First-ever for McEwen in Sprints; Blaney again in Mercer DIRT Mods

by Mike Leone

July 24, 1999

Mercer (PA)...Highlighting wins on the 12th night of racing of 1999 Saturday at Mercer Raceway Park were Joe McEwen (Waste Management Sprint Cars) and Lou Blaney (MercerPros.com DIRT Modifieds). Other winners were Carl Weatherby (Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modifieds), Gary Smoker (Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modifieds), and Andy Buckley (Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stocks).

"Smokin" Joe McEwen of Mercer, Pa. smoked the competition in the 20-lap Waste Management Sprint Car Feature for his first career 410 Sprint win. "You better believe I’m excited," stated a happy McEwen. "It’s been a long time coming. This is working hard at it. I’ve got to thank my wife for sticking with me. She’s put up with a lot. I want to thank everyone.

Bogarty, McEwen, & Sparks, Bailey Racing has really stuck behind me the last couple years. I wish Bill (Bailey) was here," said McEwen from victory lane. McEwen started fourth on the grid, but blew by Gary Edwards, Terry Young, and Jason Jacoby for the lead on the first lap as pole-sitter, Jason Jacoby fell into second. Within in two laps, Troy Preston had moved from eighth to third passing Young for third. By the half-way mark, McEwen opened up a straightaway lead on Jacoby as all eyes were on Jimmy Hawley, who was working his way from the 10th spot. Hawley passed Mike Kekich to crack the top five on lap 12. Two laps later, Hawley got fourth from Edwards.

The only stoppage of the race was for Arnie Kent, who flipped in turn three with 17 laps completed. He was okay. During the red, Preston was pushed to the pits moving Hawley up to third for the restart. When racing resumed, Hawley went around Jacoby for second, but got bogged behind a lap car, which was all McEwen needed. McEwen raced on to the win in his self-owned #44 over point leader Hawley. Edwards took third from Jacoby on lap 18 for his best finish of the season. Jacoby held off Jamie Smith for fourth. Sixth through tenth were Kekich, Young, Rod Jones in his season debut, Gary McCann, and Jim Chappel. Heat winners were McCann and Jacoby.

Arnie Kent flipped in turn 3. He was OK.

After taking all of last week off due to injury, Lou Blaney returned to victory lane in the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series Eckerd 300 Syracuse Qualifier 20-lap MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature. It was his second win of the weekend after winning Friday at Lernerville Speedway. Two weeks ago, Blaney was leading the feature until being taken out by a lap car. Speaking of the incident, "I came down hard in the corner and kind of messed up a few things (regarding his injuries). But we’re getting back." Rick Hall took the early lead from the outside pole passing Troy Schaffer on the start.

By lap two, fifth and sixth starters, Bill Dorman and Jerry Bickel, had worked into second and third. Bickel’s hold on third lasted until lap six when Blaney, who started 10th, made the move. Meanwhile, up front Hall and Dorman were putting on quite a battle as Hall was able to maintain his lead. Bickel rolled to a stop with nine laps completed bunching up the field. Two laps later, runner-up Dorman did like-wise. This moved Blaney to second and Lonny Riggs to third. When racing resumed, Riggs lost the spot to Tommy Kristyak on lap 12. Blaney was all over Hall until lap 16 when the Hartford, Ohio driver drove right around Hall on the outside of turns one and two.

Blaney went on to win by a near straightaway for his fourth win. "It worked out good tonight. The track got pretty good. It was good for me," said Blaney after his 17th win since Mercer reopened in 1994, which moved him into the point lead for the first time this year. Hall was second over Kristyak, Riggs, and Carl Murdick. Sixth through tenth were Randy Myers, Steve Barr, Howard Duff, Mark Sevin, and Schaffer. Heat victors over the 24-car field were Riggs, Kristyak, and Blaney.

Defending three-time champion, Carl Weatherby of Volant, Pa., won his fifth

20-lap Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modified Feature to take over the point lead. Weatherby started on the outside pole, but lost the lead to third-place starter, Frank Guidace, who shot into the lead. Weatherby fell to second with seventh starter, Gregg McCandless, up to third on the first lap. Weatherby’s winning move in his #919 came on lap six when he passed Guidace in turn one. Mechanical problems occurred for both Guidace and McCandless on lap 13 moving Harold Michaels to second and Randy Ferguson to third. But up front, no one had anything for Weatherby, who cruised to his 33rd win since 1994 moving him within three wins of Kenny Hardy. Michaels was a season-best second barely edging Lou Gentile, who passed Ferguson for third on lap 19. Ferguson was fourth for the third-straight week. Hardy was fifth. Weatherby and Gentile won the heats.

