Lynch Wins First, While Blaney Wins #7 in Mercer Sprint and DIRT Modified Action

by Mike Leone

September 11, 1999

Mercer (PA)...Highlighting wins on the 17th night of racing on the final regular show of the season were Ed Lynch, Jr. (Waste Management Sprint Cars) and Lou Blaney (MercerPros.com DIRT Modifieds). Other winners were Kenny Hardy (Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modifieds), John Buchanan (Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modifieds), Gary Robinson (Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stocks), and Terry Wheeler (Zoresco P.C.T.C. Senior Series).

Making his first appearance of the season, Ed Lynch, Jr. recorded the 20-lap Waste Management Sprint Car win prepping for this Saturday’s Chuck Marsh Memorial. "That was part of the reason for us coming here and we wanted to check out the other motor. The other motor we had a motor problem so we changed motors and went with "Old Reliable," said the Saltsburg, Pa. resident in victory lane. Lynch started on the outside pole and settled into second as sprint car rookie Gary Kriess, Jr. took the early lead. After chasing Kriess for the first three laps, Lynch got alongside Kriess on lap four and powered by on the backstretch for the winning move. A lot of good racing was taking place behind Lynch. Troy Preston came from seventh and passed Skip Dougherty for third on lap five. The other car on the move was first-time 1999 visitor, Brian Ellenberger, who started ninth. Ellenberger passed Jack Sodeman, Jr. for fifth on lap five, then disposed of Dougherty for fourth on lap nine.

Following a restart for a Randy Johnson spin with 12 laps completed, Troy Preston drove by Kriess for second. Ellenberger followed in third on lap 15. A caution for debris with 16 laps completed and another for Todd Bauer with 17 laps in gave Preston and Ellenberger one final shot at Lynch. When racing resumed, Lynch pulled away for the win and let Preston and Ellenberger battle for second. Lynch’s first Mercer win since June 6, 1998 came aboard his father’s owned, Howard Concrete Pumping/Indy Equipment/Chip Ganassi Racing sponsored #2L. "The American Racer/McCreary Tires worked really well on this really nice surface," commented Lynch. "I’ll tell you what, it’ my first time here this year. I’ve been missing out. They really have a nice surface here. It’s real racy and you’re going to see a good race next week," concluded the appreciative Lynch. Preston edged Ellenberger for runner-up. Kriess held on for a season-best fourth over newcomer Skip Dougherty. Sixth through tenth were Jack Sodeman, Jr., Mike Kekich, Brad Ellenberger, newcomer Doug Heritage, and Bob Lime. Heat wins went Dougherty, Preston, and Lynch over the 24-car field.

Gary McCollum took this nasty high flip in turn one at Mercer on Saturday night. He walked away uninjured in the scary crash...©BRP

Point champion Lou Blaney won his third straight 20-lap MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature win. The Hartford, Ohio veteran started on the outside pole and led all the way in the Colonial Metal Products/Carpenter’s Towing/Troy-Alan Chevrolet sponsored #10 for his seventh win and 20th since Mercer reopened in 1994. When the green flag waved, Blaney shot by Doug Duncan for the lead as Lonny Riggs and Tim Doran followed. Doran chased Riggs for five laps before making the move for second on the sixth circuit. A great battle for third took place between Riggs, Andy Priest, Tommy Kristyak, and Bill Dorman. Priest got the spot from Riggs on lap 12, while Kristyak and Dorman followed by the following lap. On lap 14, Dorman went by both Kristyak and Priest for the third spot. A caution for Duncan gave Doran and Dorman another chance at Blaney, but Blaney was not to be denied winning his 19th overall race of the season. Doran edged Dorman, who started 19th. Jerry Bickel came from 10th to finish fourth after getting by Riggs, Kristyak, and Priest in the closing laps. Riggs fell to fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Rodney Beltz, Rick Hall, Carl Murdick, Kristyak, and Jim Rombold. Doran and Blaney won the heats.

Kenny Hardy, Mercer’s top winner since reopening in 1994, finally put in all together recording his first win of the season in the 20-lap Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modified Feature. Stan Bell led the first six laps before getting sideways on the seventh lap allowing Harold Michaels and Lou Gentile to get by. Michaels led laps seven and eight until Gentile and Bell got around on lap nine. Hardy, who started eighth, passed Michaels for third on lap 10, then did the same to Bell on the 12th lap. Hardy’s winning move came on lap 14 nosing ahead of Gentile at the line for the lead. Hardy, of Wampum, Pa., led the rest of the way in the Hardy Trucking #85B for his first win since July 25, 1998. It was his 37th win since 1994. Gentile was second. Michaels and Randy Ferguson took third and fourth from Bell, who dropped to fifth at the finish. Scoring heat wins were Jerry Schaffer and Hardy.

They always say the first win is the toughest and after that they’re much easier. That’s the case with John Buchanan. After winning his first career race the previous week, the Mercer, Pa. driver made it two-in-a-row in the 20-lap Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modified Feature. Buchanan started seventh and two cautions without a lap in moved him to second behind leader Tom Mattocks, who started fifth. On lap two, Buchanan made the winning move getting past Mattocks. Eighth starter, Skinny Hall, got by Mattocks for second on lap seven as did Jim Schaffer for third on lap eight. The veteran Hall pressured Buchanan and was all over the youngster, but the driver of the McCool’s Signs & Graphics #93 was able to hold on for the win. Hall was second over newcomer Jim Schaffer, Mattocks, and 19th starting Don McKnight. Buck Buchanan and son John Buchanan scored heat wins.

