ANDRUSKY WINS THRILLING SPRINT FEATURE; SMOKER SURVIVES FOR 2ND MOD WIN; HOOKS HOLDS OFF BOOHER IN STOCKS; CAREER FIRST FOR EALY IN STRICTLIES AT MERCER

By Mike Leone

June 18, 2005

Mercer, PA…For the first time this season, Mercer Raceway Park was able to complete three straight events as three new drivers celebrated in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic victory lane on Saturday night. Scoring wins were Kevin Andrusky-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Gary Smoker-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modifieds, Shaun Hooks-Tire Express Stock Cars, and Carl Ealy.-Maurer’s Trading Post Strictly Stocks.

Kevin Andrusky put on a show riding the cushion, brushing the wall and throwing sparks as he made two breathtaking three-wide passes in route to his first win since June 29, 2002 in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature.

“The car is hot and man I’m tired,” exclaimed the Hermitage, Pa. victor, while climbing out of his steaming car. “Tonight I have to give (Frank) Benic (track manager) credit. This is his place. It was smooth enough that I was going to be hero or zero. Hero is a whole lot better and nicer on the pocketbook.”

Mark Murphy raced ahead of Aaron Shaffer at the start for the early lead. Tom Quarterson, sixth starter Andrusky, and seventh starter Scott Bonnell were also able to move ahead of Shaffer into positions two through four on the opening lap. Quarterson pressured Murphy on numerous occasions, while Andrusky watched in third. Rob Eyler passed Bonnell for fourth on lap six. Murphy opened up some ground on lap eight, while Andrusky and Eyler closed on Quarterson making it a three-car race for second.

Andrusky made his move on lap 10 for second. Quarterson went to the inside of Paul Kapuchuck to lap him coming off turn four, while Andrusky went to the outside. The trio was three-wide at the flag-stand as Andrusky squeezed by throwing off a trail of sparks to inch by for second just as the caution was displayed for Mel Straley and Jason Dolick.

The final 10 laps went green-to-checkered. Murphy continued to hold off Andrusky and Quarterson as the two were looking for a way by with the laps ticking off. Murphy’s bid for his second career win ended on lap 15. Quarterson and Andrusky sandwiched the leader in turn two with Andrusky on top and Quarterson on the bottom. The trio ran three-wide for almost a lap without touching. Coming off the tight turn four Andrusky was somehow able to sneak by the two without slamming the wall for the lead with Quarterson taking back second.

Andrusky led the remaining laps for the thrilling and popular win in his un-sponsored #7. It was his third career win, but first in nearly three years. Quarterson was second for the second time this season. Eyler passed Murphy on lap 17 to finish third. Rod George, who had three late-race passes and hadn’t finished out of the top three all year, came from 12th and got by Murphy on lap 19 to finish a season-low fourth. Murphy dropped to a disappointing fifth with a tight race car. Completing the top 10 were Bob Felmlee, Bonnell, Jamie Martin, Aaron Shaffer, and Mike Shearer. Heat winners over the 21-car field went to Murphy and Martin.

Wooster, Ohio’s Jamie Martin, who won the 360 Sprint feature on June 4, was the highest finishing 360 earning the $150 bonus and received a spot in the All Star Dash at the Bully Hill Fall Nationals at Black Rock Speedway on September 10. The dash pays $500 to-win and $125 to-start and also guarantees the highest finishing non-qualifier a provisional in the September 11 main event.

Opening night winner, Gary Smoker, survived a crash-filled event that took out many of the top runners to win the 20-lap Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Modified feature. “I have to thank my Lord Jesus Christ,” expressed the Mercer, Pa. racer. “That wreck on the frontstretch- he was riding with me. I was able to clear those guys.”

The opening lap saw Scott Kay and Lonny Riggs make contact off turn two with Riggs then getting t-boned by Bill Adams. Kay never stopped, while Adams restarted after pitting, but Riggs was done for the night.

Steve Barr jumped out into the early lead with Steve Toth and Brad Rapp in tow. Toth pressured Barr on lap six as the two raced side-by-side for the lead over the next three laps. Barr, who was searching for his first career win, was able to hold on until lap eight when Toth inched by and Rapp closed making it a three-car race for the lead. Like the Sprint Car feature, the trio ran three-wide on lap nine as Toth maintained his lead with Rapp moving to second.

Barr’s best career run ended on lap 11 when the lapped car of Chad Yeager spun and Barr clipped his mount sending him to the pits for repairs. When racing resumed, Mike Anderson and Gary Smoker were now in third and fourth. On lap 11, high school racer Rapp was all over Toth trying to find a way by as Anderson and Smoker were in sight. Rick Hall, who started 11th, joined the battle and it was a five-car race for the lead on lap 15. Rapp tried the outside and was again all over Toth on laps 17 and 18, but just didn’t have quite enough to make it by.

Travis Bell brought out a caution with 18 laps completed. Rapp got a good restart and was alongside Toth in turn two as it looked like he may take the lead, but Toth moved up and the two made contact, but Jr. Baker bought out another caution with still 18 laps completed.

On the restart, front-end problems caused Toth to make contact with Rapp sending Rapp into the wall ensuing a seven-car melee. After everything was cleared, Smoker was handed the lead and he held off Adams over the final two laps for his fourth career win in the division and 32nd of his career overall at Mercer.

