KEVIN BOLLAND WINS BRP MODIFIED TOUR KODIAK MEMORIAL AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY;

BRENT RHEBERGEN AND CHAD REITZ ALSO MOD MADNESS VI WINNERS

by Brian Spaid

FRANKLIN, PA ... Despite the threat of rain showers throughout the area, Tri-City Speedway completed its Mod Madness VI event on Saturday night, and Kevin Bolland captured the 40-lap BRP Modified Tour Kodiak Memorial for the Schwab's Ford DIRT Modifieds. In other action, Brent Rhebergen won the 30-lap York Triathlon E Mod Series event for the RE/MAX 1st Oil Country E Mods and Chad Reitz was the winner of the 30-lap Sportsman Modified main.

In the DIRT Modified main, Kevin Bolland of New Brighton, Pa., snared the lead from Tri-City track champion Josh Skarzenski on the third lap and waltzed to an easy win in the 40-lap Kodiak Memorial. At the finish, Bolland held a 5.5 second lead over BRP Modified Tour point leader and Sharon Speedway champion Ron Smoker. It was Bolland's second tour win this season. He also won his fifth DIRT Modified feature of the season at Tri-City, which increased his career win total at the track to nine.

"This win's for my mom because it's her birthday," noted Bolland in victory lane beside his Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe/Cintas Uniform Bicknell No. 777. "Running the Super DIRT Series race in August helped our team with extra distance races, but we've simply put together a good engine, and the crew has worked hard to get us here. We're running well in these late season races, which counts big with the extra money on the line."

Skarzenski jumped into an early lead from the pole position, but Bolland raced into first within three circuits. In the first 10 laps, four multi-car incidents slowed the pace. The accidents knocked eight cars from the race, and Skarzenski also dropped out on the 10th circuit with mechanical problems.

With 30 laps to go, Bolland led Andy Priest, Jim Rasey and Ron Smoker. Smoker started 18th after a poor qualifying effort in his heat race, but he avoided the early wrecks to march to the front. On the 11th lap, he slipped by Rasey into third and spent the next 13 laps trying to work around Priest. He tried inside several times and almost crashed with Priest on a couple of occasions. On the 24th lap, he used the outside cushion in turn four to finally secure second. By then, Bolland was already in lapped traffic at least a straightaway out front.

Behind the lead duo, Priest and Rasey ran a comfortable third and fourth. The real battle was between veterans Rex King and Lou Blaney. Over the final 10 laps, they swapped the fifth position at least five times before Blaney took the spot for good with two laps to go.

In the end, Bolland topped Smoker for the $2,000 win. With one race left in the BRP Modified Tour season, Smoker still leads Bolland, who has a mathematical shot at the title. Priest, Rasey and Blaney rounded out the top five. Bolland lapped all the way to the seventh place car at the finish. Rasey and Blaney authored their best performances this season at the half-mile Venango County oval. Blaney, Bolland, Skarzenski and Rasey won the heats for the 43-car DIRT Modified field. Super Sprint racer Gary Rankin and 2001 BRP Modified Tour Champion Dave Murdick won the B Mains.

Brent Rhebergen of Clymer, N.Y., swept through the competition in the 30-lap York Triathlon E Mod Series race aboard Bruce Steadman's Sharp Tool & Die Pierce No. 69. After winning his heat race and a dash, he led every lap of the feature barely holding off Alan Dellinger to score his 23rd career win at Tri-City. He also tied his record 11-win season set in 2001. It was Rhebergen's fifth career York Triathlon E Mod Series win, and he became the sixth different winner of the Mod Madness E Mod race..

"This is our last race here this season and it's a great way to end it," said Rhebergen, who will compete in his Late Model next weekend at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. "I'd like to thank everyone for all that they did to get us here all year. I thought Alan was going to pass me with one lap to go, but I moved to the top of the track, and I didn't see him after that."

Rhebergen started on the pole position by virtue of his dash win and immediately assumed command. He was virtually unchallenged until late in the race when Dellinger caught him. Dellinger suffered a right front flat tire on the second lap and pitted for a new shoe under caution. Restarting at the rear of the field, Dellinger climbed back to the front. He secured second from Jeff Taylor on the 23rd lap and reeled in Rhebergen. With three laps to go, he tried to get under Rhebergen in turns two and three, but Rhebergen withstood the pressure.

In the end, Dellinger, who is the York Triathlon E Mod Series point leader, settled for second. Taylor, Jeff Sharp and Mike Samuelson rounded out the top five. Samuelson engaged in a great duel with Mike Potosky for fifth in the middle stages of the race. Potosky's great run ended, however, when he spun in turn two on the 16th lap causing one of only four cautions in the race. Rhebergen, Taylor, Sharp and Keith Bidwell captured the E Mod heats with a 42-car field in the pit area. Junior Green and Jim Frontz won the B Mains. Rhebergen snared the Coy Bros. Trucking Dash.

