Hawley and Riggs win firsts in Sprints & Modifieds; Schaffer and Moore also new winners at Mercer
Sat, Jun 1, 2002 -- Saturday Night Live
Written by: Mike Leone
After eight straight weeks of threatening weather to open the 2002 season, a picture-perfect day kicked off the month of June Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park. Four new winners celebrated in the Moore’s Auto Body victory lane including Jimmy Hawley-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Lonny Riggs-Big-Block Modifieds, Jerry Schaffer-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Rusty Moore-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars. A season-high 145 cars jammed the pit area in the four divisions for the highest car count of the season.
It was “Lions, Tigers, & Bears” Night presented by Anderson Coach & Travel. Lucky winners won trips to the Lion King musical in Toronto, the African Safari Park in Cambridge, Ontario, and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Around 500 tickets to the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium were given away along with other great giveaways for the children.
Jimmy Hawley picked up his first win since vacating the Dr. John & Debbie Crawford #cIII, which propelled him to six straight wins to finish 2001 at Mercer. “It seems like its been forever,” said the relieved West Middlesex, Pa. driver after winning the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature. “As the tires got hotter, the car kept getting better and better. I want to congratulate my car owners Billy, Mindy, and Mike Shearer on their first ever win.”
Gary Kriess, Jr. bolted into the lead from the pole position. After motor problems last week and a nasty flip at Lernerville Speedway on Friday night, Kriess was hoping to turn around his bad luck. Kriess led the first six laps, but entering lapped traffic on lap seven he got into Nathan Hines in turn one. The accident also collected the second place car of Kevin Andrusky as well as the front runners of Rob Eyler and Ed Lynch, Jr. Kriess and Hines were done for the night.
When racing resumed, Arnie Kent was handed the lead with seventh-starting Hawley up to second and eighth-starting Troy Preston in third. Kent and Hawley opened up some ground as a two-car race developed for the lead at the halfway mark. Hawley’s winning move came on lap 12 with an inside move off turn four. Hawley had just enough momentum off the top of turns one and two on lap 13 to maintain the lead.
A caution for Dave Wagner and lapped traffic on lap 18 was all that slowed Hawley from his milestone 30th career Mercer win. “We built this car today,” said Hawley from victory lane beside the Maximum Tool & Die/Chevron East/Young’s 24-Hour Towing/Applewood Refinishing-sponsored car. “It’s a new J&J. Jack and Bonnie Elam are here from Tennessee- they’re the manufacturer of this car. We’re back at home with this car. We were running a different brand before. I think we know this thing.”
On the final lap, Kent’s engine blew up moving point leader Preston to second. Defending point champion Tom Quarterson was third for his best finish of 2002 and gave West Middlesex drivers a clean sweep of the top three positions. Jamie Smith raced from 16th to place fourth at the checkers as Jack Sodeman, Jr. completed the top five. Sixth through tenth were Lynch, Gary Edwards, Eyler, Scott Bonnell, and Kent, who coasted across the line. Heats for the season-high 37-car field were won by Andrusky, Eyler, Preston, and Hawley. Gary McCollum won the B main.
Scott Bonnell was the highest finishing 360 Sprint Car over the 14 cars that participated taking the ninth spot for a $150 bonus. Jason Dolick, Aaron Shaffer, and Todd Bauer also received bonus monies for finishing second through fourth amongst the 360s. Bauer continues to lead the points as Gardner Competition Engines signed on Friday as the point fund sponsor.
Lonny Riggs turned around his 2002 season by winning his first 20-lap Big-Block Modified feature of the year. “This has been a rough year getting started for us,” said the Volant, Pa. winner. “We got the new car out and we just haven’t been able to figure it out. It worked a little better tonight.”
Riggs moved into the lead on the opening lap past Chanda Reitz and Nick Ritchey. Dean Pearson passed Rodney Beltz for third on lap two and then moved by Ritchey for second on the following lap. Beltz slowed on lap eight bringing out the caution, which moved Tim Doran up to third. Rob Kristyak brought out the final caution with nine laps completed.
When green replaced yellow, Tommy Kristyak went from fifth past Jerry Bickel and Doran into third. On lap 14, Kristyak split the lapped car of Howard Duff and Pearson for second as the three raced into turn three. By the time Kristyak cleared Pearson, Riggs had a near straightaway lead.
Riggs had enough to hold on for his fourth career Mercer big-block win in the Merle Black-owned, Winners Circle Automotive Machine-sponsored #58. Kristyak was second. Jeff Schaffer, who started ninth, passed Doran on lap 14 for fourth, then took third from Pearson in turn one on the final lap. Pearson and Doran dropped to fourth and fifth respectively. Rounding out the top 10 were Rick Hall, Jerry Bickel, Ritchey, Brian Swartzlander, and J.R. McGinley. Heat winners over the 31-car field were Swartzlander, Doran, and Tommy Kristyak. Rich Ferguson won the B main.
Jerry Schaffer of Ellwood City, Pa. won his first career Sportsman Modified feature in the 20-lap New Castle School of Trades event. Bill Adams was in charge of the event early on. Schaffer, who started ninth, entered the picture on lap nine when he passed Andy Paden for third. Schaffer and Steve Young moved into second and third on lap 10 when they got by John Buchanan. Schaffer’s winning move came on the 12th circuit when he edged ahead of Adams at the start-finish line. Young and Buchanan dropped Adams back to fourth on lap 15. Young was all over Schaffer in the final five laps as the C.J. Rombold-built engines were nearly identical, but Schaffer was able to hold on ending Young’s three-race win streak.
