George wins first ever in Triathlon Sprints; Dellinger scores B.R.P. Tour win in Mercer Modifieds
Sat, Sep 7, 2002 -- "On Tour 2002"
Written by: Mike Leone
Mercer Raceway Park held the inaugural “On Tour 2002” presented by Chevron East on Saturday night. Scoring wins and celebrating in the Moore’s Auto Body victory lane were Rod George-Triathlon Series Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Alan Dellinger-B.R.P. Tour Big-Block Modifieds, Bill Adams-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Gary Norman-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars. A season high 155 cars jammed the pit area and ran off nineteen preliminary qualifying events and four features.
Track champions Troy Preston, Tim Doran, Steve Young, and Shaun Hooks signed autographs and had their cars on display behind the grandstands prior to racing for “Champions Row 2002”. The first 250 kids received custom, color Grove City Auto Mall “Meet Your Heroes” cards to collect the autographs on. Pizza Joe’s presented “A Night of Hope”- An American Cancer Society Charitable Event as over $700 was sold in luminaries, which were lit and the names of those touched by cancer were read at intermission. A general collection was held at intermission as well.
Making his first appearance of the year, Rod George collected his first career Mercer win in the 25-lap Triathlon Series event to become the 11th different Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car winner of the year. “At the beginning of the night I didn’t think we would be here,” recalled the Kittanning, Pa. racer. “I’ve only been here a couple times. We had a great night. The track was definitely a lot tackier than what I’m used to. We definitely had a little luck tonight and some guys had some bad luck. That’s the way it goes- it works both ways.”
Rob Eyler pulled ahead of Staple Nash for the lead on the start as Jimmy Hawley raced by Charlie Holben for third on the opening lap. Following two cautions on the first two laps, Troy Preston, who started 11th, blasted around Brian Woodhall and Holben on the outside taking third on lap four. Fellow West Middlesex, Pa. drivers, Hawley and Preston, grabbed second and third from Nash on laps five and seven respectively.
Eyler was mired in heavy lapped traffic on laps nine and ten, but did a masterful job getting through the crowd to maintain his lead over Hawley. However, with a clear track Hawley closed in on Eyler on laps 13. On lap 14, Hawley made the pass for the top spot in turn four with an inside move. On lap 18, Eyler looped his mount and brought out the caution. This moved Preston to second, Jamie Smith to third, George to fourth, and Scott Bonnell to fifth.
When racing resumed, Hawley pulled away from the pack as the battle for second raged. George, who started 10th, passed Smith for third and when Preston did a 360 in turn four on lap 20, this allowed George to move up to runner-up. With less than five to go, Hawley had a near one-half lap lead on George and appeared headed for victory. With the white flag in sight, Hawley and the lapped car of Chris Matthews made contact in turn four. Hawley received rear-end damage and was done from the event.
The lap counter reverted back to the 23rd lap giving Kevin Andrusky and Gary Edwards their lap back and handed the lead to George. One more lap was completed, before Nash brought out the final caution setting up a one lap dash to the finish. George, the 2002 Lernerville and Tri-City Speedway Champion, pulled away for the $1,500 win. George’s 12th win on the 2002 western Pa. circuit came in his Delp Family Powder Coating/Kittanning Dairy Queen-sponsored #4.
Arnie Kent was the big mover of the night coming from the 19th starting spot to record second after getting by Preston on the final lap when he slid high on the backstretch. Preston held third over Smith and Bonnell. Rounding out the top 10 were Woodhall, Eyler, Roger Bennett in his first start in two years, Holben, and Andrusky. Heat winners were Bonnell, Andrusky, and Hawley over the 30-car field. Kent won the B main.
Nash of Newbury, Ohio was the highest finishing 360 and earned the $150 bonus for the fourth time this year. George Prosser in his first start of the year was second. Also receiving bonus monies in third and fourth were Todd Bauer and Pup Nystrom. Bauer of Clarion, Pa. clinched the Gardner Competition Racing Engines 360 Championship.
Alan Dellinger scored the $1,200 to-win, 30-lap Bicknell Racing Products Modified Tour event for big blocks by inheriting his first ever Tour win after a solid run by race-long leader Frank Guidace ended. “That was a lot of fun,” said the Niles, Ohio winner after climbing out of his racer. “That was a good race. Too bad Frankie (Guidace) broke something when he hit the wall. You’ll take them anyway you can get them.”
