RANKIN TAKES $2,000 SPRINT WIN WHILE KING SNARES MOD FIRST;
DOMHOFF AND WHITLING OUTRUN REST OF COMPETITION
by Brian Spaid
August 13, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRANKLIN, PA ... This time, it was a sunny Sunday evening at Tri-City Speedway as Craig Rankin (Ashland Homes Super Sprints), Rex King (Titusville Motor & Auction Co. DIRT Modifieds), Shawn Domhoff (RE/MAX E Mods) and Bobby Whitling (Knox Auto Supply Stock Cars) on Galaxy Federal Credit Union Night. It was the ninth show of the season, which has been plagued by seven rainouts.
For Craig Rankin of Clarion, Pa., his first Super Sprint feature win of the season came at a good time for his Guzzo Motorsports/Ashland Homes Eagle No. 77 team because the victory earned them $2,000. It also extended his point lead with two races left.
"This has been a tough season," said Rankin. "You've got to take the ups with the downs, and we've had a lot of downs lately. We needed this win and I thank the Lord we got here."
The 25-lap feature started off on a bad note as Jarod Larson, Rankin's main nemesis for the track title, flipped wildly in turn one from his outside pole position. No other cars were involved in the wreck, but Larson's car was heavily damaged. He was uninjured.
Once the race was underway again, Jason Jacoby took the lead from the pole. Rankin moved into second by the third lap, and tried to pass Jacoby amidst lapped traffic three laps later. He had to back out of the move for fear of a crash. Once they were clear of traffic, Rankin dove under Jacoby into turn one on the eighth lap, and cruised away for the eventual win.
Defending track champ Jimmy Hawley moved into second on the ninth lap and gradually closed on Rankin. Ten laps later, however, the handling on Hawley's car quickly disappeared and he spun in turn four.
Hawley's spin allowed Rankin to pull away for a comfortable advantage at the finish over Jacoby. Central Pennsylvania racer Mike Wagner finished third. Hawley recovered for fourth and Terry Young finished fifth in the John Sloss-owned car formerly driven by Tommy Quarterson. It was Rankin's 10th career Super Sprint win at Tri-City. Wagner and Hawley won the heat races. Despite the extra purse, a disappointing field of 13 cars turned out for the event.
The 20-lap DIRT Modified feature was a lesson in speed delivered to the rest of the field by Rex King of Bristolville, Ohio. Starting 17th after a fuel pickup problem in his heat race, King used the outside groove on the tacky half-mile to grab the lead on the 10th lap and cruise to his first career win at Tri-City.
Rookie Jeremiah Shingledecker led the race from the pole over Chris Schiffer and Kevin Bolland. The race was caution-free until the ninth lap when Schiffer blew a tire after catching the berm in turn one. By then, King was running second. He took the lead from Shingledecker on the restart before the rookie driver dropped out with mechanical problems. Lou Blaney used a few quick moves to race from fifth to second while King took the lead.
Blaney remained within striking distance of King, but a caution with three laps remaining closed the pack. After the green flag, King was unstoppable in his King Bros. Feed & Supply Bicknell No. 65. The win earned King a guaranteed starting spot in the Russ King Memorial at Sharon Speedway on Sept. 2, a race named after his late father. John Braymer, Bolland and Brian Swartzlander, who started 18th, rounded out the top five. Josh Skarzenski and Shingledecker won the heat races.
In the 15-lap E Mod feature, Shawn Domhoff of Harmony, Pa., survived a 40-minute marathon to capture his first win. The race was slowed by seven cautions, many of which involved multi-car accidents.
Amid the carnage, Mike Hess led the first three laps of the race before he was slowed by a flat tire. Kari Petrosky then moved out front and held off the stiff challenges of point leader Bobby Powell. Domhoff was running third by the fifth lap, and raced side-by-side with Powell for one lap before grabbing second on the sixth circuit. At the halfway point, Domhoff used an inside pass of Petrosky in turn two to take the lead and the eventual win in his Domhoff's Signs & Custom Graphix No. 13. It was Domhoff's first career victory at Tri-City.
Petrosky scored her best career finish beating Powell at the line for second after Powell slipped by her with two laps left. Petrosky used the outside cushion in turns three and four to sneak past Powell. Holly Nelson and Dale Fuller rounded out the top five. Shawn Shingledecker, Hess and Nelson won the heats.
Bobby Whitling of Seneca, Pa., had a relatively easy win in the 15-lap Stock Car feature. Starting fourth, Whitling used the outside cushion in his E.F Rogers Plumbing & Heating Chevrolet No. 7W to race into first off the second corner. From that point on, Whitling was unchallenged on his way to the 19th Stock Car feature win of his career at=20 Tri-City.
Behind him, David Atkinson held onto second until the fourth lap when former winner Russ Kapalin took the position. That pass occurred on a restart following a rollover by Mike Dolecki in the backstretch. Dolecki was uninjured.
Point leader Dave Ferringer dogged Atkinson for several laps before finally taking second on the eighth circuit. Atkinson's race ended quickly, however, when the right front tire came off the car and Gary Norman drove over the loose shoe in the frontstretch. The contact vaulted the tire into the air and it became wedged under the fence by flagman Greg Wheeling.
Ferringer then engaged in a long duel with Kapalin for second. Ferringer found room under the Ohio driver on the 12th lap to take the spot entering turn one just as a tire blew on Kapalin's car putting him off the track in the second turn.
