KRIESS FLIES TO FIRST SPRINT WIN FOR TROY PRESTON; 2ND STRAIGHT FOR KRISTYAK IN MODS; FIRST IN 7 YEARS FOR EPERTHENER IN SPORTSM

Sat, May 29, 2004 -- Saturday Night Live!

Written by: Mike Leone

Mercer Raceway Park completed its eighth show in ten tries Saturday night as American Thunder Weekend kicked off presented by Hunter’s Truck Sales & Service. Celebrating in the McClung Auto Body victory lane with wins were Gary Kriess, Jr.-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Tommy Kristyak-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds, Ron Eperthener, Jr.-Tire Express Sportsman Modifieds, Shaun Hooks-Stock Cars, Curt Bish, Jr.-Strictly Stocks, and Bob Egley-School Buses.

Gary Kriess, Jr. charged from the ninth starting spot, survived eight cautions, and held off a typical late race charge by Jamie Smith to capture his first win of the season in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature. “We were due,” stated the Butler, Pa. winner. “I just tried to run my own race. I knew he (Smith) was back there and runs the bottom well. I didn’t like the restarts, but the car took off good. The car got loose at the end and the red helped when we put fuel in.”

Gary Edwards raced into the early lead from the pole position. Charlie Holben and Scott Bonnell battled for second with the two swapping the spot back and forth. Bonnell was able to maintain the advantage on lap three. Following a restart with four laps completed, Kriess was able to drive around Jamie Martin and Holben for third. Kriess continued his way to the front when he drove under Bonnell for second in turn four on lap eight. Kriess ran down Edwards and performed a classic slider going under and by Edwards in turn four on lap 10 for the lead.

Smith, who started alongside Kriess in 10th, entered the picture on lap 12 when he drove by both Holben and Bonnell for third. Four laps later, Smith moved into second past Edwards and set his sights on Kriess. Smith would get three restarts at Kriess, but would have to settle for second for the second straight week. Kriess’ third career win came in the McClung Auto Body/Flynn Tire Group/Barris Supply/Jones Performance/Atwell & Perrine Excavating-sponsored, Preston America-owned, Hine Racing Equipment-powered #1P. Kriess became the sixth different winner in seven races and his win was the second for Troy Preston as a car owner as Ralph Spithaler, Jr. scored a win in a substitution role on July 8, 2000.

Holben was able to get back by Bonnell for fourth on lap 17 then passed Edwards on lap 19 for a season best third. Edwards fell to fourth ahead of Bonnell. Completing the top 10 were Jeff Banyas, Chris Shuttleworth, Martin, Todd McQuillen, and Aaron Shaffer. Flip victims during the feature including Vaughn Nystrom, Andy Priest, and Rod George as all drivers were okay. Heat winners over the 24-car field were Priest, Kriess, and Edwards.

Shuttleworth of Wellsville, New York was the highest finishing Moore CDL Driving Academy 360 Sprint and captured the $150 bonus. Also receiving bonus monies were Martin, Shaffer, and Jason Dolick.

For the second week in a row and third time this year, Tommy Kristyak rode to victory in the 20-lap Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modified feature. “Talk about lucky- tonight we were lucky,” expressed the Stoneboro, Pa. victor after pulling into victory lane with a flat right rear tire. “Next week my goal is to win all three (25-lap BRP Tour features) and I’m going to try awfully hard to do that.”

Jeremiah Shingledecker took command of the event from the pole position with Rick Hall moving past John Buchanan for second. Kristyak, who started seventh, wasted little time getting to the front as he disposed of Buchanan and Hall for second on lap three. Kristyak and Shingledecker raced side-by-side on laps five and six as Kristyak nosed ahead at the line to lead lap six just before the caution was displayed. Andy Priest, who started 11th, moved into contention on lap seven when he passed Buchanan for third before the final caution was displayed with seven laps completed.

