Hawley ups win mark to three in Sprints; Dorman repeats in Mercer Modifieds
Sat, Jul 27, 2002 -- Saturday Night Live
Written by: Mike Leone
Despite scattered thunderstorms throughout the area, Mercer Raceway Park remained dry as the month of July wrapped up on Saturday night. The following drivers celebrated in the Moore’s Auto Body victory lane: Jimmy Hawley-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Bob Dorman-Big-Block Modifieds, Les Myers-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Bobby Whitling-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars.
Two hundred Waldameer Park tickets were given away to the Erie, Pa. theme park. The Bible School Closing Ceremonies were held at intermission as all children that participated in the week-long program during July 15-19 received a family pass to attend the races. A tribute was done to the Snyder and Young families as the 20-lap Stock Car feature was run in the memory of the late Eric Young with $600 being added into the purse by track sponsor Snyder Pontiac. Moore’s Auto Body once again gave cash bonuses to drivers that finished in the 11th and 17th positions in all four features.
Jimmy Hawley drove his way from the 11th starting spot to his third win of the year in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature to become the division’s top winner of 2002. “Todd (Palmer) and Billy (Shearer) did a great job (crew members),” said the West Middlesex, Pa. driver. “We really missed it (setup) in the heat race. The Hoosier Tires got really got warm and we went really good. This win is for Chevron East (sponsor). I told them last week that we were going to win one for them.”
Pup Nystrom grabbed the lead at the start with Mark Murphy and Dave Wagner following. Wagner and Todd Bauer passed Murphy for second and third on laps two and three respectively. Bauer took over second from Wagner on lap four with Murphy trailing in third.
Hawley would restart sixth following a caution for Jeff Banyas with four laps completed. Hawley began to make his move to front on lap seven driving by both Andy Priest and Wagner for fourth. Lap eight saw Murphy and Hawley drop Bauer back to fourth.
A great three-car race began to ensue between Nystrom, Murphy, and Hawley on lap nine. Hawley was just about to go around Murphy for second in turn two on lap 10 when Murphy looped his mount bringing out the caution. When racing resumed, Hawley powered by Nystrom in turn two for the lead.
Rob Eyler quietly worked his way to the front from the eighth starting spot. He got around Priest for fourth then took over third from Bauer on lap 10. One lap later, Eyler slipped under Nystrom for second. Nystrom’s fine run ended when he spun with 15 laps completed setting up a five-lap dash to the finish. Eyler was unable to challenge Hawley in the closing laps as Hawley piloted the Shearer family-owned, Maximum Tool & Die/Chevron East/Yoder’s Amish Shop/Young’s 24-Hour Towing/Applewood Refinishing-sponsored #25 to his 33rd career Mercer win.
Eyler turned in his best finish in second since a win on July 21, 2001. Priest backed up his third place finish on opening night. Point leader Troy Preston came from the rear after getting involved in an accident on the 13th lap to finish fourth. Bauer was a season best fifth. Sixth through tenth were Banyas, Kapuchuck, Jamie Martin, Wagner, and Brian Hartzell as all drivers recorded their best finishes of the year with the exception of Wagner. Heat winners over the 21-car field were Eyler and Preston.
Bauer’s fifth place run was once again tops amongst the 360s earning the $150 bonus to maintain his Gardner Competition Racing Engines point lead. Finishing two through four and also receiving 360 bonus monies were Banyas, Kapuchuck, and Martin.
Bob Dorman proved his opening night career first win was no fluke by winning his second 20-lap Big-Block Modified feature. “I didn’t think this race was ever going to end,” relayed the Stockton, New York driver. “We’ve been out in left field for the past four or five weeks. We’re finally back to where we should be.”
The first six laps of the event went without a caution as Jerry Bickel, Chanda Reitz, and Carl Murdick ran one, two, and three. On lap seven, Reitz’s fine run came to an end when she spun after battling for second. This moved Murdick to second with Guy Griffin and Dorman now in third and fourth respectively. When racing resumed, Griffin and Dorman both powered by Murdick for second and third on lap seven. Dorman and Griffin raced hard the next three laps with Dorman finally getting by for second at the halfway mark just before the caution flag waved.
When green replaced yellow, Dorman took the lead away from Bickel on the 11th circuit. Rodney Beltz, who started eighth, was racing to the front. He passed both Les Myers and Griffin for third on lap 12 then went under Bickel for second in turns three and four on lap 14. But on the 15th lap, Bickel and Beltz made contact with Beltz looping his mount.
The last six laps went green-to-checkered with Dorman taking his father Bill’s owned car to victory lane. It was the 10th career Mercer big-block win for the Dorman Racing #19. Griffin made a nice move to take second from Bickel in turn four on the last lap for his best finish since July 10, 1999. Bickel crossed the line in third with a solid finish in the Scott Kay #55, but came up light at the scales. Rick Hall, who started 11th, was credited with third and took over the point lead from Tim Doran, who failed to finish the feature for the second week in a row. Myers was fourth ahead of Frank Guidace. Rounding out the top 10 were Murdick, Jeff Schaffer, Chris Schiffer, Beltz, and Chetter Johnson. Heat victors over the 29-car field were Guidace, Hall, and Schaffer. Randy Chronister won the B main.
