IMPRESSIVE WINS BY KENT AND KRISTYAK IN SPRINTS & MODIFIEDS; REITZ & WHITLING NAB SPORTSMAN & STOCK VICTORIES
Sat, Apr 19, 2003 -- Saturday Night Live
Written by: Mike Leone
Mercer Raceway Park completed night number two of the 2003 season Saturday night as five new winners graced victory lane. Celebrating their first victories of the season were the following: Arnie Kent-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Tommy Kristyak-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds, Chad Reitz-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, Bobby Whitling-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars, and Joe Yakich-PCTC Senior Series.
Arnie Kent put on a driving clinic to hold off the furious challenges by Gary Kriess, Jr. and Jamie Smith to capture his first checkered flag of the new season in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature.
“The car is fast right now,” stated the happy New Castle, Pa. winner. “As long as we keep it on all four wheels, it will continue to be that way. I have to thank American Racer Tires, Don Blackshear, Agip Oil, my dad, and all my friends.”
Pup Nystrom shot around Dave Wagner on the start to take the early lead, while Jeff Banyas moved up two spots to third on the initial lap. Kent made his progression to the front from the 10th starting spot. On lap two, he quickly moved into the fourth spot after getting around Kriess and Kasbee. Next, Kent drove to the inside of Banyas for third on lap four and one lap later took runner-up away from Wagner on the backstretch.
Kriess, who started eighth, was following Kent to the front. He raced around both Banyas and Wagner for third on lap five. On lap seven, Nystrom’s lead began to shrink in a hurry as Kent and Kriess ran down the leader.
Kent’s winning move came on lap eight as he drove under Nystrom in turn one. Later that lap, Kriess blasted around Nystrom for second off turn four. Now it was Smith’s turn as he took fourth from Wagner on lap nine and third away from Nystrom on lap 11.
This set the stage for quite a shootout in the second half of the race. The leaders were in heavy traffic on laps 12-14 as Kent barely kept Kriess and Smith from getting by.
After breathtaking moves through traffic, the front three finally cleared the back-markers on lap 14. With clear track ahead, Kent and Kriess raced hard on the cushion at the extreme topside of the speedway, while Smith kept close on the bottom. All this happened in four minutes until the first yellow was displayed with 18 laps completed for Mike Shearer.
When racing resumed, Kent kept Kriess and Smith behind him as he raced his #18 under the checkered flag first for his sixth career Mercer win. Kent earned an $100 bonus from Eracers Go-Kart Park for winning after being selected as the “Cash Chaser”.
“This is the first night I’ve tried American Racer Tires,” revealed Kent. I used to use them, then I went away from them. They made me a deal to come back on them, and they were excellent tonight.”
Behind the lead trio, Jimmy Hawley made a late charge from the 12th starting spot to finish fourth in his best outing for Pete Grove’s #70. One week after a violent flip, Wagner came back to finish fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Banyas, Troy Preston, Shearer, Butch Beasley, and Nystrom. Heat winners over the 20-car field were Kent and Banyas.
Tommy Kristyak put on a dominating display to claim his first victory of the 2003 season in the 20-lap Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modified feature. “I don’t know what I was doing. I was just having fun- it was exciting,” expressed the Stoneboro, Pa. winner referring to a brush with the turn two fence on the final lap after a near flawless performance. “Thank you Carlin & Jeff (Hine), Larry & Chris McCool, and Fred Adams.”
From the pole position, Jeremiah Shingledecker led the first two circuits until lap three when Andy Priest got under him in turn two for the top spot. Kristyak started his trek to the front from the ninth hole. A caution for Joe Crawford and Frank Guidace bunched up the field with six laps completed.
On the restart, Kristyak got under Bob Dorman for third. Later that lap, Kristyak made a bold, sweeping move on the outside of turns three and four clearing both Priest and Shingledecker to take the lead. Priest was also able to get ahead of Shingledecker to maintain second. Lonny Riggs and Tim Doran were on the move from the 10th and 12th starting spots respectively. The duo passed Shingledecker for third and fourth on lap eight.
While Kristyak was out in front, Priest and Riggs put on a good side-by-side battle for second from laps 10-13. Finally on lap 13, Riggs had just enough power to make the move. Doran followed in third on lap 15 dropping Priest back another spot.
A couple scrapes with the turn two fence was all that denied Kristyak from his 96th career Mercer victory in his #26z. It was Kristyak’s 32nd big-block win since the track reopened in 1994 tying him for the number one spot with Lou Blaney.
Riggs held off Doran for second. Priest brought his 358 c.i. small-block engine home a solid fourth. Dean Pearson came from 13th to complete the top five. Rounding out the top 10 were Steve Young, Shingledecker, Guidace, Crawford, and Dave Murdick. Scoring heat race wins over the 29-car field were Doran, Crawford, and Kristyak. Gary Risch, Jr. won the B main.
Chad Reitz picked up from last year’s impressive first season in a full-size car, by winning the 20-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified feature. “We knew we were going to be a lot better than last week,” explained the Franklin, Pa. winner. I think we’re pretty close other than the broken parts on the car (radius rod). I didn’t know it was broke until the last yellow when something was rattling around. I was praying it stayed on for the last couple laps.”
