Fenton, Lower, Frankhouser, Mease and Weisgarber Show the Fast Way to Central PA Speedway Victory Lane

Bill Walker

7/23/04

Rain for a large part of the day would threaten to make the night a washout but mother nature smiled on Central PA Speedway so that Denny Fenton in the Shortway Services Inc. Pro Street Stocks and Denny Weisgarber in the Pepsi Chargers could share victory lane with three first time winners Jerry Lower in the Budweiser Late Models, Mark Frankhouser in the Stocker Chevrolet Subaru Small Block Modifieds and Jeff Mease in the Lias tire Pure Street Stocks.

The Pepsi Chargers were first onto the blocks with Clearfield's Rob Williams along side Curwensville native Denny Weisgarber. Weisgarber jumped to the lead at the dropping of the green flag with Jason Peters in tow. Weisgarber would pull away will a caution on lap would bunch the field. Weisgarber immediately took controll and went on to grab the victory. The rest of the top five were as follows Peters, Mark Vail, Keith Kopenhaver and Brandon Connor.

Next onto the racing surface would be the Shortway Services Inc. Pro Street Stocks for their fifteen lap main event. Skip Lindermuth and current point leader Denny Fenton would show the way to starter Alan Luzier's green flag and fenton wasted no time in showing why he is the current points leader. Fenton moved out front quickly and Emory Reinhart Jr. gave chase trying to win for the second week in a row. The pair battled nose to tail for many laps until Trent Ogden made his presence felt and began to move up to challenge the leaders. With the three leaders battling they began to move a way from the field and it looked as though it was anyone's race, but Fenton was just too strong and gained the victory. Following Fenton to the line were Reinhart Jr., Ogden, Pat Carfley and Doug Tibbens to round out the top five.

Rolling to the line next would be the Budweiser Late Models with Keith Witherite and Scott Sallack making up the front row. Witherite quickly moved to the point followed by Brian Smith and Eric Moore. Smith began working over the Witherite machine but just four laps in he pulled up lame and was retired for the evening. Moore would be next to challenge the leader and nearly pulled even on several occasions. Just before the halfway point Jerry Lower made a strong move around the outside of Moore to take over second, then on lap eleven slipped by Witherite for the lead. Once out in front Lower set a blistering pace and opened up a full straightaway advantage as the remainder of the event went caution free and Lower picked up his first ever Central PA Speedway victory. Rounding out the top five were Witherite, Rick Isadore, Bernie Whiteford and Moore.

Marvin Williams and Mark Frankhouser would lead a field of eighteen Stocker Chevrolet Subaru Small Block Modifieds to the stripe and at the onset Frankhouser jumped to the early lead. Williams would try to battle back but while working lap two Mike Stine was able to get by for the second position followed by Jimmy Holden. The duo would catch the leader and run nose to tail till Holden's machine began to smoke heavily and brought out the caution. With green in the air stine was able to close right up onto the rear nerfbar of Frankhouser to challenge for the lead. Farther back in the field Brent Boyer was making his way to the front and at times appeared to be the fastest machine on the track. Just past the halfway point Boyer moved his car into the third position and would take up battle with stine for second. In the end it was Frankhouser who garnered his first career Central PA Speedway victory followed by Stine, Boyer, Kevin Hoffman and Brad Rapp. In victory lane Frankhouser commented that he had "made a switch from Hoosier tires to the American Racers for tonights race and the seemed to make the difference."

Leading out the Lias Tire Pure Street Stocks for the final event of the evening were Jeff Mease and Frank Little. Mease grabbed the lead but before a lap could be completed the caution came out and forced a complete restart. With the green flag waving the second generation driver Mease once again moved out front followed by Little and Mike Desch. There was some great racing action throughout the field as Jason Bainey, Aaron Walker and Chad Bender were trying to make their way to the front from deep in the field with the hope of getting to the front to challenge for the lead but Mease would not be denied and the second generation driver became a second generation winner as Mease drove off with the victory. Chasing Mease at the line were Little, Desch, Walker and J. Bainey.

Next weeks racing action will feature a regular show for the Budweiser Late Models, Stocker Chevrolet Subaru Small Block Modifieds, Shortway Services Inc. Pro Stree Stocks, Lias Tire Pure Street Stocks and Pepsi Chargers. In two weeks on Sunday, August eighth will be "Metal Mania, Battle of the Alloys" as Central PA Speedway and the ULMS have teamed up to bring the challenge of the steel blocks against the aluminum block cars. This one promises to be a big one as there have been many inquiries from both aluminum and steel block competitors alike.

So come on down to the BIG BEAR and feed your hunger for excitement.

Summary:

Shortway Services Inc. of Reynoldsville Pro Street Stocks:

1.Denny Fenton 2.Emory Reinhart Jr. 3.Trent Ogden 4.Pat Carfley 5.Doug Tibbens 6.Todd Mathews 7.Skip Lindermuth 8.Ron Mitchel 9.Dayton Nixon 10.Tom Williams 11.Gary Conklin 12.Dan Smeal 13.Jason Walker 14.Jamie Barber

Budweiser Late Models:

1.Jerry Lower 2.Keith Witherite 3.Rick Isadore 4.Bernie Whiteford 5.Eric Moore 6.Al Brewer 7.Dwayne Taneyhill 8.Shawn McGarvey 9.Jeff Henry 10.Check Kennedy 11.Bill Davis 12.Jason Witherite 13.Yvette Hahn 14.Chris Knuth 15.Chad Maney 16.Scott Sallack 17.Brian Smith 18.Ed Connor 19.T.J. Fleck

Stocker Chevrolet Subaru Small Block Modifieds:

1.Mark Frankhouser 2.Mike Stine 3.Brent Boyer 4.Kevin Hoffman 5.Brad Rapp 6.Bill Krause 7.Marvin Williams 8.Matt Baker 9.Ron Butterworth 10.Fay Lumadue 11.Mike Butterworth 12.Bob Garvey 13.Jimmy Holden 14.Greg Luzier 15.Jerry Bowser 16.Rich Luzier 17.Jimmer Luzier

Lias Tier Pure Street Stocks:

1.Jeff Mease 2.Frank Little 3.Mike Desch 4.Aaron Walker 5.Jason Bainey 6.Kevin Clark 7.Craig Bainey 8.Sam McClellan 9.Terry Collins 10.Chad Bender 11.Scott Wise 12.Donnie Hynd 13.Dale Schlinder 14.B.J. Hudson

Pepsi Chargers:

1.Denny Weisgarber 2.Jason Peters 3.Mark Vail 4.Keith Kopenhaver 5.Brandon Connor 6.Rob Williams