Kriess wins first ever in Mercer Sprints; Myers returns to victory lane in Modifieds
By Mike Leone
April 28, 2001
Mercer (PA)...Mercer Raceway Park returned to action on Saturday night with four new winners in the Moore’s Auto Body victory lane. Taking wins were Gary Kriess, Jr.-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Les Myers-Bolland Machine Big-Block Modifieds, Andy Priest-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Brian Miller-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars. Cody Smith was victorious in the first of six "Gladiator Series" Demolition Derbies. It was McElwain Family of Dealerships "Meet Your Hero" Night for the Stock Cars and over 400 color autograph cards were given out.
Gary Kriess, Jr. held off fast closing Jimmy Hawley to win his first career Mercer feature in the 20-lap Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Car main. "I’ve had some pretty bad luck this season," said the Butler, Pa. driver from victory lane. "It’s been a rough couple weeks at Lernerville (Speedway) and the last time I was here my throttle stuck, but this makes up for it."
Kriess immediately jumped out in front of Troy Preston at the start. Jason Jacoby was on the move from his fifth starting spot and grabbed third from Kevin Andrusky on lap four. Kriess caught lapped traffic on lap nine as a great race developed from second through sixth positions between Jacoby, Andrusky, Arnie Kent, and Jimmy Hawley. Kent and Hawley both slipped under Andrusky for fourth and fifth at the half-way mark. Jacoby then took runner-up from Preston in turn four on lap 12.
Two cautions during laps 15 and 16 slowed action and bunched up the field. Hawley drove by Preston for third on lap 17, then got under Jacoby for second in turn two with two laps to go. Kriess appeared headed for victory over Hawley, but a caution for Rob Eyler, who stopped in turn four, brought out the final caution for a one-lap shootout.
When racing resumed, Hawley got a little wide on the backstretch allowing Kriess to hold on for a two car-length margin of victory. "You don’t want to know what was going through my mind and what I was thinking on that last yellow," revealed Kriess, who wheeled his father Gary, Sr.-owned, Ronald Kradel Financial Services/CD-Zone-sponsored #55J to his fourth career Sprint Car win. "I knew Jimmy (Hawley) back there so I had to run pretty hard."
Preston and eighth starter, Tom Quarterson, both got by Jacoby on the final lap to take third and fourth respectively, and dropped Jacoby to fifth. Completing the top 10 were Andrusky, 22nd starter Tommy Burns, Jr., Andy Priest, Gary McCollum, and Gary Edwards. Of note, Kriess became the 16th different driver to win a Sprint Car feature in the last 21 events at Mercer. Heat winners for the 22-car field were Kriess and Hawley.
Les Myers was victorious in the 20-lap Bolland Machine Big-Block Modified feature for the first time at Mercer since June 22, 1996. "It’s been awhile," exclaimed the veteran Reno, Pa. driver in victory lane. "It’s actually been 11 years since I’ve run this car number x3."
Rick Hall led the first four laps from the pole position before fifth starter, Frank Guidace, took charge on the fifth circuit. Myers used the outside to race from his sixth starting spot into second on lap six taking the spot from Hall. One lap later, Myers made the winning move when he passed Guidace racing under the first-year big-block driver in turn two.
Guidace spun on lap 10 and did a 360-degree to spin to keep moving, but lost second and third to Lou Blaney and Carl Murdick. Jeff Hoffman, who started 12th, raced by Murdick for third, then took over second from Blaney on the lap 11 restart. Four cautions between laps 12 and 16 slowed action. Hoffman, who was driving for Dave Schrader, slowed on lap 18 moving Blaney and Murdick back to second and third.
Up front, Myers had the event under control for his 12th career Mercer Big-Block Modified win in his Details by Doug/McCarty Vynal Graphics-sponsored #x3. "I put this deal together myself, but I’ve got to thank Gale Ruth for giving me a lot of parts so I can get out here and run with these guys."
Blaney held on for second. Rodney Beltz, who started 19th, passed Murdick on the last lap to take third. Murdick and Dean Pearson completed the top five. Sixth through tenth were Kevin Bolland, Tim Doran up from 20th, Bob Dorman, Guidace, and Hall. Heat winners over the 34-car field went to Don McKnight, Pearson, and Carl Weatherby. Lonny Riggs won the B main.