“They were all running really good,” stated the driver of D&D Racing-owned, MBMR, Inc./Mito Insulations, Do-All Electronics/Savolskis CPA-sponsored #516. “I would have liked to seen Toth win one- that was unfortunate for him. I thought I had a faster car, but when they’re racing two and three-wide, I have to wait until they get single file. They (Hall and Anderson) messed up and I got around them, but then the caution came out.”

Adams came from the rear after pitting to record his third runner-up of the season. Matt Reeher and Rich Whitney recorded career best finishes in third and fourth. Jeremiah Shingledecker was fifth in his first start in the Dave Cogswell-owned #66. Rounding out the top 10 were Hall, Anderson, Kevin Green, Rick Kress, and Baker. Topping the heat races over the 25-car field were Adams, Smoker, and Riggs.

After winning his biggest career race, the Little Guy Nationals, to end 2004, Shaun Hooks hasn’t had the year he envisioned. Hooks ended his rough start to the new year with his first win in the 15-lap Tire Express Stock Car feature. “It’s been awhile,” stated the New Castle, Pa. driver. “I’d like to thank my crew for putting up with me. I’ve been a bad boy the last few weeks- I hope that’s all over with. The car worked pretty decent. I think if (Brian) Booher would have started a little closer he may have got me, but it was a good run.”

For the second straight week, second-year racer Chris Brown took off at the start with the early lead. Brown held down the top spot until lap six following the event’s only restart when fourth starting Hooks inched by at the start-finish line for the winning pass. Terry Wheeler, who started seventh, passed Tim Zuschlag for third on lap six. Hooks opened up some ground, while the battle for second intensified with Brown trying to hold off Wheeler, Booher, and Andy Thompson.

On lap 12, Booher raced by Wheeler for third then one lap later took second from Brown. Wheeler followed in third on lap 13. Booher ran down Hooks and was all over the leader on the final lap. The two ran side-by-side down the backstretch and through turns three and four, but at the checkered it was Hooks holding on in his #65 by about one-half car-length. The win was the 10th of Hooks’ career making him just the eighth driver in the division’s history to reach double figures in wins.

Wheeler was third. Brown held on for his first career top five finish in fourth, while point leader Thompson was fifth. Thompson and Booher won the heat events over the 20-car field.

Carl Ealy ended the Bishs’ dominance of the Strictly Stocks by scoring his first career win and joined Bryan Shaffer as the only two drivers to unseat the father-son duo this season. Ealy, a former Demo Derby competitor and competed with the Stock Cars the past two seasons, dropped back to the Strictly Stocks this season and has been fast every night, but just hasn’t been able to put an entire race together. That ended Saturday night in the 12-lap Maurer’s Trading Post “Redneck Racers Shotgun Series” feature event.

Paul Reiser led the opening lap before Randy Ealy took the lead on lap two. Reiser slowed on lap four allowing seventh starting Carl Ealy to move into second. On lap five, Carl made the winning move on his brother Randy just before Randy lost a wheel ending his run and moved Shaffer to second.

Carl Ealy would go on for the win unchallenged in his #0 and ironically topped Shaffer, who beat the father-son team of Curt Bish, Sr. and Jr. Ronnie Boyd was fifth. Carl Ealy and Shaffer were the heat race winners over the 14-car field.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. KEVIN ANDRUSKY 2. Tom Quarterson 3. Rob Eyler 4. Rod George 5. Mark Murphy 6. Bob Felmlee 7. Scott Bonnell 8. Jamie Martin 9. Aaron Shaffer 10. Mike Shearer 11. Jeff Banyas 12. Doug Stanley 13. Bryan Grove 14. Dave Wagner 15. Paul Kapuchuck 16. Gregg McCandless 17. Jeremy Cook 18. Jason Dolick 19. Mel Straley 20. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 21. Gale Ruth, Jr.-DNS.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf (358) Modifieds: 1. GARY SMOKER 2. Bill Adams 3. Matt Reeher 4. Rich Whitney 5. Jeremiah Shingledecker 6. Rick Hall 7. Mike Anderson 8. Kevin Green 9. Rick Kress 10. Jr. Baker 11. Ben Porter 12. Steve Toth 13. Brad Rapp 14. Don McKnight 15. Steve Barr 16. Fred Sasse 17. Travis Bell 18. Chad Yeager 19. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 20. Lee Miller 21. Scott Kay 22. Lonny Riggs 23. Garrett Krummert-DNS 24. Travis Shingledecker-DNS 25. Josh McFadden-DNS.

Tire Express Stock Cars: 1. SHAUN HOOKS 2. Brian Booher 3. Terry Wheeler 4. Chris Brown 5. Andy Thompson 6. Andy Buckley 7. Gary Norman 8. Rick Norco 9. Jarrot Moore 10. Ryan Moyer 11. Tony Spaghetti 12. Bill Vance, Jr. 13. William Smiley 14. Clyde Roberts 15. Tim Zuschlag 16. John Reiser 17. Tom Moore 18. Bruce Milbert-DNS 19. Cody Smith-DNS 20. Kenny Bratt, Jr.-DNS.

Maurer’s Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CARL EALY 2. Bryan Shaffer 3. Curt Bish, Sr. 4. Curt Bish, Jr. 5. Ronnie Boyd 6. Patrick Heckman 7. Lauren Simmons 8. Lester Kerr 9. Olivia Eperthener 10. Randy Ealy 11. Jim Boring 12. Paul Reiser 13. William Morrison III 14. Vaughn Cook-DNS.