Smith wins $2,000 in Sprints; Beltz’s biggest career win worth $2,000 in Mercer Modifieds
Sat, Jul 20, 2002 -- "The Gold Cup" Anniversary Event
Written by: Mike Leone
Mercer Raceway Park celebrated the 51st anniversary of the track’s illustrious history by completing “The Gold Cup” Anniversary Event on Saturday night. Three repeat winners and one new winner celebrated in the Moore’s Auto Body victory lane including Jamie Smith-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Rodney Beltz-Big-Block Modifieds, Steve Young-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Shaun Hooks-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars.
The event was sponsored by Chevron East and reunited around 80 retired Mercer Raceway Park drivers. For the second straight year, well over 200 Mercer drivers were on the grounds including the 136 race cars in the pit area.
Nearly $1,500 was collected for the Harold Michaels family. Michaels was killed in an automobile accident early Friday morning. The 37-year-old Clarks Mills, Pa. native had been competing in the Big-Block Modified division at the area speedways and had one Six-Cylinder Modified win to his credit at Mercer. Harold’s father Howard reopened Mercer Raceway Park in 1994 after the speedway sat dormant for four years and operated the speedway through the 1996 season.
Jamie Smith backed up Friday night’s win at Lernerville Speedway holding off a furious charge by Jimmy Hawley to win the 30-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature. “I kept looking at the scoreboard and seeing the #25 car (Hawley) moving up,” said the Sewickley, Pa. driver. “He definitely tried to put a move on me there at the end. We got a good starting spot on the pole last night at Lernerville and here tonight. We’ve been going real good, hopefully we can keep it up.”
Smith jetted into the lead from the pole position with Andy Priest and Gary Kriess, Jr. in tow. Last week’s winner, Arnie Kent, drove by Rob Eyler on the opening lap for fourth and then took third from Kriess on lap three. Kent continued to march to the front by driving under Priest for second on lap four and quickly began to close on Smith in traffic on lap six.
Meanwhile, Hawley started the event in the seventh spot and cracked the top five on lap three when he passed Eyler. Hawley moved up a spot to fourth on lap six when he disposed of Kriess then used the outside to take third from Priest on lap eight.
Smith had opened up a straightaway lead on Kent before the first caution was display with 15 laps completed for Scott Bonnell. A caution for Andy McKisson slowed the field down for the second time two laps later. A great three-car race for the lead developed between Smith, Kent, and Hawley on lap 20 before the third and final caution was displayed with 21 laps completed for Dave Wagner.
When racing resumed, Hawley was all over Kent between laps 22-25. Hawley finally made the pass stick going to the inside of Kent as the two made contact in turn two on lap 25. By now, Smith had once again built up a near straightaway lead over Hawley. However, lap after lap Hawley began to reel in Smith. With the white flag waving, Hawley was all over Smith’s tail in traffic. Smith shot through traffic while Hawley blasted around the top of the speedway. Coming off turn four for the checkered flag, Hawley tried a desperation move going to the extreme outside of the speedway, but ran out of room as Smith took his second win of the year.
Smith’s 22nd career Mercer win came in his GBG, Inc./Brunner Excavating/A.P.S/AGIP Oil-sponsored #5. Hawley’s second place run was worth $1,200. Kent brought his mount home in third for $1,000. Brian Ellenberger came all the way from 17th to finish fourth after getting by Eyler and Priest in the final 10 laps. Priest dropped to fifth. Completing the top 10 were Eyler, Kevin Andrusky, Dave Wagner, Chris Matthews, and Scott Bonnell. Heat winners over the 33-car field were Troy Preston, Kriess, and Hawley. Matthews won the B main.
Matthews of Kennerdell, Pa. was the highest finishing 360 Sprint for the first time this year and earned a $150 bonus. Also collecting bonus monies and finishing two through four were Bonnell, Todd Bauer, and New York’s Brad Knab.
Rodney Beltz earned the biggest win of his career by capturing the 30-lap Big-Block Modified feature. “I started out in the mini stock division in the ‘70s and it means a lot to win this race tonight,” said the Ellwood City, Pa. resident. “The car worked really good tonight and I want to thank all my sponsors and Jeff McElrath (Chevron East) for helping us guys out.”
Beltz shot into the lead at the wave of the green flag as Frank Guidace and Tommy Marshall III fell into second and third. Les Myers, who started fifth, quickly made his way to the front passing Dave Schrader then moving ahead of Marshall for third on lap two. Myers and Guidace would go at it the next 10 laps swapping second and third before Myers took the strong hold on runner-up on lap 13.
Four caution flags were all that really slowed Beltz as he was never threatened over the course of the event taking the checkered flag first by a margin of more than a straightaway over Myers. Beltz’s sixth career Mercer big-block win came aboard his KD Machine/McElwain Motors/McClymonds/B.O.S./Duncan Sand Blasting/Central Heating & Plumbing-sponsored #64.
Dean Pearson had a solid run coming from 14th to place third at the finish after passing Guidace for the spot with an inside move in turn four on lap 23. Guidace came home fourth. Marshall made his first appearance in almost two years and recorded his best finish since a fourth on August 29, 1998. Rounding out the top 10 were Brian Swartzlander, Bob Dorman, Schrader, Guy Griffin, and Joe Crawford. Heat victors over the 34-car field were Guidace, Jeff Schaffer, and Lonny Riggs. Tim Doran won the B main.
