PRESTON & KRISTYAK ARE FIRST TO REPEAT IN SPRINTS & MODIFIEDS AT MERCER; SMOKER & HOOKS WINS FIRSTS IN SPORTSMAN & STOCKS
Sat, May 24, 2003 -- Saturday Night Live
Written by: By Mike Leone
Mercer Raceway Park was able to complete the first night of American Thunder Weekend Saturday night despite some off and on light showers throughout the afternoon and evening. Picking and wins and celebrating in victory lane were Troy Preston-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Tommy Kristyak-Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds, Gary Smoker-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Shaun Hooks-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars.
It was the first 2003 Max Law Firm Special Family Event. “A Walk on the Wild Side” starred “Donnie” & “Eliza” from Nickelodeon’s “Wild Thornberrys”. Kids’ bike races were held at intermission and the first Grove City Auto Mall “Meet Your Heroes” autograph night took place for the Sportsman Modifieds. One hundred Pittsburgh Zoo tickets were given away.
Defending track champion Troy Preston regained the point lead and became the first Sprint Car driver of the year to repeat picking up the win in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling feature. “Last week we kind of got our butts handed to us,” described the West Middlesex, Pa. driver. “It was attitude tonight. Win or crash I was going to the front. We should leave here with the point lead. I need a little cushion- that way I can drive the way I want to drive instead of driving for points.”
Mike Shearer raced into the lead from the pole position, while Charlie Holben passed Pup Nystrom and Butch Beasley on the opening lap for second. Shearer looped his mount coming off turn two on lap three and handed the lead to Holben with Ralph Spithaler, Jr. and Jamie Smith up to second and third.
When racing resumed, Smith moved into second taking the spot from Spithaler. On lap six, Smith tried to get under Holben for the lead off turn four, but the two made slight contact when Holben’s car got sideways. That was enough to give Smith the lead on lap seven as Holben held second over eighth starting Preston.
Preston went around Holben off turn four for second on lap eight, then one lap later assumed the lead when Smith got sideways and did a 360 spin in turn four. By the time Smith got his momentum up the field put him a lap down. Rod George, who started 11th, was now fourth and then took third from Rob Eyler on lap 12. Eyler spun the following lap and brought out the caution.
The last seven laps went caution-free as Preston drove through heavy lapped traffic in the closing laps to seal his 12th career win in the Preston America-owned, Carlin Hine-powered, Flynn Tire Group/McClung Auto Body/Jones Performance/Chevron East/Barris Supply-sponsored #1P. Holben drove a great race for a career best Mercer finish in second. George was third. Arnie Kent came from 21st to finish fourth after getting by Spithaler on lap 15. The New Castle driver was the highest finishing 360 and earned the $150 bonus. Spithaler was a season-best fifth.
Rounding out the top 10 were Todd Bauer, Eyler, Beasley, Jason Dolick, and Gary McCollum. Dolick, Jeff Banyas, and Chris Shuttleworth also earned 360 bonus money as 13 360s were on hand. Heat winners were Shearer, Holben, and Spithaler. New York’s Brad Knab won the B main. The 27-car field was made up of drivers from five states.
Tommy Kristyak of Stoneboro, Pa. bounced back from two straight did not finishes to become the first Big-Block Modified driver to repeat in 2003 in the 20-lap Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf event. “I’d like to thank Carlin and Jeff Hine for giving me a great motor and selling these Teo chassis, Chris and Larry McCool, Fred Elder, and Twiggy for coming tonight and Meme’s Italian Restaurant.”
Bob Dorman raced into the lead from the outside pole past Carl Murdick. Frank Guidace, who started eighth, quickly moved to the front and following a restart on lap three, took over second from Murdick. Kristyak, who started fifth, followed behind Guidace taking third from Murdick.
Guidace moved into the lead on lap four when he passed Dorman off turn two. One lap later, Dorman spun and handed second over to Kristyak. On the restart, Tim Doran got around Murdick for third. Guidace would get sideways coming off turn two on lap five, which allowed Kristyak to fly by. At the halfway point, Kristyak stretched his lead out to a straightaway. With 12 laps going non-stop, only a caution for Andy Priest’s spin would slow down Kristyak’s dominating performance with 16 laps completed.
When racing resumed, Kristyak went on to take the checkered flag first in his #26z for his record-breaking 33rd big-block win since the track reopened in 1994 moving ahead of Lou Blaney on the win list. It was also his 44th career Mercer big-block win and 97th overall at Mercer.
Guidace backed up his first career big-block win by coming home second. Doran was third for the second time this year. Dave Murdick was a season-best fourth over Lonny Riggs. Completing the top 10 were Joe Crawford, Steve Young, Dean Pearson, Carl Murdick, and John Braymer, who made his first appearance of the year. Riggs, Dorman, and Priest won the heat races over the 29-car field. Rodney Beltz won the B main.
Gary Smoker scored his first win of the season in the 20-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified feature. “We’ve been right here, but had some bad breaks and bad luck,” explained the Mercer, Pa. driver. “This is our first Bicknell and it’s a lot smoother. It’s like driving a Cadillac.”