The last 13 laps went non-stop as Kristyak pulled away each and every lap to win by a straightaway. Kristyak’s only concern was a couple close calls in lapped traffic and a flat tire at the finish. Kristyak’s 49th big-block win gives him 102 overall wins for his career at Mercer in his Kristyak’s Korner/Fred Elder Excavating/M&D Paving/McCool Signs & Graphics-sponsored, Hine Racing Equipment-powered #26z.

Shingledecker’s runner-up was his best since a second on June 22, 2002. Priest was a distant third for the second straight week and now has four straight finishes of second or third as he continues to lead the points. Dave Murdick was fourth as Hall dropped to fifth. Sixth through tenth were Andy Paden, Carl Weatherby, Lonny Riggs, Buchanan, and Tommy Marshall III. Heat winners over the 22-car field were Riggs and Murdick.

After almost seven long years, Ron Eperthener, Jr. returned to victory lane by scoring a popular win in the 20-lap Tire Express Sportsman Modified feature. “It seems forever, but it sure feels good,” said the jubilant Grove City, Pa. winner. “It’s marvelous. I’m really happy. It’s been a long time since we’ve won. This is the car that I won from Bicknell and they’ve helped me out. We’ve been running real well. The track has been nice and smooth. You can get a bite all over the place. It’s fabulous!”

Rich Ferguson led the first two laps from the pole position before fifth starting Steve Toth made an inside move off turn four to lead lap three. Eperthener, who started eight, took runner-up from Ferguson on lap five as Jerry Schaffer followed in third one lap later. Eperthener’s winning move came on the seventh circuit when he raced by Toth into the lead.

The only driver that may have had a shot at knocking off Eperthener was Gary Smoker. Smoker started 10th and had moved up through the field passing both Toth and Schaffer for second on lap eight. Smoker was on Eperthener, but on lap 17 drove in too hard through turns three and four, and looped his mount bringing out the final caution.

Eperthener then went unchallenged over the last four laps for his first win since June 28, 1997 and became the sixth different winner in seven races. Eperthener’s fourth career win came in his Eperthener Auto Wrecking, Ron Eperthener, Sr.-owned #333. Jerry Schaffer edged brother and point leader Jeff Schaffer for runner-up. Rick Hall and Kevin Thompson were fourth and fifth. Jerry Schaffer and Thompson won the heats over the 22-car field.

Shaun Hooks held off Doug Iorio to win his second of the year in the 15-lap Stock Car feature. “He was coming pretty strong,” explained the New Castle, Pa. winner when asked about Iorio. “My tires were starting to fade. This Jim Rombold motor is starting to kick in.”

Hooks snatched the lead on the opening lap from pole-sitter John Reiser as Terry Kroner followed in second on lap two. Andy Buckley was able to pass Reiser for third on lap three. One lap later, Buckley and Iorio disposed of Kroner for second and third. Iorio then raced by Buckley for runner-up on lap six. Point leader Andy Thompson entered the battle and moved ahead of Buckley for third on lap 10.

The last five laps was a four-car race with Hooks holding strong to take his sixth career win in his Rich & Freed Auto Parts/Benny Lombardo Auto Repair/Jim Hooks Auto Repair-sponsored #65. Iorio was two car lengths back in second. Thompson edged Buckley for third. Rick Norco was fifth for the second straight week. Tim Deutsch, Buckley, and Brian Booher won the heat races over the 25-car field.

The School Buses made their second ever appearance and it was Stock Car racer Bob Egley winning the 15-lap feature. The Kittanning, Pa. driver led the entire distance, but it was far from easy in the non-stop event. Former racing legend, Blackie Watt started fifth and moved into second past last year’s winner, Bill Clepper, on lap three. Watt ran down Egley. The two made contact on laps eight and nine fighting for the lead. Watt pressured Egley for the duration, but Egley was able to hold on by one bus-length for the $500 victory in his A.J. Myers & Son #3. Clepper, Mike McNeish, and John Choffel, Jr. were third through fifth. Clepper and Egley won the heats over the 12-bus field.