Steve Young of Grove City, Pa. nailed down his fifth win of the year in the 25-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified feature to regain the point lead. The track’s top winner started the event in fourth, but passed Chad Reitz and Rick Hall on lap two for second. Young chased Jerry Schaffer until making the move for the lead on lap six, when Schaffer slipped up off the bottom just enough to allow Young to go by for the lead. Young then went on for his 19th career Mercer sportsman win worth $500 in the J.R. Greer-owned, Montgomery Truss & Panel-sponsored #11t.
Jerry Schaffer was running second until spinning out on lap 13 moving Curt Matthews to second. Matthews held second for only a lap when Reitz went by to claim second. Matthews held on to tie a career best finish in third over Andy Paden and Gary Smoker. Recording heat race wins were Paden, Smoker, and Young over the 31-car field. Barry Bulfone won the B main.
Shaun Hooks of New Castle, Pa. celebrated his son’s birthday by winning the biggest race of his career in the 20-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature to regain the point lead. Brothers Ron and Doug Iorio led the field to green with Doug jumping out into the lead. Hooks started fourth, but raced past Bob Sloss and Ron Iorio on the opening lap for second. Hooks and Doug Iorio raced hard for the next six laps before Hooks finally got by for the lead in turn four on lap seven.
The man on the move was Bobby Whitling, who started 19th. Whitling passed Doug Iorio for third on lap 11 and then Willie Aley for second one lap later. Gary Norman, who started eighth, entered the battle after getting past Aley for third on lap 17. Whitling and Norman ran down Hooks in the closing laps, but ran out of time as Hooks scored his second win of the year and third of his career in the Benny Lombardo Auto Repair/Plotts Transmission/M&D Paving-sponsored #65. Whitling edged Norman for second. Aley was a season best fourth ahead of Doug Iorio. Heat victors over the 38-car field were Ron and Doug Iorio, Rusty Moore, and Terry Kroner. The two B mains went to Tim Deutsch and Rick Anthony.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars (30 laps): 1. JAMIE SMITH ($2,000) 2. Jimmy Hawley 3. Arnie Kent 4. Brian Ellenberger 5. Andy Priest 6. Rob Eyler 7. Kevin Andrusky 8. Dave Wagner 9. Chris Matthews 10. Scott Bonnell 11. Todd Bauer 12. Charlie Holben 13. Brad Knab 14. Gregg McCandless 15. Butch Beasley 16. Brent Matus 17. Gale Ruth 18. Troy Preston 19. Scott Priester 20. Gary Kriess, Jr. 21. Paul Kapuchuck 22. Andy McKisson 23. Randy Kriegisch 24. Andy Hillenburg (IN) DNQ-Charlie Cornelius, Pup Nystrom, Don Kovac, Brian Hartzell, Jeff Banyas, Jeff Kasbee, Chris Shuttleworth, Mark Murphy, Paul Kish.
Big-Block Modifieds (30 laps): 1. RODNEY BELTZ ($2,000) 2. Les Myers 3. Dean Pearson 4. Frank Guidace 5. Tommy Marshall III 6. Brian Swartzlander 7. Bob Dorman 8. Dave Schrader 9. Guy Griffin 10. Joe Crawford 11. Chris Schiffer 12. Jeff Schaffer 13. Chanda Reitz 14. Steve Barr 15. Jeremiah Shingledecker 16. Jim Bickel 17. Mike Sutton 18. Rick Hall 19. Carl Murdick 20. Lonny Riggs 21. Chetter Johnson 22. Jerry Bickel 23. Tim Doran 24. Nick Ritchey DNQ-Randy Chronister, Howard Duff, Doug Fleeger, Rich Ferguson, Jeff Baker, Justin Broerman, Lee Miller, J.R. McGinley, Rick Kress, Mark Sevin.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds (25 laps): 1. STEVE YOUNG ($500) 2. Chad Reitz 3. Curt Matthews 4. Andy Paden 5. Gary Smoker 6. Jerry Schaffer 7. Bill Adams 8. Al Priester 9. Jim Rombold, Jr. 10. Steve Toth 11. Jim Schaffer 12. Morgan Sasse 13. John Confer 14. Fred Sasse 15. Mike Mathieson 16. Rick Hall 17. Barry Bulfone 18. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 19. Dave Cogswell 20. Randy Rodemoyer 21. Rick Ryder 22. Les Myers 23. Bob Young 24. Mike Gibson DNQ-Fred Maxwell, Kevin Latshaw, Matt Reeher, Jerry O’Rock, John Jones, Shane McElhaney, Zack Moran.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. SHAUN HOOKS ($500) 2. Bobby Whitling 3. Gary Norman 4. Willie Aley 5. Doug Iorio 6. Mike Aley 7. Rusty Moore 8. Duane Grinnell 9. Rick Anthony 10. Tim Deutsch 11. Phil Kaufman 12. Bob Sloss 13. Jim Brunson 14. Joe Updegraff 15. Howard Fraley 16. Rod Laskey 17. Jeff Walters 18. Kevin Thompson 19. Rick Lanigan 20. Tim Zuschlag 21. William George, Sr. 22. Jim Miller 23. Ron Iorio 24. Terry Kroner-DNS DNQ-Ray Bailey, Jr., Ed Hays, Scott Peterson, Joe Lockhart, Robert Caszatt, Jr., Clyde Roberts, Bill Lanigan, Chuck Kerr, Bill Schall, Jr., Andy Buckley, Rick Norco, Brian Miller, Lester Bates, Bob McCann.