Kent Takes First-ever 410 Sprint Win,

While Doran Wins #2 in Mercer DIRT Mods

by Mike Leone

August 7, 1999

Mercer(PA)...Highlighting wins on the 13th night of racing of 1999 at Mercer Raceway Park on Saturday evening were Arnie Kent (Waste Management Sprint Cars) and Tim Doran (MercerPros.com DIRT Modifieds). Other winners were Frank Guidace (Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modifieds), Marty Kristyak (Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modifieds), and Andy Buckley (Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stocks).

The last race it was former 360 Sprint driver Joe McEwen winning his first 410 race, this week it was former 360 Sprint driver Arnie Kent of New Castle, Pa. winning a long overdue first 410 Sprint Car Feature. "This is my 410. It’s a steel block. We’ve been having some trouble with it," said Kent.

"We’ll take it though and work on it tonight and go tomorrow (Sharon)," said a happy Kent.

Kent immediately took control from the pole position of the 20-lap Waste Management feature, while McEwen raced by Terry Young and Jason Jacoby on the opening lap for second. Fifth starter, Jamie Smith, was fast as he drove by Young, then Jacoby for third on lap two. Kent was already catching the

back-markers by lap four as all eyes were on Jimmy Hawley’s progression from the eight spot. The current point leader moved by Mike Kekich to crack the top five on lap five, then disposed of Jacoby for fourth on lap six.

Only two cautions slowed action which occured on laps eight and nine for Gary McCann and Rick Anderson respectively. When racing resumed, Kent, McEwen, Smith, and Hawley broke from the pack and put on quite a show in the remaining laps. Kent got some breathing room for a few laps as McEwen,

Smith, and Hawley were covered by a blanket battling for runner-up. On lap 13, Smith dove under McEwen for the spot. Kent got bogged down in traffic on the 16th lap allowing Smith to catch him. But Kent was able to hold on in his Dr. Martello Dentistry/McElwain Chevrolet #18. "I was upside down a

couple weeks ago. It’s a lot nicer to be here and it pays better," commented Kent form victory lane.

Smith settled for runner-up struggling to get by the lap car of Anderson in the closing laps. Hawley passed McEwen on the final lap for third dropping McEwen to fourth. Troy Preston came from 14th to place fifth in his brand new #1P. Sixth through tenth were Mark Murphy in his season debut, Jacoby, Rod Jones, Kekich, and Jack Sodeman, Jr. Heat winners were Jacoby, McCann, and Kekich over the 22-car field.

Tim Doran captured his second 20-lap MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature win. Earlier in the night, Doran’s dad predicted the win. "He’s pretty confident-more confident than I am. I think I could use more of that sometimes. He calls them sometimes," said the New Castle, Pa. driver.

Skip Moore led the first lap before third starting, Carl Murdick, took over the helm on lap two. Point leader Lou Blaney’s night came to an end going off on the hook on lap two. Another caution on the same lap took out Randy Snider and Tommy Kristyak. When racing resumed, Rodney Beltz and Rick Hall

passed Moore for second and third. On lap four, Beltz became the new leader when Murdick slipped high in turn four allowing Beltz to shoot by.

Doran was slowing working his way through the field from his 12th starting spot. Doran made a nice move to get around Moore and Bill Dorman for fourth on lap five. Beltz’s run came to an end on lap seven when his driveshaft broke giving the lead back to Murdick. Doran used the high-side to take second from Hall in turn four on lap 10. Running above the cushion, "Mr. Outside" drove by Murdick for the winning pass off turn two on the 11th circuit. Doran survived seven cautions for his second win in only his six appearance of the year in his Richard Smith Construction/Book & Book Well Drilling sponsored #12. "The car ran good and the guys in the crew had it set up good, and all the traffic seemed to go our way tonight. It was just a

lucky night I guess," relayed Doran from victory lane.

Steve Young gets the hard charge award of the night coming from 23rd to place second at the finish to retake the point lead. Young got second from Carl Murdick on lap 15 when Murdick got a bad restart. Hall, Dorman, and Jeff Schaffer all got by as well to complete the top five. Sixth through tenth were Murdick, Lonny Riggs, Rob McClimans, Moore, and Mark Sevin. Beltz, Schaffer, and Moore scored heat wins over the 25-car field.

Frank Guidace of Mercer, Pa. scored his third career win and first since June 27, 1998 in the 20-lap Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modified Feature. Guidace started third and passed Mark McEwen for second on lap two.

