EYLER FLIES TO FIRST SPRINT WIN IN 2 YEARS AT MERCER; FIRST EVER BIG-BLOCK WIN FOR GUIDACE; NORMAN WINS STOCKS; SCHAFFER IS FIRS
Sat, May 3, 2003 -- Saturday Night Live
Written by: Mike Leone
The fourth event of the 2003 season was completed Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park as three of the four winners celebrated their first victories of the season. Collecting wins were Rob Eyler-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Frank Guidace-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds, Jerry Schaffer-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Gary Norman-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars. In 17 feature events run thus far in 2003, there have been 16 different winners. For the first time since the 1998 season, four of the first five scheduled events have been completed.
Rob Eyler put on a strong, dominating performance in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature for his first win since the “Gold Cup” 50th Anniversary Event on July 21, 2001. “We’ve had a fast car the last couple weeks,” remarked the Franklin, Pa. winner. “After last week’s dumb move in turn four (spun out while running second), we got it good tonight. I had a good car.”
Pole-sitter Randy Kriegisch took the lead from the start and led the first two laps. Starting from the fourth position, Eyler passed Mike Shearer for third on the opening lap and got by Jeff Banyas for runner-up one lap later. Eyler’s winning move came in turn one of lap three when he raced under Kriegisch for the lead.
Jamie Smith worked his way to the second position when he passed both Banyas and Kriegisch on lap three. Butch Beasley took a nasty flip after making contact with the spun car of Dan Shetler on lap four; both drivers were okay. Fifth starting Troy Preston took third away from Banyas on lap six. Brian Ellenberger was making his way to the front from the 10th starting spot. Ellenberger raced by Arnie Kent for fifth on lap six then grabbed fourth away from Banyas on lap eight.
Smith would loop his mount in turn two on lap nine moving Preston up to second and Ellenberger to third. Just after Kent had passed Ellenberger for third, he spun bringing out the caution with 15 laps completed. Eyler continued to set the pace out in front as he opened up a straightaway lead racing through traffic. The closing laps saw Ellenberger and Preston go at it for second. Ellenberger made the pass stick in turn two on lap 17. However, Preston made a last lap move in turn four going to the inside of Ellenberger to steal the runner-up position.
Eyler’s victory was his third career at Mercer and came in his White Heating/Bahama Breeze/J.I. McCall Construction/World of Wheels-sponsored #5. “I knew the car was starting to slow,” said the relieved winner. “It was getting slower and slower. The yellows were taking a toll on me.”
Ellenberger’s first start of the season netted him his best Mercer finish since an opening night win on April 14, 2001. New York 360s Chris Shuttleworth and 12th starting Mike Woodring were fourth and fifth earning the top 360 bonus monies. Completing the top 10 were Ralph Spithaler, Jr., Charlie Holben, Smith, female Massachusetts racer Erin Crocker (third place 360 bonus monies), and Gary McCollum. Heat winners were Ellenberger, Shearer, and Kent. Five different states (PA, OH, NY, MA, & TN) were represented from the 26 cars on hand.
Frank Guidace scored a popular hometown first career Big-Block Modified victory in the 20-lap Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf event. “Wow it’s been a long time coming- I don’t know what to say,” expressed the happy Mercer, Pa. winner. “I knew I had to earn that one. We’ve been running the top and someone said go to the bottom and it worked. I have to thank all my friends and family, Mark Spence, Chuck Edwards, and Lou Gentile for setting up the car. It helped us tonight and we were up front.”
Jeremiah Shingledecker jumped out into the lead from the pole position. Guidace, who started fifth, moved ahead of Rick Hall and Chanda Reitz on the first lap. Guidace then got under Bob Dorman to take away second on lap three. Last week’s winner, Andy Priest, followed Guidace getting ahead of Dorman for third on lap four. Guidace’s pass for the lead came on lap five when he took Shingledecker off turn four.
Two cautions slowed action on laps seven and eight. On the restart, Priest made the move on Shingledecker for second as Rick Hall followed on third. Between laps 12-19, six cautions slowed action and tested Guidace’s patience. Following a restart with 13 laps completed, Priest looped his mount, which moved Hall to second and Steve Young up to third. Young then got ahead of Hall on lap 18 for second.
Guidace’s survived nine caution periods for the win in his G&G Auto Outlet/Vernam Excavating/Junction 19-80 Campgrounds-sponsored, Bicknell, Blackshear-powered #99. Behind Guidace, a wild last three-lap scramble ensued. Priest came from the tail in seven laps to pass Lonny Riggs and Hall for third on lap 19, then snuck by Young on the final lap to come all the way back to get second debuting his new Speed Palace car and big-block motor. Young settled for third and regained the point lead. Hall and Joe Crawford completed the first five. Rounding out the top 10 were Riggs, Rodney Beltz, Reitz, Shingledecker, and Steve Barr. Heat victors over the 26-car field were Priest, Crawford, and Dorman.
Jerry Schaffer became the first driver at the speedway in 2003 to repeat by winning the 20-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified feature. “We kind of fell asleep behind the wheel (last week leading the feature),” revealed the Ellwood City, Pa. point leader. “Coming down the back-shoot, we put the right rear tire over the hump and there was no way to bring it back up. We lost too many positions. We gave that one away. That’s why we worked hard for this one.”
