ELLENBERGER AND RASEY WIN FIRST CAREER FEATURES AT TRI-CITY

by Brian Spaid

FRANKLIN, PA .... It was another action filled racing program at Tri-City Speedway on Sunday night as Brian Ellenberger (Ashland Homes Super Sprints), Jim Rasey (Titusville Motor & Auction Co. DIRT Modifieds), Jim White Jr. (RE/MAX E Mods) and Bobby Whitling (Knox Auto Supply Stock Cars) won the feature events on Clarion Western Auto Night. Run under cloudy and cool conditions, the racing program was completed by 10 p.m. Brian Ellenberger of Butler, Pa., increased his point lead in the Super Sprints with his first career win at Tri-City. It was the third win of Ellenberger's career aboard his Open Joist 2000/Hunter's Truck Sale Eagle No. 20.

"(Crew chief) Steve Anderson gave me a car that was beautiful," said Ellenberger. "I can't thank him enough. I could tell Tommy (Quarterson) was struggling in the high groove, so I used the low groove to get by him and race away." Craig Keel led the first two circuits of the 20-lap feature before Quarterson grabbed the lead. Quarterson distanced himself from the field while Ellenberger moved forward from the seventh starting spot. The race was slowed by a red flag on the sixth lap when Jimmy Hawley spun in turn three while running sixth and collected Tommy Burns Jr. Both cars flipped, but the drivers were uninjured. During the caution, second place runner Craig Rankin dropped out with mechanical problems.

When racing resumed, Quarterson was still leading over Keel, Ellenberger, Mike Marano II and Skip Dougherty. After the restart, Scott Bonnell moved by Dougherty for fifth. While making the pass, Bonnell made slight contact with Marano, and the young driver faded with apparent tire problems. Meanwhile, Ellenberger challenged Keel and blasted into second on the ninth lap. Then, he used an inside move on Quarterson in turn three on the 11th circuit to grab the lead.

Once out front, Ellenberger raced on to the popular win, which included a $400 cumulative bonus courtesy of Funtime Motorsports of Titusville after Ellenberger was selected by a young fan to win the race. Quarterson finished second followed by Keel, Bonnell and Dougherty. Rankin and Bonnell won the heats for the 22-car field. Jim Rasey of Southington, Ohio, dominated the 20-lap DIRT Modified feature to score his first career win in the division as well as at Tri-City. After racing in the DIRT Modifieds for five season, the win was extra sweet for Rasey. "It's just unbelievable," said Rasey. "I'd like to thank my entire crew and my family. We've worked seven days a week to try and get here and I finally made it."

Joe Crawford led the initial nine laps of the race, which featured a lot of side-by-side racing throughout the pack. Behind Crawford, Del Rougeaux Jr. and Kevin Hoffman were engaged in a great duel for second while they tried to hold off Rasey, veteran Carl Murdick, Josh Skarzenski and Chris Schiffer. On the sixth lap, Hoffman finally secured second and one lap later Murdick and Rasey dashed by Rougeaux as well.

After Gary Risch Jr. spun on the ninth lap, Rasey made some quick moves on the restart. He snared third from Murdick, then drove under both Crawford and Hoffman for the lead off turn four. From there, it was smooth sailing for Rasey in his Twin Oaks Service South/Kromer Kraft Custom Heads Troyer No. 32. Hoffman held onto second followed by Murdick, Skarzenski and last week's winner Kevin Bolland. Bolland was quick at the end of the race, and was running fourth with one lap to go, but Skarzenski reassumed the position with an inside move off turn two. Bolland and Rasey won the heats for the 26-car field.

The 16-lap E Mod main was sparked by five cautions that involved multi-car accidents affecting the top positions. In the end, Jim White Jr. of Warren, Ohio, won the wild affair on the final lap when leader Mike Hess suddenly slowed in turn three. It was White's first career win in any division.

"You don't know what this means to me and my dad," said an emotional White in victory lane. "My mom died in January and this one's for her."

Hess actually paced the race from the second lap until the final turns. Behind him the action was heated. Bobby Powell and Holly Nelson had the fans on the edge of their seats as they battled for second. Scott Stiffler entered the mix with the car driven to victory the week before by Alan Dellinger. On the eighth lap, however, Stiffler spun under Powell and Nelson in turn one. As Stiffler slid off the track, Powell went sideways and collected Nelson. The ensuing melee involved three other cars and resulted in a red flag for fuel dumped on the track from Nelson's battered racer. Hess was still the leader as White assumed second over David Atkinson, a Stock Car driver substituting for Brent Rhebergen. Another multi-car accident on the 14th lap didn't deter Hess. Two laps were needed to complete the race; however, Hess couldn't complete the final circuit as his machine broke down in the backstretch on the final lap and White drove under him to score the win in the Crest Lanes/Lordstown Dental Clinic No. 53. Atkinson finished second followed by Mike Potosky, Todd Roncaglione and rookie Shawn Shingledecker. Ron Roncaglione and Nelson won the heats for the 22-car field.

Bobby Whitling of Seneca, Pa., captured his second consecutive 15-lap Stock Car feature win in the E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Chevrolet No. 7W. It was Whitling's 17th career feature win at Tri-City, and the 1999 Stock Car Champion appears poised to rise to the top of the class once again.

Ron Iorio took the lead from Jamie Shetler after the first lap was run. As Iorio paced the field, Whitling and perennial challenger Matt Lux battled for second with sophomore sensation Bruce Smith. Smith held both drivers at bay for several laps.

