DESANTIS AND DURLING WIN NASCAR FEATURES, JEFF STRUNK TAKES

LEAD IN TRACK MODIFIED POINT CHASE AND STRUNK IS ON TOP IN

KENWORTH CUMMINS DUAL TRACK POINT BATTLE.

BECHTELSVILLE, PA AUGUST 19, 2000 . . . It took Meme DeSantis

26 years to win his first modified stock car feature race at

Grandview Speedway. That was back in April. DeSantis was back

in victory lane on Saturday night winning the 30-lap Exide

Batteries Night NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Modified feature

by a very narrow margin over Jeff Strunk. John Durling was

able to win his third NASCAR Exide ShorTrack Late Model

feature race topping the 26 car field in the 20 lapper.

"It seemed longer between the first and second win than

it did waiting 26 years to win the first," said the Blandon,

PA racer in victory lane. "He drove me clean," said DeSantis

when asked about the close battle with second place finisher

Jeff Strunk. "I never worry about Strunk. He is a clean racer."

The veteran dirt track racer also pointed out that he

had shaved off his mustache and beard in an effort to change

his luck just that morning. Now that it seems to have worked

for DeSantis, there may be more clean shaven racers at

Grandview in the future.

As a result of finishing second in the 30-lap modified

feature Jeff Strunk was able to take the lead from Terry

Meitzler in the chase for the lucrative track championship.

Strunk is now just 2 points in front of Meitzler, who just

one month back lead the standings by more than 300 points.

And in the rich Motor Truck Equipment Co. Kenworth

Cummins PA NASCAR Modified Championship Series, featuring

modified races at Big Diamond and Grandview Speedway, Strunk

and Meitzler are tied with 7465 points. That championship

series title is worth $15,000 to the winner.

Ron Haring set the pace at the start of the 30-lapper

for NASCAR Modifieds with Todd Heydt challenging. At the

eleven lap marker, on a caution restart, DeSantis, who had

started eighth, got the lead and that is where he stayed for

the balance of the feature.

However the Blandon, PA racer had his hands full with

strong challenges from Jeff Strunk, Chip Slocum and Terry

Meitzler. Even Jon Kellner, who had come 21st starting spot,

was in the top five in the closing laps.

It was Jeff Strunk who was able to make the strongest

challenge, coming from 12th, to run side-by-side with the

leader in the final laps. At the finish just a few feet

separated winner DeSantis from second place finisher Strunk

(Bethel, PA). Third spot went to Chip Slocum (Ewing Township,

NJ) followed by Smokey Warren (Jonestown) and Jon Kellner

(Lansdale). Terry Meitzler, Kutztown, finished in sixth spot

after having challenged the top three.

In the 20-lap feature for Exide ShorTrack Late Models

Mike Erb was in front at the drop of the green. Two laps

later Casey Ebright was in front. At five laps John Durling

went to the front of the pack. Once in front Durling

(Reading) had a relative easy time of it with Chuck Sennott

and Dean Stoudt battling for second.

At the finish Durling brought the Golden's Chevy/Warko

sponsored entry home first claiming his third win of the

season. Second spot went to three time champion Dean Stoudt

(East Greenville) followed by Chuck Sennott (Gilbertsville),

Rick Todorow (Quakertown) and Sam Schlosberg (Green Lane).

With Dean Stoudt finishing second and point leader Kyle

Pensinger (Lyons) in 11th, the chase for the title tightened

with Stoudt now just 21 points behind Pensinger with two

races to be run. Former champion Lou Egrie is third with 3719.

Qualifying heat races for the more than 60 NASCAR

Modifieds on hand went to Tom Umbenhauer, John Willman, Randy

Bailey, Glenn Strunk and Chip Slocum. Consolation races were

won by Jon Kellner, Sam Schoenly and Rick Schaffer. The Cash

Dash, worth $385, went to Umbenhauer.

The Kochel Equipment First Alternate Award was earned by

Chuck Schutz and the $200 Timber Wolf Smokeless Tobacco Hard

Charger Award (unofficially) went to (in a tie) Tom Mayberry

and Kerry Kratz each gaining 19 spots in the feature race for modifieds.

Event organizer Bruce Rogers announced a change in the

schedule with a Twin 30-lap feature program being presented

for the NASCAR Modifieds on Saturday, September 2 at 7:30

p.m. The first 30 lapper will count toward the track modified

title. The second 30-lapper will carry points toward the

NASCAR regional title chase. Exide ShorTrack Late Models will

also be featured in their final point event of the season.

Raindate will be Monday, September 4, 7 p.m. (Labor Day).