KRISTYAK HITS CENTURY MARK WITH 100TH CAREER MERCER WIN; GEORGE OPENS 410 SPRINT SEASON WITH VICTORY; SMOKER & HOOKS TOP SPORTSMAN & STOCKS
By Mike Leone
April 10, 2004
Mercer, PA…Mercer Raceway Park kicked off the first five-division “Saturday Night Live!” program of the season on Saturday night as the championship point race began. Celebrating in the McClung Auto Body victory lane were Tommy Kristyak-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds, Rod George-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Gary Smoker-Tire Express Sportsman Modifieds, Shaun Hooks-Stock Cars, and Curt Bish-Strictly Stocks.
The wait for 100 is over. Though he did it in just his second attempt, Tommy Kristyak had to wait all winter long for another shot at his milestone 100th career Mercer win. The defending Big-Block Modified Champion left little drama leading all 20 laps of the Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf feature.
“One hundred wins is just unbelievable,” expressed the relieved Stoneboro, Pa. resident. “There’s been a lot of work to get here. That was probably the hardest race I ever drove to break that jinx. I have to thank Carlin Hine & Teo, Fred Elder Excavating, and Kristyak’s Korner.”
The luck of the draw had Kristyak on the pole and he wasted little time racing out into the lead. Dave Murdick and Lonny Riggs worked their way to the front from their seventh and 12th starting spots taking second and third away from Rodney Beltz on lap three. By the halfway point, Kristyak opened up a near straightaway lead before a caution for Mark Frankhouser with 11 laps completed.
Frank Guidace had moved into the top five from his 18th starting spot. On lap 13, Guidace was able to get by both Beltz and Riggs for third. Guidace continued his charge toward the front racing by Murdick on lap 17. However, up front Kristyak was all by himself in his #26z taking the checkered flag first for his 47th career big-block win. Kristyak was presented an inscribed watch by the Emig Family and Mercer Raceway Park compliments of Kidd’s Jewelry for his century mark achievement. Along with his 47 big-block wins, Kristyak has 45 six-cylinder and 8 sportsman wins to total 100.
Behind Kristyak, the battle was on for second. Guidace was able to edge Murdick for runner-up. Murdick has now finished either second or third in six straight races dating back to last season. After an early spin, Andy Priest came back to finish fourth after passing Riggs for the spot on lap 17. Riggs dropped to fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Carl Weatherby, Dean Pearson, Tommy Marshall III, Chanda Reitz, and Jeremiah Shingledecker. Heat winners over the 28-car field were Kristyak, Priest, and Beltz. Guidace won the B main.
It was youth versus experience in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature. The experienced driver, Rod George, topped budding 16-year-old future star Cameron Dodson for the win.
“I definitely want to thank everyone for coming out as it’s a pretty miserable night for the weather,” expressed the Kittanning, Pa. racer. “Last year we kept coming up short here, but were pretty competitive. The track was great! A nice smooth track- what more can you ask for? I was having trouble seeing over the wing. I was getting a lot of bite and having trouble getting in the corners.”
Like Kristyak, George benefited by drawing the number one pill to start on the pole. Dodson of Greenfield, Indiana was making his first ever appearance in preparation for the Mid-American Sprint Series event in August and started alongside.
George jumped into the lead at the start with Dodson in tow as Scott Bonnell passed Jeff Banyas for third. As the race went on, Dodson continued to get more comfortable with the track finding a nice line around the tricky 3/8-mile track hounding the veteran George. By lap 11, George caught lapped traffic allowing Dodson to close right on the leader’s tail. Coming off turn two, Dodson got a great run and temporarily passed George as he tried to put a lap on Jeremy Cook; however, George was able to sneak back by on the backstretch.
The traffic allowed Bonnell to close in and it was a three-car race for the lead on lap 13 before a caution was displayed for Jeff Hirt and Gary Edwards. Ed Lynch, Jr. came from 11th to restart fifth. Three laps later, Lynch tried to get under Banyas in turn one for fourth, but made contact sending the #2L into the wall and done for the night.
The last four laps gave George a clear track to the checkered flag for the 2003 Triathlon Series and Tri-City Speedway Champion. The win was just George’s second career at Mercer and first since September 7, 2002 in his Rodeway Inn/Dairy Queen of Kittanning-sponsored #4.
Dodson edged Bonnell for second. Banyas’ fourth tied a career best 410 finish. Arnie Kent was fifth after starting 20th. Eighteen-year-old Jimmy Weller III was sixth over another high school racer in 16-year-old Caleb Griffith. Completing the top 10 were Jason Dolick, Chris Shuttleworth, and Doug Stanley. Heat victors over the 27-car field were Banyas, Dolick, and Jack Sodeman, Jr. Randy Kriegisch won the B main.
Gary Smoker won what may have been the best race of the night in an exciting 20-lap Tire Express Sportsman Modified main. “Traffic really played a part,” described the Mercer, Pa. victor. “This feels real good and I have to thank my Lord and savior Jesus Christ for keeping me safe.”
Jeff Schaffer passed Kevin Green and Kevin Thompson for the lead on the opening lap. Two cautions, one with one lap completed and the second with two laps completed, would be the only cautions of the event as the last 18 laps went green-to-checkered. Jerry Schaffer started sixth and took the lead away from his brother on lap three, while Smoker moved into third ahead of Green.
