Laureno's No Quitter; Wins New Egypt Mod 40
New Egypt, NJ (June 29) - 1998 track Modified champion Roger Laureno of
Ivyland, PA, turned around weeks of bad luck and bad finishes in a big way
on Saturday night, finally overtaking a stout-running Rick Grosso to score a
$3,000 victory in Pepsi's Big Bang 40 for Mods at New Egypt Speedway.
"You wouldn't believe this, but the last three weeks I've come home from
here saying I was quitting. I just couldn't take it any more," an emotional
Laureno choked out in victory lane. "But my friends wouldn't quit me. . .
They wouldn't let me quit. . ." the winner sobbed as he turned away from the
microphone, unable to speak.
For most of the 40-lap distance, Rick Grosso was in control, coming off the
front row to lead by as much as a straightaway for the first 30 laps, until
the high-flying Laureno managed to zero in and close the gap. Laureno used
the top groove to take away Grosso's lead on lap 32, just before the race's
only caution was called. Grosso made one last valiant attempt on a lap 33
restart, but Laureno held strong. Seven laps later Laureno was first under
the checker to record his sixth career win at the central Jersey raceway,
his first since 1999. Two-time track champ Billy Pauch, who made things real
interesting in the final going, settled for second. Grosso held on for a
fine third-place finish, his best all year, with Keith Hoffman in fourth and
Tim Tanner Jr. in fifth.
It was a family affair in the Sportsman division, with father Bill Tanner
grabbing the point from son Billy IV to score his first-ever division win in
the 20-lap main. G.R. Smith was second, with two-time 2002 winner Rich
Scagliotta in third, Tanner IV in fourth, and Larry Kline finishing sixth.
Mario Page of Somerset, NJ, continued his rampage in the Super Stock ranks,
winning his fifth feature event in 10 starts this season, his fourth
consecutive trip to victory lane. Gary Butler, Al Cheney III, Pat Conaway
and brother Rich Page II followed Mario to the line.
The Herman's Trucking Lightning Lap Awards for fastest lap in a feature
event were won by Rick Grosso (Mods, 19.579), Bill Tanner (Sportsman,
20.276) and Mario Page (Super Stock, 20.765).
Cream Ridge Golf Club's eagerly-awaited Senior Masters Challenge, featuring
dads of drivers in a trio of invitational races, finally got the green after
being rained out on Father's Day weekend. Jimmy Martz of Whitehouse Station,
NJ, won the Modified Seniors event, with Phil Meisner Sr., Mercerville, NJ,
taking the Sportsman Seniors and Ed Fleming, Milford, NJ, acing the Super
Stock Seniors race. Cream Ridge Golf Club provided the purse for the special
events, and also a slew of great giveaways to the dads in the grandstands.
A spectacular display of fireworks capped off the evening, in honor of
Independence Day.
Next week, July 6, Mid-State Communications presents Grand Slam! Little
League Night at New Egypt Speedway, with all Little Leaguers in uniform,
ages 7-12, admitted free. Big-block Modifieds, Sportsman and Super Stocks
will all be in action, plus there'll be a batting bonus for the heat winners
as part of the baseball-themed night. Gates open at 4 pm, with first race at
6. Adult admission is $14, children 7-12 are $4, and kids 6 and under are
free. For more information, call the speedway office at (609) 758-1900.
6/29/02
MODIFIED RESULTS
1st Heat: 1.Godown 2.McCaughey 3.Pauch 4.Keimig 5.Bohn 6.Miloszar
2nd Heat: 1.Grosso 2.Brightbill 3.Radd 4.Velenger 5.Tanner Jr.6.Bitner
3rd Heat: 1.Hoffman 2.Laureno 3.Cozze 4.Cox 5.Burley 6.Drayton
B Main: 1.Worthington 2.Martz 3.Reppert 4.Dmuchowski 5.Carberry 6.Infante
Feature (40 laps):
1.Roger Laureno 2.Billy Pauch 3.Rick Grosso 4.Keith Hoffman 5.Tim Tanner Jr.
