Smith wins first of 2000 in Sprints; Blaney wins #6 in Mercer Modifieds
By Mike Leone
June 17, 2000
Mercer (PA)...Saturday night racing action was completed at Mercer Raceway Park for the ninth time of 2000. Holding the checkered flag in the Autobody Products, Inc. victory lane were Jamie Smith-Axa Advisors 410 Sprint Cars, Lou Blaney-Bolland Machine Big-Block Modifieds, Kenny Hardy-Miller Lite Six-Cylinder Modifieds, John Buchanan-New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modifieds, and Matt Lux-Butterfields Pub Stock Cars.
Jamie Smith put an end to a winless 2000 by scoring his first win of the year in the 20-lap Axa Advisors 410 Sprint Car Feature. "Its been a bit rough up to this point. Were glad to get one here," said the Sewickley, Pa. driver. "The car was good. I could run anywhere I wanted on the track."
The race got off to a rough start when newcomer, Ed Etzel, got into the turn two wall and got upside down. Etzel was okay, but done for the night. On the second restart, Smith got a good run off the bottom from his third starting spot making it three-wide with front row starters Scott Bonnell and Doug Kekich coming down for the wave of the green flag. Smith was able to sneak by going into turn one for the lead. Bonnell and Kekich fell to second and third. Gary Edwards got by Tommy Burns, Jr. for fourth on the opening lap.
The top five cars ran nose-to-tail until traffic became a factor on lap six. Bonnell got a little too high coming off turn four on lap seven allowing Kekich to get by at the line for second. Kekich started to close on the leader, but Smith made better moves through traffic at the half-way mark. Brian Ellenberger was on the move from his eighth starting spot. On lap seven, he passed Burns to move into the top five.
On lap 13, Smiths mount began to smoke as he was running without brakes. Rob Eyler and Randy Johnson tangled bringing out the yellow with 15 laps completed. On the restart, Ellenberger made quite a move to get by Edwards and Bonnell for third. Burns did likewise taking fourth. On the next lap, Ellenberger raced by Kekich for second. Kevin Andrusky slammed the wall backwards bringing a halt to action with 17 laps in the books. He was later transported for x-rays.
When racing resumed, Burns and Edwards got around Kekich for third and fourth. Eyler and Johnson tangled again and also collected Todd Bauer as 19 laps were completed. A broken front wing on Ellenbergers mount allowed Smith to pull away for the win in his GBG/Butterfields Pub-sponsored #5 and also took over the point lead. "Unless youve run without brakes before, it gets a little touchy in lapped traffic," said the winner. "I was glad the yellows kept everything separated. We were pretty lucky."
Ellenberger followed his second with the All Stars on June 7 with another runner-up Mercer finish. Burns recorded his best finish of the year in third ahead of Gary Edwards. Ralph Spithaler, Jr., who was again subbing for the injured Troy Preston, was fifth after getting by Kekich on the last lap. Sixth through tenth were Kekich, Arnie Kent, Bauer, Eyler, and Bonnell. Winning the heats over the 22-car field were Spithaler, Ellenberger, and Bonnell.
Lou Blaney put on an amazing drive coming from 11th to make a last lap pass to win the 20-lap Bolland Machine Big-Block Modified Feature. "Its fun coming from back there," said the Hartford, Ohio winner. "I still love racing. I love the people in it and I love Mercer."
Twenty-four cars took the green with Carl Weatherby taking the early lead. J.R. McGinley and Steve Young raced into second and third on the first lap. McGinley then dropped out on lap two moving Young to second and seventh starting Lonny Riggs to third.
The only caution of the event was displayed for a spin by Greg Davis. The next 17 laps went non-stop and quite a race followed. Riggs drove around Young for second on lap four, while eighth starter, Tim Doran, did the same on lap six for third. Riggs took control of the race on lap eight passing Weatherby coming off turn two in the inside.
Young dropped from the event moving Tommy Kristyak and Blaney into the hunt at the half-way point. Blaney charged by Kristyak for fourth on lap 13. With five laps to go a five-car race ensued for the win with Riggs leading the way over Weatherby, Doran, Blaney, and Kristyak. On lap 15, Blaney disposed of Doran for third and one lap later moved around Weatherby for second. Doran and Kristyak followed in third and fourth taking the position away from Weatherby on the 18th lap.
The race was now on for the win as Blaney ran down Riggs. On the last lap, Blaney used the lapped car of Rick Hall to make the winning move coming off turn two on the outside bringing the fans to their feet. Blaney went on for his sixth Mercer win of the year and tied Tommy Kristyak at 26 wins for the most since Mercer reopened in 1994. "I was working pretty good on the top and bottom, but I got around real good on the top," said the 60-year-old driver of the Troy-Alan Chevrolet/Carpenters Towing/Colonial Metal Products-sponsored #10.
Riggs second was his best finish of the year at Mercer. Doran, Kristyak, and Weatherby were third through fifth. Ron Smoker of Hamburg, New York made his first-ever Mercer start coming from 12th to finish sixth. Completing the top 10 were Rodney Beltz, Dean Pearson, Rob Kristyak, and Bill Dorman. Weatherby, Riggs, and McGinley won heats over the 24-car field.