Schaffer drove his self-owned #4 sponsored by Approved Toilet Rentals, Beachum Sandblasting, and Business Expressions to his first win since July 13, 1996 in a Six-Cylinder Modified. Young’s second place finish aided his point lead. Buchanan was a season-best third ahead of Adams and a second straight fifth place for Al Priester. Winning the heat races over the season-high 27-car field were Young, Andy Paden, and Adams. Brian Booher won the B main.
After losing the lead in the closing laps last week, Rusty Moore didn’t let this week slip by as he captured his first 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car win since 1994. The New Castle, Pa. driver was able to race by Jim Miller on the start for the lead. Kevin Thompson passed Bob Sloss and then Miller for second on lap two. Thompson was all over Moore as the laps ticked off. Bobby Whitling came from ninth to take third from Shaun Hooks on lap 13. Whitling caught the front two making for a three-car race to the checkereds, but Moore had just enough to hold on for his fifth career Mercer win in his Rich & Freed Auto Parts/Plotts Transmissions-sponsored #17. Thompson’s second was his best finish since August 5, 2000. Whitling was third. Hooks’ fourth was his 18th straight top 10 finish. Gary Norman was fifth after starting 21st. Miller, Doug Iorio, Whitling, and Moore were heat winners over the season-high 50-car field. Norman and Phil Kaufman won the B mains.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. JIMMY HAWLEY 2. Troy Preston 3. Tom Quarterson 4. Jamie Smith 5. Jack Sodeman, Jr. 6. Ed Lynch, Jr. 7. Gary Edwards 8. Rob Eyler 9. Scott Bonnell 10. Arnie Kent 11. Jason Dolick 12. Gregg McCandless 13. Jeff Banyas 14. Ricky Ferkel 15. Randy Kriegisch 16. Mary Anne Williams 17. Aaron Shaffer 18. Goob Schuller 19. Gary McCollum 20. Dave Wagner 21. Todd Bauer 22. Gary Kriess, Jr. 23. Kevin Andrusky 24. Nathan Hines DNQ-Chris Matthews, Brian Hartzell, Pup Nystrom, Nick Daugherty, Brad Knab, Paul Kish, Gale Ruth, Butch Beasley, Leonard Ripper, Jr., Paul Kapuchuck, Brian Woodhall, Mel Straley, Staple Nash.
Big-Block Modifieds: 1. LONNY RIGGS 2. Tommy Kristyak 3. Jeff Schaffer 4. Dean Pearson 5. Tim Doran 6. Rick Hall 7. Jerry Bickel 8. Nick Ritchey 9. Brian Swartzlander 10. J.R. McGinley 11. Bob Dorman 12. Frank Guidace 13. Adam Siegel 14. Carl Murdick 15. Rich Ferguson 16. John Boyer, Jr. 17. Howard Duff 18. Chanda Reitz 19. Les Myers 20. Rick Kress 21. Rob Kristyak 22. Don McKnight 23. Rodney Beltz 24. Scott Kay DNQ-Justin Broerman, Jeff Baker, Jim Bickel, Jeremiah Shingledecker, Greg Unrue, Lee Miller, Ed Alcorn.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds: 1. JERRY SCHAFFER 2. Steve Young 3. John Buchanan 4. Bill Adams 5. Al Priester 6. Chad Reitz 7. Rick Hall 8. Zack Moran 9. Leroy Johnson, Jr. 10. Brian Booher 11. Dave Cogswell 12. John Confer 13. Bill Thompson 14. Morgan Sasse 15. Mike Mathieson 16. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 17. Randy Rodemoyer 18. Andy Paden 19. Mike Gibson 20. Steve Toth 21. Kevin Latshaw 22. Dave Shook 23. Jim Schaffer 24. Les Myers DNQ-Fred Maxwell, Bill Baptiste, John Jones.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars: 1. RUSTY MOORE 2. Kevin Thompson 3. Bobby Whitling 4. Shaun Hooks 5. Gary Norman 6. Dave Ferringer 7. Andy Buckley 8. Doug Iorio 9. Jim Miller 10. Bob McCann 11. Terry Kroner 12. Gary Robinson 13. Rick Lanigan 14. Rick Anthony 15. Jason Johns 16. Willie Aley 17. Tim Deutsch 18. Greg Beach 19. Brian Miller 20. Ron Iorio 21. Phil Kaufman 22. Bob Sloss 23. Rod Laskey 24. Bill Hanna DNQ-Scott Peterson, Ed Cornell, William George, Sr., Chuck Kerr, Skip Reseigh, Mike Aley, Todd Canter, Mike Harmon, Gary Laurie, Ed Hays, Mark Sanders, Lester Bates, Joe Updegraff, Duane Grinnell, Robert Caszatt, Jr., Mark Felicetty, Russ Coyne, John Iorio, Rick Norco, Dan Fedorchak, Rich Chess, Sr., Dean Sherbondy, Gary Miller, Jr., Scott Hooks, Dan Lewis, Don Greenlee.