Quarterson’s new ride garners first Sprint win; Blaney hits double figures in Mercer Modifieds
Mike Leone
August 19, 2000
Mercer (PA)...Mercer Raceway Park completed event #18 of the 2000 season on Saturday night. Standing in the Autobody Products Inc. victory lane were Tom Quarterson-Axa Advisors 410 Sprint Cars, Lou Blaney-Bolland Machine Big-Block Modifieds, Lou Gentile-Miller Lite Six-Cylinder Modifieds, Rick Ryder-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Matt Lux-Butterfield’s Pub Stock Cars.
Tom Quarterson returned to the seat of the R&R Engine Rebuilders #27 for the first time in nearly two years and picked up his first win of 2000 in the 20-lap Axa Advisors 410 Sprint Car Feature. The win was Quarterson’s first at Mercer since August 22, 1998 when he drove the #27 to victory lane. "It’s been awhile," said the West Middlesex, Pa. driver. "I got back in the 27 this morning. I heard they needed a driver so I called them. They said they wanted to go to Mercer. I told them I was going to be there, and the rest is history."
Gary McCollum took charge of the event at the start, while Gary Edwards passed Ralph Engel, Jr. and Dave Penezich, Jr. for second. Quarterson, who started fifth, moved up to fourth on lap three passing Engel before the first caution was displayed for Goob Schuller, who stopped with four laps completed. When racing resumed, Quarterson got by Penezich for third. Jimmy Hawley, who started ninth, entered the mix taking Penezich for fourth on lap six. Up front, McCollum was still holding off Edwards with his 360 c.i. engine. Quarterson and Hawley ran down Edwards. On lap eight, Quarterson got by Edwards for second racing off turn four, and Hawley followed one lap later for third.
Quarterson took the lead on lap 11 driving by McCollum on the outside. One lap later, Hawley got by McCollum for second setting up the shoot-out for the win. The leaders caught heavy traffic on lap 14. On lap 15, Quarterson slid high in turn one allowing Hawley to get under for the lead. Quarterson wasn’t about to give up as he drove hard into turn three putting a slider on Hawley to regain the lead and crossed lap 15 first just before the second and final caution appeared for a slowing Andy Hillenburg of North Carolina.
The last five laps were a torrid pace with Quarterson and Hawley battling hard. On the final lap, Hawley was all over Quarterson as the two raced through traffic. Hawley looked low in turns three and four, but coming off four the lapped car of John Toth III was there giving Quarterson a clear path to the checkers. Quarterson became the 11th different Sprint Car winner in 16 races this season, but gave Robert and Roger Powell their second Mercer win after Mike Lutz scored the opening night win for them. "The longer the race went, the tighter the car got and it was messing me up," said the winner. "Generally it’s looser instead of tighter. I got lucky we didn’t have another restart. If we had a couple more laps, Jim (Hawley) might have got me."
Engel and 10th starter, Arnie Kent, passed McCollum on lap 17 to finish third and fourth. Ed Lynch, Jr. came from 11th to finish fifth after getting by McCollum on lap 18. Completing the top 10 were 17th starter Kevin Andrusky, McCollum, Tommy Burns, Jr., Jamie Smith, and Terry Young. Heat winners over the 30-car field were Burns, Edwards, and Lynch. Mike Kekich won the B main.
After being shutout of victory lane for over a month, Lou Blaney returned to a familiar spot taking the checkers first for the 10th time at Mercer this season in the 20-lap Bolland Machine Big-Block Modified Feature. "We’ve been having motor problems for the last three weeks and it has been driving me nuts," said the Hartford, Ohio driver. "It was fine tonight."
Kevin Bolland took the top spot away from Jerry Bickel on the start, while Jim Rasey passed Dave Schrader and Rob Curtis for third. Bolland and Bickel battled for the first six laps trading the lead. Bickel led lap three before Bolland got back by on the fourth circuit.
Blaney began his charge to the front from seventh. On lap six, Blaney blasted by Schrader and Rasey for third, then got around Bickel for second off turn two one lap later. Blaney and Bolland would then go at for the next three laps. The two used the inside and outside of the tacky track trading lines until Blaney got by for good on lap 10.
Bolland’s bad luck continued when Mark Sevin spun in front of him and collected him with 14 laps completed. Blaney then went on for his 18th overall win of 2000 in the Carpenter’s Towing/Troy-Alan Chevrolet/Colonial Metal Products-sponsored #10. It was Blaney’s division leading 30th big-block win since the track reopened in 1994 and became the first driver to win multiple big-block championships in that period.
Schrader and Rasey swapped second and third for most of the second-half of the race. Scharder got by for good on the last restart for his best big-block finish of 2000. Rasey’s third was his first career Mercer top five. Carl Weatherby was fourth over big-block rookie Don McKnight. Sixth through tenth were Rodney Beltz, John Braymer, Rick Hall, Carl Murdick, and Bolland. Scoring heat wins over the 28-car field were Bolland, Hall, and Murdick. Braymer won the B main.
Lou Gentile won his eighth 15-lap Miller Lite Six-Cylinder Modified Feature to go along with two 358 Modified wins giving him 10 wins like Blaney at Mercer this season. The Youngstown, Ohio driver started 10th on the grid and made it up to second on lap three passing Harold Michaels. Gentile got by race-long leader, Kenny Hardy, on lap four and was never threatened for his 12th overall win of 2000 in the Emig Racing #1. Michaels held on to second. Randy Ferguson passed Mark McEwen on the final lap for third. McEwen’s fourth place was his best career finish. Frank Guidace was fifth. Jerry Schaffer won the heat race.
