SCOTT NABS CAREER FIRST IN SPRINTS; BOLLAND, DELLINGER AND WHITLING ALSO WINNERS AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY
by Brian Spaid
FRANKLIN, PA .... As cool conditions prevailed at Tri-City Speedway on Sunday night, David Scott (Ashland Homes Super Sprints), Kevin Bolland (Titusville Motor & Auction Co. DIRT Modifieds), Alan Dellinger (RE/MAX E Mods), Bobby Whitling (Knox Auto Supply Stock Cars) and Nancy Ferringer (Powder Puff Stock Car Race) scored feature event wins on Joy Mining Machinery Night. The entire Mother's Day program was over by 9:55 p.m.
Late Model star David Scott of Garland, Pa., captured his first career Super Sprint feature winning the 20-lap main event from flag-to-flag. Piloting Denny Chase's NW Penn Auction Maxim No. 3D, Scott has come close to winning on numerous occasions, and finally put it all together for his historic first win. Racing in the high groove around the half-mile oval, Scott dominated the competition.
"This is unbelievable," said Scott. "I can't believe that I won this quick. I owe it to this crew and Denny Chase for giving me the chance. I love racing both Late Models and Super Sprints equally and this is going to take at least a day to sink in."
At the green flag, Bruce Powell jumped into the lead from the pole and outside pole sitter Mike Marano II looped in front of the field off turn two. Jason Jacoby had nowhere to go and climbed Marano's front end leading to a series of flips. Neither driver was injured, but both cars were done for the evening.
On the restart, Scott started outside Powell and immediately took command of the race. On the third lap, Brent Covell tipped his Super Sprint in turn two. He was also uninjured and nearly repaired the car to return to action. Scott still led while the fans watched opening night winner Ed Lynch Jr., who struggled. He spun to avoid the Marano and Jacoby accident, then spun again after contact with Craig Keel on the sixth lap while dueling for fifth. Starting at the rear for a second time, he charged back to fifth, but mechanical problems resulted in a spin into the turn two guard rail on the 14th lap knocking him out of action.
With Scott out front, a nice duel developed between Craig Rankin and point leader Brian Ellenberger for second. Ellenberger secured the position on the 16th lap, but could not catch Scott. Rankin finished third followed by Tommy Quarterson and Powell. Jacoby and Ellenberger won the heat races. Sophomore racer Mike Roxberry flipped at the exit of turn two in his heat race. Roxberry complained of muscle pain in his chest after the hard hit.
In the 20-lap DIRT Modified feature, Kevin Bolland of New Brighton, Pa., captured his fourth career win at Tri-City and his first win since 1985. The victory earned Bolland a guaranteed starting position in the Bill Emig Memorial race at Mercer Raceway Park on May 20.
"It feels good to be here," said Bolland in victory lane. "The track was a little slick on the bottom and I thought we could beat the field by running on the high side. I hope we can make it here more this season."
Bolland's Cintas Uniform/Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe Bicknell No. 777 grabbed the lead from rookie Jeremiah Shingledecker on the opening lap and was never headed. Behind Bolland, point leader and two-time winner Lou Blaney was moving forward. Running fifth on the third lap, Blaney passed Jim Weller for fourth. He then moved under Joe Crawford for third on the next circuit. Another lap later, and Blaney was under Shingledecker for second. On the sixth lap, Crawford and Weller tangled off turn four and Crawford wound up in the front wall bringing out the only caution of the race.
On the restart, Bolland chose the outside lane with Blaney on the inside. The veteran Ohio racer was no match for Bolland, who blasted out front and remained there the rest of the race. Blaney finished second followed by Weller. Jim Rasey picked up speed over the last half of the race. After a great battle with Shingledecker for fifth, Rasey passed Josh Skarzenski on the 19th lap to secure fourth at the finish. Skarzenski was fifth. Weller and Skarzenski won the heat races.
Alan Dellinger of Niles, Ohio, continued to add to his legend as he won the 15-lap RE/MAX E Mod feature aboard Scott Stiffler's Integra Chassis No. 14. It was Dellinger's first win of the season at Tri-City and the fifth of his career at the Venango County half-mile clay oval.
"This is sweet," said Dellinger. "I've got to do this more often. We've borrowed a few rides this season and it's worked. I helped Scott with this car and gave him a few pointers. I just love racing the E Mods."
Bill Taylor led the first lap of the feature before Ron Jaeger spun off turn four for the only caution of the race. After the restart, Mike Hess, Jim Abbott and Bobby Powell were the frontrunners. As Hess continued to lead, Dellinger made quick work of the rest of the pack. He moved into the top five on the third lap and moved by Abbott for fourth one lap later. On the sixth circuit, Dellinger slipped under Bootie Petsko for third. Then, Powell and Dellinger dueled for second, which Dellinger secured at the halfway point. Finally, on the ninth lap, Dellinger raced under Hess in turn two and Powell followed him past Hess. Powell tried to also move by Dellinger, but the E Mod master would have none of it.