Gary Robinson continues to be the driver to beat in the Pure Stocks. The Greenville, Pa. driver won his third straight Butterfield’s Pub feature and eighth of the season. John Reiser led the first three laps, before seventh starter, Brian Miller, entered the mix. Miller and Reiser really went at it in the following laps with Miller taking the lead on lap four as Reiser stayed right on Miller. Robinson, who started 10th, passed Reiser for second on lap 12, then got Miller coming off turn four on lap 13. Miller tried to retake the lead on lap 14, but spun coming up of turn four for the white flag. Robinson went on for the win in his Cresswell’s Auto Align/Speir Homes #44R. Jim Brunson, who started 12th, really came on late passing Reiser for runner-up off turn four on the final lap and was right on Robinson’s bumper at the checkers. Reiser fell to third over Tom Tuite in his second start of the season, and Albert Hays. Heat victors over the 44-car field were Jim Riffenberrick, Brunson, Miller, and Ed Hays. Willie Aley and Albert Hays won the two B mains.

For the second time this season, Bill Wheeling was passed for the lead on the final lap. This time it was in the Zoresco P.C.T.C. Senior Series. Wheeling, who started 12th, passed race-long leader Bud Holben on lap nine for the lead. Wheeling appeared headed to the non-stop win until Holben got tangled up with two laps to go bringing out the only caution of the race. When green replaced yellow, Terry Wheeler, who started 11th, passed both Jim Roberts and Tom Knight, Sr. on lap 14 for second. On the final lap, Wheeler of Stonboro, Pa., drove by Wheeling for the win in the MPR Lumber sponsored #2B. Wheeling was second good enough to earn him the series championship. Third through fifth were Roberts, Sid Haas, Jr., and Knight. Heats went to Wheeler and Wheeling.

September 11, 1999 Results

Waste Management Sprint Car Feature Finish:

1. ED LYNCH, JR.

2. Troy Preston 3. Brian Ellenberger 4. Gary Kriess, Jr. 5. Skip Dougherty 6. Jack Sodeman, Jr. 7. Mike Kekich 8. Brad Ellenberger 9. Doug Heritage 10. Bob Lime 11. Andy McKisson 12. Jason Jacoby 13. Randy Johnson 14. Joe McEwen 15. Paul Kapuchuck 16. Todd Bauer 17. Tom Quarterson 18. Kevin Schaeffer 19. Mike Latsch 20. Rod Jones 21. Gary Edwards 22. Glenn Noland-DNS 23. Gary McCollum-DNS 24. Scott Priester-DNS.

MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature Finish:

1. LOU BLANEY

2. Tim Doran 3. Bill Dorman 4. Jerry Bickel 5. Lonny Riggs 6. Rodney Beltz 7. Rick Hall 8. Carl Murdick 9. Tommy Kristyak 10. Jim Rombold 11. Steve Barr 12. Rich Ferguson 13. Doug Duncan 14. Andy Priest 15. Tom Armstrong 16. Todd Schaffer 17. Greg Davis 18. Ed Alcorn 19. Steve Young 20. Howard Duff 21. Skip Deane-DNS 22. Mark Sevin-DNS.

Miller Lite/AMSOIL Six-Cylinder Modified Feature Finish:

1. KENNY HARDY

2. Lou Gentile 3. Harold Michaels 4. Randy Ferguson 5. Stan Bell 6. Conny Allen 7. Frank Guidace 8. Bill Adams 9. Jerry Bowser 10. Mark McEwen 11. Rick Kress 12. Dustin Kress 13. Jerry Schaffer 14. Carl Weatherby 15. Dana Gearhart-DNS.

Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modified Feature Finish:

1. JOHN BUCHANAN

2. Skinny Hall 3. Jim Schaffer 4. Tom Mattocks 5. Don McKnight 6. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 7. Rick Ryder 8. Andy Paden 9. Bob Young 10. Rick Hall 11. Ron Sasse 12. Boyd Johnston, Jr. 13. Jeff Miller 14. Gary Bollinger 15. Zack Moran 16. Buck Buchanan 17. Gary Wansor 18. Bill Thompson 19. Greg Unrue.

Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stock Feature Finish:

1. GARY ROBINSON

2. Jim Brunson 3. John Reiser 4. Tom Tuite 5. Albert Hays 6. Jim Riffenberrick 7. Gary Miller, Jr. 8. Rick Anthony 9. Tim Mailliard 10. Pat Hile 11. Shaun Hooks 12. Jeff Kravec 13. Brian Miller 14. Willie Aley 15. Doug Iorio II 16. Mike Aley 17. Andy Thompson 18. Ed Hays 19. Rick Norco 20. George Davis 21. Chuck Kerr 22. Leigh Wheeler 23. Bobby Whitling 24. Leroy Johnson, Jr. DNQ-Mike Turner, Ken Bailey, Tommy Dembowski, Dan Pflueger, Ben Aley, Tony Bruno, John Hobbs, Sr., Darrell Calvert, Al Priester, Terry Kroner, Jamie Shetler, Lynn Hostetler, Tim Zuschlag, Dave Harbaugh, Brian Kuttesch, Mark Felicetty, Ray Yuran, Skip Reseigh, Chuck Taylor, John Hobbs II.