JASON JACOBY WINS SPRINT MAIN AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY; ANDY PRIEST, BRENT RHEBERGEN AND BRUCE SMITH REPEAT; ROBBY SWITZER WINS FIRST IN THUNDERCARS

by Brian Spaid

June 13, 2004

FRANKLIN, PA �. Under hot and humid conditions, Tri-City Speedway presented another Sunday night of five-star racing action as Jason Jacoby (Northpointe Automotive Super Sprints), Andy Priest (Schwab�s Ford DIRT Modifieds), Brent Rhebergen (RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Bruce Smith (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks) and Robby Switzer (Victory Lane Graphics Thundercars) captured feature wins at the Venango County half-mile oval.

Local favorite Jason Jacoby of Franklin, Pa., scored his first win of the season in the 20-lap Super Sprint feature. Jacoby raced outside Todd Bauer on the 13th circuit to score his second career win at Tri-City in his Franklin Service & Supply/Galaxy Federal Credit Union Eagle No. 4J.

�We�ve struggled the last few weeks, so this win really helps,� said Jacoby. �We�ve blown an engine and run with a bad fuel pump the last two weeks. The tires really came on at the end of the race. Todd made us work for it.�

Andy McKisson took the early lead before Bauer assumed command on the second circuit when McKisson�s car faltered. Bauer took the lead with a three-wide pass off turn four while battling Dr. Bob Altmeyer and Butch Beasley. McKisson eventually dropped out with rear end problems.

By the fifth circuit, Jacoby was running second behind Bauer with point leader Jarod Larson in third. Behind them, Rob Eyler was running strong in fifth when he performed a 360-degree spin in turn four and kept running. Then, on the seventh circuit, Larson�s car halted with a fuel line failure that knocked him from contention.

Following Larson�s incident, Jacoby tried to take the lead from Bauer on the restart, but Bauer was stout. He held off Jacoby until the 13th circuit when Jacoby drove around Bauer on the backstretch. From there, Jacoby cruised out front to the popular win. Bauer finished second over Eyler, who recovered for third. Altmeyer finished a career-best fourth over Gary Rankin. Eyler and Brent Matus won the Super Sprint heats.

Andy Priest of New Castle, Pa., turned the tables on last week�s feature winner Kevin Bolland in the 21-lap DIRT Modified feature. On June 6th, Bolland used a late race pass on Priest to steal a feature win. This week, Priest slipped under Bolland in turns three and four on the 14th circuit and raced on to his second win of the season in the Emig Racing/Hull Racing Dirt Wheels No. 41.

�Last week, Kevin passed me in traffic,� said Priest after his sixth career win at Tri-City. �This week, I passed him in traffic. The track was excellent. I could run high and low. I�d really like to thank the fans for all their support. We couldn�t do this without them.�

Bolland took the early lead off the fourth turn at the conclusion of the first lap as he raced between Del Rougeux Jr. and Josh Skarzenski. Priest immediately made himself known as he grabbed runner-up honors on the fourth circuit. From there, Priest gradually reeled in Bolland. Amidst lapped traffic on the 14th lap, Priest made the winning move. The race was stopped twice over the final four laps when Rougeux suffered an engine failure and point leader Rex King came to a halt in turn four with mechanical problems that extended from the night before when he blew an engine at Sharon Speedway.

The caution for King caused the race to run an additional circuit to ensure a green-white-checkered finish. On the final restart, Bolland dove under Priest entering turn one. The two veterans ran side-by-side to the other end of the track where Priest shut the door on Bolland in turn three. Priest raced on to the win over Bolland, Skarzenski, Dave Schrader and Lenny Leibold Jr. Although it was a Coors DIRT Modified Bonus Bucks event, Priest�s car did not display the required decal, and he forfeited the additional prize money. King and Priest captured the DIRT Modified heat races.