A six-car melee on the opening lap handed fifth starting Smoker the lead when racing resumed. Smoker opened up a straightaway lead at the halfway point over Bill Adams and Jeff Schaffer as laps 3-13 went caution-free. A yellow with 13 laps completed bunched up the field and was a big break for Ron Eperthener, Jr., who pitted early on and restarted on the tail. Eperthener passed Rick Hall, Schaffer, and Bill Adams on the restart to take over a second.
Smoker though wasn’t to be denied as he earned his 21st career win in the D&D Racing-owned, Kristyaks/MBMR, Inc./Robert Salvolskis, CPA/Mito Insulation/Eastern Inc/R&D Logistics/Flexospan-sponsored #516. Eperthener’s second was his best finish since a runner-up on June 29, 2002. Schaffer passed Adams on lap 16 to finish third in his second start of the season. Hall was fourth over point leader Jerry Schaffer. Heat winners were Hall and Jeff Schaffer over the 24-car field.
After a horrendous start to the new season, defending champion Shaun Hooks returned to victory lane for his first victory in the 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature to become the sixth different winner in as many races. “It’s good to get rid of all this bad luck I’ve been having,” stated the New Castle, Pa. winner. “I’d just like to thank all my pit crew, my wife and kids, and K&K Dynamics for the motor. The oil pressure went to zero under the last caution and came back up and stayed up for the rest of the race. I’m still wondering what’s up.”
Hooks started on the pole and led every lap. Andy Buckley came from seventh to pass Andy Thompson on lap 11 for second. Bobby Whitling, who started 10th, also got by Thompson for third. Buckley, Whitling, and Thompson were all over the leader, but Hooks was able to hold on for his fourth career Mercer win, but first since July 20, 2002 in his Benny Lombardo Auto Repair/Jim Hooks Auto Repair/Rich & Freed Auto Parts-sponsored #65. Rusty Moore was fifth. Gary Norman, Buckley, and Moore won the heat races over the 28-car field. Rick Norco won the B main.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. TROY PRESTON 2. Charlie Holben 3. Rod George 4. Arnie Kent 5. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 6. Todd Bauer 7. Rob Eyler 8. Butch Beasley 9. Jason Dolick 10. Gary McCollum 11. Jeff Banyas 12. Chris Shuttleworth 13. George Prosser 14. Vaughn Nystrom 15. Brad Knab 16. Jamie Smith 17. Nick Patterson 18. Bill Morrison 19. Mary Anne Williams 20. Leonard Ripper, Jr. 21. Dwight Kingry 22. Chris Matthews 23. Pup Nystrom 24. Mike Shearer DNQ-Paul Kish, Ryan Lynn, Gary Kriess, Jr.
Campbell-Peterson Trail & Turf Big-Block Modifieds: 1. TOMMY KRISTYAK 2. Frank Guidace 3. Tim Doran 4. Dave Murdick 5. Lonny Riggs 6. Joe Crawford 7. Steve Young 8. Dean Pearson 9. Carl Murdick 10. John Braymer 11. Andy Priest 12. Rick Hall 13. Rodney Beltz 14. Bob Dorman 15. Matt Baker 16. Chris Dye 17. Jeff Baker 18. Lee Miller 19. Jeremy Paup 20. Rick Kress 21. Ed Alcorn 22. Sam Unrue 23. Jeremiah Shingledecker 24. Travis Shingledecker 25. Frank Fenush-DNS DNQ-Shawn Kozar, Adam Kozar, Justin Broerman, Chanda Reitz.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds: 1. GARY SMOKER 2. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 3. Jeff Schaffer 4. Rick Hall 5. Jerry Schaffer 6. Chad Reitz 7. Curt Matthews 8. Bill Adams 9. Rick Ryder 10. Rich Ferguson 11. Pud Welsh 12. Matt Reeher 13. Todd Daniels 14. Dave Cogswell 15. Zack Moran 16. Mike Gibson 17. Jerry O’Rock, Jr. 18. Kristin Jordan 19. Steve Toth 20. Morgan Sasse 21. Kevin Thompson 22. Barry Bulfone 23. Matt Gibson 24. Jim Rombold, Jr.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars: 1. SHAUN HOOKS 2. Andy Buckley 3. Bobby Whitling 4. Andy Thompson 5. Rusty Moore 6. Doug Iorio 7. Terry Kroner 8. Scott Myers 9. Terry Wheeler 10. Bill Exley, Jr. 11. Clyde Roberts 12. Mark Sanders 13. Gary Sullivan 14. Tim Deutsch 15. Ray Bailey, Jr. 16. Gary Norman 17. Pat Wilcox 18. John Reiser 19. Rod Laskey 20. Mike Mathieson 21. Duane Grinnell 22. Bill Vance, Jr. 23. Rick Norco 24. Ron Iorio 25. Rich Chess, Sr.-DNS DNQ-William Smiley, Brian Booher, Anthony Lombardo.