LYNCH SNARES SPRINT HAT TRICK AT TRI-CITY; KRISTYAK IN DIRT MODS; FELMLEE, SWARTZLANDER AND NORMAN DECLARED CHAMPIONS
August 30, 1998
DEMPSEYTOWN, PA .... Below partly sunny skies, Ed
Lynch Jr. (CarMate Trailers Super Sprints), Tommy Kristyak
(Titusville Motor & Auction Co. DIRT Modifieds) and Dave
Ferringer (Hoosier Tire Ohio Valley Pure Stocks) gathered
feature wins on Sunday night at Tri-City Speedway. A total
of 86 cars were in the pit area on United Way of Venango
County Night.
Track champions were also crowned as Bob Felmlee
(Super Sprints), Brian Swartzlander (DIRT Modifieds) and
Gary Norman (Pure Stocks) earned the point titles. For
Felmlee, it was his second career championship at Tri-City
after winning the title in 1996. Swartzlander and Norman
garnered their second consecutive track championships at
the half-mile oval.
In the final Super Sprint Sunday event of 1998, Ed
Lynch Jr. of Apollo, PA captured the 25-lap feature race
in his Howard Concrete Products J&J No. 2L. The victory
was Lynch's third of the season at Tri-City and his third
of the weekend after wins at Lernerville Speedway and
Challenger Raceway on Friday and Saturday nights
respectively. This is the second time in 1998 that Lynch
scored a hat trick. The other time was the weekend of July
24-26 at the same three tracks.
Brad Ellenberger jumped into the lead from the
outside pole position when the green flag waved. The only
major incident of the race occurred after completion of
the first lap when Craig Rankin slid sideways in turn two
and collected Gale Ruth Jr., who rolled over. Both drivers
were uninjured.
Lynch's win was sealed on the fifth lap. When
Ellenberger encountered lapped traffic running
side-by-side, Lynch tried to sneak underneath him entering
turn three. Ellenberger then tried to fend off Lynch and
accidentally hit one of the lapped cars, which sent him
spinning into the outside wall.
Lynch was unstoppable when the race resumed. Jimmy
Hawley tried to catch Lynch late in the race after taking
second place on the 13th lap, but to no avail. Brian
Ellenberger of Butler finished third followed by Bob
Felmlee and Phil Mott. Felmlee and Hawley won the heat
races.
In the 20-lap DIRT Modified feature, Tommy
Kristyak of Stoneboro, PA passed early leader Tim Engles
on a second lap restart and raced on to his third win of
the season in his Kristyak Motorsports Bicknell No. 26Z.
It was Kristyak's second win of the weekend after scoring
the victory Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park.
Kristyak's only challenge came from Brian
Swartzlander on an eighth lap restart. With Swartzlander
on the outside, Kristyak drifted high in turn two and
fended off the pass. Kristyak then dashed to the win over
Swartzlander, Billy Van Pelt, Engles and Joe Crawford.
Swartzlander, Engles and Kristyak won the heats and Lou
Gentile captured the consolation.
Dave Ferringer of Cochranton, PA cruised to an
easy win in the 15-lap Pure Stock feature for his third
victory of the season. He started his Patterson Auto
Wrecking/Denlawn Landscaping Chevrolet No. 02 on the pole
position and raced to victory lane unchallenged.
Behind him, Gary Norman finished second after a
long battle with Jerry Huff. Huff faded near the end of
the race, which was slowed only three times by minor
caution periods. Bobby Whitling finished third with Denny
Diegelman and Huff in tow. Ferringer, Norman, Matt Lux and
Huff won the heats.
In the 15-lap Pure Stock B Feature, David Atkinson
of Titusville, PA was the winner.
During the night, Charlie Minich of Franklin won
the trip for two to the NASCAR Winston Cup Exide Batteries
400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12th
courtesy of Bortner Tours. Heather Exley of Oil City won
the checkered flag signed by the drivers and donated by
Emily Marshall of Em's Broidery. The flag was given away
in celebration of United Way of Venango County Night.
Next Sunday night September 6th, Tri-City Speedway
hosts Engles Family Moving & Trucking Mod Madness II
featuring a 50-lap DIRT Modified event paying $2,000 to
the winner. The Sportsman Modifieds will run double
features, including the event rained out on August 9th.
The York Triathlon Stahl Modifieds (E Mods) and 6-Cylinder
Modifieds will also be in competition. Gates open at 4:00
p.m. and the four-division open wheel modified show starts
at 6:00 p.m.
SUPER SPRINT FEATURE (25 Laps): 1. ED LYNCH JR.,
2. Jimmy Hawley, 3. Brian Ellenberger, 4. Bob Felmlee, 5.
Phil Mott, 6. James Wray, 7. Brad Ellenberger, 8. Todd
Bauer, 9. Brent Covell, 10. Brent Matus, 11. Bruce Powell,
12. Tommy Marshall III, 13. Brent Matus, 14. Ed Etzel, 15.
Jason Jacoby, 16. Brian Rivers, 17. Craig Rankin, 18. Gale
Ruth Jr. DNS: Deana Barbara.
DIRT MODIFIED FEATURE (20 Laps): 1. TOMMY
KRISTYAK, 2. Brian Swartzlander, 3. Billy Van Pelt, 4. Tim
Engles, 5. Joe Crawford, 6. Scott Gurdak, 7. Jason Engles,
8. Chris Schiffer, 9. Rodney Beltz, 10. Gerry Bruce, 11.
Steve Young, 12. Randy Myers, 13. Dick Rankin, 14. Tim
Phillips, 15. Merle Mealy Jr., 16. Tim Shepard, 17. Scott
Mealy, 18. George Ruth, 19. Del Rougeaux Jr., 20. Rich
Ferguson, 21. Lou Gentile, 22. Ed Alcorn, 23. Rick Hoctor,
24. Dean Pearson. DNS: Dave Reges. DNQ: George Hobaugh.
PURE STOCK FEATURE (15 Laps): 1. DAVE FERRINGER,
2. Gary Norman, 3. Bobby Whitling, 4. Denny Diegelman, 5.
Jerry Huff, 6. Mike Miller, 7. Greg Sanford, 8. Matt
Cummings, 9. Matt Lux, 10. Don Blake Jr., 11. Wayne Pyle,
12. Gary McClintock, 13. Joe Drusko, 14. Ron Becker, 15.
Tom Scott, 16. Lynn Hostetler, 17. Doug Iorio, 18. Dan
Speer, 19. Jay Feely, 20. Bill Oswald, 21. Jamie Shetler,
22. Kim Legnosky.
PURE STOCK B FEATURE (15 Laps): 1. DAVID ATKINSON,
2. Mike Dolecki, 3. Jeff Manners, 4. Earl Van Valkenberg,
5. Grant Edwards, 6. Mike Milco, 7. John K. Miller, 8.
Shawn Proper, 9. Jim Slater, 10. Barry Wilson, 11. Greg
Becker, 12. Ken Foltz, 13. Dale McGinnis Sr., 14. Ben
Blake, 15. Travis Biggs. DNS: Craig Curfman, Doug
McFarland, Danny Exley, Trenton Walney.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
September 6 - Mod Madness II (DIRT Modifieds 50 Laps,
Sportsman
Modifieds (Double Features), E Mods, 6
Cyl. Mods)
October 3 - Applefest 100 II (Pure Stocks), Demo Derby,
Fireworks
November 7 - Third Annual Tri-City Speedway Banquet at
Cross Creek
Resort, Titusville, PA