Andy Priest’s victory in the 20-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified feature broke the tie with Gary Smoker to become the all-time winner in the division with 20 wins. Priest started the event from fifth and took third from Andy Paden on the opening lap. Priest then used the lap two restart to pass Curt Matthews for runner-up. The winning move came on lap four when Priest went to the inside of John Buchanan in turn three. Once in front, Priest of New Castle, Pa. drove on to the victory in the Ted Hull-owned, MPR Lumber/Griffin-Bossard Chevrolet-sponsored #41. Buchanan nipped Gary Bollinger at the checkers for second. Tom Mattocks raced from 17th to finish fourth over Randy Rodemoyer. Paden, Gary Smoker, and Priest won the heats over the 27-car field. Al Priester won the B main.
Defending track champion, Brian Miller of New Wilmington, Pa., fended off hard charging Andy Buckley for the 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car feature win. Miller took over the top spot from Andy Thompson on lap two. Willie Aley passed Thompson for second on lap six. Buckley joined the race for the lead on lap eight when he passed Thompson for third, then edged Aley for second at the line one lap later.
Buckley was all over Miller in the closing laps. The final lap saw Buckley get under Miller for the lead in turn one, but Miller stayed patient and got back under him on the backstretch to retake the lead and the win. For Miller, it was his sixth career Mercer win, which came in the Terry Hoover-owned, Rolling Hills Golf Course/Ed & Jerry’s NAPA-sponsored #99m. Buckley settled for second. Ron Iorio, who started 10th, passed Aley in the closing laps for third. Aley dropped to fourth at the finish over Gary Robinson. Taking heat wins over the 37-car field were Miller, Iorio, and Bill Hanna. Gary Miller, Jr. and Dave Ferringer won the two B mains.
Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars: 1. GARY KRIESS, JR. 2. Jimmy Hawley 3. Troy Preston 4. Tom Quarterson 5. Jason Jacoby 6. Kevin Andrusky 7. Tommy Burns, Jr. 8. Andy Priest 9. Gary McCollum 10. Gary Edwards 11. Rob Eyler 12. Gregg McCandless 13. Buddy Cochran 14. Nathan Hines 15. Chad Hill 16. Mike Shearer 17. Arnie Kent 18. Mike Kekich 19. Brian Staph 20. John Toth III 21. Jack Sodeman, Jr. 22. Brian Woodhall.
Bolland Machine Big-Block Modifieds: 1. LES MYERS 2. Lou Blaney 3. Rodney Beltz 4. Carl Murdick 5. Dean Pearson 6. Kevin Bolland 7. Tim Doran 8. Bob Dorman 9. Frank Guidace 10. Rick Hall 11. Rob Kristyak 12. Gary Risch, Jr. 13. Chad Reitz 14. Tommy Kristyak 15. J.R. McGinley 16. Jeff Hoffman 17. George Davis 18. Don McKnight 19. Lonny Riggs 20. Joe Crawford 21. Carl Weatherby 22. Rob Curtis 23. Scott Gurdak 24. Jimmy Faas-DSQ 25. Lou Gentile-DSQ DNQ-Mark Sevin, Red Fordyce, John Boyer, Jr., Rick Kress, Steve Young, Larry Johns, Lee Miller, Dave Reges, Ron Took.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds: 1. ANDY PRIEST 2. John Buchanan 3. Gary Bollinger 4. Tom Mattocks 5. Randy Rodemoyer 6. Al Priester 7. D.J. Schrader 8. Andy Paden 9. Rick Hall 10. Jerry Schaffer 11. Curt Matthews 12. Mark Angerett, Jr. 13. Zack Moran 14. Steve Young 15. Rick Ryder 16. Brad Watson 17. Dave Coggswell 18. Fred Sasse 19. Bill Adams 20. Allen Ferry 21. Buck Buchanan 22. Greg Unrue 23. Gary Smoker 24. Bill Baptiste DNQ-John Jones, Chanda Reitz, Leroy Johnson, Jr.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars: 1. BRIAN MILLER 2. Andy Buckley 3. Ron Iorio 4. Willie Aley 5. Gary Robinson 6. Rusty Moore 7. Shaun Hooks 8. Gary Miller, Jr. 9. Andy Thompson 10. Bill Hanna 11. Russ Kapalin 12. Terry Wheeler 13. Bill Wheeling 14. Greg Beach 15. Kevin Thompson 16. Tony Bruno 17. Rick Anthony 18. Dan Fedorchak 19. Pat Wilcox 20. Rick Norco 21. Mike Aley 22. Terry Kroner 23. Dave Ferringer 24. Ray Bailey, Jr. DNQ-Bob Hays, Tim Zuschlag, Jeff Kravec, Erick Cwynar, Jim Miller, Ed Lombardo, William George, Sr., Todd Titus, Andy Bolland, Lonnie O’Brien, Robert Caszatt, Jr., Bill Schall, Jr., Brian Felmlee.