Bobby Whitling wishes every Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature was a $500 to-win event. Both of the Franklin, Pa. resident’s 2002 wins and three of his four career wins have came on 20-lap $500 to-win nights- this time in the 20-lap Eric Young Memorial. From the pole position, Ron Iorio took the early leader. Brother Doug raced by Kevin Thompson on the opening lap for second, but Thompson got back by on lap three. Whitling, who started fifth, passed Doug Iorio for third on lap four then went ahead of Thompson for second on lap five. For the next 10 laps, Whitling hounded Ron Iorio before finally making the winning move on the backstretch of lap 15. Whitling led the rest of the way for his fourth win of 2002 on the circuit in his Ted Karns Specialty Construction/Jim’s Doors & Windows/McFate Electric/Anderson Greenhouse-sponsored #7w.
Ron Iorio settled for second. The battled raged for third between Doug Iorio, Shaun Hooks, and Andy Buckley. Hooks had passed Doug Iorio for third, but Doug got back by with contact on the 16th lap. Then Andy Buckley, who started ninth, went flying by Hooks for fourth then took third from Doug on lap 17. Doug Iorio was fourth ahead of point leader Hooks. Winning the heat races over the 33-car field were Doug Iorio, Gary Miller, Jr., and Buckley. Terry Kroner won the B main.
Les Myers of Reno, Pa. racked up his second 20-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified feature win to go along with a big-block win for his third Mercer win of the year. From the pole position, Curt Matthews paced the field over Myers for 17 laps. It appeared Myers had nothing for Matthews even with three restarts in the first 13 laps. But on the fourth restart, Myers was able to get by on lap 18 to steal a first career win away from the young driver. Myers’ fifth career sportsman win came in the Bob Fink-owned, Les Frickshun Products/McCarty Vinyl Decals-sponsored #97.
Gary Smoker was also able to get by Matthews on the 18th circuit for his best finish of 2002. Matthews dropped to third for the third time in the past five weeks. Jeff Schaffer came home fourth subbing for Jim, but came up light at the scales. This moved Chad Reitz up to fourth after starting 14th and Rick Hall to fifth for his second top five of the night. Heat winners were Lou Gentile, Steve Young, and Jim Rombold, Jr. over the 27-car field.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. JIMMY HAWLEY 2. Rob Eyler 3. Andy Priest 4. Troy Preston 5. Todd Bauer 6. Jeff Banyas 7. Paul Kapuchuck 8. Jamie Martin 9. Dave Wagner 10. Brian Hartzell 11. Chris Matthews 12. Mary Anne Williams 13. Pup Nystrom 14. Gale Ruth 15. Mel Straley 16. Charlie Cornelius 17. Dan Shetler 18. Kevin Andrusky 19. Mark Murphy 20. Butch Beasley 21. Paul Kish-DNS.
Big-Block Modifieds: 1. BOB DORMAN 2. Guy Griffin 3. Rick Hall 4. Les Myers 5. Frank Guidace 6. Carl Murdick 7. Jeff Schaffer 8. Chris Schiffer 9. Rodney Beltz 10. Chetter Johnson 11. Dean Pearson 12. Nick Ritchey 13. Jim Bickel 14. Steve Barr 15. Mark Frankhouser 16. Randy Chronister 17. Howard Duff 18. Dave Schrader 19. Rick Kress 20. Greg Unrue 21. Lou Gentile 22. Chanda Reitz 23. Tim Doran 24. Jerry Bickel-DSQ DNQ-Randy Ferguson, Lee Miller, Jeff Baker, Tom Mattocks, Mark Sevin.
Butterfield’s Pub Eric Young Memorial for Stock Cars (20 laps): 1. BOBBY WHITLING ($500) 2. Ron Iorio 3. Andy Buckley 4. Doug Iorio 5. Shaun Hooks 6. Tim Deutsch 7. Terry Kroner 8. Brian Miller 9. Mike Aley 10. Kevin Thompson 11. Rick Norco 12. Rick Lanigan 13. Rick Anthony 14. Jim Hooks 15. Mike Harmon 16. Ed Hays 17. Rich Chess, Sr. 18. Willie Aley 19. Rod Laskey 20. Bill Lanigan 21. Gary Miller, Jr. 22. Rusty Moore 23. Phil Kaufman 24. Jim Miller 25. Gary Norman-DNS DNQ-Tim Zuschlag, Joe Lockhart, Joe Yakich, Bill Schall, Jr., Lester Bates, Duane Grinnell, Clyde Roberts, Scott Peterson.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds: 1. LES MYERS 2. Gary Smoker 3. Curt Matthews 4. Chad Reitz 5. Rick Hall 6. Jim Rombold, Jr. 7. Lou Gentile 8. Dave Cogswell 9. Mike Gibson 10. Randy Rodemoyer 11. Bill Adams 12. John Confer 13. John Jones 14. Steve Young 15. Fred Maxwell 16. Jerry Schaffer 17. Matt Reeher 18. Andy Paden 19. Bill Baptiste 20. Mike Mathieson 21. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 22. Jeff Schaffer-DSQ 23. Rick Ryder-DNS 24. Bill Thompson-DNS 25. Kevin Latshaw-DNS 26. Jerry O’Rock-DNS 27. Al Priester-DNS.