By the luck of the draw, Guidace pulled the number one pill and raced into the lead at the start of the event. Dellinger, who started third, raced by Gary Rankin for second on the opening lap. Tommy Kristyak passed both Bob Dorman and Rankin for third on lap two. Only one caution slowed the event, which was displayed for Jim Rasey with three laps completed.
The last 27 laps went green-to-checkered and featured a battle between the #99s of Guidace and Dellinger along with Kristyak. Kristyak nosed ahead for second on lap four as the top three really distanced themselves from the field. Andy Priest, who started 10th, was on the move in his first start of the year. Priest passed both Joe Crawford and Rankin to take fourth on lap eight. Priest appeared to be the only car that would have anything for the top three.
Back up front, Dellinger regained second from Kristyak at the start-finish line of lap 12. Priest then pulled off the track on lap 16 handing fourth back to Rankin and Rex King up to fifth. Heavy lapped traffic came into play on lap 17. Guidace would maintain his lead, but brushed the wall with 10 laps to go. On the 22nd lap, Guidace slowed and exited the track handing the lead over to Dellinger.
Dellinger would lead the closing laps without a serious challenge from Kristyak for his second win in the John Rebhan-owned, WAR FAB #99 and snapped Lou Blaney’s perfect three-for-three mark in Tour races at Mercer. Crawford came home third for his best finish of the year. King was fourth in his first Mercer start since July 3, 1999. Current B.R.P. Tour points leader, Ron Smoker, came all the way from the back of the B main to transfer to the feature, then raced from the 19th starting spot to cross the finish line in fifth. Sixth through tenth were Tim Doran, Kevin Bolland, Josh Skarzenski, Rob Kristyak, and Rankin, who was subbing for his father-in-law Carl Murdick who was out of action due to health reasons for the first time in over 40 years of racing. Heat victors were King, Skarzenski, T. Kristyak, and Dellinger. Winning the two B mains were Bolland and Chris Schiffer. A field of 51 cars were on hand setting a Mercer record high big-block count.
Bill Adams of Hermitage, Pa. picked up the $500 win in the 25-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified feature. Adams took the lead from the pole position with Lonny Riggs and Jeff Schaffer in tow. Schaffer dropped Riggs back to third on lap two and Jerry Schaffer took third from Riggs on lap six. Jerry Schaffer was driving the J.R. Greer-owned #11t championship car driven all year by Steve Young. Following a restart with seven laps completed, Jerry Schaffer passed brother Jeff and Adams for the lead, but looped his car in turn four.
This gave the lead back to Adams, who survived eight cautions for the victory in the Doug Updyke-owned, D&D Redline Racing/Marsh Farms/Ed & Jerry’s NAPA-sponsored #33. Adams has had a strong second-half of the season recording his fourth win in the last eleven races after going some 20 years until a victory on June 8. Curt Matthews, who started 11th, got around Jeff Schaffer for second on lap 14 to record his best career finish. Jeff Schaffer was third ahead of Rick Hall and Dave Murdick in the Rick Ryder #18. Taking heat race wins were Gary Smoker, Chad Reitz, and Adams over the 26-car field.
Gary Norman of New Castle, Pa. won his fourth 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature to become the division’s top winner of 2002. Jason Reagle was the early leader from the position, while Norman passed Willie Aley for second on lap two. Shaun Hooks followed in third on lap four moving Aley back another spot. Norman was all over Reagle, who was driving Norman’s car from early last season, and made the pass for the lead on lap eight. Reagle got high on lap nine allowing Hooks and Rusty Moore to move into second and third.
Hooks and Moore traded second and third in the closing laps. With the checkered flag waving, Norman crossed first. Hooks tried to edge ahead of Moore off of turn four, but got sideways causing a melee behind as cars were scattered all over the frontstretch. Moore, Gary Miller, Jr., and Andy Buckley also crossed the finish line in positions two through four before the yellow light was displayed. Hooks was credited with fifth as all scoring from fifth on back reverted to the previous lap with the exception of Reagle and Dan Lewis, who were the only two cars that actually stopped and credited with the caution. Norman’s seventh career Mercer win came in his Ken Neely Lumber/Triple-S Auto Sales-sponsored #9N. Buckley, Darrell Bossard, Reagle, and Gary Robinson won the heat races over the 48-car field. Dave Ferringer and Rick Lanigan won the two B mains.