After a horrible mid-season which saw Gary Smoker fall from the point lead to eighth, the Mercer, Pa. driver had some luck on his side as he won his third 20-lap Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modified Feature. Smoker started fourth as Tom Mattocks raced into the lead. Smoker passed Ron Eperthener, Jr. on the start and then took second from Joe Walsh, Jr. on lap two. Smoker was all over Mattocks in the first-half of the race until finally making the move on lap nine coming off turn two. The man on the move was 20th starter, Rick Hall. Hall passed Rob Kristyak for third on lap nine, then took Mattocks for second on the 14th circuit. A scary incident took place on the 15th lap when John Buchanan flipped violently end-over-end in turns one and two. He was okay. Despite seven cautions, Smoker was able to hold off Hall for his 15th win since 1994 in his Kristyak’s Service Plaza #401. Point leader Don McKnight passed Mattocks for third on lap 16. Eperthener and Bollinger also got by Mattocks for fourth and fifth. Taking the heats were Buchanan, Smoker, and Scott Kay over the 26-car field.

John Buchanan barrel-rolled in turn 1 in the

West-Penn feature. He was OK.

After coming close on many occasions, Andy Buckley finally was able to lead lucky lap #15 for his first career win in the 15-lap Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stock Feature. Early on it appeared that Rick Anthony may have been headed for his first career win. Anthony got by Brian Miller and Lisa Whitehouse for second on lap two. Jeff Kravec had led the first four laps, until losing the lead to Anthony on the backstretch of lap five. The following lap saw Kravec spin in the infield and by this time, Buckley, who started seventh was now up to second. Anthony and Buckley battled until lap nine when Buckley made the move for the top spot. The Stoneboro, Pa. driver led the last seven laps for the win over Anthony. Bill Hanna passed Miller for third on lap 11. Leigh Wheeler and Gary Robinson also got by Miller for fourth and fifth. Hanna, Buckley, and Robinson scored heat wins over the 31-car field. Brian Booher won the B main.

Waste Management Sprint Car Feature Finish:

1. JOE McEWEN

2. Jimmy Hawley 3. Gary Edwards 4. Jason Jacoby 5. Jamie Smith 6. Mike Kekich 7. Terry Young 8. Rod Jones 9. Gary McCann 10. Jim Chappel 11. Dave Wagner 12. Troy Preston 13. Jarod Larson 14. Arnie Kent 15. Gary McCollum.

MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature Finish:

1. LOU BLANEY

2. Rick Hall 3. Tommy Kristyak 4. Lonny Riggs 5. Carl Murdick 6. Randy Myers 7. Steve Barr 8. Howard Duff 9. Mark Sevin 10. Troy Schaffer 11. Greg Davis 12. Bill Dorman 13. Doug Duncan 14. Rich Ferguson 15. Jerry Bickel 16. Guy Griffin 17. Skip Moore 18. Randy Snider 19. Ed Alcorn 20. Andy Priest 21. Lee Miller 22. Rodney Beltz-DNS 23. Skip Deane-DNS 24. Steve Young-DNS.

Miller Lite/AMSOIL Six-Cylinder Modified Feature Finish:

1. CARL WEATHERBY

2. Harold Michaels 3. Lou Gentile 4. Randy Ferguson 5. Kenny Hardy 6. Conny Allen 7. Jim Bickel 8. Mark Welsh 9. Dave Price 10. Dana Gearhart 11. Mark McEwen 12. Rick Kress 13. Joe Kane 14. Gregg McCandless 15. Frank Guidace 16. Jerry Bowser 17. Bill Adams-DNS 18. Jerry Schaffer-DNS.

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

1. GARY SMOKER

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

Butterfield’s Pub Pure Stock Feature Finish:

1. ANDY BUCKLEY

2. Rick Anthony 3. Bill Hanna 4. Leigh Wheeler 5. Gary Robinson 6. Brian Booher 7. Lynn Hostetler 8. Brian Miller 9. Allan Hudzik 10. Willie Aley 11. Chuck Kerr 12. Pat Hile 13. Todd Titus 14. Sammy Wheat 15. Buck Sevin 16. Ed Hays 17. George Davis 18. Jeff Kravec 19. Dan Fedorchak 20. Terry Kroner 21. Adam Aley 22. Lisa Whitehouse 23. Albert Hays 24. John Reiser 25. Randy Snider-DNS DNQ-Ray Bailey, Tim Zuschlag, Steve Reed, Gary Johns, Charlie Baptiste, Mike Aley