Preston Wins First, While

Dorman wins #2 in Mercer

Sprint and DIRT Mod Action

by Mike Leone

July 10, 1999

Mercer (PA)...Troy Preston (Waste Management Sprint Cars) and Bill Dorman (MercerPros.com DIRT Modifieds) were the big winners Saturday at Mercer Raceway Park. Other winners were Lou Gentile (Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modifieds), Rob Kristyak (Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modifieds), and Leigh Wheeler (Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stocks).

Bruce Robenalt flies through the air

in his Sprint car at Mercer

Troy Preston beat fellow West Middlesex, Pa. driver Jimmy Hawley to pull off his first 20-lap Waste Management Sprint Car win of the year. "Chevron East told me he’d give me a $1000 if I could beat Jimmy Hawley and I did," said the driver of the Chevron East/Pennzoil #36. It was the first time Hawley has been beat at Mercer since June 5, the night Bob Felmlee pulled off his 100th career win in what may have been his final race of his career.

Gary Edwards, Joe McEwen, Arnie Kent, and Terry Young all drove by pole-sitter Jason Jacoby on the start. McEwen ran down Edwards and the two put on a good battle for the early part of the race. Preston, who started 10th, passed Young on the outside to take third on lap seven. On lap nine, while McEwen was applying heavy pressure to Edwards, his #44 slowed on the backstretch moving Preston to runner-up and brought out the caution with 11 laps completed.

Point leader Hawley was methodically moving his way through the pack from his 11th starting position. Hawley took care of Jamie Smith on lap 12, then disposed of Young for third on the following lap for third. Lap 14 was when Preston made his winning move shooting under Edwards coming out of turn three. Hawley also cleared Edwards on the same lap as Young and Smith dropped Edwards to fifth on lap 15. Staple Nash stopped the race on two occasions; first for a spin with 15 laps completed; then secondly after flipping in turn two. He was okay. Preston was able to keep Hawley at bay for his sixth Mercer win since Mercer reopened in 1994. Jamie Smith took Young for third on lap 16. Young and Edwards filled out the first five. Sixth through tenth were Kent, Mike Kekich, Gary McCann, Jason Jacoby, and Tommy Burns, Jr. Heat winners were Hawley and Smith.

Staple Nash flipped his Sprint in turn 2

Bill Dorman returned to victory lane for his second win. After recording his initial win on April 24 from the pole position, Dorman had suffered through mechanical problems and bad luck all year scoring only one top five since before doing it again from the pole position in the 20-lap MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature on Saturday evening. Dorman took the early lead after being handicapped to the pole position, while Carl Murdick settled into second. Murdick stayed close to Dorman the first-half of the race, while Lou Blaney was again the man on the move. After starting 10th, Blaney got the outside groove working taking both Tommy Kristyak and Rodney Beltz on lap nine. One lap later, Blaney edged Murdick for second at the line as the crossed flags were waved signaling the half-way point of the race. Blaney made up the half-straightaway deficit in three laps as he made the pass for the lead coming off turn four on the bottom of the track. But Blaney’s lead would only last one lap after a lap car go into him popping his #10 high into the air nearly flipping. Blaney was able to keep all four wheels on the ground, but was done for the night ending a string of five straight top twos.

Steve Young - 67, Rodney Beltz - 64,

and Lonnie Riggs - 58 run their mods 3-wide

When racing resumed, Rodney Beltz slowed in third place moving Guy Griffin and Jerry Bickel to third and fourth. Griffin, who tangled with Steve Young, and Rick Hall with five laps completed, was quickly moving through the field. Griffin got Murdick for second when Murdick got sideways coming off turn four on lap 17. Griffin closed on Dorman in the final laps, but came up short to the Stockton, New York driver. Murdick was third with Tommy Kristyak fourth and Bickel fifth. Sixth through tenth were Lonny Riggs, Randy Myers, Steve Barr, Kenny Hardy, and Todd Schaffer. Young, Blaney, and Rick Hall were heat victors,

At 60 years old, Lou Gentile just keeps on winning. The Youngstown, Ohio driver made it four-in-a-row after winning the 20-lap Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modified Feature. Kenny Hardy took the lead from Harold Michaels on lap two nipping him at the line. Hardy led until lap six when he exited to the pits giving the lead back to Michaels. Michaels held off Gentile until lap 11 when Gentile passed him coming off turn four on the inside. Gentile pulled away for his fifth win of the year in the Emig #1 and his winnings were donated to Make-A-Wish. After spinning out on the first lap, Carl Weatherby came from the rear to finish second after passing both Randy Ferguson and Michaels coming out of turn four on the final lap. Michaels edged Ferguson for fourth. Frank Guidace was fifth. Heats went to Weatherby and Hardy.