Kenny Hardy of Wampum, Pa. won his second 15-lap Miller Lite Six-Cylinder Modified Feature of the year. Hardy started fifth and raced by Rick Kress, Jim Reagle, Mark McEwen, and Dustin Kress on lap one for the lead. Only one caution would slow Hardys momentum as he took the checkers first in the Hardy Trucking #85B. Hardy is the only driver to beat Lou Gentile in the past 11 Six-Cylinder Features and has done the feat three times. Harold Michaels charged from sixth to second on the first lap and stayed there for a season-best finish. Gentile, who started 11th, passed Frank Guidace for third on lap six. Guidace dropped to fourth over Randy Ferguson. Winning the heats were Gentile and Ferguson.
John Buchanan of Mercer, Pa. became the sixth different winner in seven races this year in the 20-lap New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified Feature. Buchanan, a graduate of the New Castle School of Trades, took the lead from Randy Rodemoyer on the first lap, and survived a caution-plagued event for his third career win in the Mercer Bowl/McCools Signs and Graphics-sponsored #93. Gary Smoker raced from 22nd to pass Rodemoyer on the lap eight restart for second. Smoker was all over the smoking Buchanan the last few laps, but had to settle for second. Female driver, Chanda Reitz, came from 12th to finish third to take over the point lead. Andy Paden was fourth over Rodemoyer. Heat victors over the 24-car field were Andy Priest, Buchanan, and Jason Longwell.
Matt Lux of Reno, Pa. was victorious for the second time in the 15-lap Butterfields Pub Stock Car Feature. Jeff Kravec led the first two laps, before Jim Riffenberrick took over. Lux came from eighth to pass Kravec for second on lap four. Lux then made the winning move on lap nine when Riffenberrick got sideways coming off turn four. Lux had to hold off the veteran Riffenberrick for the win in the Dulaneys Garage-sponsored #21. John Reiser, who started 19th, passed Rick Norco on the final lap to finish third for the second straight week. Norco dropped to fourth for his best career Mercer finish. Kevin Thompson was a season-best fifth. Willie Aley, Gary Robinson, and Lux were heat winners over the 31-car field. Reiser won the B main.
Axa Advisors 410 Sprint Car Feature Finish: 1. JAMIE SMITH 2. Brian Ellenberger 3. Tommy Burns, Jr. 4. Gary Edwards 5. Ralph Spithaler, Jr. 6. Doug Kekich 7. Arnie Kent 8. Todd Bauer 9. Rob Eyler 10. Scott Bonnell 11. Mike Kekich 12. Randy Johnson 13. Randy Kriegisch 14. Kevin Andrusky 15. Jim Chappel 16. Terry Young 17. Buddy Cochran 18. Nathan Hines 19. Ed Etzel 20. Gary McCollum-DNS 21. Jason Jacoby-DNS 22. Dave Wagner-DNS.
Bolland Machine Big-Block Modified Feature Finish: 1. LOU BLANEY 2. Lonny Riggs 3. Tim Doran 4. Tommy Kristyak 5. Carl Weatherby 6. Ron Smoker 7. Rodney Beltz 8. Dean Pearson 9. Rob Kristyak 10. Bill Dorman 11. Don McKnight 12. Mike Sutton 13. Carl Murdick 14. Rick Hall 15. Jerry Bickel 16. Steve Barr 17. Lee Miller 18. Greg Davis 19. George Davis 20. Rob Curtis 21. Dick Rankin 22. Steve Young 23. Scott Ripper 24. J.R. McGinley
Miller Lite Six-Cylinder Modified Feature Finish: 1. KENNY HARDY 2. Harold Michaels 3. Lou Gentile 4. Frank Guidace 5. Randy Ferguson 6. Conny Allen 7. Bill Adams 8. Jim Bickel 9. Mark McEwen 10. Jim Reagle 11. DustinKress 12. Troy Willoughby 13. Rick Kress-DNS.
New Castle School of Trades Sportsman Modified Feature Finish: 1. JOHN BUCHANAN 2. Gary Smoker 3. Chanda Reitz 4. Andy Paden 5. Randy Rodemoyer 6. Doug Updyke 7. Gary Bollinger 8. Rick Ryder 9. Fred Sasse 10. Buck Buchanan 11. Leroy Johnson, Jr. 12. Mike Mathieson 13. Rick Hall 14. Jeff Miller 15. Scott Kay 16. Allen Ferry 17. Rod Artman 18. Jim Thompson 19. Dean Pearson 20. J.R. Greer 21. Jason Longwell 22. Andy
Butterfields Pub Stock Car Feature Finish: 1. MATT LUX 2. Jim Riffenberrick 3. John Reiser 4. Rick Norco 5. Kevin Thompson 6. Andy Buckley 7. Ed Hays 8. Bill Banick, Jr. 9. Kevin Bailey 10. Gary Robinson 11. Brian Miller 12. Leigh Wheeler 13. Jeff Kravec 14. Willie Aley 15. Andy Thompson 16. Vince Felicetty 17. Dave Ferringer 18. Gary Miller, Jr. 19. Brian Booher 20. Albert Hays 21. Rick Anthony 22. Rusty Moore 23. Tony Bruno 24. Mike Aley DNQ-Adam Aley, Don Greenlee, Ray Bailey, Jr., William George, Sr., Bill Fox, Brian Carothers, Jim Brunson.