From there, Whitling came home the winner over Ferringer, Matt Cummings, Norman and Ron Iorio. Ben Blake, Cummings, Ferringer and Russ Dempsey won the heats. Randy Ferringer captured the consolation.
At the end of the night, Tom Willis of Titusville drove his 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 to victory in the Galaxy Federal Credit Union 1-on-1 Spectator Races.
Next Sunday night August 20th, the Ashland Homes Super Sprints, Titusville Motor & Auction Co. DIRT Modifieds, RE/MAX E Mods and Knox Auto Supply Stock Cars will be in action once again for Bonus Bucks Weekend IV on Ashland Homes and Sears Night at Tri-City Speedway. If a driver wins all three feature events in the Super Sprints or DIRT Modifieds at Sharon Speedway, Mercer Raceway Park and Tri-City next weekend, he will collect an additional $3,000. Two wins will equal $1,500. For the Stock Cars, it will be $600 for three wins and $300 for two wins. To be eligible for the bonuses, a driver must compete at all three tracks. The E Mods and Stock Cars will race in qualifying events for the Little Guy Nationals at Mercer in October. The final Kids Night of 2000 will also take place with bike races for children 12 and under. To complete evening, the Venango County 4-H Fair Back to School Bus Races will take place along with a Powder Puff Race. Adult grandstand admission will be $10. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. and racing starts at 6:00 p.m.
SUPER SPRINTS (25 Laps): 1. CRAIG RANKIN, 2. Jason Jacoby, 3. Mike Wagner, 4. Jimmy Hawley, 5. Terry Young, 6. Gale Ruth Jr., 7. Brent Covell, 8. Mike Marano II, 9. Brian Hartzell, 10. Tony Stebel Jr., 11. Bruce Powell, 12. Jarod Larson. DNQ: Ray Bullis.
DIRT MODIFIEDS (20 Laps): 1. REX KING, 2. Lou Blaney, 3. John Braymer, 4. Kevin Bolland, 5. Brian Swartzlander, 6. Joe Crawford, 7. Josh Skarzenski, 8. Carl Murdick, 9. Dave Schrader, 10. Del Rougeux Jr., 11. Randy Snider, 12. Merle Mealy Jr., 13. Andy Nicols, 14. Dean Ruth, 15. Dave Price, 16. Dave Murdick, 17. Jeremiah Shingledecker, 18. Chris Schiffer. DNS: Jim Rasey.
E MODS (15 Laps): 1. SHAWN DOMHOFF, 2. Kari Petrosky, 3. Bobby Powell, 4. Holly Nelson, 5. Dale Fuller, 6. Mike Petosky, 7. Bill Taylor, 8. Jim Abbott, 9. Jim Mechling, 10. Jim White Jr., 11. Jeff Taylor, 12. Gary McGregor, 13. Ryan Byers, 14. Ron Jaeger, 15. Shawn Shingledecker, 16. Bob McCann, 17. Ryan Bright, 18. Rich Jaeger, 19. Mike Samuelson, 20. Herm Myers, 21. R.J. Peebles, 22. Mike Hess, 23. Brent Rhebergen, 24. Bootie Petsko, 25. Ron Roncaglione. DNS: Ron Loney.
STOCK CARS (15 Laps): 1. BOBBY WHITLING, 2. Dave Ferringer, 3. Matt Cummings, 4. Gary Norman, 5. Ron Iorio, 6. Bob Sloss, 7. Terry Feely, 8. Scotty Carbaugh, 9. Randy Ferringer, 10. Brian Counselman, 11. Ben Blake, 12. Arthur Edwards, 13. Jamie Shetler, 14. Glenn Pupino, 15. Russ Kapalin, 16. Doug Calvert, 17. Rick Hughes, 18. Scott Peterson, 19. Mike Dolecki, 20. Billy Beiter, 21. David Atkinson, 22. Michael Aley, 23. Tom Vincent, 24. Russ Dempsey, 25. Doug Iorio Sr. DNQ: Chris Cummings, Henry Mohney, Andy Miller, James Mohnkern, Bob Garris, Everett Wade, John Sutley, Delmis Nestor, John K. Miller, Wayne Daniels.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SUMMER SEASON:
Aug. 20 - Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, E Mods and Stock Cars (Ashland Homes and Sears Night)
(Bonus Buck$ Weekend IV) (E Mod and Stock Car Little Guy Nationals Qualifiers)
(Kids Night: Bike Races 12 and Under) (Venango County 4-H Fair Back to School and
Powder Puff Bus Races)
Aug. 27 - Sprints, DIRT Modified, E Mods and Stock Cars (Knox Auto Supply/Pennzoil Night)
(Sprints Sharon Nationals Qualifier) (Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series) (Go-
Kart Races) (POINTS END)
FALL SEASON:
Sept 23 & 24 - Mod Madness IV Presented by A. Crivelli Chevrolet/GMC (DIRT Modifieds,
York Triathlon Stahl E Mods, Sportsman Modifieds and 6 Cylinder Modifieds)
Sat. Sept. 23: Heats in all divisions and Mod Masters ($500-to-win)
Sun. Sept. 24: B Mains and Features (DIRT Mods 50 Laps, $3,000-to-win)
Sept. 30 - 4th Annual Applefest 100 (Stock Cars 100 Laps, $1,000-to-win) (American Red Cross
Ugly Truck Contest) (Sligo Auto Salvage Demolition Derby)