FOUR 1ST TIME WINNERS OF SEASON AT VALLEY SATURDAY

August 7, 1999

WEST LEBANON, NY- Ron Blake won his first career modified feature Saturday night at Lebanon Valley. Won the 20-lap sportsman feature. Bobby Blackburn won the 20-lap Street Stock feature. Anthony Markou was victorious in the 15-lap IMCA modified feature. Saxton Signs sponsored the evening's program.

Several stories shaped the start of the 30-lap modified feature. John Hewitt had motor problems on his Rifenburg #24 in his heat race. Kenny Tremont allowed Hewitt to borrow his backup car to run in the feature. Donnie Corellis suffered a right rear flat tire on the parade laps and had to pit. He was involved in a lap one incident and was done for the night. Brian Burger was on the pole for the race, but his car quit in turn two on the first lap and he was an early retiree. When the race finally got going Steve Devine was on the point with Ron Blake in pursuit.

Kenny Tremont got spun around on lap four and brought out the second caution of the race. Tremont's car was not damaged and he was able to continue in the race. Dickie Larkin pulled out of the race during this caution flag. The restart saw several cars bounce off each other and Mike Ricci wound up in the turn four wall, bringing out the caution again. J.R. Heffner moved up into the top five on the restart. Blake chased after Devine for the lead on lap six and took the lead on lap seven.

Kokosa and Heffner were able to scoot around Devine and take over second and third respectively on lap nine. Tremont was moving back through the field quickly and was up to eighth and lap eleven. As the field crossed the stripe at halfway Blake was still in front; he was followed by Kokosa, Heffner, Rich Ricci and Tremont. The final caution of the race came out on lap 16 when Mike King made contact with the frontstretch wall.

Guy Sheldon would also retire to the pits under this caution. Heffner battled Kokosa for the second spot and made the pass on lap 19. Heffner began to close in on race leader Blake on lap 24.

Heffner tried to make a race out of it for the victory. He made a banzai move on the last lap to try and get under Blake, but he could not make the pass stick and had to settle for second and Tremont got up to third by the end of the race. Kokosa came home fourth in his second race with his new Teo racecar and Rich Ricci rounded out the top five. This was the first career win for the rookie modified driver.

Disaster struck on the green flag of the 20-lap sportsman feature. Mike Boomhower drove straight into the turn one wall very hard he was all right, but the racecar was a wreck. When the green dropped again Roy Bridge was in command of the race, with Chris Kokosa right behind him in second. The second caution flag of the race came out on lap seven when Jason Tompkins got a right rear flat tire. Danny Sanchez took over fourth from Wayne Jelley on lap nine. Jelley started to show signs of smoke and he would exit the event by lap ten. Hawley Smith moved up into the top five as a result.

Point's leader, Art Collins suffered a right rear flat tire on lap 14 and he would finish outside the top ten for the second week in a row. Kokosa threw everything he had at the front running Bridge, but he could not make a pass stick. Bridge was able to hold on for his first victory in almost three years. Lee Gagliardi finished third, Smith fourth and Sanchez rounded out the top five.

Bob Miller and Kirk Stanaway led the field down to the green flag in the 20-lap Street Stock feature. Miller was able to grab the lead with Bobby Blackburn running a close second. Blackburn began to pressure Miller for the lead on lap four. The two ran side by side for two laps before the caution flag came out on lap five with Miller still in front. Blackburn was able to out-motor Miller for the lead on the restart and grabbed the front spot. Blackburn quickly opened up a ten-car advantage over the field. You could throw a blanket over positions two through six at the halfway point of this event. Miller was hanging on to second with heavy pressure from Robbie Speed and Chris Morris. Bobby's older brother Al rounded out the top five at halfway.

It appeared that Blackburn might have been slowing in the final stages of the race. That was not true, as the 17-year old driver was able to take home his first career Street Stock feature. Miller had a strong run in second with Speed third; Morris fourth and Al Blackburn rounded out the top five.