Triathlon Series Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars (25 laps): 1. ROD GEORGE ($1,500) 2. Arnie Kent 3. Troy Preston 4. Jamie Smith 5. Scott Bonnell 6. Brian Woodhall 7. Rob Eyler 8. Roger Bennett 9. Charlie Holben 10. Kevin Andrusky 11. Staple Nash 12. Gary Edwards 13. George Prosser 14. Gary McCollum 15. Todd Bauer 16. Pup Nystrom 17. Brent Matus 18. Jimmy Hawley 19. Chris Matthews 20. Deana Barbara 21. Sheila Rankin 22. Andy McKisson 23. Gary Kriess, Jr. 24. Dan Shetler DNQ-Gary Rankin, Jeff Banyas, Butch Beasley, Bill Kiley, Randy Kriegisch, Davey Jones.
B.R.P. Tour Big-Block Modifieds (30 laps): 1. ALAN DELLINGER ($1,200) 2. Tommy Kristyak 3. Joe Crawford 4. Rex King 5. Ron Smoker 6. Tim Doran 7. Kevin Bolland 8. Josh Skarzenski 9. Rob Kristyak 10. Gary Rankin 11. Jeff Schaffer 12. Chris Schiffer 13. Kevin Hoffman 14. Chanda Reitz 15. Randy Ferguson 16. Steve Barr 17. Frank Guidace 18. Dean Pearson 19. Andy Priest 20. Skip Moore 21. Jim Weller, Jr. 22. Bob Dorman 23. Jim Rasey 24. Rick Hall DNQ-Rodney Beltz, Dave Murdick, Jimmy Weller III, Gary Risch, Jr., Lee Miller, Tom Mattocks, Adam Kozar, Ed Alcorn, Dana Gearhart, Brian May, Travis Shingledecker, Dave George, Jr., Tom Winkle, Howard Duff, Rick Kress, Doug Fleeger, John Buchanan, Rich Ferguson, Gerry Bruce, George Hobaugh, Lonny Riggs, Lou Blaney, Dick Rankin, Leonard Ripper, Jeff Baker, Bob Sloss, Tom Armstrong.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds (25 laps): 1. BILL ADAMS ($500) 2. Curt Matthews 3. Jeff Schaffer 4. Rick Hall 5. Dave Murdick 6. Guy Griffin 7. Jim Rombold, Jr. 8. Andy Paden 9. Gary Bollinger 10. Lonnie McConahy 11. Jerry Schaffer 12. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 13. Lonny Riggs 14. Morgan Sasse 15. Allen Ferry 16. Mike Gibson 17. Steve Toth 18. John Jones 19. Dave Cogswell 20. Jerry O’Rock 21. Gary Smoker 22. Chad Reitz 23. Fred Sasse 24. Matt Gibson 25. Bill Baptiste 26. Matt Reeher-DNS.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars (15 laps): 1. GARY NORMAN ($500) 2. Rusty Moore 3. Gary Miller, Jr. 4. Andy Buckley 5. Shaun Hooks 6. Gary Robinson 7. Tim Deutsch 8. Rick Norco 9. Terry Kroner 10. Darrell Bossard 11. Rick Lanigan 12. Steve D’Apolito 13. Mike Aley 14. Bill Hanna 15. Bobby Heim 16. Darrell Calvert 17. Willie Aley 18. Chuck Kerr 19. Gary Laurie 20. Dave Ferringer 21. Dan Lewis 22. Jason Reagle 23. Brian Miller 24. Bobby Whitling DNQ-Bill Lanigan, Phil Kaufman, Doug Iorio II, Sonny Wisler, Scott Malone, Rich Chess, Sr., Don Greenlee, Tim Balach, Mike Swope, Scott Garris, Mark Hopkins, George Kafantaris, Sammy Wheat, Stacy Neubecker, Clyde Roberts, Pat Gorton, Jason Johns, Skip Reseigh, Ray Bailey, Jr., Bob McCann, Scott Hooks, Ken Kerr, John Parsons, Lynn Hostetler.