Sprint Champ Preston wins first

by Mike Leone

MERCER, Pa. (April 26, 2003) - The third event of the 2003 season was completed Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park as four new winners celebrated victories. Collecting wins were Troy Preston-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Andy Priest-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds, Rick Hall-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Rusty Moore-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars. Ed Bordt of Sewickley, Pa. scored his first ever “Gladiator Series” Demolition Derby victory. There has yet to be a repeat winner in three night of racing. For the first time since the 1998 season, more than two events were completed in the month of April.

Defending track champion, Troy Preston, returned to the head of the pack scoring his first win of 2003 in the rousing 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature. “I tried to take my time and wait until we got into lapped traffic,” explained the West Middlesex, Pa. veteran from the winner’s circle. “I tried to hit my marks and do the same thing over and over again. I didn’t know where Arnie (Kent) was and (Gary) Kriess was back there. I knew I had to get up top or Kriess was going to have his way with me so I changed my lines.”

Gary McCollum shot into the lead from the outside front row taking the lead from Randy Kriegisch as Rob Eyler followed from fourth. Eyler looped his mount one lap later moving Preston up to second from his seventh starting spot. Kent and Scott Bonnell were working their way to the front, but tangled in turn two bringing out the caution.

Kriess, who started eighth, passed Jeff Banyas for third on lap five, and drove around Preston off turn four for second on lap six. One lap later, Kriess did a donut in turn four giving Preston and Banyas second and third back.

McCollum was running a strong, steady race out in front, but caught the back-markers on lap 11, which allowed Preston to close in. On the following lap, Preston worked his way under and around McCollum in turn four for the lead. Jason Dolick and Kriess tangled while running fourth and fifth with 13 laps completed.

Kent worked his way back to the front and got around Banyas for third on lap 14. Kent quickly overtook McCollum for second off turn four on the 15th circuit. Eyler got himself back into the fray after coming from the back by passing Banyas for fourth on lap 16. The final caution was displayed for Jeremy Cook setting up a one-lap shootout to the checkered.

Preston though wasn’t to be denied from his 11th career win in the Preston America-owned, Carlin Hine-powered, Flynn Tire Group/McClung Auto Body/Jones Performance/Chevron East/Barris Supply-sponsored #1P.

Eyler finished off a strong run from the tail using a slider in turn four to get by both McCollum and Kent to take runner-up. Kent was third and continues to lead the points. McCollum’s fourth was his best finish since a fourth on August 11, 2001. Banyas brought his 360 home in fifth for a career best finish. Rounding out the top 10 were New York’s Chris Shuttleworth, Chris Matthews, Randy Kriegisch, Vaughn Nystrom, and Mike Shearer. Heat winners over the 22 car field were Eyler and Kent.

Underpowered has never slowed Andy Priest. Using a steady, smooth inside line, Priest held off all of the big-blocks with a steel small-block 358 cubic inch motor to win the 20-lap Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modified feature.

“I saw the two-to-go and I thought someone had to pass me,” revealed the New Castle, Pa. winner, who also led last week’s feature. “I’d like to thank Don (Blackshear). He’s been doing our motors for a long time and does a real good job. We have another car at home with the big-block. We’re kind of anxious to see how it runs.”

The Shingledecker brothers of Travis and Jeremiah held down the first two positions for the first two laps. On lap three, fourth-starting Priest passed both Shingledeckers to take over the top spot. Later that lap, Jeremiah spun bringing out the caution.

When racing resumed, Chanda Reitz took over second from Travis. Lonny Riggs, who started 10th, made his way through the field and got by Reitz for runner-up on lap seven. Joe Crawford followed one lap later snagging third from Reitz. Steve Young, who started ninth, took over fourth on lap 12 dropping Reitz back to fifth.

Young continued to the front moving past Crawford at the start-finish line for third on lap 16. Young would chase down Riggs, but the last 14 laps went non-stop and played right into Priest’s hand as he didn’t have to deal with the high-powered big blocks on the restarts.

Priest’s seventh career big block win came in his family-owned, Priest Speed Equipment/Mac Tools-sponsored #21N. Riggs held off Young for second to take over the point lead from Tommy Kristyak, who did not finish. Crawford was a strong fourth over female-racer Chanda Reitz, who recorded her best career big-block finish at Mercer. Sixth through tenth were Frank Guidace, Tim Doran, Dave Murdick, Dean Pearson, and Rick Hall. Heat victors were Crawford, Kristyak, and Guidace over the 24-car field.

Rick Hall returned to victory lane in the New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds for the first time in nearly three years to the day. The Grove City, Pa. driver endured eight cautions for his first sportsman win since April 29, 2000.

Zack Moran led the opening three circuits before Jim Rombold, Jr. took helm on lap four as Jerry Schaffer took over second. Hall started the event from seventh and worked his way to third on lap seven when he passed Bill Adams. Schaffer passed his engine builder for the lead on lap nine as they raced off turn four after making contact. Front-end problems saw Rombold drop through the field late in the race as Hall inherited second on lap 11.