Curt Bish, Jr. kept the Bish Family a perfect seven-for-seven with his second win in the “Redneck Racers Shotgun Series” 12-lap Strictly Stock feature. Don Blake, Jr. led the first three laps subbing for Joe Blake. On lap four, fifth starting Bish, Jr. took over the top spot as the two made contact. Blake stayed right on Bish, Jr. for the entire race, but it was Bish, Jr. capturing the win in his Dennis Bake Construction/A&C Buffet-sponsored #00X. Ronnie Boyd edged five-time winner Curt Bish, Sr. for third. Travis Norman was fifth in his first start. A season high 13 cars were on hand.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. GARY KRIESS, JR. 2. Jamie Smith 3. Charlie Holben 4. Gary Edwards 5. Scott Bonnell 6. Jeff Banyas 7. Chris Shuttleworth 8. Jamie Martin 9. Todd McQuillen 10. Aaron Shaffer 11. Jason Dolick 12. Mary Anne Williams 13. Jeremy Cook 14. Jerry Yoder 15. Arnie Kent 16. Jimmy Barill 17. Andy Priest 18. Rod George 19. Richard Levingston 20. Butch Beasley 21. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 22. Chad Levingston 23. Vaughn Nystrom 24. Dan McEwen.

Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds: 1. TOMMY KRISTYAK 2. Jeremiah Shingledecker 3. Andy Priest 4. Dave Murdick 5. Rick Hall 6. Andy Paden 7. Carl Weatherby 8. Lonny Riggs 9. John Buchanan 10. Tommy Marshall III 11.Rodney Beltz 12. Les Myers 13. Carl Murdick 14. Steve Barr 15. Jeremy Paup 16. Lee Miller 17. Jeff Baker 18. Frank Guidace 19. Dave Schrader 20. Travis Shingledecker 21. Rick Kress 22. Brian Fink-DNS.

Tire Express Sportsman Modifieds: 1. RON EPERTHENER, JR. 2. Jerry Schaffer 3. Jeff Schaffer 4. Rick Hall 5. Kevin Thompson 6. Steve Toth 7. Rich Ferguson 8. Gary Smoker 9. Matt Reeher 10. Rick Ryder 11. Mike Anderson 12. Brad Watson 13. Jim Rombold, Jr. 14. Fred Sasse 15. Jerry Twentier, Sr. 16. Kevin Green 17. Mike Turner 18. Jerry O’Rock, Jr. 19. Kristin Jordan 20. Rich Whitney 21. Jay Priest 22. Frank Guidace-DNS.

Stock Cars: 1. SHAUN HOOKS 2. Doug Iorio 3. Andy Thompson 4. Andy Buckley 5. Rick Norco 6. Gary Norman 7. Brian Booher 8. Terry Wheeler 9. Mark Felicetty 10. Tim Deutsch 11. Gary Johns 12. Chris Brown 13. Ryan Moyer 14. Terry Kroner 15. Erick Cwynar 16. Gary Miller, Jr. 17. Scott Myers 18. Clyde Roberts 19. John Reiser 20. Cody Smith 21. Carl Ealy 22. Bob Zuschlag 23. Bobby Whitling 24. Jim Kennerknecht 25. Joe Updegraff-DNS.

Strictly Stocks: 1. CURT BISH, JR. 2. Don Blake, Jr. 3. Ronnie Boyd 4. Curt Bish, Sr. 5. Gary Norman 6. Wearne Cook 7. Jesse DeLoe 8. Randy Ealy 9. Lauren Simmons 10. Paul Reiser 11. Earl Snyder 12. Carl Feely, Jr.-DNS 13. Jon Mabry-DNS.

School Buses: 1. BOB EGLEY 2. Blackie Watt 3. Bill Clepper 4. Mike McNeish 5. John Choffel, Jr. 6. Bob Clepper 7. Gary Egli 8. Ben Clepper 9. Bill Gordon 10. John Mahlon 11. Doug Fairfield 12. Ken Hurst.