Brent Rhebergen of Clymer, NY, continued his dominance in the E Mod class as he captured his third win of the season in the 15-lap feature event. It was Rhebergen�s 36th career E Mod win at Tri-City as he once again piloted Bruce and Kathy Steadman�s Sharp Tool & Die Pierce No. 69 to another victory.

�It may not have looked it, but we struggled with the setup tonight,� said Rhebergen in victory lane. �The car didn�t run off turn four well. I knew the others were tough. I did a slide job on Russ Dempsey to take the lead, and he did the same thing to me in turn three. He ran well. This win�s for Rick Steadman. He really does a lot of work on this car and doesn�t get enough credit.�

Dempsey took the lead at the drop of the green flag, and Rhebergen quickly moved into second at the completion of the first circuit while early challenger Mike Potosky suffered rear suspension failure and dropped out. Two early cautions slowed the race, including a three-car wreck off turn four on the second circuit and a rare spinout by Dave Hess Jr. on the third circuit. Three other cautions slowed the race, but failed to deter Rhebergen.

On the fourth lap, after the caution for Hess, Rhebergen performed his slide job for the lead in turn one and Dempsey returned the favor in turn three. On the next circuit, Rhebergen drove under Dempsey off turn four to grab the lead. Dempsey tried valiantly to catch Rhebergen to no avail as Dempsey spun out in turn four on the 11th circuit. Kari Gasser inherited second as a result and finished there to advance in the points. Hess recovered to race through the field for third ahead of Jim Frontz and Bruce Powell at the finish. Powell and Potosky scored the E Mod heat race wins. Point leader Shawn Domhoff was a surprise no-show.

Bruce Smith of Franklin, Pa., has established himself as the early favorite for the point title in the Pro Stocks. He continued his march toward that goal with his third win of the season in the 15-lap feature event. Leading every lap, Smith held off the stiff challenges of former track champions Gary Norman and Bobby Whitling for his ninth career win in his D/B& S Cabinets/J&A Tool Pontiac No. 36.

�We have an excellent team this season,� said Smith after his fifth consecutive top-two finish. �We have a good engine, good car and a good crew. I�ve got to thank Rusty Whitmore for all the help he gives to our team. I saw Norman a few times, but I just kept up my momentum to get this win.�

Smith used his pole position to assume command at the start before a three-car crash in turn four slowed the action. On the restart, Doug Iorio, who is one of Smith�s top challengers for the point title, suddenly slowed with mechanical problems while running in second. The resulting confusion saw Darrell Bossard and last week�s winner Jason Johns fall out of the top five while Norman and Whitling grabbed second and third.

For the remainder of the race, no cautions slowed the action, and Norman tried several times to race under Smith. Every challenge was met with stiff resistance by Smith. Even in lapped traffic, Norman was no match for Smith. In the end, Smith captured the feature win over Norman and Whitling. Russ Coyne finished a career-best fourth over Johns, who recovered from the earlier incident to finish fifth. Norman and Whitling won the Pro Stock heats.

Robby Switzer of Kennerdell, Pa., finally halted Don Blake Jr.�s four-race win streak as he captured his first win of the season in the 12-lap Thundercar feature. Switzer led nearly the entire race and drove his B&M Floor & Sealy Bedding/Switzer Pisa Pizza Chevrolet No. 97 to his seventh career win at Tri-City.

�We�ve worked on the setup of our car, and it�s finally working well,� said Switzer. �The track was excellent tonight. It�s about time we beat Blake.�

Curt Bish Sr. and rookie Chad Myers traded the lead over the first two circuits before Switzer made his winning move on the second circuit. Switzer dove under Bish Sr. and Myers in turn two. Bish Sr. held onto second while all eyes focused on Blake, who started near the back of the pack. At the halfway point, Switzer led Blake, his son, Joe Blake, and Myers. On the seventh circuit, John K. Miller flipped his truck three times in turn four. Miller was uninjured in the wild wreck, which was the only incident that slowed the race.