Steve Toth jumped from the third starting spot into the lead on lap one. Reitz, who started fifth, passed Mike Work and Curt Matthews for second on lap two. Toth, the sophomore racer, held off Reitz until the eighth lap when Reitz went ahead off turn two on the backstretch. Toth’s strong run ended when he looped his mount in turns one and two one lap later, which moved Gary Smoker into second.
Reitz held off Smoker for the remaining laps to claim his fourth career win in his World of Wheels/Schwab Ford/Moore’s Auto Body-sponsored #9. After starting 10th, Smoker came home second for the second straight week. Last week’s winner, Jerry Schaffer, was a strong third ahead of Ron Eperthener, Jr. and Curt Matthews. Picking up heat wins were Smoker and Rick Hall over the 23-car field.
Bobby Whitling kept Andy Buckley and Doug Iorio at bay for much of the 15-lap race to win his first Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature of the season. “The outside was faster,” stated the Franklin, Pa. winner. “There was a cushion. If someone was going to pass me, I was going to make them pass me low. I just wanted to protect it, especially with Andy running second. He’s the master at the high groove.”
Whitling raced ahead of Terry Wheeler at the start. It wasn’t until lap five when both Buckley and Iorio took second and third away from Wheeler. The laps ticked off with Whitling holding off Buckley and Iorio. The first and only caution was displayed for William George, Sr., who spun with 12 laps completed.
On the restart, Whitling chose the outside and the move turned out to be a successful one as he kept his Ted Karns Specialty Construction/Jim’s Doors & Windows/Ledderhead Graphics-sponsored #7W out in front for his fifth career win. Buckley and Iorio rode home second and third. Rusty Moore was fourth over Wheeler. Scoring heat race wins over the 27-car field were Doug Iorio, Andy Thompson, and Ron Iorio.
The Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series made their annual appearance and it Joe Yakich picking up his first career win. Sid Haas passed Yakich and Randy Myers to take the early lead on lap two. Haas and Yakich then raced side-by-side between laps 7-10. Haas pulled ahead on lap 11, but Yakich was able to squeeze by on the outside coming off turn four on lap 12 for the lead. Yakich, of Prospect, Pa., held on for the win in his Advance Auto Parts-sponsored #7Y. Haas was second as Ron Spangler, Gary Proper, and Joe Betz completed the first five. Haas won the heat race.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. ARNIE KENT 2. Gary Kriess, Jr. 3. Jamie Smith 4. Jimmy Hawley 5. Dave Wagner 6. Jeff Banyas 7. Troy Preston 8. Mike Shearer 9. Butch Beasley 10. Pup Nystrom 11. Todd Bauer 12. Gary McCollum 13. Jeff Kasbee 14. Vaughn Nystrom 15. Brad Knab 16. Randy Kriegisch 17. Jeremy Cook 18. Rob Eyler 19. Chris Matthews 20. Paul Kish.
Campbell Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds: 1. TOMMY KRISTAK 2. Lonny Riggs 3. Tim Doran 4. Andy Priest 5. Dean Pearson 6. Steve Young 7. Jeremiah Shingledecker 8. Frank Guidace 9. Joe Crawford 10. Dave Murdick 11. Rick Hall 12. Bob Dorman 13. Rodney Beltz 14. Lee Miller 15. Chris Dye 16. Justin Broerman 17. Gary Risch, Jr. 18. Carl Murdick 19. Frank Fenush 20. Travis Shingledecker 21. Ed Alcorn 22. J.R. McGinley 23. Bill Thompson 24. Rick Kress 25. Dave Reges-DNS 26. Jeff Baker-DNS DNQ-Shawn Kozar, Mark Frankhouser, Chanda Reitz.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds: 1. CHAD REITZ 2. Gary Smoker 3. Jerry Schaffer 4. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 5. Curt Matthews 6. Rick Hall 7. Mike Work 8. Rich Ferguson 9. Jim Rombold, Jr. 10. Bill Adams 11. Todd Daniels 12. William George, Sr. 13. Dave Cogswell 14. Jerry O’Rock, Jr. 15. Morgan Sasse 16. Rich Whitney 17. Steve Toth 18. Rick Ryder 19. Kevin Thompson 20. Andy Paden 21. Branden Porter 22. Kevin Green 23. Zack Moran.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars: 1. BOBBY WHITLING 2. Andy Buckley 3. Doug Iorio 4. Rusty Moore 5. Terry Wheeler 6. Ron Iorio 7. Terry Kroner 8. Rick Norco 9. Shaun Hooks 10. Lynn Hostetler 11. Brian Booher 12. John Reiser 13. Rod Laskey 14. Rick Anthony 15. Mark Sanders 16. William George, Sr. 17. Tim Balach 18. Russ Coyne 19. Scott Myers 20. Gary Sullivan 21. Andy Thompson 22. Gary Norman DNQ-Mike Mathieson, Anthony Lombardo, Bill Lanigan, Tim Zuschlag, Clyde Roberts.
PCTC Senior Series: 1. JOE YAKICH 2. Sid Haas 3. Ron Spangler 4. Gary Proper 5. Joe Betz 6. Duane Mohney 7. Bob McWilliams 8. Randy Myers.