JAROD LARSON AND ANDY PRIEST BUILD POINT LEADS WITH SPRINT AND DIRT MOD WINS AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY; BRENT RHEBERGEN, DOUG IORIO AND ROBBY SWITZER ALSO WINNERS

by Brian Spaid

August 15, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FRANKLIN, PA ... Tri-City Speedway race fans and officials were blessed with another perfect Sunday night for racing, and Jarod Larson (Northpointe Automotive Super Sprints), Andy Priest (Schwab's Ford DIRT Modifieds), Brent Rhebergen (RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Doug Iorio (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks) and Robby Switzer (Victory Lane Graphics Thundercars) captured feature wins on Molson Night at the Venango County half-mile oval.

Jarod Larson of Rock Creek, Ohio, continued his march toward the 2004 Super Sprint track title with a brilliant win in the 20-lap main event. Driving high, wide and handsome around the fast half-mile, Larson piloted his Clemson Excavating/Mark Thomas Ford Eagle No. 47 to his fifth win of the season and the eighth win of his career at Tri-City. In all likelihood, Larson will clinch his first track championship next week.

�The crew did a great job with the setup tonight,� said Larson. �I made some slide-job passes out there. It was all I could do. I knew the rest of the guys were right behind me. It would mean a lot to win this title, especially after we were so close in 2000 and lost the title the night I broke my back in that wreck.�

Jody Keegan led the first five circuits of the race before two-time defending track champion Rod George drove under Keegan entering turn three. Larson slid under Keegan into the same corner two laps later, drifted in front of him, and performed a slide job to perfection to take second. Three laps later, Larson powered to the outside of George off turn two to take the lead. From there, he opened up a comfortable lead in the non-stop race to score a popular win. George finished second. Keegan was third in his career-best run at Tri-City as he held off Todd Bauer over the final circuit. Jason Jacoby finished fifth. Larson and Rob Eyler captured the Super Sprint heats.

Despite racing on a flat left front tire for most of the race, Andy Priest of New Castle, Pa., captured his fourth DIRT Modified feature win of the season in Ted Hull�s Emig Racing/Bossard Crawford Dirt Wheels No. 41. It was Priest�s eighth career victory at Tri-City. With the win, Priest gained more points on Rex King in their chase for the 2004 title. King finished ninth after an early race accident forced him to the rear of the field.

�The tire didn�t bother me at all,� said Priest. �It was a little slow on restarts, but it actually helped the handling on the car. With the track as wide as it was, the tire was not a problem. As for the points, Ted and I just come out here to run like its our last race. We just want to win, and the points will come.�

George Hobaugh led the initial circuit of the 20-lap main event before Chanda Reitz took command on the second lap. As that lap was completed, Priest and Del Rougeux Jr. made contact on the frontstretch, which forced Priest into the wall and caused the flat tire. Priest recovered and charged into second past Hobaugh and Rougeux by the fifth circuit. Reitz�s lead was eliminated on the eighth lap when a caution flew. Track officials then determined that Priest was safe to continue racing on the soft shoe because it did not seem to hamper his performance. On the restart, King and Joe Crawford hooked bumpers while racing for third and spun in front of the field entering turn one. Despite the five-car crash, King was able to continue. On the final restart, Priest jumped into the lead. He cruised over the final 10 circuits to capture the win. Reitz finished a career-best second and held off Kevin Bolland on the last lap. Rougeux and Jeremiah Shingledecker rounded out the top five. Although the race was a Coors DIRT Modified Bonus Bucks event, for the third time this season, Priest did not earn the extra $100 due to lack of the Coors decal on his racer. Rougeux and Chad Reitz won the DIRT Modified heats.

Brent Rhebergen of Clymer, N.Y., continued his dominance of the E Mod division in Bruce and Kathy Steadman�s Sharp Tool & Die Pierce No. 69. Taking the lead on the second circuit of the 15-lap feature, Rhebergen raced to his eighth victory of the season and the 41st of his career in the division. He was never challenged in the caution-free event.

�You never know that you have a big lead, and it seems that you hear other cars racing you out there,� said the two-time defending track champion. �I�d just like to congratulate all of the other drivers running Pierce chassis. These cars are phenomenal.�

Russ Dempsey led the first circuit of the race and attempted to fend off Rhebergen to no avail. Racing through the first and second turns on the second lap, Rhebergen grabbed the lead. While Rhebergen cruised out front, Jim Frontz worked his way through the top five to finish second and close on Mike Potosky in their battle for the track title. Dempsey was third. Shawn Shingledecker finished fourth with a last lap pass on Matt Lux, who is now the driver of Scott Bidwell�s car previously piloted by Frontz. Rhebergen and Shingledecker won the E Mod heats.

Doug Iorio of Kennerdell, Pa., ended a long streak of bad luck to win the 15-lap Pro Stock feature. After weeks of either accidents or mechanical failure, Iorio seemed to develop a more consistent racing program in the last few events. It all came together with his first win of the season and the fifth of his career in the Pizza Joe�s/Gabany�s Racing Engines Chevrolet No. 48.