Andy Paden took the early lead from the pole position. Schaffer, who started 12th, was already up to third on lap three when he took the spot away from Dave Cogswell. Schaffer then went under Chad Reitz coming off turn four for second on lap seven. Paden ran a strong race leading the first seven laps in search of his first career win. But following a restart with seven laps completed, Schaffer had more power taking charge of the event.
Schaffer survived four more restarts to capture his third career sportsman win in his Approved Toilet Rentals, Bicknell, C.J. Rombold-powered #4. Reitz passed Paden for second on lap 12, but didn’t have anything for Schaffer. Paden hit the frontstretch wall hard on lap 17, which moved last week’s winner, Rick Hall, up to third at the finish. Bill Adams was fourth and recorded his third top four finish in four weeks for car owner John Jones. Rick Ryder was fifth for his best finish since June 30, 2001. Winning the heat races over the 21-car field were Gary Smoker and Hall.
Gary Norman put an end to back-to-back 22nd place finishes by picking up his first 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature win of the season in a wild shootout with Bobby Whitling. “I wasn’t going to be able to get Bobby if it wasn’t for that lapped car,” revealed the New Castle, Pa. victor. “There are 15 cars here that can win at anytime.”
Defending champion, Shaun Hooks, led the first two laps. Norman started fourth and had second by the completion of the first lap when he passed Tim Zuschlag and Scott Myers. Norman wasted little time taking the lead as he passed Hooks on the outside on lap three. Hooks slowed on lap four and brought out the caution, which moved Rick Norco up to second and Whitling to third. Whitling drove around Norco for second off turn two when racing resumed. Whitling then raced around Norman for the lead on lap seven.
A final caution with nine laps completed set up a six-lap chase to the checkered. Norman was all over the tail of Whitling, but it didn’t appear that he was going to be able to make the pass for the win. However, on the next-to-last lap, the pair caught the lapped car of Carmen DePinto, who was running the middle of the track. Whitling went high and Norman squeezed by on the inside and it was Norman coming out with the lead. Norman held off Whitling’s last lap furious chase to take his eighth career victory in his Ken Neely Lumber/Triple-S Auto Sales-sponsored #9N.
Last week’s winner, Rusty Moore, came from 10th to place third and is now tied with Terry Kroner for the point lead. After taking two years off, John Reiser recorded his best finish in fourth since a fourth on August 5, 2000. Ron Iorio rounded out the top five. Heat winners over the 27-car field were Andy Buckley, Hooks, and Kroner. Bill Schall, Jr. won the B main.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. ROB EYLER 2. Troy Preston 3. Brian Ellenberger 4. Chris Shuttleworth 5. Mike Woodring 6. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 7. Charlie Holben 8. Jamie Smith 9. Erin Crocker 10. Gary McCollum 11. Chris Matthews 12. Pup Nystrom 13. Curt Shuttleworth 14. Jeff Banyas 15. Vaughn Nystrom 16. Brent Matus 17. Randy Kriegisch 18. Arnie Kent 19. Dwight Kingry 20. Jeff Kasbee 21. Mike Shearer 22. Dave Wagner 23. Jeremy Cook 24. Dan Shetler 25. Butch Beasley 26. Gary Kriess, Jr.-DNS.
Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds: 1. FRANK GUIDACE 2. Andy Priest 3. Steve Young 4. Rick Hall 5. Joe Crawford 6. Lonny Riggs 7. Rodney Beltz 8. Chanda Reitz 9. Jeremiah Shingledecker 10. Steve Barr 11. Jeff Baker 12. Frank Fenush 13. Lee Miller 14. Jeremy Paup 15. Kyle Ripper 16. Carl Murdick 17. Rick Kress 18. Tim Doran 19. Dave Murdick 20. Shawn Kozar 21. Bob Dorman 22. Tommy Kristyak 23. Dean Pearson 24. Adam Kozar DNQ-Ed Alcorn, Travis Shingledecker.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds: 1. JERRY SCHAFFER 2. Chad Reitz 3. Rick Hall 4. Bill Adams 5. Rick Ryder 6. Dave Cogswell 7. Matt Reeher 8. Jerry O’Rock 9. Zack Moran 10. Andy Paden 11. Jim Rombold, Jr. 12. Todd Daniels 13. Curt Matthews 14. Kevin Green 15. Rich Whitney 16. Rich Ferguson 17. Gary Smoker 18. Steve Toth-DNS 19. Ron Eperthener, Jr.-DNS 20. Kevin Thompson-DNS 21. Denny Mathieson-DNS.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars: 1. GARY NORMAN 2. Bobby Whitling 3. Rusty Moore 4. John Reiser 5. Ron Iorio 6. Brian Booher 7. Rick Norco 8. Terry Kroner 9. Andy Buckley 10. Terry Wheeler 11. Rod Laskey 12. Doug Iorio 13. Rick Anthony 14. Andy Thompson 15. Gary Miller, Jr. 16. Tim Zuschlag 17. Scott Myers 18. Carmen DePinto 19. Bill Lanigan 20. Bill Schall, Jr. 21. Shaun Hooks 22. Tim Balach 23. Ray Bailey, Jr. 24. Gary Sullivan 25. Scott Bochek-DNS DNQ-Mike Mathieson, Clyde Roberts.