"I had to let the heat build in my tires during the early part of the race," said Whitling. "Once that finally happened, the car ran like a rocket ship."

On the eighth lap, Whitling charged around Smith and Lux for second. A caution on the 11th lap allowed Whitling to catch Iorio. On the restart, Whitling raced around the outside of Iorio off turn two to snare the lead. Iorio suffered a front flat tire that slowed him over the final laps as Whitling opened up ground to score the win. Lux finished second followed by Smith, 1996 Stock Car Champion Doug Iorio Sr. and point leader Dave Ferringer. Lux, D. Iorio, Whitling and Smith won the heats for the 38-car field. Matt Cummings captured the consolation.

In the first Sligo Auto Salvage Demolition Derby of the season, Tonya Boyer of Meadville, Pa., and Joe Blake of Seneca, Pa., were declared co-winners after officials ruled that a driver's side door hit made by Boyer upon Blake was unintentional. Blake was first declared the winner as a result of the hit. Within minutes of the completion of the 19-car event, track officials determined that Boyer could not see Blake's car out the rear of her badly bent machine to judge the hit. As a result of that ruling, both drivers were awarded the win.

Next Sunday night May 28th, Tri-City Speedway celebrates Memorial Day Weekend with another four-star show of Ashland Homes Super Sprints, Titusville Motor & Auction Co. DIRT Modifieds, RE/MAX E Mods and Knox Auto Supply Stock Cars. The DIRT Modifieds will run the Eat n' Park Kodiak Memorial 30-lap special paying $1,500 to the winner and $200 to start.

Gates open next Sunday at 4:00 p.m. and racing starts at 6:00 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is a family friendly $10 for this special event.

SUPER SPRINTS (20 Laps): 1. BRIAN ELLENBERGER, 2. Tommy Quarterson, 3. Craig Keel, 4. Scott Bonnell, 5. Skip Dougherty, 6. Doug Kekich, 7. Jarod Larson, 8. Todd Bauer, 9. Gale Ruth Jr., 10. Andy McKisson, 11. David Scott, 12. Bruce Powell, 13. Phil Mott, 14. Jason Jacoby, 15. Brent Covell, 16. Brian Hartzell, 17. Dave Murdick, 18. Mike Marano II, 19. Craig Rankin, 20. Jimmy Hawley, 21. Tommy Burns Jr. DNS: Chad Hill.

DIRT MODIFIEDS (20 Laps): 1. JIM RASEY, 2. Kevin Hoffman, 3. Carl Murdick, 4. Josh Skarzenski, 5. Kevin Bolland, 6. Joe Crawford, 7. George Hobaugh, 8. Chris Schiffer, 9. Tim Engles, 10. Del Rougeaux Jr., 11. Merle Mealy Jr., 12. J.R. McGinley, 13. John Ritter, 14. Jason Engles, 15. Gerry Bruce, 16. Gary Risch Jr., 17. Skip Moore, 18. Andy Nicols, 19. Pete Simpson, 20. Greg Davis, 21. Rob McClimans, 22. Jeremiah Shingledecker, 23. Lee Miller, 24. John Buchanan. DNS: Carl Miller, Mark Sevin.

E MODS (15 Laps): 1. JIM WHITE JR., 2. David Atkinson, 3. Mike Potosky, 4. Todd Roncaglione, 5. Shawn Shingledecker, 6. Bobby Powell, 7. Kari Petrosky, 8. Dale Applebee, 9. Ron Jaeger, 10. Roger Frost, 11. R.J. Peebles, 12. Ryan Snow, 13. Mike Hess, 14. Brian Felmlee, 15. Jimmy Long, 16. Jim Abbott, 17. Bill Taylor, 18. Ron Roncaglione, 19. Holly Nelson, 20. Scot Stiffler, 21. Bootie Petsko, 22. Randy Brooks.

STOCK CARS (15 Laps): 1. BOBBY WHITLING, 2. Matt Lux, 3. Bruce Smith, 4. Doug Iorio Sr., 5. Dave Ferringer, 6. Jamie Shetler, 7. Ron Iorio, 8. Jim Brunson, 9. Matt Cummings, 10. Ben Blake, 11. Russ Dempsey, 12. Jody Bish, 13. Dick Pascorell, 14. Michael Aley, 15. Chuck Sullivan, 16. Brian Counselman, 17. Scott Peterson, 18. Tom Vincent, 19. Billy Beiter, 20. Dale McGinnis Sr., 21. Mike Dolecki, 22. Barry Wilson, 23. Jerry Huff, 24. Bob Sloss.

DNQ: Craig McGinnis, Jerry Flavell, John Miller II, Dan Mohnkern, Arthur Edwards, Doug Calvert, Rick Hughes, Scott Carbaugh, Andy Miller, Ray Yunan, Harry Spaulding, Herb Gordon, Everett Wade, Travis Norman.

UPCOMING EVENTS

May 28 - Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, E Mods and Stock Cars (Eat n' Park Presents DIRT Modified Kodiak Memorial - 30 Laps, $1,500-to-win) June 04 - Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, E Mods and Stock Cars with End of School Bus Races and Powder Puff Bus Races (Bonus Buck$ Weekend II) (Pittsburgh Circle Track Club and Twin State Auto Racing Fan Club Night) June 11 - A. Crivelli Chevrolet/GMC Presents All Star Circuit of Champions Sprints Western Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek Finale ($5,000-to-win) and York Triathlon E Mod Series