Over the final five laps, Dellinger opened up distance between himself and Powell to take the win by a wide margin. Powell was second followed by point leader Brent Rhebergen, Hess and Petsko. Hess and Rhebergen won the heat races.
Bobby Whitling of Seneca, Pa., became the driver with the most Stock Car feature wins at Tri-City after piloting the E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Chevrolet Monte Carlo No. 7W to his 16th career feature win. It was also the first win of the season for the 1999 Stock Car Champion after suffering through two weeks of bad luck.
"We had a good run tonight, finally," said Whitling. "It's good to have the record too."
Ben Blake and Ron Iorio paced the field in the early laps of the feature before Dave Ferringer moved under Blake on the fifth lap to take the lead. Behind him, Whitling also slipped under Blake and set his sights on Ferringer. On the sixth circuit, with an inside move off turn two and heading into the third corner, Whitling grabbed first place.
Once out front, Whitling was unstoppable. Ferringer finished second over Iorio and Blake. Brian Booher rounded out the top five by passing Matt Lux on the final lap. Iorio, Whitling and Russ Kapalin won the heats. Mike Miller won the consolation race.
In the final race of the night, Nancy Ferringer of Cochranton, Pa., drove her husband's Stock Car to victory in the 10-lap Powder Puff Stock Car race. Ferringer won after a heated battle with Deanna Booher over the last three laps. Booher finished second over Jessica Cokor, Kandi Shontz and Mona Morrow.
Next Sunday night May 21st, Tri-City Speedway hosts its fourth four-star show of the season with the Ashland Homes Super Sprints, Titusville Motor & Auction Co. DIRT Modifieds, RE/MAX E Mods and Knox Auto Supply Stock Cars. The first Sligo Auto Salvage Demolition Derby will also highlight the show. It will be Scout Night, which means that all Boy and Girl Scouts in uniform will receive free grandstand admission.
Gates open next Sunday at 4:00 p.m. and racing starts at 6:00 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is $10.
SUPER SPRINTS (20 Laps): 1. DAVID SCOTT, 2. Brian Ellenberger, 3. Craig Rankin, 4. Tommy Quarterson, 5. Bruce Powell, 6. Jarod Larson, 7. Craig Keel, 8. Gale Ruth Jr., 9. Phil Mott, 10. Dave Murdick, 11. Brian Hartzell, 12. Ed Lynch Jr., 13. Todd Bauer, 14. Brent Covell, 15. Mike Marano II, 16. Jason Jacoby. DNS: Mike Roxberry.
DIRT MODIFIEDS (20 Laps): 1. KEVIN BOLLAND, 2. Lou Blaney, 3. Jim Weller, 4. Jim Rasey, 5. Josh Skarzenski, 6. Jeremiah Shingledecker, 7. Chris Schiffer, 8. Jason Engles, 9. Pete Simpson, 10. Tim Engles, 11. Kevin Hoffman, 12. Carl Murdick, 13. Del Rougeaux Jr., 14. Randy Snider, 15. Dave Harbaugh, 16. Skip Moore, 17. Andy Nicols, 18. Merle Mealy Jr., 19. Joe Crawford, 20. Dave Murdick.
E MODS (15 Laps): 1. ALAN DELLINGER, 2. Bobby Powell, 3. Brent Rhebergen, 4. Mike Hess, 5. Bootie Petsko, 6. Jim White Jr., 7. Shawn Shingledecker, 8. Jim Abbott, 9. Les Myers, 10. Bill Taylor, 11. Ron Jaeger, 12. Holly Nelson, 13. Kari Petrosky, 14. Brian Felmlee.
STOCK CARS (15 Laps): 1. BOBBY WHITLING, 2. Dave Ferringer, 3. Ron Iorio, 4. Ben Blake, 5. Brian Booher, 6. Matt Lux, 7. Doug Iorio Sr., 8. Matt Cummings, 9. Russ Kapalin, 10. Mike Dolecki, 11. Billy Beiter, 12. Rick Hughes, 13. Brian Counselman, 14. Jamie Shetler, 15. Arthur Edwards, 16. Leigh Wheeler, 17. Scott Carbaugh, 18. Scott Peterson, 19. Andy Miller, 20. Ed Hays, 21. Mike Miller, 22. John Miller. DNQ: Craig McGinnis, Bob Sloss, Tom Vincent, Doug Calvert, Herb Gordon, Bruce Smith, Everett Wade, Russ Dempsey.
POWDER PUFF STOCK CARS (15 Laps): 1. NANCY FERRINGER, 2. Deanna Booher, 3. Jessica Cokor, 4. Kandi Shontz, 5. Mona Morrow, 6. Missie Case, 7. Joleen Cummings, 8. Tara Henry, 9. Tiffany Edwards, 10. Rhonda Hays, 11. Tricia Miller, 12. Ruby Myers. DNS: Star Wheeler.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 21 - Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, E Mods and Stock Cars with Sligo Auto Salvage Demolition Derby (Scout Night)
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)