Felmlee and Dorman

Record First Wins at Mercer

by Mike Leone

April 24, 1999

Mercer (PA)...The sunshine finally returned to western Pennsylvania allowing Mercer Raceway Park to complete its second night of racing on Saturday evening. The five-division 19-event program was once again run off in less than four hours. Posing in victory lane were Bob Felmlee, Franklin, Pa. -Waste Management Sprint Cars; Bill Dorman, Stockton, Ny. -MercerPros.com DIRT Modifieds; Carl Weatherby, Volant, Pa.-Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modifieds; Don McKnight, Jamestown, Pa.-Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modifieds; and Gary Norman, New Castle, Pa.-Butterfield's Pub Pure Stocks.

The 1998 Mercer Raceway Park and Tri-City track champion, Bob Felmlee, returned to victory lane for the first time in 1999 by scoring the 20-lap Waste Management Sprint Car Feature win. Gary Edwards and Arnie Kent were on the front row according to the new handicap line-up system. Felmlee, who started fourth, raced by second-generation driver, Jason Jacoby, and Kent on the start for runner-up. On lap three, Felmlee drove by Edwards on the outside in turns one and two for the lead. Opening night winner, Jimmy Hawley, who started ninth, was picking his way through the field cracking the top five on lap five when he passed the number five of Jamie Smith. Two laps later Hawley blasted by Jacoby for fourth on the outside. On the following lap he used the same move for third taking Kent. Hawley continued the trend one lap later on the ninth circuit when he moved by Edwards for the second spot once again using turns one and two, but this time utilizing the inside of the track. At the half-way point, Felmlee built a straightaway lead over Hawley while the two worked traffic. Kent grabbed third by passing Edwards at the line on lap 14. On lap 16, Jamie Smith took fourth as he passed Jacoby and Edwards. Edwards fell back two more spots on the 18th lap when Jacoby and Bonnell slid on by. Back up front, Felmlee maintained his cushion in his World of Wheels/Car*Mate Trailers #6 over Hawley as he went on for the win in the non-stop event timed in 5:32.02. Hawley was second. Kent led Smith to the checkers for third and fourth. Bonnell rounded out the top five when he took the position from Jacoby on lap 19. Sixth through tenth were Jacoby, Edwards, Buddy Cochran, Mike Kekich, and Gary Kriess, Jr. Heat winners were Edwards and Tom Quarterson.

Bill Dorman survived a wild and crazy 20-lap MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature for his first win of 1999. On the first lap, six cars tangled including Tommy Kristyak, Scott Rodgers, Rodney Beltz, Troy Schaffer, Mike Gordon, and Randy Myers. All six cars restarted. Skip Deane, who started fifth, passed Tom Armstrong for second, while Rick Hall followed in third on lap two. Then Rodgers and Dave Murdick collected each other. When green flag racing resumed, Dorman continued his advantage, but on the same lap the fourth place car of Armstrong spun causing the third caution. Rick Hall swapped positions with Deane for second on lap three, and lap five Steve Young got around Deane for third right before the fourth caution waved for a Lonny Riggs and Jerry Bickel spin. Carl Murdick, who started eighth, now was in third passing Deane and Young on the restart. Lou Blaney, who scratched from his heat and started 21st, was driving through the pack and on the restart drove to the outside to pass Deane and Young as well for fourth. The second place car of Rick Hall spun necessitating the fifth caution with six laps completed. At this point the top five were Dorman, Murdick, Blaney, Deane, and Beltz. On the restart, Beltz passed Deane for fourth and one lap later drove by Blaney on the backstretch for third prior to a spin by Guy Griffin. Beltz was flying after restarting at the rear and blew by Murdick on the backstretch for second on lap eight as he clearly had the fastest car. An excellent four-car battle was developing for the lead with Dorman holding off Beltz, Murdick, and Blaney. Todd Schaffer spun bringing out the caution with nine laps in the books. When racing resumed, Blaney moved into the show position driving by Murdick. On lap 11, Beltz tried to go to the inside to pass Dorman for the lead coming off turn four, but hit a slick spot and spun as the yellow waved for the eighth and final time. The last ten laps ran non-stop without too much excitement unlike the first ten laps. Dorman was able to hold off Blaney for the win in his self-owned #19. Murdick was third for the second straight time. Rob McClimans came on late to finish fourth after starting 20th in a former Jimmy Horton car. Guy Griffin came back to finish fifth after restarting on the tail on a lap-eight restart. Sixth through tenth were Young, Riggs, Deane, Rich Ferguson, and Bickel. Kristyak and Griffin were heat winners over the 24-car field.

Three-time defending track champion, Carl Weatherby, returned to victory lane for the first time in 1999 taking the 20-lap Miller Lite/Amsoil Six-Cylinder Modified win. Gregg McCandless took the lead from the pole position on the start. Weatherby, who started seventh, was already up to third on lap two when he passed Conny Allen. It was lap five when Weatherby took runner-up from Randy Ferguson. On lap seven, Weatherby made his move for the lead driving by McCandless on the backstretch. Kenny Hardy got around Ferguson for third on lap eight. Just past the half-way mark, Hardy and McCandless battled for the runner-up with the two swapping positions. Hardy got by for good on lap 13. But Weatherby had things under control as he put his Ed & Jerry's NAPA sponsored #919 in victory lane. Hardy was second for the second straight time. McCandless was third for his best finish since a third on July 25, 1998. Lou Gentile was fourth after coming from the back twice and failing on his bid for the bonus. Ferguson was fifth. Gentile and Hardy won the heats.