�It�s been tough a lot of times this season,� said the 1996 track champion. �I think we�re over the hump and we�re running better. I�m just glad to be here tonight.�

Doug Iorio II led the first four circuits before Jason Johns drove under him on a restart to take command. Four circuits later, the elder Iorio moved into the lead as Johns faded and eventually dropped out with engine problems. Behind the leader, his son tried to fend off stiff competition from Joe Lockhart, who was running the best race of his career, and point leaders Bruce Smith and Bobby Whitling. Several positions changed lap after lap before Whitling finally secured the runner-up honors over the final circuit. Lockhart finished a career-best third followed by Smith and Dave Ferringer. Gary Norman, Gerry Bruce and Whitling scored wins in the Pro Stock heats. Arthur Edwards flipped his car on the frontstretch as the field crossed the line under caution before completion of the first circuit. Edwards was uninjured.

Robby Switzer of Kennerdell, Pa., continued to pressure Don Blake Jr. for the track title with his fifth win of the season in the 12-lap Thundercar feature. Charging though the field on the outside groove, Switzer switched lanes to the inside and passed Blake on the ninth circuit. From there, he cruised to his 11th career win aboard his Witherup Fabricators/Switzer�s Pisa Pizza Chevrolet No. 97.

�We had a good run tonight and Don was tough,� said Switzer. �I had to be patient after getting by the others on the outside. I just waited and then made that inside pass off turn four to get him. He slowed off the turn and I just raced on by. I�d like to dedicate this win to my crew and one of my sponsors, Jim Witherup, who died this past week.�

Rookie Chad Myers led the first two laps of the event, which included two caution periods. Behind Myers, Blake was racing second while Switzer used his patented outside charge to move into third. By the third circuit, Blake was leading, and Switzer passed Myers for second one lap later. Switzer bided his time, and then moved under Blake off turn four on the ninth lap to grab the lead and eventual win. Blake maintained his point lead with a second place finish. Curt Bish Sr. finished third over Kevin Cooper and Myers.

Tim Brown of Grand Valley, Pa., (1985 Cadillac El Dorado) and Scott Bell of Knox, Pa., (1982 Ford F150) won the final One-on-One Spectator Races of the season at the conclusion of the show.

Tri-City Speedway continues with its 50th Anniversary season next Sunday August 22nd with a five-star racing program that includes the Northpointe Automotive Super Sprints, Schwab's Ford DIRT Modifieds, RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks, and Victory Lane Graphics Thundercars on Buyers Fair/Pennzoil Night. It will be the season finale for Tri-City�s E Series for the E Mods. The 20-lap event will decide the champion of the three-race series. Currently, Jim Frontz leads division leader Mike Potosky and Mike Samuelson in the point chase. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission will still be $10.

SUPER SPRINTS (20 Laps): 1. JAROD LARSON, 2. Rod George, 3. Jody Keegan, 4. Todd Bauer, 5. Jason Jacoby, 6. Rob Eyler, 7. Mike Kaminski, 8. Mark Cassella, 9. Mike Senecal, 10. John Schyler, 11. Butch Beasley, 12. Kiel Woodburn, 13. Sheila Rankin, 14. Gary Rankin.

DIRT MODIFIEDS (20 Laps): 1. ANDY PRIEST, 2. Chanda Reitz, 3. Kevin Bolland, 4. Del Rougeux Jr., 5. Jeremiah Shingledecker, 6. Chad Reitz, 7. Chris Schiffer, 8. Dave Schrader, 9. Rex King, 10. Jeremy Paup, 11. Tommy Kristyak, 12. Travis Shingledecker, 13. Carl Murdick, 14. Gary Risch Sr., 15. Russell King, 16. Joe Crawford, 17. Josh Skarzenski, 18. George Hobaugh.

E MODS (15 Laps): 1. BRENT RHEBERGEN, 2. Jim Frontz, 3. Russ Dempsey, 4. Shawn Shingledecker, 5. Matt Lux, 6. Mike Potosky, 7. Darrell Bossard, 8. Bruce Powell, 9. Chip Mahood, 10. Kevin Decker. DNS: Jamie Shetler, Jim Myers.

PRO STOCKS (15 Laps): 1. DOUG IORIO, 2. Bobby Whitling, 3. Joe Lockhart, 4. Bruce Smith, 5. Dave Ferringer, 6. Doug Iorio II, 7. Gary Norman, 8. Scott Myers, 9. Gerry Bruce, 10. Matt Keith, 11. Bob Sloss, 12. Matt Thomas, 13. J.R. Ziegler, 14. Travis Norman, 15. Rusty Kellogg, 16. Joe McCorkle, 17. Doug Calvert, 18. Jason Johns, 19. Scott Bochek, 20. Russ Coyne, 21. Ron Kennedy Jr., 22. Gary Sullivan, 23. Jason Engles, 24. Bill Exley Jr., 25. Bob Bean. DNS: Sean Shook, Tom Scott, Arthur Edwards.

THUNDERCARS (12 Laps): 1. ROBBY SWITZER, 2. Don Blake Jr., 3. Curt Bish Sr., 4. Kevin Cooper, 5. Chad Myers, 6. Curt Bish Jr., 7. Wearne Cook, 8. Joe Blake, 9. John K. Miller, 10. Kenny Alcorn, 11. John K. Miller II, 12. Gary Ross, 13. Josh Seippel, 14. Jesse Deloe, 15. Regina Deloe, 16. Carl Feely, 17. Jeff Manners.