MEIER SWEEPS OCFS SEASON OPENER
Middletown, NY: Tommy Meier of Waldwick, NJ became the sixth driver in OCFS history to win both Modified features on the same night. Piloting his familiar #331/3 cars, Meier powered his big block modified out front on lap 13 of the 30 lap Country Chevy-Olds feature. Meier then raced home in front of Steve Dodd, Bud Christmann, Rich Eurich and Jerry Higbie to claim the 6th win if his career. His last came in August of last season. Starting on the pole via heat race results for the season opener, defending champion Meier charged to the front at the start of the 25 lap WRWD 107.3 fm feature and won handily over Higbie. Craig Mitchell, Chris Shultz, and Jeff Heotzler completed the top five. It was Meier's 3rd career win in the division with his last coming in 2000.
Late 2003 addition, Rich Budd, Jr. of Greenville, NY won his first career feature here taking the 20 lap DIRT Sportsman main event. Though he started on the pole, he traded the top spot with outside pole sitter Ken Ferrier before taking command on lap on lap 8. He was chased home by defending champion Joe Dunay and last year's runner up Rick Mill. Neil Harris was 4th in front of Ferrier.
After moving up from the Pure Stock division, Don Carlson of Ridgefield, Ct. won the 18 lap Rookie Pro Stock main. The Expert Pro Stock feature of 20 laps, as usual, went right to the line as Bill Pascual of Cortland Manor, NY edged out Bob McGannon by a half car length.
The field was split in the Pure Stock division with defending champion Al D'Antonio of Highland Lakes, NJ taking the first while Tim Southard of Port Jervis won his first ever feature in the second 12 lap run.
Racing returns Saturday night, April 24 with a regular program of Modifieds, DIRT Sportsman, Pro Stocks and Pure Stocks sponsored by Middlet Pontaic, Buick, GMC and Baker Plumbing & Heating. The first green flag drops at 6:30 pm.
Modified Results:
1st Heat- Steve Dodd, Scott Flammer, Gary Gallerie, Bud Christmann, Ray Jashembowski, Craig Mitchell
2nd Heat- Bruce Kline, Ric Hill, Rich Eurich, Butch Tittle, Gary Edwards, Jr., Chris Shultz
3rd Heat- Tommy Meier, Bill Wilson, David Van Horn, Jim Bobbitt, Jeff Heotzler, Mark Plummer
Consi- Chuck McKee, Dave Werber, Jerry Higbie, Jim Secor, Colin Jackson, Frank Jashembowski, Mike Kolka, Grant Hilfiger
Feature: Tommy Meier, Dodd, Christmann, Eurich, Higbie, McKee, Flammer, Kline, Shultz, F. Jashembowski, Mitchell, R. Jashembowski, Werber, Heotzler, Jackson, Secor, Kolka, Tittle, Wilson, Bobbitt, Hill, Gallerie, Van Horn, Plummer, Hilfiger, Edwards
358 Modified Results:
1st Heat- Tommy Meier, Jeff Heotzler, Tom Hindley, Mike Doty, Alan Houghtaling, Tommy Greiner
2nd Heat- Craig Mitchell, Chris Shultz, Eddie Haenelt, J.R. Crouse, Rich Salsbury, Jimmy Johnson
3rd Heat- Jerry Higbie, David Van Horn, Chuck McKee, Frank Jashembowski, John Ferrier, Colin Jackson
Consi- Billy Eggers, Jr., Ken Baker, Mike DePalma, Joey Barbagallo, Bobby Hentschel, Everett Haubrich, Jim House, Benny Rizzo
Feature: Tommy Meier, Higbie, Mitchell, Shultz, Heotzler, Van Horn, Hindley, Jashembowski, Doty, Johnson, Depalma, Crouse, Ferrier, Greiner, Salsbury, Baker, House, Houghtaling, McKee, Jackson, Rizzo, Haenelt, Eggers, Barbagallo, Hentschel, Haubrich
DIRT Sportsman Results:
1st Heat- Rich Budd, Jr., Alan Sturhann, Mike Nuzzolese, Greg Sleight, Eddie Walters
2nd Heat- Ken Ferrier, Joe Morel, Joe Dunay, Rich Coons, Stan Jablonka
3rd Heat- Rick Mill, Danny Creeden, Neil Harris, Clinton Mills, Brett Ford
4th Heat- Jim Finnegan, Shane Jablonka, Tom Perrego, Keith Stills, Bill Johnston
1st Consi- Matt Hitchcock, Mike Ruggiero
2nd Consi: Mario Page, Tim Bayles
Scratch: Bayles, Ruggiero Add: Danny Hedges, Jamie Yannone-alternates
Feature: Rich Budd, Dunay, Mill, Harris, Sleight, Coons, Mills, Page, Morel, Johnston, Stills, Ferrier, Ford, Shayne Jablonka, Sturhann, Finnegan, Hedges, Hitchcock, Yannone, Perrego, Walters, Stan Jablonka, Creeden, Nuzzolese
Expert Pro Stocks: Feature: Bill Pascual, Bob McGannon, Scott Kehr, John Bryson, Jamie McGannon, Tom Kuck, Rob Rowe, Sean Post, Pat O'Mara, Marty Pender, Tom Vigh, Jr., Bob Waters, Jr.
Rookie Pro Stocks: Feature: Don Carlson, Sean Corr, Joe Allen, Mike O'Sullivan, John Drake, Scott St. George, Clay Murphy, John Velde, Troy Arnold (DNS)
1st Pure Stock Feature: Al D'Antonio, Emerson Cargain, Sr. Mike Vigaletti, Bob Swanson, Emerson Cargain, Jr., Kevin Fill, Buck Barrett, Jim Van Dyk, Kenny Bunting, Keith Mitchell, Keith MacHeary, Joel Murns, Steve Bryson, Missy Dembek, Jeff Baggatta
2nd Pure Stock Feature: Tim Southard, Ray Tarantino, Kevin Schlossareck, Bill Deak, Jr, Greg Kurtzman, Nick Bucelli, John Dore, Les Laska, Tom Talamino, Kevin Baggatta, Al Tarantino, Tony Garaguso, Billy DeGraw