Chad Reitz of Dempseytown, Pa., took the lead from Gary Smoker on the 13th lap of the 30-lap Sportsman Modified main, and easily outdistanced the rest of the field to score his first career win at Tri-City. Reitz, who grew up less than a mile from the track, was thrilled with the win. Ironically, his sister, Chanda, won her first Sportsman Modified feature five years ago to the day at Tri-City.

"Our plan at the start of the season was to win this race, so we achieved that goal," said Reitz in victory lane beside his World of Wheels/Venango Glass Bicknell No. 9. "I didn't even think we'd race this year, but we'll run the Sportsman Modifieds next season. I'd really like to thank my dad for a strong Ford engine."

Smoker, who led the first dozen laps from the pole position, ran second to Reitz until the 24th lap when mechanical failure forced him to the infield and out of the race. As a result, two-time defending Mercer Raceway Park champion Steve Young finished second. Andy Paden, Marty Kristyak and Allen Ferry rounded out the top five. The race was halted on the 10th lap when David Cogswell flipped entering turn one after contact with Les Myers. Cogswell was uninjured. Only two caution and one red flag slowed the race. Reitz and Kristyak captured the heats for the 22-car Sportsman Modified field.

This coming Saturday September 21st, Tri-City Speedway continues its Fall 2002 special event schedule with the R.N. Goss Gas Products 50 for the ARCA Lincoln Welder Truck Series. In addition, the Myrgo All Star 50 for the York Triathlon E Mod Series and a 20-lap Anderson Building Stock Cars Series event for the E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Stock Car Series will be on the card. By popular demand, track officials also added One-on-One Spectator Races to the program. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. next Saturday. Adult grandstand admission will be $12.

KODIAK MEMORIAL BRP MODIFIED TOUR (40 Laps): 1. KEVIN BOLLAND, 2. Ron Smoker, 3. Andy Priest, 4. Jim Rasey, 5. Lou Blaney, 6. Rex King, 7. Dave Schrader, 8. Dave Murdick, 9. Gary Rankin, 10. Kevin Hoffman, 11. Jeff Schaffer, 12. Joe Crawford, 13. Tommy Quarterson, 14. Les Myers, 15. Gerry Bruce, 16. Jim Weller, 17. Skip Moore, 18. Scott Gurdak, 19. Steve Barr, 20. Alan Dellinger, 21. Josh Skarzenski, 22. Chanda Reitz, 23. Chris Schiffer, 24. Rodney Beltz, 25. Del Rougeux Jr., 26. Bob Dorman, 27. Jim Weller III, 28. Rick Hall, 29. Tom Winkle, 30. George Hobaugh. DNQ: Lenny Leibold Jr., Jeremiah Shingledecker, Jason Hyde, Jay Priest, Bob Sloss, Rob Kristyak, J.R. McGinley, Dave Reges, Dick Rankin, Adam Siegel, Brian May, Adam Kozar, Lee Miller.

YORK TRIATHLON E MOD SERIES (30 Laps): 1. BRENT RHEBERGEN, 2. Alan Dellinger, 3. Jeff Taylor, 4. Jeff Sharp, 5. Mike Samuelson, 6. Russ Dempsey, 7. Ron Roncaglione, 8. Todd Roncaglione, 9. Keith Bidwell, 10. Jim Frontz, 11. Chuck Kennedy, 12. Mike Potosky, 13. Shane Applebee, 14. Carl McKinney, 15. Bruce Powell, 16. Kari Petrosky, 17. Matt Swanson, 18. Andy Teno, 19. Tim Rhoades, 20. Frank Brocious, 21. Rick Robinson, 22. Rich Stiffler, 23. Junior Green, 24. Ron Jaeger, 25. Bobby Watt. DNQ: Bob Diver, Rick Meglaye, Jr. Mechling, Jeff Hellwig, Bill Taylor, Don Loney, Jeff Johnson, Al Cressley, Jim Abbott, Bob Williams, Butch Lambert, Shawn Shingledecker, Arlan Coy, Bob Williamson, Logan Dernoshek, Ron Brown, Kevin Decker.

SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS (30 Laps): 1. CHAD REITZ, 2. Steve Young, 3. Andy Paden, 4. Marty Kristyak, 5. Allen Ferry, 6. Jim Rombold, 7. John Buchanan, 8. Bill Adams, 9. Pud Welsh, 10. Tim Shepard, 11. Jerry Oroch, 12. Gary Smoker, 13. Morgan Sasse, 14. Curt Matthews, 15. Steve Toth, 16. Darrell Combs, 17. Buck Buchanan, 18. John Jones, 19. Matt Gibson, 20. Les Myers, 21. David Cogswell. DNS: Matt Recher.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sept. 21 - ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series R.N. Goss Gas Products 50, York Triathlon E Mod Series Myrgo All Star 50, Anderson Bldg. Detroit Iron Stock Car Series and One-on-One Spectator Races

Sept. 28 - CSOnline Applefest 100 (Anderson Bldg. Detroit Iron Stock Car Series), T/USA Mod Lites Dwarf Cars and Lowry Auto Wrecking Demo Derby (Raindate Sept. 29)