Twenty-year-old Rob Kristyak is upholding the Kristyak name by being a winner himself. The Bristolville, Ohio driver won his second 20-lap Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modified Feature of the year. Kristyak started fifth, but had the lead on lap three as he and Rick Ryder moved by Ron Eperthener, Jr. for the first two spots. John Buchanan, who started eighth, would give Kristyak a run for his money. Buchanan took third from Eperthener on lap five then on lap 11 grabbed runner-up from Ryder. Buchanan drove to the outside of Kristyak and took the lead as the two raced out of turn four on lap 13. Just after the lap was completed the yellow flag was waved. Then after the restart, Buchanan lost the lead and was denied a first-career win as Kristyak went on for his second career win in his Klaben Crown Ford #00. Buchanan was second with Don McKnight third. On the final lap, Scott Kay tangled with Rick Hall as Kay flipped and landed on his roof. He was taken to United Community Hospital in Grove City where he was later released. Hall was fourth with Shon Derr fifth after coming from the rear. Winning heats were Jeremiah Shingledecker, Kristyak, and Eperthener.

Fred Sasse - 0, landed on top of Andy Paden - 2

in Mercer West Penn Modified Action

Scott Kay barrel-rolled his West Penn Mod

down the Mercer Backstretch. He was shaken, but OK.

Leigh Wheeler evened teammate Brian Booher at one by winning the 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stock Feature. Booher led the first four laps, but dropped from competition on lap five giving the lead to Andy Buckley. Buckley’s lead would only last one lap when Wheeler shot by entering turn four on lap six. On lap nine, Wheeler got crossed up coming out of turn four enabling Gary Robinson to take the lead. But his lead would only last one lap as well when he pitted under caution with nine laps completed. Wheeler survived the last six laps crossing the line first with Buckley right on his bumper at the checkers. It was Wheeler’s second career Mercer win, but first since September 9, 1995 in the #2W. Rick Anthony came from 18th to get third over Todd Titus and Brian Miller. Heat victors were Robinson, Buckley, and John Reiser. Anthony won the B main.

Waste Management Sprint Car Feature Finish:

1. TROY PRESTON

2. Jimmy Hawley 3. Jamie Smith 4. Terry Young 5. Gary Edwards 6. Arnie Kent 7. Mike Kekich 8. Gary McCann 9. Jason Jacoby 10. Tommy Burns, Jr. 11. Dave Wagner 12. Gary McCollum 13. Staple Nash 14. Joe McEwen 15. Bruce Robenalt 16. Jim Chappel-DNS.

MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature Finish:

1. BILL DORMAN

2. Guy Griffin 3. Carl Murdick 4. Tommy Kristyak 5. Jerry Bickel 6. Lonny Riggs 7. Randy Myers 8. Steve Barr 9. Kenny Hardy 10. Todd Schaffer 11. Troy Schaffer 12. Howard Duff 13. Rodney Beltz 14. Bob Dorman 15. Lou Blaney 16. Tom Armstrong 17. Steve Young 18. Rick Hall 19. Rich Ferguson 20. Skip Moore-DNS 21. Jim Reagle-DNS 22. Mark Sevin-DNS 23. Greg Davis-DNS.

Miller Lite/AMSOIL Six-Cylinder Modified Feature Finish:

1. LOU GENTILE

2.Carl Weatherby 3. Harold Michaels 4. Randy Ferguson 5. Frank Guidace 6. Jim Bickel 7. Bill Adams 8. Mark Welsh 9. Dave Price 10. Rick Kress 11. Joe Kane 12. Kenny Hardy 13. Conny Allen 14. Dana Gearhart 15. Mark McEwen-DNS.

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

1. ROB KRISTYAK

2. John Buchanan 3. Don McKnight 4. Rick Hall 5. Shon Derr 6. Rick Ryder 7. Marty Kristyak 8. Randy Rodemoyer 9. Greg Unrue 10. Joe Walsh, Jr. 10. Joe Walsh, Jr. 11. Scott Kay 12. Bob Young 13. Bill Thompson 14. Mike Kelley 15. Jeremiah Shingledecker 16. Skinny Hall 17. Jeff Miller 18. Fred Sasse 19. Andy Paden 20. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 21. Mike Mathieson 22. Boyd Johnston, Jr. 23. Gary Smoker 24. Tom Mattocks 25. Buck Buchanan 26. Kevin Nagy-DNS 27. Gary Bollinger-DNS.

Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stock Feature Finish:

1. LEIGH WHEELER

2. Andy Buckley 3. Rick Anthony 4. Todd Titus 5. Brian Miller 6. Terry Kroner 7. Mike Aley 8. Dan Fedorchak 9. Randy Snider 10. Gary Robinson 11. Ed Hays 12. Chuck Kerr 13. Charlie Baptiste 14. J.B. Dandy 15. John Reiser 16. Bill Hanna 17. Jeff Kravec 18. George Davis 19. Pat Hile 20. Lisa Whitehouse 21.Pat McMenamin 22. Tim Mailliard 23. Albert Hays 24. Brian Booher 25. Tony Bruno-DNS DNQ-Willie Aley, Ray Bailey, Jim Brunson, Buck Sevin, Tim Zushlag.