RICK BISHOP PADS HIS POINT LEAD WITH MODIFIED WIN - SEPTEMBER 7, 2002

ERIK McKINNEY GET 1st MODIFIED LITES WIN

By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE (9/7/02) - "Quick" Rick Bishop of Greensboro, Md. took one step closer to his first Big Block Modified Championship as he won the Hertrich Pontiac/GMC 25-Lap Modified feature Saturday night at the Delaware International Speedway. It was his fourth win of the season and increased his lead in the points over Ricky Johnson and H.J. Bunting. Erik McKinney of Dover, Del. was in victory lane for the first time in 2002 after winning the 15-lap Modified Lite feature and Eddie Pettyjohn of Milton, Del. won the 10-lap Vintage Stock Car feature.

Doug Rose was back in action at DIS and jumped out to the early lead in the Modified main. Andy Best was in top form and quickly began to challenge from second with Adam Jarrell in third. Cliff Foskey climbed to the third spot on lap four with Kyle Strickler following into fourth. The first yellow was out on lap nine when both Craig Mullins and Cliff Foskey slowed.

On the restart, Best moved by Rose for the lead with Rick Bishop and Strickler taking second and third. At the halfway sign the top three were followed by Rose in fourth and H.J. Bunting in fifth. Bunting pulled to the infield one lap later ending his charge.

Bishop kept the pressure on Best and took the lead on lap 19. Best adjusted to the pass and moved back on lap for lap 21 just as the yellow flew for Norman Short. On the restart, Best's car seemed to develop a slight push which allowed Bishop to get back underneath and regain the lead with two laps to go. Strickler also got under Best and closed to within a second of Bishop as Bishop took the checkered.

It was the fourth win of the season for the driver of the Clearview Farms/Matco Tools/Teo/Lombardo. "At the beginning of the season we told everybody not to worry about points and that we would just take every week as they come," said Bishop. "But the last couple of weeks we have been counting them and seeing where we can finish."

Stickler finished in the second spot with Best ending his best run of the year in third. Ricky Johnson stayed in the point hunt finishing in fourth and Rose rounded out the top five. Sixth through tenth were Jamie Mills, Jarrell, Robert Dutton, Tim Millman, and Gary Simpson. Mullins and Best won the heats.

Erik McKinny established himself as the driver to beat from the drop of the green in the 15-lap Modified Lite feature. Steve White gave chase in the early laps along with Mike Vammino and Lucky Kohland. Vammino worked into the second spot bringing Kohland with him in third. At the halfway point the front trio was followed by Mike Stratton and Nick Hendricks in the top five.

A pair of blown engines first by Harvey Jaksch who was making his debut and John Curtis on laps nine and eleven kept the field tightly bunched. Vammino applied the pressure to McKinney on the restarts before Stratton slipped into second. The yellow as out on lap 14 when Joe Warren rolled to a stop setting up a one lap shootout for the win. McKinney was smooth on the final restart and drove the Chapman/Pro Bandit/Suzuki to the win. Stratton finished .3 seconds back in second with Vammino, Herb Tunis, and Jon Callaway rounding out the top five. Sixth through tenth were Hendricks, Landis Musser, Dana Walker, Kohland, and Dale Hawkins. McKinney and Bobby Walls won the heats.

The Vintage Stock Car feature got a little too wild. Eddie Pettyjohn and Tony Steele got together on a lap three restart with Steele making had contact with the outside wall. Steele was not injured in the crash. On the restart Oscar Fields got over the back wheel of the leader Pettyjohn and barrel rolled down the back straight. Fields was not injured but the event was checkered flagged with Pettyjohn getting the win. The remaining order of finish was D.J. Calhoun, C.J. Schirmer, Harry McConnell, and first Sportsman Herbie Hobbs in the top five. Fields, Bobby Watkins, Steele and Lou Johnson rounded out the field.

This Saturday night there will be no racing at the speedway as action switches to the U.S. 13 Dragway and the two-day AHDRA Delaware Nitro Nationals. Action returns on Saturday night, September 21 with the four weekly divisions along with the 25-lap United Racing Club Sprint feature, the field of which was set by qualifying on August 31. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with heats at 7:30 p.m.

RESULTS: Hertrich Pontiac/GMC 25-Lap Modified Feature: 1. RICK BISHOP; 2. Kyle Strickler; 3. Andy Best; 4. Ricky Johnson; 5. Doug Rose; 6. Jamie Mills; 7. Adam Jarrell; 8. Robert Dutton; 9. Tim Millman; 10. Gary Simpson; 11. Ellsey Conover; 12. Norman Short; 14. Steve Downs; 15. Cliff Foskey; 16. H.J. Bunting; 17. Craig Mullins; 18. Doug Beach; 19. Darren Wroten; 20. Larry Crouse; 21. Deron Rust. DNQ: Duane Rust; Sparky White, Scott Smith.

Hertrich Pontiac/GMC 15-Lap Modified Lite Feature: 1. ERIK MCKINNEY; 2. Mike Stratton; 3. Mike Vammino; 4. Herb Tunis; 5. Jon Callaway; 6. Nick Hendricks; 7. Landis Musser; 8. Dana Walker; 9. Lucky Kohland; 10. Dale Hawkins; 11. Kirk Lawson; 12. Bobby Brown; 13. George Richardson; 14. Joe Warren 15. John Curtis; 16. Harvey Jaksch; 17. Steve White; 18. Andy Hammond; 19. Bobby Walls,