SWARTZLANDER’S FIRST MERCER WIN IN 3 YEARS COMES IN BRP MOD TOUR; BLONDE’S FIRST VISIT IS REWARDED WITH $2,000 SPRINT WIN; SCHAF
Sat, Sep 11, 2004 -- "On Tour 2004"
Written by: Mike Leone
Mercer Raceway Park hosted “On Tour 2004” on Saturday night as three of the five winners scored their first wins of the season. Capturing victories and celebrating in the McClung Auto Body victory lane were Brian Swartzlander-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf BRP Big-Block Modified Tour, Chad Blonde-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Jeff Schaffer-Tire Express Sportsman Modifieds, Mike Pegher, Jr.-Stock Cars, and Curt Bish, Sr.-Maurer’s Trading Post Strictly Stocks.
Almost three years to the day, Brian Swartzlander returned to victory lane for the first time at Mercer since September 15, 2001 after charging from the 11th starting spot to win the 30-lap BRP Modified Tour event for the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf big blocks. In 2001, Swartzlander scored all three of his prior wins at Mercer. “Me and Mercer are sometimes either real good or real bad,” acknowledged the Leechburg, Pa. driver. “We’ve had some real good runs here. This Teo was awesome; it could go anywhere I wanted to go. Two nights in a row with this thing (won Friday night at Raceway 7)- it feels good to be back in a good race car.”
Jeff Schaffer raced out into the early lead from the pole position with Skip Moore and Andy Priest in tow. BRP Tour point leader, Ron Smoker, who started eighth moved into fourth past Jeremiah Shingledecker on lap four. Priest meanwhile worked his way past Moore for second on lap five and Smoker followed one lap later in third. Priest got a great run off four to edge Schaffer at the line to take the lead on lap 10 just before a caution for debris.
When racing resumed, 11 cars tangled coming off turn two. All but four of the cars would resume action. On the ensuing restart, Swartzlander quickly made his presence known as he drove around Smoker and Schaffer to take second. Smoker raced back into third on lap 13 when he dropped Schaffer back another spot. Swartzlander ran down Priest and made the winning move with an inside pass on lap 15. The eventual winner quickly pulled away, but would have to survive two cautions during laps 20 and 21.
The last nine laps went caution free. Smoker used the outside off turn four to get past Priest for second on lap 24. Smoker though didn’t have anything for Swartzlander, who scored the $1,200 win and was awarded an extra $100 from Nick Chevrolet in his McCutcheon Enterprises/Precise Tool & Die-sponsored, HRE-powered #83 Teo. Swartzlander became the 10th different big-block winner of the season.
“I got into Jeff (Schaffer) a little there, I felt bad about that,” revealed the winner. “Jeff is a really good racer. He got in a little low and I got a real good run on the top and you couldn’t lift. He drifted out and I just nicked him and then we kind of got tangled up. I was glad the caution came out because he got his position back. When you’re up on the wall, you can’t lift or you hit the wall. I had such a good run up there so it’s just one of those things.”
Priest barely edged Shingledecker for third. Kevin Bolland was fifth. Completing the top 10 were Schaffer, Steve Young, Frank Guidace in Scott Kay’s #55, track champion Tommy Kristyak, and Dave Murdick. Heat victors over the 34-car field were Young, Swartzlander, Smoker, and Joe Crawford. Rex King and Guidace won the two B mains.
Chad Blonde was the benefactor of Ed Lynch, Jr.’s misfortunes as he inherited the lead and cruised to the easy victory in the 25-lap $2,000 to-win Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature. “We got a little lucky with Ed Lynch pulling out,” stated the Litchfield, Michigan winner after becoming the ninth different Sprint Car winner of the season. “He was pretty fast. I don’t know if I would have been able to catch him until we got in lapped traffic. Ed is a really good race car driver with a lot of experience.”
Lynch and Blonde drew the front row by the luck of the draw and quickly distanced themselves as the two were easily the class of the field. The only caution of the event was for Mark Murphy, who slowed with three laps completed. Lynch maintained a fairly comfortable lead for much of the event even though Blonde stayed within striking distance. Lynch cleared the first round of lapped traffic on lap eight; however just past the halfway point Blonde found a nice line around the outside of the speedway and began to run Lynch down. Lynch caught traffic again on lap 16 and Blonde really began to close in. Just when it looked like a race for the lead was about to develop, Lynch exited the event on lap 16 when his motor shutdown on the backstretch.
Blonde flew by and cruised for the remaining laps to score the easy win in the Tuckey Motorsports & Graphic Designs/Radio Shack/TLC Auto Collision-sponsored, Wesmar-powered, Julie Blonde-owned #5. Last season, Blonde made his only three career starts, which included a $2,000 win back on May 17. “Mercer always treats me well,” stated the victor. “I always like coming out here. We’ve been wanting to come out here a couple times, but we live so far away and we always worry about the rain and we’ve been rained out quite a bit. I wanted this to be more than my first time coming out this year.”
Rob Eyler, who started seventh, passed Chad Levingston off turn two on lap 18 to finish second more than one-half lap behind Blonde. Levingston held on to a career best third. Arnie Kent was fourth over Rod George. Sixth through tenth were track champion Jamie Smith, Tom Quarterson in the Jeff Rudzik/Dick Schuller #94, Jason Dolick, Chris Shuttleworth, and Ohio NRA racer Ron Blair, who made his first ever start in preparation for next week’s “Great Race”. Blonde and Smith won the heats over the 17-car field.