Rick Ryder finally scored his first career win in the 20-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified Feature. The Gibsonia, Pa. driver started in fifth and took second from Randy Rodemoyer on lap five. The winning pass came on lap six when Ryder got by race-long leader, Ron Eperthener, Jr. Point leader, Rick Hall, got by Eperthener for second on lap seven. Ryder and Hall distanced themselves from the field and battled over the last 13 laps. But at the checkers, Ryder had the win in Suzanne Woodings-owned #18. Hall was two car lengths back in second. Bill Adams subbed for Doug Updyke and finished third after starting 12th. Rookie Darrell Combs finished in fourth for his first-ever top five. Randy Rodemoyer was fifth. Hall and Tom Mattocks won the heats over the 23-car field.
Bob Sloss nearly pulled off the upset of the year, but Matt Lux made a daring pass on the final lap to win his seventh 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car Feature win. Sloss started on the point, while the battle was on behind him. Lux, who started 10th, and Jeff Buccella, who started 11th, made their way to second and third passing Willie Aley on laps five and six respectively. In probably the best race of the year, Sloss, Lux, and Buccella put on quite a battle over the last nine laps. Sloss ran a consistent line on the cushion, while Lux and Buccella tried every move possible to get by. On lap nine, Lux slipped high off the track allowing Buccella to get by for second. By lap 12, Gary Miller, Jr., Kevin Thompson, and Gary Robinson entered the battle making it a six-car race for the win. On the final lap, a gaggle of cars were in front of Sloss coming off turn two. Lux saw a small opening and threaded the needle driving by Buccella and Sloss on the backstretch. Lux crossed the finish line first in his Dulaney’s Garage/Mike Jez Heating & Cooling-sponsored #21. Buccella edged Sloss for second. Miller and Robinson were fourth and fifth. Heat victors over the 32-car field were Dave Ferringer, Robinson, and Sloss. Mike Aley won the B main.
Axa Advisors 410 Sprint Car Feature Finish: 1. TOM QUARTERSON 2. Jimmy Hawley 3. Ralph Engel, Jr. 4. Arnie Kent 5. Ed Lynch, Jr. 6. Kevin Andrusky 7. Gary McCollum 8. Tommy Burns, Jr. 9. Jamie Smith 10. Terry Young 11. Craig Rankin 12. Mike Kekich 13. Rob Eyler 14. Jason Jacoby 15. Andy Hillenburg 16. John Toth III 17. Ed Etzel 18. Gary Edwards 19. Dave Penezich, Jr. 20. Brad Ellenberger 21. Chris Matthews 22. Mark Murphy 23. Jim Chappel 24. Goob Schuller DNQ-Scott Bonnell, Troy Cochran, Joe McEwen, Nathan Hines, Ralph Spithaler, Jr., Robert Van Tassel.
Bolland Machine Big-Block Modified Feature Finish: 1. LOU BLANEY 2. Dave Schrader 3. Jim Rasey 4. Carl Weatherby 5. Don McKnight 6. Rodney Beltz 7. John Braymer 8. Rick Hall 9. Carl Murdick 10. Kevin Bolland 11. Tommy Kristyak 12. Dave Murdick 13. Jerry Bickel 14. Steve Young 15. J.R. McGinley 16. Brian Swartzlander 17. Tom Mattocks 18. Mark Sevin 19. Jeff Schaffer 20. Lee Miller 21. Rob Curtis 22. Tim Doran 23. Steve Barr 24. Dean Pearson DNQ-Larry Johns, Gary Smoker, Jeremiah Shingledecker, George Davis.
Miller Lite Six-Cylinder Modified Feature Finish: 1. LOU GENTILE 2. Harold Michaels 3. Randy Ferguson 4. Mark McEwen 5. Frank Guidace 6. Rick Kress 7. Joe Kane 8. Conny Allen 9. Jerry Schaffer 10. Kenny Hardy 11. Jim Bickel.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified Feature Finish: 1. RICK RYDER 2. Rick Hall 3. Bill Adams 4. Darrell Combs 5. Randy Rodemoyer 6. Buck Buchanan 7. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 8. Fred Sasse 9. Mike Mathieson 10. David Coggswell 11. Curt Matthews 12. Gary Smoker 13. Don McKnight 14. Chanda Reitz 15. Andy Priest 16. Greg Unrue 17. Brad Watson 18. Tom Mattocks 19. Andy Paden 20. Bob Young 21. Zack Moran-DNS 22. Dean Pearson-DNS 23. John Buchanan-DNS.
Butterfield’s Pub Stock Car Feature Finish: 1. MATT LUX 2. Jeff Buccella 3. Bob Sloss 4. Gary Miller, Jr. 5. Kevin Thompson 6. Gary Robinson 7. Mike Aley 8. Shaun Hooks 9. Rick Norco 10. Brian Booher 11. Brian Miller 12. Andy Buckley 13. Jeff Kravec 14. Rick Anthony 15. Tony Bruno 16. Jim Davis 17. John Reiser 18. Dan Fedorchak 19. Dave Ferringer 20. Pat Wilcox 21. Dwight Boice 22. Ray Bailey, Jr. 23. Willie Aley 24. Jim Hooks DNQ-Greg Pesa, Bob Kitchen, Dave Wagner, Jr., Jerry Ryder, Bobby Wagner, Bill Fox, Dan Michaud, Jim Brunson.