Schaffer’s shot at his second win ended when he slid high off the track in turns three and four on lap 15 handing the lead to Hall. Hall would hold on in the closing laps for his ninth career sportsman win in the Skinny Hall-owned, Campbells Asphalt Products/Grove City Dodge/Hall’s Safety Equipment-sponsored #B2.

Adams brought the John Jones-owned #99J home in second for that car’s best career finish. Point leader Schaffer came back to get third. Ron Eperthener, Jr. recorded his second straight fourth-place finish and third straight top five to start the season. Curt Matthews was fifth. Heat winners over the 22-car field were Gary Smoker and Schaffer.

Rusty Moore of New Castle, Pa. came out on top of a wild 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature after leading just the final lap for his first win. “Those guys have all those horses and I have a little 358 two-barrel,” explained the winner, who became the second under-powered 358 of the night to win.

From the pole position, Rod Laskey led the first six laps before Andy Thompson finally made the move for the lead coming off turn four on lap seven. At least five cars battled throughout the duration of the event for the lead. Laskey, Bobby Whitling, and Terry Wheeler raced three-wide for second as the three swapped the positions back and fourth each lap. Whitling took second on lap 14 as Wheeler dropped to third. A caution for Laskey with 14 laps completed set up a wild last lap.

Thompson, Whitling, and Moore all made contact in turns one and two as Moore snuck by for the lead. Moore took the checkered first for his sixth career win in his #17. Doug Iorio came from 13th to cross the line in second as Andy Buckley, Bobby Heim, and Wheeler completed the top five. Whitling was unable to finish the event, while Thompson hobbled across the line in 15th. Terry Kroner, Laskey, and Thompson won the heat races over the 29-car field. Bill Lanigan won the B main.

Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. TROY PRESTON 2. Rob Eyler 3. Arnie Kent 4. Gary McCollum 5. Jeff Banyas 6. Chris Shuttleworth 7. Chris Matthews 8. Randy Kriegisch 9. Vaughn Nystrom 10. Mike Shearer 11. Jason Dolick 12. Butch Beasley 13. Jeff Kasbee 14. Dave Wagner 15. Pup Nystrom 16. Jeremy Cook 17. Paul Kish 18. Scott Bonnell 19. Gary Kriess, Jr. 20. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 21. Charlie Holben 22. Doug Stanley-DNS.

Campbell Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds: 1. ANDY PRIEST 2. Lonny Riggs 3. Steve Young 4. Joe Crawford 5. Chanda Reitz 6. Frank Guidace 7. Tim Doran 8. Dave Murdick 9. Dean Pearson 10. Rick Hall 11. Rodney Beltz 12. Jeremiah Shingledecker 13. Carl Murdick 14. Chris Dye 15. Jeff Baker 16. Tommy Kristyak 17. Rick Kress 18. Bob Dorman 19. Frank Fenush 20. Lee Miller 21. Travis Shingledecker 22. Adam Kozar 23. Justin Broerman 24. Shawn Kozar-DNS.

New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds: 1. RICK HALL 2. Bill Adams 3. Jerry Schaffer 4. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 5. Curt Matthews 6. Rich Ferguson 7. Jim Rombold, Jr. 8. Morgan Sasse 9. Matt Reeher 10. Mike Work 11. Rich Whitney 12. Todd Daniels 13. Kevin Green 14. Branden Porter 15. Gary Smoker 16. Steve Toth 17. Zack Moran 18. Jerry O’Rock, Jr. 19. Dave Cogswell 20. Barry Bulfone 21. Chad Reitz-DNS 22. Andy Paden-DNS.

Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars: 1. RUSTY MOORE 2. Doug Iorio 3. Andy Buckley 4. Bobby Heim 5. Terry Wheeler 6. Terry Kroner 7. Rick Lanigan 8. Lynn Hostetler 9. Ron Iorio 10. Mark Sanders 11. Tim Balach 12. Rod Laskey 13. Brian Booher 14. Scott Myers 15. Andy Thompson 16. Bobby Whitling 17. Gary Sullivan 18. Tony Bruno 19. Mike Mathieson 20. Clyde Roberts 21. Bill Lanigan 22. Gary Norman 23. Rick Norco 24. John Reiser 25. Shaun Hooks-DNS DNQ-Anthony Lombardo, Carmen DePinto, Tim Zuschlag, William George, Sr.

Upcoming Events:

5/03 Sprints, Big-Block Mods, Sportsman Mods, & Stocks. Yellow Book USA Night. Twin-State & PCTC Club Night.

5/10 Sprints, Big-Block Mods, Sportsman Mods, & Stocks. “Mom’s the Word” Mother’s Day Celebration. 300 candle giveaways compliments of Lea’s Lites.

5/17 “Slidewayzzz” Dual Sprint Car Event. 410 Sprints ($2,000), NRA/Patriot 360 Sprint “Tri-State Clash” ($1,500), Sportsman Mods ($600), & Stocks ($600).

Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly April through October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest.