Richner wins $1,500 in 358 Mods; first for Dunn in E-Mods; Lux again in Mercer Stocks

By Mike Leone

October 21, 2000

Mercer (PA)...Picture perfect weather brought the curtain down on the 2000 racing season Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park. The inaugural Little Guy Nationals drew 157 race cars in the three-division card. Scoring wins and celebrating in the Autobody Products, Inc. victory lane were Ricky Richner-358 Modifieds, Russ Dunn-York Triathlon Series E-Mods, and Matt Lux-Stock Cars. Ryan Boyd of Fredonia, Pa. topped the 59-car demo derby field and also won the $500 track championship.

Making a first ever appearance, Ricky Richner won the 30-lap $1,500 to-win 358 Modified Feature. "We used to race with Lou Gentile (Mercer Six-Cylinder Modified Champion) back in the six cylinders," said the Niagara Falls, New York driver. "We heard about this race so we thought we’d come down and give it shot. I’m glad we did."

Three cautions in the first lap slowed action. Richner started on the pole and raced into the lead, while Kenny Hardy passed Randy Ferguson for third on lap one. 2000 Hidden Valley and Dog Hollow Speedway winner, Mike Stine, moved from his 10th starting spot into fourth on lap six when he drove by Stacy Jackson and Ferguson. Hardy slowed the following lap moving Stine to third. Stine was running down runner-up Gregg McCandless and Richner until the yellow flag waved with nine laps completed.

When racing resumed, Stine got pinned behind the lapped car of Troy Schaffer allowing Ferguson to retake third. Stine got tangled up in a six-car incident with 12 laps completed. When action restarted, Gerry Bruce began to come to the front from his 11th starting spot. Bruce passed Ferguson on lap 15 for third. One lap later, Bruce drove by McCandless on the backstretch for second.

A caution for Guy Griffin, who was making his first start of the season, bunched up the field with 10 laps to go. Under caution, McCandless pulled off the track with engine woes. This put Ferguson back to third, Lou Gentile up to fourth after pitting early, and John Moravec fifth. Gentile and Moravec passed Ferguson for third and fourth on laps 22 and 23 respectively. At this point, it appeared Moravec, who started 22nd, had the fastest car. Moravec drove under Gentile for third on lap 27, then disposed of Bruce for second on lap 29 racing off the inside of turn two.

Richner though was able to hold on to back up a win earlier in the season at Ransomville (NY) Speedway in his Layfette Machine/Lacy Camping Lake Resort-sponsored Bicknell #26. "I like the track," said Richner in victory lane. "It’s an awesome track. It has a lot of good bite in it. The car felt like it would go anywhere it wanted too."

Moravec, of Penn Yan, New York, was second in a great run. Gentile crossed third, but was 18 pounds light at the scales. Bruce ran out of fuel moving Ferguson back up to third. Woodhull, New York’s Stacy Jackson was fourth over Tom Mattocks. Completing the top 10 were Stine, Hidden Valley Speedway Champion Bob Garvey, Stevie Hartman, Watkins Glen, New York’s Chuck Kennison, and Bruce. Heat winners over the 42-car field were Gentile, Stine, Hardy, and Lonny Riggs. Andy Priest and Hartman won the two B mains.

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Russ Dunn was a happy driver after winning the 40-lap York Triathlon Series E-Mod Feature for his first career York win and first ever Mercer win. "We’ve been waiting a long time," said the Harmony, Pa. winner. "The track was locked down and good. We had a good run tonight. I’ve got to thank my dad, who kept us going after we destroyed a car."

Dunn started on the pole via winning the Coy Bros. Trucking Dash. After six cautions in the first six laps, the last 34 laps went green-to-checker with Dunn dominating the event leading all of the way for the $1,000 win. Dunn’s win came aboard the Dunn Trucking/Domhoff’s Automotive Machine #47. Dunn became the seventh different E-Mod winner in the eight events ever held at Mercer.

Jeff Taylor’s first ever Mercer start yielded a second after starting in third spot. Ken Herman, who started eighth, finished third after passing Holly Nelson for the spot on lap seven. Rick Robinson, driving for Scott Stiffler, came from ninth to finish fourth. Tenth starter, Jim Bertges, completed the top five. Sixth through tenth were Chuck Kennedy, Rich Logan, Jr., Ron Roncaglione, Carl McKinney, and Jim Frontz, the May 20 Mercer winner. Winning the heats over the 42-car field were Alan Dellinger, Dunn, Taylor, and Nelson. Tim Henrich and Jim Struble won the two B mains. Larry Walters won the six-car, six-lap $75-to-win Chevron East Little Guy Non-Qualifiers Dash with a $275 purse.

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Matt Lux was the lone man standing in victory lane after defeating a record high 73 Stock Car field. The 40-lap victory was worth $1,000 for Lux. "That was a great one," said the Franklin, Pa. winner. "I can’t believe I’m actually standing here."

Making a first ever start, Russ Kapalin took the early lead from the pole position. Bob Sloss pitted with five laps completed moving Leigh Wheeler to second. A great four-car race for the lead ensued between Kapalin, Wheeler, Joe Yakich, and Buccella. On the restart with 11 laps completed, Wheeler took over from Kapalin, while Yakich, who started 10th, drove by Kapalin at the start-finish line for second on lap 14.

Lux, who started 19th and restarted last on the restart with five laps completed, entered the battle on lap 16 when he got by Kapalin for third. Also on lap 16, Yakich grabbed the lead from Wheeler coming off turn four on the inside. Lux moved into second on lap 19 dropping Wheeler back to third. One lap later, Lux made the move for the lead going around Yakich on turn two.

Wheeler and Buccella didn’t give up as they got back into second and third by Yakich on laps 21 and 23 respectively. A caution for Russ Dempsey with 29 laps completed was just what Wheeler needed. When green replaced yellow, Wheeler retook the lead from Lux on lap 30 using the inside. Yakich’s fine run ended when he spun with 33 laps completed. The caution proved important for Lux because on the restart, Lux made the winning move and went on for his ninth Mercer win of the year in Jez Heating & Cooling/Dulaney’s Garage-sponsored #21. "I’m not real comfortable with these tires," said the winner. "When I got into the lead, I cooled them off, and I don’t think I should have. That really hurt, but the car got really good at the end of the race and I was glad we didn’t have anymore cautions."

Wheeler held on for second. Shaun Hooks, who started 13th, passed Buccella for third on lap 35 for a career best Mercer finish. Buccella slowed on lap 36 allowing Bill Wheeling and Brian Douglas by. Wheeling, the 1999 PCTC Senior Series Champion, held off Douglas for fourth in what may have been his final race. Sixth through tenth were Mike Hochschild, Butch Lambert, Kapalin, Jeff Metsger, and Dempsey. Heat winners were Hochschild, Wheeler, Douglas, Bobby Whitling, Kapalin, and Gary Miller, Jr. The three B main winners were Lux, Scott Bochek, and Metsger. Jim Brunson won the $75 to-win six-car, six-lap Chevron East Little Guy Non-Qualifiers Dash with a $275 purse.

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358 Modified Feature Finish (30 laps): 1. RICKY RICHNER ($1,500) 2. John Moravec 3. Randy Ferguson 4. Stacy Jackson 5. Tom Mattocks 6. Mike Stine 7. Bob Garvey 8. Stevie Hartman 9. Chuck Kennison 10. Gerry Bruce 11. Red Fordyce 12. Troy Schaffer 13. Gregg McCandless 14. Guy Griffin 15. Andy Nicols 16. Allen Ferry 17. Steve Barr 18. John Buchanan 19. Kenny Hardy 20. Andy Priest 21. Jerry Schaffer 22. Leroy Johnson, Jr. 23. Dean Pearson 24. Lou Gentile-DSQ 25. Lonny Riggs-DNS DNQ-Marvin Williams, Rick Hoctor, Mike Gardner, Conny Allen, Fred Sasse, John Confer, Randy Snider, Jimmy Faas, Rick Kress, Ed Alcorn, Bill Baptiste, Steve Hartman, Harold Michaels, Greg Unrue, George Sankey, Rick Ryder, Pud Welsh.

York Triathlon Series E-Mod Feature Finish (40 laps): 1. RUSS DUNN ($1,000) 2. Jeff Taylor 3. Ken Herman 4. Rick Robinson 5. Jim Bertges 6. Chuck Kennedy 7. Rich Logan, Jr. 8. Ron Roncaglione 9. Carl McKinney 10. Jim Frontz 11. Chuck List, Sr. 12. Kari Petrosky 13. Mike Hess 14. Gary Eicher 15. Mike Anderson 16. Bob McCann 17. Bob Diver 18. Jim Struble 19. Tim Henrich 20. Shawn Domhoff 21. Ernie Haynes 22. Chuck Schell 23. Alan Dellinger 24. Holly Nelson DNQ-Roger Frost, Butch Lambert, Larry Walters, Herm Myers, Steve Haefke, Kasey Allen, Jim White, Jr., Bruce Dreistadt, Will Cochran, Charlie Jasinski, Mike Samuelson, Kris Pisarcik, Jeff Sharp, Mike Potosky, Bill Taylor, Jeff Rudrick, Trent Newcome, Jim Abbott.

Stock Car Feature Finish (40 laps): 1. Matt Lux ($1,000) 2. Leigh Wheeler 3. Shaun Hooks 4. Bill Wheeling 5. Brian Douglas 6. Mike Hochschild 7. Butch Lambert 8. Russ Kapalin 9. Jeff Metsger 10. Russ Dempsey 11. Joe Yakich 12. Jeff Buccella 13. Willie Aley 14. Dave Ferringer 15. Gary Robinson 16. Bobby Whitling 17. Charlie Holben 18. Terry Faas 19. Justin Kann 20. Brian Miller 21. Bob Sloss 22. Scott Bochek 23. Emory Rinehart, Jr. 24. Gary Miller, Jr. DNQ-Jim Brunson, Mark Grabowski, Rick Anthony, Keith Nagy, Rick Norco, Jim McFadden, Rich Howell, Matt Rubright, Joe Drusko, Ed Hays, Dan Michaud, Jeff Detwiler, Ronnie Davis, Erick Cwynar, Dave Pegher, Sid Haas, Dan Fedorchak, Ray Bailey, Jr., Chris Seamen, Darrell Calvert, Tim Zuschlag, Steve Babos, Rick Burris, Brad Pease, Vince Felicetty, Tom Kline, Eugene Stetson, Neil Tristani, Tim Deutsch, Gary Sullivan, Brian Booher, Wayne Carbo, Mike Miller, Brian Zimmerly, Mike Turner, Russell Cressley, Dave Johnson, Ed Cornell, William Fox, John Zimmerman, Bill Schall, Jr., Mike Aley, Jim Davis, Darren Buell, Tony Bruno, Brandon Tolon, Stewart Van Tassel, Mike Boyd, William Blum.