The winning move came on lap three taking the lead from veteran Conny Allen. Guidace went on for the near half-lap win in his Ace Paging/Alltel sponsored #99 over Gregg McCandless as only one caution slowed the event. McCandless came from sixth to take second from Allen on lap four. Carl Weatherby was third dropping Randy Ferguson to fourth for the fourth straight week. Jim Bickel completed the top five. Heats were won Lou Gentile and Weatherby. Marty Kristyak of Mercer, Pa. won the 14-lap rain-shortened Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modified Feature for his first win. Kristyak was

handicapped to the pole and led all the way for his first win since August 8, 1998 in his Kristyak’s Service Plaza #404. Teammate Gary Smoker came from 10th to pass Randy Rodemoyer for second on lap eight. Smoker ran down Kristyak in traffic and was all over him on lap 14, but a caution for Rob Kristyak slowed action just before the intensity of the rain picked up ending the event. Point leader Don McKnight raced from 11th to finish third passing Ron Eperthener, Jr. on lap 10. Eperthener dropped to fourth over Tom

Mattocks. Taking heat victories over the 28-car field were John Buchanan, Smoker, and Marty Kristyak.

After winning his first career event last time, Andy Buckley of Stoneboro, Pa. returned to victory lane making it two-in-a-row in the 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stock Feature. Buckley started his trek to the front from eighth. On lap four he had already moved into fourth taking the spot from Pat Hile. By lap eight, Buckley ran down leader Brian Miller. On lap nine, Buckley went to the outside and got a run off turn four to pass Miller at the line. Gary Robinson made a late charge passing Bill Hanna for third on lap 12, then got Miller for second on lap 14. Robinson was on Buckley on the last lap, but Buckley moved Robinson up in turn four and crossed the line first in his #965. Miller got under Robinson for runner-up. Hanna was fourth ahead of Leigh Wheeler. Heat victors were Buckley, Hanna, and Robinson over the 30-car field. Willie Aley won the B main.

Waste Management Sprint Car Feature Finish: 1. ARNIE KENT 2. Jamie Smith 3.

Jimmy Hawley 4. Joe McEwen 5. Troy Preston 6. Mark Murphy 7. Jason Jacoby 8.

Rod Jones 9. Mike Kekich 10. Jack Sodeman, Jr. 11. Terry Young 12. Eric

Hysong 13. Rick Anderson 14. Todd Bauer 15. Jim Damon 16. Gary McCollum 17.

Norton Southard 18. Gary McCann 19. Randy Johnson 20. Brent Matus 21. Randy

Kriegisch-DNS 22. Jim Chappel-DNS.

MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature Finish: 1. TIM DORAN 2. Steve Young 3.

Rick Hall 4. Bill Dorman 5. Jeff Schaffer 6. Carl Murdick 7. Lonny Riggs 8.

Rob McClimans 9. Skip Moore 10. Mark Sevin 11. Greg Davis 12. Howard Duff

13. Steve Barr 14. Randy Myers 15. Jerry Bickel 16. Doug Duncan 17. Andy

Priest 18. Rodney Beltz 19. Don Whitney 20. Rich Ferguson 21. Lou Blaney 22.

Tommy Kristyak 23. Randy Snider 24. Tom Armstrong 25. Troy Schaffer-DNS.

Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modified Feature Finish: 1. FRANK GUIDACE 2.

Gregg McCandless 3. Carl Weatherby 4. Randy Ferguson 5. Jim Bickel 6. Harold

Michaels 7. Conny Allen 8. Mark McEwen 9. Mark Welsh 10. Lou Gentile 11. Joe

Kane 12. Dana Gearhart 13. Rick Kress 14. Nicole Kress 15. Bill Adams 16.

Kenny Hardy-DNS 17. Jerry Schaffer-DNS.

Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modified Feature Finish: 1. MARTY

KRISTYAK 2. Gary Smoker 3. Don McKnight 4. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 5. Tom

Mattocks 6. Shon Derr 7. Randy Rodemoyer 8. Rick Hall 9. Greg G. Unrue 10.

John Buchanan 11. Rick Ryder 12. Skinny Hall 13. Joe Walsh, Jr. 14. Gary

Bollinger 15. Buck Buchanan 16. Bob Young 17. Fred Sasse 18. Andy Paden 19.

Jeff Miller 20. Mike Mathieson 21. Boyd Johnston, Jr. 22. Rob Kristyak 23.

Mike Kelley 24. Doug Upton 25. Steve Walsh-DNS 26. Jeremiah

Shingledecker-DNS 27. Scott Kay-DNS 28. Bill Thompson-DNS.

Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stock Feature Finish: 1. ANDY BUCKLEY 2. Brian Miller

3. Gary Robinson 4. Bill Hanna 5. Leigh Wheeler 6. Rick Anthony 7. Dave

Harbaugh 8. Leroy Johnson, Jr. 9. Pat Hile 10. Bill Banick, Jr. 11. Terry

Kroner 12. Willie Aley 13. Ed Hays 14. Todd Titus 15. Mike Aley 16. Steve

Reed 17. Albert Hays 18. George Davis 19. Buck Sevin 20. Tim Zuschlag 21.

Jeff Kravec 22. Lisa Whitehouse 23. Tim Mailliard 24. Dan Fedorchak DNQ-Ben

Aley, Ray Bailey, Charlie Baptiste, Chuck Kerr, Allen Priester, Brian

Booher.