Hawley wins #4 in Sprints; Doran wins for 5th time in 6 Mercer Modified races
By Mike Leone
August 4, 2001
Mercer (PA)...The month of August kicked off Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park as the 15th night of the season was completed. Celebrating in the Moore’s Auto Body victory lane were Jimmy Hawley-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Tim Doran-Bolland Machine Big-Block Modifieds, Les Myers and Steve Young-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Brian Miller and Ron Iorio-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars.
Life Force Ambulance presented the E.M.S Community Sireeeen Rally. The inaugural regional safety awareness night brought in over a dozen emergency-type vehicles and many of the top personal from the region. All of the vehicles paraded the track during intermission.
Jimmy Hawley won for the second consecutive week in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car feature and made it two wins on the weekend following Friday night’s win at the Lernerville Speedway. "We’ve really got this new car working," said the West Middlesex, Pa. driver. "You couldn’t ask for a better race track tonight."
Jack Sodeman, Jr. took control of the race at the start getting by Goob Schuller. Point leader Tom Quarterson, who started eighth, moved up to fourth on lap two taking the spot from Nathan Hines. Brian Woodhall passed Schuller coming off turn four on the outside for second on lap five. Following the restart for Troy Preston with six laps completed, Quarterson moved ahead of Schuller for third. A three-car race for the lead ensued at the halfway mark between Sodeman, Woodhall, and Quarterson.
The leaders caught lapped traffic on lap 11, while Hawley, who started seventh, got Schuller for fourth. Hawley caught the trio and moved into third on lap 13 driving by Quarterson on the backstretch. Two laps later, Hawley disposed of Woodhall for second and began to set his sights on Sodeman. Hawley would make the winning move on lap 16 racing off turn four on the outside denying Sodeman of a first career Mercer win.
Once in front, Hawley survived two cautions, one for Tommy Burns, Jr. and the other for debris, to collect his fourth Mercer win and twelfth win overall in 2001. Hawley’s 25th career Mercer win came aboard the Dr. John and Debbie Crawford-owned, Mihalcak Motorsports-sponsored #cIII. Sodeman held off Woodhall for a career best finish Mercer finish. Quarterson was fourth over eleventh starter, Arnie Kent. Completing the top 10 were Schuller, Jason Jacoby, Mike Kekich, Preston, and Nathan Hines. Heat winners over the 21-car field were Quarterson and Hawley.
Tim Doran continued his dominance of the Bolland Machine Big-Block Modifieds by winning his third straight feature and fifth in the past six events in the caution-plagued 20-lap event. "This is the most fun I’ve ever had racing," said the jubilant New Castle, Pa. driver. "I love racing at Mercer. We seem to have a lot of fans here now and I want to say hi to all of them."
Carl Murdick led the first three laps before Carl Weatherby took over. Doran, who started 11th, passed Adam Siegel for third on lap four. Doran then drove under Murdick for runner-up on lap five. Lou Blaney, who started ninth, entered the picture racing into third past Murdick on lap eight, while Doran got by Weatherby for the lead. Weatherby’s fine run ended on lap 10 when he broke moving Blaney up to second for the restart.
Blaney would get five restarts throughout the last 11 laps, but was not able to get by Doran, who picked up his 15th career Mercer win in his Richard Smith Construction/Mitchelltree Bros. Logging & Lumber-sponsored #12. "I saw Blaney was there and he’s always tough," said Doran in victory lane. "We raced clean. Wherever I want to put the car it goes. It’s really working good."
Blaney’s second place finish coupled with Pearson’s did not qualify moved Blaney into the point lead in search of his third straight title. Don McKnight’s third was his best career big-block finish. Lonny Riggs was fourth over 17th starter, Rob Curtis, who continues to improve. Sixth and seventh went to the 358 c.i.-powered cars of Nick Ritchey and Chetter Johnson. For the rookie Ritchey, it was his best career finish. Steve Young, Les Myers, and Rick Hall completed the top 10. Heat winners over the 27-car field were Jeff Schaffer, Weatherby, and Myers. Johnson won the B main.
Les Myers won the July 7 20-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified make-up feature. The Reno, Pa. driver led all the way for his first sportsman win of the year and third of his career in the Bob Fink-owned #97. Andy Priest came from 10th to pass Andy Paden for second on lap 11. Even with the last 11 laps going non-stop, Priest nearly pulled off the victory with the aid of a lapped car on the final lap, but came up one car-length short. Third through fifth were Andy Paden, Steve Young, and Gary Smoker.
The regular 20-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified feature went to Steve Young for the second straight week. Young started ninth, was up third on lap two, and inherited second when Myers dropped from the race on lap five. Young made the winning move on lap eight when he passed Paden in turns three and four on the inside. Young of Grove City, Pa. padded his point lead by driving off for his fifth win and thirteenth of his career in the J.R. Greer-owned, Montgomery Truss & Panel-sponsored #11t. Paden’s second was his best career finish and second top three of the night. Smoker came from ninetieth to place third. Al Priester and Bill Adams were fourth and fifth. Heat victors over the 27-car field were Paden, Jerry Schaffer, and Priest.
Defending track champion, Brian Miller, opened the night by winning his second 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature in the July 7 make-up event. The New Wilmington, Pa. driver raced from his sixth starting spot to take the lead on lap nine from Dan Fedorchak. Fedorchak’s fine run ended with a spin the following lap. Ron Iorio, who started ninth, and Andy Buckley, who started 11th, both passed Gary Miller, Jr. then Willie Aley on lap 14 for second and third respectively. Iorio and Buckley quickly closed on the slowing leader on the final lap. But Miller was able to win the three-car drag race to the checkers defeating Iorio and Buckley both by less than one car-length. Miller’s seventh career Mercer win came in the Terry Hoover-owned, Rolling Hills Gold Course-sponsored #99m. Aley was fourth over Shaun Hooks.