Over the final five circuits, no one was a match for Switzer. He raced to the win over Bish Sr., Joe Blake, Curt Bish Jr. and Kevin Cooper. The elder Blake overheated during the red flag period for the Miller crash. He fell off the pace as a result and finished eighth.

At the end of the night, Dan Speer of Titusville, Pa., won the car division round for the One-on-One Spectator Races. Speer drove a 1992 Cadillac. Sam Shorts of Blooming Valley, Pa., won the truck division in a 1975 Ford.

Tri-City Speedway will be in action next Sunday June 20th with a special five-star racing program that features 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 Cranberry Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change Night. The weekly DIRT Modified stars will step out from behind the wheels of their cars in order to allow the Ladies Modified Tour Charity Race to be run for the benefit of Victim�s Resource Center Inc. In addition, the second races of the season will be run for the E Series (E Mods) and the Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series. Those events will be 20 laps each with additional purse money. The first Lowry Auto Wrecking Compact Car Demo Derby of the season will round out the show. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission will be $10.

SUPER SPRINTS (20 Laps): 1. JASON JACOBY, 2. Todd Bauer, 3. Rob Eyler, 4. Dr. Bob Altmeyer, 5. Gary Rankin, 6. Brent Matus, 7. Butch Beasley, 8. John Schyler, 9. Jeff Kasbee, 10. Keil Woodburn, 11. Joe Butera, 12. Jarod Larson, 13. Andy McKisson. DNS: Sheila Rankin, Jerry Yoder.

DIRT MODIFIEDS (21 Laps): 1. ANDY PRIEST, 2. Kevin Bolland, 3. Josh Skarzenski, 4. Dave Schrader, 5. Lenny Leibold Jr., 6. Russell King, 7. Chris Schiffer, 8. Carl Murdick, 9. Tom Mattocks Jr., 10. Les Myers, 11. Chad Reitz, 12. Jeremy Paup, 13. Rex King, 14. Del Rougeux Jr., 15. Travis Shingledecker, 16. Dean Pearson. DNS: Chanda Reitz, George Hobaugh, Joe Crawford.

E MODS (15 Laps): 1. BRENT RHEBERGEN, 2. Kari Gasser, 3. Dave Hess Jr., 4. Jim Frontz, 5. Bruce Powell, 6. Mike Samuelson, 7. John Lacki, 8. Aurie Weaver, 9. Shawn Shingledecker, 10. Russ Dempsey, 11. Joe Sanger, 12. Dan Ames, 13. Jeff Haefke, 14. Chip Mahood, 15. Dave Willoughby, 16. Jamie Shetler, 17. Mike Potosky. DNS: Jeff Walters.

PRO STOCKS (15 Laps): 1. BRUCE SMITH, 2. Gary Norman, 3. Bobby Whitling, 4. Russ Coyne, 5. Jason Johns, 6. Rusty Kellogg, 7. Gerry Bruce, 8. Dave Ferringer, 9. Doug Iorio II, 10. Joe Lockhart, 11. Scott Myers, 12. Darrell Bossard, 13. Doug Calvert, 14. Denny Crawford, 15. Arthur Edwards, 16. Bob Bean, 17. Matt Keith, 18. Matt Thomas, 19. John Sutley, 20. Doug Iorio, 21. Dave Gadley, 22. Gary Sullivan, 23. Sean Shook, 24. Bob Sloss.

THUNDERCARS (12 Laps): 1. ROBBY SWITZER, 2. Curt Bish Sr., 3. Joe Blake, 4. Curt Bish Jr., 5. Kevin Cooper, 6. Regina Deloe, 7. Chad Myers, 8. Don Blake Jr., 9. Carl Feely, 10. John K. Miller II, 11. Matt Zinz, 12. Jeff Manners, 13. Brian Shaffer, 14. Boyd Sullivan, 15. Cory Botelho, 16. John K. Miller, 17. Wearne Cook.