Jeff went back by Jerry going under the defending champion off turn four on lap seven. The following lap saw Smoker use the identical move to take second from Jerry. The three raced hard over the remainder of the race maneuvering through lapped traffic. Smoker’s winning move came on lap 17 in traffic. Jeff got caught behind the lapped car of Jerry O’Rock, Jr. allowing Smoker to go on by in turn one.
Smoker went on for his 23rd career win in the David Smoker-owned, MBMR Inc./Mito Insulations-sponsored #516 moving him within three of Andy Priest’s all-time leading Sportsman Modified mark. Jeff Schaffer edged brother Jerry for runner-up for his best career sportsman finish. Frank Guidace came back from an early spin to finish fourth in his sportsman debut. Rick Hall was fifth. Steve Toth and Smoker won the heats over the 21-car field.
Opening night saw 2001 champion Andy Buckley pick up the Stock Car win, this week it was 2002 champion Shaun Hooks taking the honors in a wild 15-lap feature. “That was a long last lap,” stated the New Castle, Pa. winner referring to two cautions on the last lap. “I have to thank my pit crew, Scott, and Bob. They did all the work on the car. This is for them.”
Doug Iorio grabbed the early lead from the pole with Hooks and Andy Thompson following. On lap two, Thompson made the move for second past Hooks. Thompson and Iorio ran side-by-side on laps four and five before Thompson made an inside move off turn four to take the lead on the fifth circuit. Hooks came back to get second from Iorio on lap six and the three hooked up in a three-car battle. Lap nine saw the three race through lapped traffic and were three-wide for the lead. As they crossed the flag stand, Hooks slipped through for the lead with Iorio getting back by Thompson.
Hooks survived three restarts to collect his fifth career win in his Rich & Freed Auto Parts/Benny Lombardo Auto Repair/Jim Hooks Auto Repair-sponsored #65. Iorio edged Thompson for second. Gary Norman and Rick Lanigan were fourth and fifth. Hooks, Rick Norco, and Thompson won the heat races over the 28-car field. Bobby Whitling won the B main.
Curt Bish kicked off the “Redneck Racers Shotgun Series” by winning the inaugural 12-lap event for the Strictly Stocks. The Oil City, Pa. resident took the lead from Lauren Simmons on lap two and went on for his first career win in his Dennis Baker Construction/Gravett Painting-sponsored #00. Second through fourth were Simmons, Jesse DeLoe and Randy Ealy.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. ROD GEORGE 2. Cameron Dodson 3. Scott Bonnell 4. Jeff Banyas 5. Arnie Kent 6. Jimmy Weller III 7. Caleb Griffith 8. Jason Dolick 9. Chris Shuttleworth 10. Doug Stanley 11. Gary Edwards 12. Scott Groves 13. Brent Matus 14. Jeremy Cook 15. Gale Ruth 16. Butch Beasley 17. Ed Lynch, Jr. 18. Jeff Hirt 19. Randy Kriegisch 20. Gary McCollum 21. Charlie Holben 22. Jamie Smith 23. Gary Kriess, Jr. 24. Jack Sodeman, Jr.-DNS DNQ: Jerry Yoder, Daniel McEwen, Joe Butera.
Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds: 1. TOMMY KRISTYAK 2. Frank Guidace 3. Dave Murdick 4. Andy Priest 5. Lonny Riggs 6. Carl Weatherby 7. Dean Pearson 8. Tommy Marshall III 9. Chanda Reitz 10. Jeremiah Shingledecker 11. J.R. McGinley 12. Rick Hall 13. Rodney Beltz 14. Carl Murdick 15. Lee Miller 16. Greg Unrue, Jr. 17. Andy Paden 18. Mark Frankhouser 19. Terry Young 20. Jeremy Paup 21. Rick Kress 22. Rob Curtis 23. Arnie Kent 24. Garrett Krummert 25. Tim Doran-DNS DNQ: Jeff Baker, Travis Shingledecker, Steve Young.
Tire Express Sportsman Modifieds: 1. GARY SMOKER 2. Jeff Schaffer 3. Jerry Schaffer 4. Frank Guidace 5. Rick Hall 6. Jeff Walters 7. Kevin Thompson 8. Jerry O’Rock, Jr. 9. Kevin Green 10. Rich Whitney 11. Leroy Johnson, Jr. 12. Rick Ryder 13. Alex Anderson 14. Branden Porter 15. Mike Kelley 16. Kristin Jordan 17. Steve Toth 18. Jim Rombold, Jr. 19. Fred Sasse-DNS 20. Jim Slater-DNS 21. Matt Reeher-DNS.
Stock Cars: 1. SHAUN HOOKS 2. Doug Iorio 3. Andy Thompson 4. Gary Norman 5. Rick Lanigan 6. Joe Updegraff 7. Doug Iorio, Jr. 8. Rusty Moore 9. John Reiser 10. Cody Smith 11. Bill Lanigan 12. Tim Zuschlag 13. Mike Aley 14. Brian Booher 15. Ryan Moyer 16. Carl Ealy 17. Erick Cwynar 18. Bruce Milbert 19. Rick Norco 20. Andy Buckley 21. Terry Kroner 22. John Pakulski 23. Daryl Leeworthy 24. Gary Johns-DNS 25. Bobby Whitling-DNS DNQ: Clyde Roberts, Ron Iorio, Chris Brown.
Strictly Stocks: 1. CURT BISH 2. Lauren Simmons 3. Jesse DeLoe 4. Randy Ealy.