ED STRADA JR, JOEY GRAMMES, NICK PETRILAK, MIKE KEPPLER, AND FRANK BUSH OPEN LAKE MOC-A-TEK SEASON AS WINNERS

(Lakeville, Pa.) It was touch and go for a while, but Lake Moc-A-Tek

Speedway management held out against persistent Saturday afternoon

showers and in the end were able to get the 2002 racing season underway.

The April 19th starting date is the earliest start in the 42 year history

of the Lake Moc-A-Tek Speedway. Ed Strada Jr. won the opening night 358

Modified feature while Joey Grammes turned the trick in the Sportsman

ranks. Nick Petrilak came home the winner of the Street Stock feature

with a late race pass while Frank Bush dominated the Pure Stock feature.

Mike Keppler came home the winner of the 250cc Micro Sprint feature.

The Luck of the Draw putStrada on the pole for the start of the 25

lap 358 Modified feature flanked by longtime veteran campaigner Bill

Grammes. Strada was able to beat Grammes into the first turn to

establish himself as the race leader. The pace of the feature was slowed

by several caution flags in the early going that kept the pack bunched up

tightly. Strada appeared in total control of the feature as on every

restart he would open up his advantage over the rest of the pack. Don

Keefer was able to take the runner-up position away from Grammes, but was

not able to make a run on Strada as the pilot of the Rte 590 Diner

sponsored #42 was unbeatable on this night. Strada took the win trailed

by Keefer and John Leiby. Bill Grammes and Tom Oleski rounded out the

top five. Goey Grammes, Jason Rudalavage, Bob Puckett, Dom Roselli, and

Alan Kellogg completed the top ten.

Jason Rudalavage, Phil Recchio, and Mike Ricci were 358 Modified

heat race winners.

In the Sportsman division, Joey Grammes picked up the feature win,

his third consecutive victory in the Sportsman division season opener.

It was a hard-earned victory for Grammes, who started last on the field

and passed literally everybody to pick up the win. The winning pass was

a spectacular one as Joey was able to drive around the outside of

defending track champion Ralph Mele in the closing laps to pick up the

win aboard the Slug 'n Slam Construction sponsored #5. Mele held on for

second trailed by Butch Getz, Jim Winchell, and Rocky Rosetti. Tom Laner

Jr., Mike Marold, Alex Konopka, Ricky Rutt and rookie Kevin Bates

completed the top ten.

Ralph Mele and Buddy Altemose were Sportsman heat winners.

Nick Petrilak started off the 2002 season on the right foot as he

drove his Northeast Ford sponsored D & D Outlaw chassis to victory in the

20 lap Street Stock feature. Polesetter Joe Krisovich led the first 18

laps of the feature before a late race restart would prove to be his

undoing. On that restart, Petrilak was able to work past Krisovich, who

later reported rear end problems aboard his #911 which had to be towed

back to the pits after the race. Petrilak picked up the win while

Krisovich was able to nurse his #911 home for the runner-up position.

Bill Saxe, David Luff, and Ed Redner completed the top five. Grant

Hilfiger, Bill Price Jr., Brian Petrilak, Gene Beadle, and Glenn

Buchannon completed the top ten finishing order.

Street Stock heat winners were Glenn Buchannon, Joe Krisovich, and Bill

Saxe.

Mike Keppler came home the winner of the 250 cc Micro Sprint feature.

Keppler capitalized on a front row starting position to lead every lap of

the feature. The closing laps did get interesting as Terry Schaffer

tried to make a run at Keppler for the win. On the final lap, Schaffer

was able to get underneath Keppler but ran out of room, collecting an

infield marker tire and costing him the runner-up finish behind Keppler.

At the line it was Mike Keppler winning with Ralph Utter inheriting the

runner-up positions when Schaffer crashed. Davie Franek, newcomer Todd

Roberson, and Pat Potter rounded out the top five finishers. Kevin Nolf,

Stephanie Stevens, Eric Palmer, Kevin Dries, and Brian Oliver rounded out

the top ten finishers.

Mike Keppler, Davie Franek, and Brian Oliver won Micro Sprint heats.

Franklin Bush came home the winner of the Pure Stock feature as he

led the entire distance to pick up the opening night victory. Jim

Balutis finished second ahead of Don Leeper, Gary Schoch, and Jay Martin.

Jeff Simko, John Walsh, Keith Villano, Floyd Schmidt, and Todd Hotaling

completed the top ten.

Racing continues this Saturday night at Lake Moc-A-Tek with a five

division racing card. The 357 Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, Pure

Stocks, and 250cc Micro Sprints will all be on the card. Racing gets

underway promptly at 6 PM.

The Lake Moc-A-Tek Speedway is located just off PA Rte 590

approximately seven mile East of Hamlin, Pa. To get to the speedway,

take Exit 17 (Formerly Exit #5) off I-84 and go toward Hamlin. At the

stoplight, (Hamlin Corners), turn right onto Pa. Rte 590 and travel

approximately 7 miles. At the Lake Moc-A-Tek Speedway sign turn right

and follow the signs which lead right into the speedway's parking lot.

For further information regarding racing action at Lake Moc-A-Tek,

contact the speedway office at (610)-863-0297. The race day weather

hotline is (570)-226-5602.

LAKE MOC-A-TEK OPENING NIGHT RACE SUMMARY:

358 MODIFIEDS: 1. ED STRADA JR. 2. Don Keefer 3. John Leiby 4. Bill

Grammes 5. Tom Oleski 6. Joey Grammes 7. Jason Rudalavage 8. Bob Puckett

9. Dom Roselli 10. Alan Kellogg 11. Josh Beierle 12. Bill Reese 13. Phil

Recchio 14. Troy Weisenfluh 15. Nick Barassi 16. Barry White 17. John

Ferguson 18. Scott Frack 19. George Hildebrandt 20. Mike Ricci 21. Brian

Malcolm 22. Everett Haubrich 23. Brian Cobb 24. Brian Corcoran

SPORTSMAN: 1. JOEY GRAMMES 2. Ralph Mele 3. Butch Getz 4. Kevin Nolf 5.

Rocky Rosetti 6. Tom Laner Jr. 7. Mike Marold 8. Alex Konopka 9. Ricky

Rutt 10. Kevin Bates 11. Mike Loney 12. Randy Moyer 13. Brian Ace Jr. 14.

Tom Gervasi 15. Darren Stout 16. Buddy Altemose

STREET STOCK: 1. NICK PETRILAK 2. Joe Krisovich 3. Bill Saxe 4. David

Luff 5. Eddie Redner 6. Grant Hilfiger 7. Bill Price Jr. 8. Brian

Petrilak 9. Gene Beadle 10. Glenn Buchannon 11. Tom Herman 12. Ed Kudrako

13. Adam Jones 14. Mark Morgan 15. Carl Heater 15. Tony Ferri 17. Neil

DeBlasi 18. Eric Moon 19. Jerry Van Tassel 20. Ton Cilurso

PURE STOCK 1. FRANKLIN BUSH 2. Jim Balutis 3. Don Leeper 4. Gary Schoch

5. Jay Martin 6. Jeff Simko 7. John Walsh 8. Keith Villano 9. Floyd

Schmidt 10. Todd Hotaling

MICRO SPRINTS: 1.MIKE KEPPLER 2. Ralph Utter Jr. 3. Davie Franek 4. Todd

Roberson 5. Pat Potter 6. Kevin Nolf 7. Stephanie Stevens 8. Eric Palmer

9. Kevin Dries 10. Brian Oliver 11. Rich McKay 12. Brian Cobb 13. Terry

Schaffer 14. Michele Conway 15. Greg Stevens 16. Nolan Mosier 17. John

Nagen 18. Geoff Quackenbush 19. Rich Drake 20. Charlie Redlach 21. Doc

Young 22. Alan Kellogg