After coming close on many occasions last season and finishing runner-up last week, second-year driver, Don McKnight, recorded his first career win taking the 15-lap Quaker Steak & Lube West-Penn Limited Modified Feature. McKnight started sixth and passed Scott Kay, Skinny Hall, Ron Eperthener, Jr., Rick Ryder, and Rob Kristyak all on the first lap for the lead. Kristyak assumed second. Ninth starter, Rick Hall, was up to third when he passed his father, Skinny, on lap 10. Kristyak closed on McKnight in the closing laps, but McKnight was able to hold on for the win his #67. The race went green to checker in four minutes and 53 seconds. Rick Hall was third. Gary Smoker failed in his bid for the bonus, but made it up to fourth at the finish. Kay completed the top five. Heats went to Skinny Hall and Smoker.

Gary Norman always makes occasional visits to Mercer and is always fast, but never can seem to get to victory lane. That all changed Saturday evening as Norman pulled off the 15-lap Butterfield's Pub Pure Stock win. Leigh Wheeler and Jeff Covelli led the field to green. Norman started third and passed Covelli for second on the first lap. A good four-car battle for the lead developed with Wheeler leading the way over Norman, Covelli, and Dan Lewis. A caution for Jim Brunson bunched up the field with four laps completed. On the restart, Norman had enough horses to pull ahead of Wheeler going into turn one. During a caution with six laps completed, Covelli got a flat moving Lewis up to third. When green replaced yellow, Lewis took second from Wheeler on the seventh go-around. A caution regrouped the field for a one-lap shoot-out. But Norman was able to hold on for his first Mercer win since 1994 in his #9 over Lewis and Wheeler as it was as the top three cars who battled for the entire race were all orange cars. Bill Hanna was fourth with Gary Robinson completing the top five. Winning the heats were Doug Iorio, Brian Booher, Norman, and Hanna over the 48-car field. The two B mains were won by Andy Buckley and John Reiser.

Results for April 24, 1999

Waste Management Sprint Car Feature Finish:

1. BOB FELMLEE

2. Jimmy Hawley 3. Arnie Kent 4. Jamie Smith 5. Scott Bonnell 6. Jason Jacoby 7. Gary Edwards 8. Buddy Cochran 9. Mike Kekich 10. Gary Kriess, Jr. 11. Tommy Burns, Jr. 12. Randy Kriegisch 13. Gary McCann 14. Dave Penezich, Jr. 15. Dan Leech 16. Troy Cochran 17. Tom Quarterson 18. Bob Whitacre-DNS.

MercerPros.com DIRT Modified Feature Finish:

1. BILL DORMAN

2. Lou Blaney 3. Carl Murdick 4. Rob McClimans 5. Guy Griffin 6. Steve Young 7. Lonny Riggs 8. Skip Deane 9. Rich Ferguson 10. Jerry Bickel 11. Scott Rodgers 12. Howard Duff 13. Randy Myers 14. Rodney Beltz 15. Troy Schaffer 16. Tom Armstrong 17. Todd Schaffer 18. Jim Reagle 19. Rick Hall 20. Tommy Kristyak 21. Dave Murdick 22. Mike Gordon 23. Mark Sevin-DNS 24. Randy Ferguson-DNS.

Miller Lite/AMSOIL Six-Cylinder Modified Feature Finish:

1. CARL WEATHERBY

2. Kenny Hardy 3. Gregg McCandless 4. Lou Gentile 5. Randy Ferguson 6. Harold Michaels 7. Bill Adams 8. Jim Bickel 9. Frank Guidace 10. Rick Kress 11. Joe Kane 12. Dana Gearhart 13. Conny Allen 14. Steve Barr 15. Jerry Schaffer-DNS.

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

1. DON MCKNIGHT

2. Rob Kristyak 3. Rick Hall 4. Gary Smoker 5. Scott Kay 6. Skinny Hall 7. Ron Eperthener, Jr. 8. Marty Kristyak 9. Gary Bollinger 10. Rick Ryder 11. Bob Young 12. Jeff Miller 13. Dave Norcross 14. Boyd Johnson, Jr. 15. Steve Walsh-DNS 16. Jeremiah Shingledecker-DNS 17. Doug Upton-DNS 18. Bill Adams-DNS 19. Mike Kelley-DNS.

Butterfield's Pub Pure Stock Feature Finish:

1. GARY NORMAN

2. Dan Lewis 3. Leigh Wheeler 4. Bill Hanna 5. Gary Robinson 6. Rick Anthony 7. Tim Mailliard 8. Andy Buckley 9. Shaun Hooks 10. Chuck Kerr 11. Jim Brunson 12. Tony Spaghetti 13. Brian Miller 14. Jim Davis 15. Todd Titus 16. Brian Mathieson 17. John Reiser 18. Brian Booher 19. Buck Sevin 20. Jeff Covelli 21. Doug Iorio 22. Andy Thompson 23. Leroy Johnson, Jr. 24. Bobby Pifer 25. Lisa Whitehouse-DNS 26. Pat Hile-DNS

DNQ-Jim Riffenberrick, Charlie Baptiste, Ed Hays, Jeff Kravec, Patty McCann, Rusty Moore, Mike Metelsky, Bill Banick, Jr., Mike Aley, Rick Norco, Kevin Bailey, Pat McMenamin, Terry Kroner, Ray Bailey, Dan Fedorchak, George Davis, Steve Reed, Al Priester, Willie Aley, Bill Wheeling, David Beatty, Lynn Hostetler.