifteen complete but Fink was second at the end of the next lap. At nineteen complete Bob Warren spun in turn one and was collected by Sidney Unverzagt. At lap twenty one Fink went high in turn two, allowing Weller to get next to him. Weller was alongside the leader at the end of twenty three and was the leader a lap later. With ten to go Weller was opening his lead. Willard was second with Fink third, then at lap 27 Warren again spun, this time in turn three, heading to the pit under the ensuing yellow. Weller, Willard, Fink, Murdick, and Regalski brought the race back to green but Fink backed it into the turn one wall. At this point McGinley was now in fifth, after restarting at the tail earlier. McGinley moved into fourth with six to go. Rex King Jr was challenging for fifth at three laps left as Weller was back to a near half straight lead. King was fifth at the white flag. At the checkers it was Weller, Willard, Murdick, McGinley, and King Jr.
Tyler Frankenberry and Eric Wilson brought the Bonnell Auto Sales Economod feature to green with Wilson launching out to the early lead. In turn four third-running Mark Titus spun with Eric Reinwald and Mike Harmon also spinning. Before the cars got the green Matt Alexander and Mike Harmon spun in the main straight just out of turn four. Wilson continued to lead after green with Steve Haefke second, Frankenberry third, Mitch Wright fourth, and Zack Lenart fifth. When caution flew again for Buzz Seitz, spun in turn one, it erased a half straight lead for Wilson. At green Frankenberry came to second with Haefke fighting back but Lenart getting by for third at seven laps. Lenart then spun in turn two with eight complete. Under caution Wilson’s mount appeared to catch fire, halting the event under red. After the fire was extinguished and deemed to have not caused any damage Wilson continued to lead with Haefke getting second at nine laps over Frankenberry, Dustin Demattie, and Mike Boyd. At two laps remaining Wilson had a quarter lap lead and was extending it at the white flag. Wilson went on to the win, a third generation winner at Raceway 7. Also his uncle, Mike Wilson, the car owner, was a former point champion. The win was especially gratifying for Wilson as he had rolled his car in his heat in the most recent event, then came back to finish second after starting the feature last.
Steve Shook and Jessica Harvey started the Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks on the front row but defending champion Joe Campbell and Ana Vassen came to a stop just past the green, setting up a complete restart. Shook retired pitside, leaving Harvey and Zach Downes now the front row. Downes, a two time winner in ‘18 led the way with Dillon Speer, a single winner, second, from fifth on the grid. At four laps complete Downes had a half straight lead but Speer was slowly gaining. In heavy traffic Speer appeared to close the gap when Jim Haefke, a feature winner this season, spun in turn one. For the green it was Downes, Speer, Harvey, Zoey Gill, and Justin Bailey at the front. Speer was unable to mount another serious challenge andDownes went on to the win over Speer, Harvey, Gill, and Bailey.
The front row for the Bonnell Collision Center E-Mod Feature was Casey Bowers and Troy Johnson. Bowers led to the back straight when Johnson came by but Bill Taylor and Justin Sax came to a halt in turn two, setting up a complete restart. Bowers again led but nine cars piled up in turn one, again stopping the race under a red flag. Johnson led this start with Bowers second and Mike Potosky third. At three laps in John Boyd was fourth with Josh Ferry fifth at four laps, then Ferry and Rick Pratschler, battling for the spot, got together and spun in turn four. Under the caution Ferry headed pitside but returned to rejoin the field before green again flew. Four cars piled up in turn four when Amanda Stiffler spun at four laps. Johnson started opening a lead immediately after green with Percy McDonald coming to fifth at six laps when Justin Sax spun in turn four. At seven laps Percy McDonald and Boyd were side by side with McDonald holding the spot at nine laps. Boyd exited to the pit on lap eleven, moving Dennis Lunger into the top five. Second running Casey Bowers suddenly slowed and pulled to the infield on lap fourteen. McDonald was next to the second place of Potosky at lap sixteen then Ferry spun in turn four with just three laps left, erasing Johnson’s lead. For the three lap dash to checkers it was Johnson, Lunger, Potosky, Percy McDonald, and Jeff Johnson. Troy Johnson again started opening a lead, going on to his first win of the season.