After just missing a win in the make-up feature, Ron Iorio won the regular 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature for his second win. Gary Robinson led the first three laps before Iorio got under him on the backstretch of lap four. Once in front, Iorio of Kennerdell, Pa., pulled away and won the non-stop event in his Gabany’s Engine Rebuilding-sponsored #55. Point leader Buckley passed Robinson for second on lap 10 as both Iorio and Buckley recorded two top threes on the night. Robinson was third. Hooks recorded his second top five of the night in fourth as Bill Hanna rounded out the first five. Willie Aley, Robinson, Iorio, and Gary Miller, Jr. won the heats over the 36-car field. Buckley and Tim Deutsch won the two B mains.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. JIMMY HAWLEY 2. Jack Sodeman, Jr. 3. Brian Woodhall 4. Tom Quarterson 5. Arnie Kent 6. Goob Schuller 7. Jason Jacoby 8. Mike Kekich 9. Troy Preston 10. Nathan Hines 11. Gary McCollum 12. Bob Whitacre 13. Todd Bauer 14. Randy Kriegisch 15. Chris Matthews 16. Dave Wagner 17. Butch Beasley 18. Tommy Burns, Jr. 19. Jamie Smith 20. Buddy Cochran 21. Andy Priest.
Bolland Machine Big-Block Modifieds: 1. TIM DORAN 2. Lou Blaney 3. Don McKnight 4. Lonny Riggs 5. Rob Curtis 6. Nick Ritchey 7. Chetter Johnson 8. Steve Young 9. Les Myers 10. Rick Hall 11. Rodney Beltz 12. John Boyer, Jr. 13. Randy Ferguson 14. Dana Gearhart 15. Rick Kress 16. Jeff Schaffer 17. Mark Frankhouser 18. Carl Murdick 19. Carl Weatherby 20. Dave Murdick 21. Lou Gentile 22. Dave Reges 23. Adam Siegel 24. Bob Dorman DNQ-Lee Miller, Dean Pearson, Rich Ferguson.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds (7/7/01 make-up): 1. LES MYERS 2. Andy Priest 3. Andy Paden 4. Steve Young 5. Gary Smoker 6. Randy Rodemoyer 7. Chanda Reitz 8. Bill Adams 9. Rick Hall 10. D.J. Schrader 11. Curt Matthews 12. Bill Baptiste 13. John Jones 14. Morgan Sasse 15. Brad Watson 16. Dave Cogswell 17. Al Priester 18. Allen Ferry 19. John Buchanan 20. Dean Pearson 21. Greg Unrue 22. Jerry Schaffer 23. Rick Ryder 24. Buck Buchanan-DNS.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds: 1. STEVE YOUNG 2. Andy Paden 3. Gary Smoker 4. Al Priester 5. Bill Adams 6. Greg Unrue 7. Rick Hall 8. Allen Ferry 9. D.J. Schrader 10. Dave Cogswell 11. Jay Priest 12. Zack Moran 13. Fred Sasse 14. Morgan Sasse 15. Andy Priest 16. Curt Matthews 17. John Jones 18. Leroy Johnson, Jr. 19. Randy Rodemoyer 20. Les Myers 21. Brad Watson 22. Chanda Reitz 23. Jerry Schaffer 24. Bill Baptiste-DNS 25. Gary Bollinger-DNS 26. John Buchanan-DNS 27. Rick Ryder-DNS.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars (7/7/01 make-up): 1. BRIAN MILLER 2. Ron Iorio 3. Andy Buckley 4. Willie Aley 5. Shaun Hooks 6. Gary Miller, Jr. 7. Dave Ferringer 8. Gary Robinson 9. Greg Beach 10. Bill Hanna 11. Bobby Whitling 12. Tim Zuschlag 13. Terry Kroner 14. Mike Aley 15. Dan Fedorchak 16. Corey Ruffo 17. Lonnie O’Brien 18. Ray Bailey, Jr. 19. Bob Garris 20. Bob Hays 21. Jeff Kravec 22. Duane Grinnell 23. Rick Norco 24. Jim Miller 25. Mike Work-DNS DNQ-Pat Wilcox, Adam Aley, Robert Caszatt, Jr., Steve Anderson, Don Greenlee, Rick Anthony, Lynn Hostetler, Phil Kaufman, Ed Hays, Mark Bee, Tim Deutsch.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars: 1. RON IORIO 2. Andy Buckley 3. Gary Robinson 4. Shaun Hooks 5. Bill Hanna 6. Gary Norman 7. Dave Ferringer 8. Bobby Whitling 9. Terry Kroner 10. Jeff Kravec 11. Greg Beach 12. Doug Iorio 13. Jim Miller 14. Tim Deutsch 15. Corey Ruffo 16. Dan Fedorchak 17. Mike Aley 18. Tim Zuschlag 19. Phil Kaufman 20. Lonnie O’Brien 21. Duane Grinnell 22. Rick Anthony 23. Gary Miller, Jr. 24. Willie Aley DNQ-Brian Miller, Scott Carbaugh, Ray Bailey, Jr., Ed Hays, Bob Garris, Steve Anderson, Dean Sherbondy, Robert Caszatt, Jr., William George, Sr., Ray Pack, Andy Thompson, Rick Norco.