Jeff Schaffer put an exclamation point on his 2004 Sportsman Modified Championship by winning the 20-lap $600 to-win Tire Express feature. “We had an awesome year,” noted the Fombell, Pa. resident. “We couldn’t have asked for a better year than what we had. No downfalls.”
Schaffer drew the pole position and led from start to finish without a challenge to collect his second win of the season, but first since April 17. Schaffer’s seventh career Mercer win came in the Approved Toilet Rentals-sponsored, Jerry Schaffer-owned, Rombold-powered #14. Steve Toth came from seventh to place second after passing Jim Rombold, Jr. for the spot on lap 11. Mike Anderson passed Rombold on lap 12 to finish a career best third. Rombold dropped to fourth over a career best finish by Matt Reeher in fifth. Anderson and Rombold won the heats over the 12-car field.
Making his first appearance of the season, the ever improving young Mike Pegher, Jr. shocked the Stock Cars by winning his first career Mercer win in the 20-lap $600 to-win feature. The third generation racer had made only four prior Mercer starts and had never qualified for a feature before Saturday night. “The car was working real good on the restarts,” relayed the Cranberry Township, Pa. racer. “I was getting a little nervous with those last couple laps with (Andy) Buckley.”
Pegher started the race in third and passed veterans Doug Iorio and Dave Ferringer for the lead on the opening circuit. Ferringer slipped high off turn two on lap nine allowing Iorio to reclaim runner-up. Buckley, the 2004 champion, started from 20th and was on the prowl. Buckley drove around John Reiser for third on lap 15 then edged Iorio for second on lap 16. Two cautions on laps 18 and 19 gave Buckley two shots at the youngster, but Pegher remained stout and took the checkered flag first in his #09 to become the 10th different Stock Car winner of the year. Pegher also has wins at Lernerville and Sportsman’s Speedway this year for his first ever victories.
Buckley was second as Iorio, Ferringer, and Reiser rounded out the first five. Picking up heat wins over the 32-car field were Ferringer, Terry Kroner, and Pegher. Dan Smeal won the B main in his first start of the season.
Curt Bish, Sr. won another wild 12-lap “Redneck Racers Shotgun Series” Strictly Stock feature. The Titusville, Pa. driver came from the eighth starting spot and passed Chad Myers for the lead on lap five. Curt Bish, Jr. followed in second taking the spot away from Myers on lap seven. Bish, Sr. was able to hold off his son for his track high 11th win of the season, though it was his first since July 24, in his Dennis Baker Construction/A&C Buffet-sponsored #00. Joe Blake came from ninth to finish third. Jon Mabry was a career best fourth over Wearne Cook. Ten cars were on hand.
Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf BRP Big-Block Modified Tour: 1. BRIAN SWARTZLANDER ($1,300) 2. Ron Smoker 3. Andy Priest 4. Jeremiah Shingledecker 5. Kevin Bolland 6. Jeff Schaffer 7. Steve Young 8. Frank Guidace 9. Tommy Kristyak 10. Dave Murdick 11. J.R. McGinley 12. Steve Barr 13. John Buchanan 14. Rick Hall 15. Gary Rankin 16. Rex King 17. Rodney Beltz 18. Bob Dorman 19. Jeremy Paup 20. Skip Moore 21. Dean Pearson 22. Joe Crawford 23. Chanda Reitz 24. Del Rougeux, Jr. DNQ: George Hobaugh, Chad Reitz, Dave Reges, Carl Murdick, Leonard Baker, Jr., Lee Miller, Lex Shingledecker, Adam Kozar, Rick Kress, Josh Skarzenski.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. CHAD BLONDE ($2,000) 2. Rob Eyler 3. Chad Levingston 4. Arnie Kent 5. Rod George 6. Jamie Smith 7. Tom Quarterson 8. Jason Dolick 9. Chris Shuttleworth 10. Ron Blair 11. Davey Jones 12. Bill Kiley 13. Ed Lynch, Jr. 14. Paul Kapuchuck 15. Mark Murphy 16. Gary Kriess, Jr.-DNS 17. Butch Beasley-DNS.
Tire Express Sportsman Modifieds: 1. JEFF SCHAFFER ($600) 2. Steve Toth 3. Mike Anderson 4. Jim Rombold, Jr. 5. Matt Reeher 6. Kevin Green 7. Mike Turner 8. Leroy Johnson, Jr. 9. Alex Anderson 10. Kristin Jordan 11. Morgan Sasse 12. Gary Smoker.
Stock Cars: 1. MIKE PEGHER, JR. ($600) 2. Andy Buckley 3. Doug Iorio 4. Dave Ferringer 5. John Reiser 6. Jarrot Moore 7. Jim McFadden 8. Rick Norco 9. Gary Miller, Jr. 10. Terry Kroner 11. Gary Norman 12. Shaun Hooks 13. Gary Johns 14. Chris Brown 15. Ron Iorio 16. J.R. Ziegler 17. Cody Smith 18. Dan Smeal 19. Terry Young 20. Tony Spaghetti 21. Jim Brunson 22. Corey Ruffo 23. Joe Lockhart 24. Bill Lanigan DNQ: Tim Deutsch, Clyde Roberts, Jamie Duncan, Ryan Moyer, Bob Bean, William Smiley, Bill Vance, Jr., Mike Clark.
Maurer’s Trading Post Strictly Stocks: 1. CURT BISH, SR. 2. Curt Bish, Jr. 3. Joe Blake 4. Jon Mabry 5. Wearne Cook 6. Lauren Simmons 7. Chad Myers 8. Jim Boring 9. Ronnie Boyd 10. Bryan Shaffer.