Results:
Evergreen Lake Park Campground Crate Late Models:
Heat 1: Matt Latta, Dave Airgood, Matt Sipes, Will Pinckney, Brandon Porter, John Stockdale, Chad Sines
Heat 2: Darrell Bossard, Joe Long, Breyton Santee, Khole Wanzer, Kyle Zimmerman, Gary Troyer, Dillon Goodman
Feature: Darrell Bossard, Matt Latta, Breyton Santee, Khole Wanzer, Kyle Zimmerman, William Pinckney, Gary Troyer, John Stockdale, Brandon Porter, Joe Long, Dylan Goodman, Dave Airgood, Matt Sipes, Chad Sines
Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mods:
Heat 1: John Boyd, Josh Ferry, Alan Atkinson, Rick Pratschler, Amanda Stiffler, Hunter Hulley, Bill Taylor
Heat 2: Casey Bowers, Mike Potosky, Jeff Johnson, Dan Sasso, Greg Delyea, Justin Sax, Percy McDonald (DNS)
Heat 3: Troy Johnson, Dennis Lunger Jr, Dan McDonald, Brandon Grossman, Carl McKinney, Jesse Gould, Josh McDonald
Feature: Troy Johnson, Dennis Lunger, Mike Potosky, Percy McDonald, Rick Pratschler, Dan McDonald, Amanda Stiffler, Hunter Hulley, Jesse Gould, Jeff Johnson, Josh Ferry, Josh McDonald, Casey Bowers, Alan Atkinson, John Boyd, Justin Sax, Brandon Grossman, Greg Delyea, Bill Taylor, Carl McKinney, Dan Sasso
Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks:
Heat 1: Garrett Calvert, Chris Withers, Larry Kugel, Chris Myers, Bill Applebee, David Snyder, Tony Spaghetti
Heat 2: Mark Frontera, Pat Fielding, Mike Clark, Tony Marotto, Ron Boardman, Darr Diegelman, Jesse Brock
Heat 3: Paul Schreckengost. Tim Deutsch, Rusty Moore, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Jason Black, Jason Longwell, Brian Lacey
Feature: Tim Deutsch, Rusty Moore, Mike Clark, Mark Frontera, Paul Schreckengost, Pat Fielding, Chris Myers, Darr Diegelman, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Tony Marotto , Jason Black, Garrett Calvert, Larry Kugel, Sid Snyder, Chris Withers, Ron Boardman, Tony Spaghetti, Jessie Brock, Bill Applebee, Jason Longwell, Brian Lacey (DNS)
Bonnell’s Auto Sales Economods:
Heat 1: Steve Haefke, Mitch Wright, Matt Alexander, Buzz Seitz, Chuck Steinle Jr, Lee Patrick, Jim Dellinger
Heat 2: Tyler Frankenberry, Zack Lenart, Mark Titus, Casey Harmon, Gary Murphy, Jim Mama, Dellinger
Heat 3: Eric Wilson, Eric Reinwald, Mike Boyd, Dustin Demattie, Mike Harmon, Brandon Blackshear, Brandon Grossman (DNS)
Feature: Eric Wilson, Steve Haefke, Tyler Frankenberry, Dustin Demattie, Mike Boyd, Mitch Wright, Eric Reinwald, Chuck Steinle Jr, Buzz Seitz, Zack Lenard, Mark Titus, Casey Harmon, Mike Harmon, Gary Murphy, Brandon Blackshear, Matt Alexander, Lee Patrick, Jim Mama (DNS), Scooby Dellinger (DNS) Jim Dellinger (DNS)
Sunnyside Farm Transit Mini Stocks:
Heat 1: Zack Downes, Justin Bailey, Zoey Gill, Emily Stoyer, Jeremy Start, Tom Spencer Jr, Joe Campbell
Heat 2: Steve Haefke, Scott Gill, Alexis Vogt, Mike Porterfield, Alan Souza, Ana Vassen, William Haylett
Heat 3: Dillon Speer, Shane Shook, Jessica Harvey, Mike Barr, Jacob Peterson, Wes Stull, Trevor Jimmerson
Feature: Zack Downes, Dillon Speer, Jessica Harvey, Zoey Gill, Justin Bailey, Emily Stoyer, Alexis Vogt, Trevor Jimerson, Tom Spencer Jr, Jeremy Start, Alan Sousa, Jim Haefke, Mike Porterfield, Ana Vassen, Scott Gill, Mike Barr, William Haylett, Shane Shook, Joe Campbell, Jacob Peterson (DNS), Wes Stull (DNS)
The Big Block Mod Tour:
Heat 1: Jim Weller, Cooter King, Garrett Krummert, Tyler Willard, Chris Haines, Mark Frankhauser, Kevin Green, Dave Murdick, Brad Rapp (DNS)
Heat 2: Rex King, Jim Rasey, Kyle Fink, Kevin Hoffman, Rick Regalski, Chris Rudolph, Steve Barr, Eric Beggs
Heat 3: Travis Shingledecker, Sidney Unverzagt, Skip Moore, J R McGinley, Bob Warren, Tom Mattock, Richard Whitney, Lonny Riggs
Feature: Jim Weller, Tyler Willard, Dave Murdick, J R McGinley, Rex King Jr, Rick Regalski,Jim Rasey, Steve Barr, Kyle Fink, Rex King Sr, Chris Haines, Travis Shingledecker, Tom Mattocks, Mark Frankhauser, Sidney Unverzagt, Kevin Green, Bob Warren, Richard Whitney, Chris Rudolph, Carl Murdick, Lonny Riggs, Kevin Hoffman, Skip Moore, Eric Beggs (DNS), Brad Rapp (DNS)