HAWLEY PASSES FELMLEE FOR LAST LAP TRI-CITY WIN; VAN PELT WINS CAREER FIRST IN DIRT MODS
DEMPSEYTOWN, PA,August 2 ....Another gorgeous summer Sunday night found Jimmy Hawley (CarMate Trailers Super Sprints), Billy Van Pelt (Titusville Motor & Auction Co. DIRT Modifieds) and Bobby Whitling (Hoosier Tire Ohio Valley Pure Stocks) in victory lane at Tri-City Speedway on Klasen Oil/Pennzoil Night. A total of 70 cars filled the pit area.
In the 20-lap Super Sprint main, Bob Felmlee and Jimmy Hawley engaged in a stirring duel over the final seven laps in one of the best races in track history. Brad Ellenberger led the initial three laps before Felmlee assumed command. Hawley marched through traffic and was running third on the fifth lap. Three laps later, the West Middlesex, PA racer passed Ellenberger for second and charged after Felmlee. Amidst lapped traffic on the 14th lap, Hawley actually raced alongside Felmlee, but the hometown star used a three-wide pass to maintain command off turn four. As the leaders took the white flag to start the final lap, Hawley darted underneath Felmlee in turn one. In a stunning move, Hawley slid in front of Felmlee off turn two to gain the lead and the win in the Dr. John Crawford J&J No. CIII. It was his second triumph of the weekend after winning Friday night at Lernerville Speedway and his fourth victory of the season at Tri-City.
"I will race with Bob [Felmlee] any day," noted Hawley in victory lane. "I just cranked my wing back as far as I could to gain a lot of momentum into the corner. That slide job was the only way I was going to get the win."
Felmlee finished a disappointed second followed by Ellenberger, James Wray and Rod Stroup. Felmlee and Wray won the heats. During qualifying, Les Myers flipped Nathan Dallas' No. 19D and escaped uninjured.
After finishing second three consecutive weeks in a row, Billy Van Pelt of Harrison Valley, PA finally earned his first career DIRT Modified feature win at Tri-City. Last week's winner Tommy Kristyak started on the outside pole of the 20-lap main event and led at the green. Several early caution flags slowed the action, in addition to a red flag period on the sixth lap when Carl Miller rolled off turn one. Miller was uninjured. Kristyak continued to pace the event and used lapped traffic to perfection in order to hold Van Pelt at bay. On the 17th lap, however, the driveshaft snapped on Kristyak's car and he handed the lead to Van Pelt, who sailed to the popular win in his Butch Rapp Racing Bicknell No. 11R. Point leader Brian Swartzlander finished second over Dean Pearson, Chris Schiffer and Randy Myers, who scored a career best finish. Rich Ferguson and Tim Engles won the heats.
Bobby Whitling of Seneca, PA earned his second win of the weekend by defeating Bobby Powell in the 15-lap Pure Stock feature. Denny Diegelman led the first eight circuits of the event before Whitling, who won Saturday night at Sportsman's Speedway, passed Diegelman for the lead off turn four on the ninth lap. Once out front, Whitling moved away from the pack, but a late race caution allowed Powell to close. On the final circuit, Powell tried an outside pass in turn two, but Whitling outpowered Powell down the backstretch and maintained command to the finish in his E.F. Rogers Plumbing/Specialty Construction Chevrolet Nova No. 7W. Powell finished second ahead of Gary Norman, Matt Lux and Dave Ferringer. Whitling, Ferringer and Jerry Huff won the heats and Barry Wilson captured the consolation.
Next Sunday night August 9th, the Super Sprints, DIRT Modifieds and Pure Stocks will be joined by the third appearance of the Sportsman Modifieds in 1998 on Clarion Western Auto/Pennzoil Night at Tri-City Speedway. It will also be Senior Citizens Night. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. and the races start at 6:00 p.m.
SPRINTS (20 Laps): 1. JIMMY HAWLEY, 2. Bob Felmlee, 3. Brad Ellenberger, 4. James Wray, 5. Rod Stroup, 6. Gale Ruth Jr., 7. Bruce Powell, 8. Todd Bauer, 9. Kevin Schaeffer, 10. Skip Dougherty, 11. Brian Ellenberger. DNS: Les Myers.
MODIFIEDS (20 Laps): 1. BILLY VAN PELT, 2. Brian Swartzlander, 3. Dean Pearson, 4. Chris Schiffer, 5. Randy Myers, 6. Tom Glenn, 7. Gerry Bruce, 8. George Hobaugh, 9. Tim Engles, 10. Merle Mealy Jr., 11. Les Myers, 12. Scott Kay, 13. Tommy Kristyak, 14. Chad Reitz, 15. Jason Engles, 16. Scott Gurdak, 17. Carl Miller, 18. Rich Ferguson, 19. Tim Shepard, 20. Dan Campbell. DNS: Dave Reges, George Ruth.
PURE STOCKS (15 Laps): BOBBY WHITLING, 2. Bobby Powell, 3. Gary Norman, 4. Matt Lux, 5. Dave Ferringer, 6. Barry Wilson, 7. Jerry Huff, 8. Kim Legnosky, 9. Tom Tuite, 10. Dan Speer, 11. Gary McClintock, 12. Tom Scott, 13. Doug Goodwill, 14. Wayne Pyle, 15. Arthur Edwards, 16. Denny Diegelman, 17. Bill Oswald, 18. Danny Exley, 19. Ron Becker, 20. Ben Blake, 21. Jay Feely, 22. Trenton Walney, 23. Tom Vincent, 24. John Miller II. DNS: Keith Mohnkern, Terry Feely, Mike Dolecki, Jim Slater, Ken Foltz, Jamie Shetler, Curt Bish, Doug Calvert, Mike Anthony, Travis Biggs, Earl Van Valkenberg, Dale McGinnis Jr.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
August 9 - Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Sportsman Modifieds
August 16 - Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Car Giveaway
August 23 - Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, Pure Stocks, One-on-one Spectator Races