Anthony Markou took the lead on the first lap of the IMCA modified feature and never looked back. Markou led all 15-laps of the race and was never seriously challenged. Only one caution flag slowed the event, but several of the top runners suffered mechanical woes. Brian Wilbur, Don Denue, Kevin Buff and Paul LaRochelle all dropped from the race while running in the top five. Some good racing and the growing attrition rate allowed Jim Rajczi to get up to second. Markou had opened a half-straightaway advantage over second place and Rajczi could not make up the distance before the checkered flag fell.

SAXTON SIGN MODIFIED SUMMARY (30 Laps)-Ron Blake, J.R. Heffner, Kenny Tremont Jr, Chris Kokosa, Rich Ricci Jr, Dave Leckonby, Tim Dwyer, Ronnie Johnson, Eddie Marshall, Jason Goff, Dickie Larkin, Jody Tornabene, Russ Reckner, Maynard Forrette, Steve Devine, Denny Soltis, Jeff Lutes, Al Narzynski, Mike King, Guy Sheldon, Mike Ricci, Wayne Figler, Donnie Corellis, Brian Berger, John Hewitt

SPORTSMAN SUMMARY (20 Laps)-Roy Bridge, Chris Kokosa, Lee Gagliardi, Hawley Smith, Dave Sanchez, K.C. Goewey, George Marcus, Sparky Lowe, Lorne Browe, Mike Visconti, Mike Mason, Tom Overbaugh, Art Collins, John Hotchkiss, Frank Harper, Jason Tompkins, Ed Riiska, Jay Casey, Tony Ferrieiro, Larry Southard, Ernie Palmer, Wayne Jelley, Stan Jablonka, Don Miller, Mike Boomhower

IMCA MODIFIED SUMMARY (15 Laps)-Anthony Markou, Jim Rajczi, Jeff Carr, Steve Hough, Phil Balmer, Craig Simmons, Brian Wilbur, Bud Hernberg, Dan Galullo, Lou Gancarz, Kevin Buff, Paul LaRochelle, Don Denue, Bill Lander, Tom Faxon, Rich Colesanti

STREET STOCK SUMMARY (20 Laps)-Bobby Blackburn, Bob Miller, Robbie Speed, Chris Morris, Al Blackburn, Bob Duzlak, Dave Kokindo, Jim Langenback, Butch Irwin, Tom Bortle, Dan Therrien, Scott Govertsen, Kirk Stanaway, Joe Humet, Ricky Duzlak

ROOKIE STREET STOCK SUMMARY (8 Laps)-Dan Burl, Earl Mellan, Walt Clark, Brian Keough, Don Shepard, John Denue, Mark Chartrand, Phil Moffitt, Henry Warner, Chris Claus, Don Ely, Tom Bungay, Steve Kastner, Don Collins, Pete Jeskee

PURE STOCK "A" SUMMARY (8 Laps)-Carl Bailargeon, Lee Gallant, Fran Marchand, Spencer Cushing, Darryl Baker, Ron Tritchler, Mark Houston, Brian Sandstedt, Rich Douglass, Kevin Denue, Bruce Moffitt, Phil Handlowich, Jerry Lawton, Gary Ashley, Jon Trudeau, Nathan Harvey, Wally Engel, Rich. Schumann

PURE STOCK "B" SUMMARY (8 Laps)-Jonathan Coon, Anthony Cotugno, Josh Webb, William Hammell, Ryan Crellin, Rich Kratt, Jim Hankey, William Fuchs, Ted Mulberry, Tony Lopresti, P. Fitzpatrick, Ray Pierre Jr, Brian Tator, Pete Wiegand, Tom Meltz Jr, Ramon Perry, Tony Gale

PURE STOCK "C" SUMMARY (8 Laps)-Tom Sanchez Jr, Bob Palmer, Tim Drumm, George Miles Jr, Peter De Figlio, Jacob Coons, Jason Saunders, Shawn Finigan, Charlie Ackert, Wm. Lapointe, Joe DiStefano, Steve Hatch, Scott Moran, Guy Hughes, Mike Garcia, John Plaza