6.Frank Cozze 7.Donnie Radd 8.Ryan Godown 9.Darren McCaughey 10.Gary
Velenger 11.Kenny Brightbill 12.Todd Burley 13.Tad Cox 14.Eddie Bohn 15.Mark
Bitner 16.Bob Worthington 17.Rocco Infante 18.Bob Drayton 19.Jimmy Reppert
20.Fred Dmuchowski 21.Sam Martz 22.Tom Carberry 23.Korey Keimig 24.John
Miloszar Jr.
DNQ: Mike Hendershot, Mickey Kessler, Dan McMahon, Doug Ostwald, Scott
VanGorder, Ryan Kerr, Tom Hager
SPORTSMAN RESULTS
1st Heat: 1.Tanner III 2.Godown 3.Yard 4.M.Papiez 5.McCloughan
2nd Heat: 1.Lyons 2.Flesch 3.Ely 4.Kline 5.Ploski III
3rd Heat: 1.Plumstead 2.Toth 3.Meisner 4.Stravinsky 5.Telesco
4th Heat: 1.Wasson 2.Smith 3.Taylor Jr. 4.Tanner IV 5.Hoffman
C Main: 1.Swain
B Main: 1.Scagliotta 2.Pearson 3.Scherer 4.Liedl 5.Apgar 6.J.Papiez 7.Geiges
8.Beamer (Point Prov: Swain)
Feature (20 Laps):
1.Bill Tanner III 2.G.R. Smith 3.Rich Scagliotta 4.Bill Tanner IV 5.Larry
Kline 6.Tommy Beamer 7.Ken Meisner 8.Brian Pearson 9.Dave Hoffman 10.Gene
Stravinsky 11.Jack Swain 12.Rick Yard 13.Doug Liedl 14.Stan Ploski III
15.Joe Papiez 16.Brian Godown 17.Matt Papiez 18.Jeff Geiges 19.Tim Apgar
20.Phil McCloughan 21.Jim Scherer 22.Brien Ely 23.Mike Toth 24.Chris Wasson
25.Mike Lyons 26.Chuck Flesch 27.Keith Plumstead 28.Pete Telesco 29.Lee
Taylor Jr.
DNQ: (B Main): Gene DeVos, Keith Fleming, Darrell Delnero, Joey Tinnes
Jr., Jack Swain, Lou Farina III, Keith Foster, Rick Raisner, Tom Tomasko,
Mike Mongiello III, Jack Amundsen, Fred Monk. (C Main): Mike Fattori, Jeff
Carpenter, Rich McTighe, Rob Pfister, Rich Acolia, Steve Schultz, Doug
Boyce, Glenn Hisko, Bill Raisner, Todd Kuhl, Joe Szwed, Jimmy Harris,
Anthony Tramontana, Scott Reid, Johnny Gray.
SUPER STOCK RESULTS
1st Heat: 1.M.Page 2.Butler 3.Bifulco 4.Conaway 5.Gerber 6.Jn.Hewitt
2nd Heat: 1.Fleming 2.Cheney 3.Berardi 4.Marra Jr. 5.Roveda 6.R.Gargiulo
3rd Heat: 1.Miscoski 2.Coverly 3.R.Page 4.Dewey 5.Saredy 6.Barker
B Main: 1.R.Gargiulo Jr. 2.Jm.Hewitt 3.Nixon 4.Whitehouse 5.Melton 6.Wagner
Feature (15 laps):1.Mario Page 2.Gary Butler 3.Al Cheney III 4.Pat Conaway
5.Rich Page II 6.Jake Roveda 7.Ron Coverly 8.Evan Berardi 9.Robert Melton
10.Carol Whitehouse 11.Ralph Gargiulo 12.Nick Gargiulo Jr. 13.Paul Marra Jr.
14.Kevin Bifulco 15.Brian Nixon 16.Brian Wagner 17.Jim Hewitt 18.Jason
Saredy 19.Dan Dewey 20.Bill Gerber 21.Bill Miscoski 22.Chuck Barker 23.Jon
Hewitt 24.Kory Fleming
DNQ: Steve Biles, Allan Hurley, Bob Vaccaro, Pete Fogarty, Al Derlinger, Tom
Bentz.