HARTFORD, Ohio (Sept. 15, 2007) -- Scott Bonnell and Tommy Quarterson win features at Sharon Speedway in Sept. 15's Apple Festival Twin 25s.
The night started with the completion of the BRP Modified Tour/Russ King Memorial that was rained out Sept. 8, with only one lap of the Modifieds feature completed.
Rob Kristyak and Del Rougeux lead the 21-car field to restart. The race saw three different leaders, as Kristyak lead the first three laps before Rougeux took over on lap four. Jim Rasey started fifth, but took over first on the 21st lap to win his second BRP Modified Tour/Russ King Memorial and third feature race at Sharon Speedway of the 2007 season.
Rasey's previous BRP Modified Tour/Russ King Memorial win came in 2001 on the 1/2 mile oval.
"That was a good race for me and Lou Blaney, lots of good memories there," Rasey said of the 2001 win.
BRP point leader Russell King showed his perseverance by putting pressure on Rasey for the last 10 laps for a second place finish.
Russell King's second place finish in the feature gave him the title of BRP Modified Tour champion for 2007. His father, Rex King, was the previous tour champion for the prior two years.
"I tell you what, the first BRP race, I never thought I'd be standing here today. I actually didn't even have a car then," Russ King said after learning of his new title.
Also, as a tribute to Bobby Blaney, Dwayne Clay received a cash prize for being the tenth car on the tenth lap of the feature.
Completing the top five were Brian Swartzlander in third, Rougeux in fourth and Kevin Bolland fifth after starting 21st.
The heats were won Russell King, Jeremiah Shingledecker, Jim Rasey and Jeremy Pop.
The Apple Festival Twin 25s saw two separate 410 Sprint features.
Scott Bonnell and Doug A. Dodson got a big lead off their front-row starts, but officials flew a red flag for Karl Baker in the ninth spot as he went upside down coming out of turn 2. Baker later returned to the track. On the restart, Bonnell fell to third behind Bob Felmlee, with Dodson in the lead. Arnie Kent and Jason A. Dolick were neck and neck through lap four when the red flag came out again as Felmlee made wheel contact with Dodson, launching his flipping 6F sprint car into the fence of turn 2. Felmlee was uninjured in the incident.
Dodson held onto the lead for the third restart, but Bonnell wasn't far behind. Behind Bonnell Kent 18 and Jack Sodeman Jr. 23 rounded out top five for five laps, until a caution came out on lap 9. The single file restart saw Sodeman take Kent. Jody Keegan had started twelfth, but moved up quickly to round out the top five.
Around lap 14 lap traffic started to slow Dodson down, as Bonnell made up enough track to take Dodson on lap 20. Sodeman wasn't far behind, jumping up to second place when Dodson spun in turn two, brining out the caution flag on lap 22, and restarting next to last. After leading 19 laps to start the race, Dodson again got tangled up in another caution with Brent Matus and Brian Steinman on lap 24 and heading back to the pits.
The restarts on lap 21 and 24 put lap traffic between Bonnell and Sodeman, spacing out the race for first, second and Kent for third. The white-flag, single-file restart on lap 24 saw Sodeman near Bonnell, but Bonnell held onto his line for the checkered flag. Kent finished third, followed by Danny Holtgraver and Andy McKisson.
The heat race winners were Holtgraver, Dodson and Karl Baker.
The 410 Sprints returned to the track again with a twist for the second of the twin races. The starting positions were based on inverting the results of the first race, back 20 positions. It put earlier feature winner Bonnell in the 20th position while Karl Baker had the pole position.
The inversion worked for Tommy Quarterson, who came from 14th to capture the checkered flag.
Drivers in the back of the pack dove down hard and stayed wide, but the comfortable positions were the top five, as everything behind closed in quickly. Keegan charged from 15th, diving hard in the corners but could only find second place with lapped cars between he and Baker. Bonnell stayed wide on the track, but hit the wall on lap 21.
Arnie Kent chalked up two third place finishes in his first visit to Sharon Speedway of the season, while Karl Baker finished fourth and Sodeman came from 18th to take fifth.
The E-modified feature had to be restarted before a lap was recorded, as Jeff Sharp in third place spun between turns three and four. The spin caught three cars from further back in the back, brining out the yellow. The re-start saw heat-winner Dwayne Clay to fight with Steve Haefke for the leader position but put several car lengths between he and Haefke until the 52 of Josh Butler brought out the caution with two laps in.
Clay's car came out of the turns faster on the restart to stay wide break away from Haefke and Scott Jones. The re-start with 12 cars showed Clay's car faster out of the turn from Haefke and Jones staying wide.
Caution on lap 3, as one of James Turley's tires remained on the front stretch while he spun in the first turn. The caution brought out the single file restart as Clay secured his lead again, while Jones and Haefke stayed closer on him.
On lap four, the pack started to close in until Jeff Sharp spun between one and two. This time, Jones stayed closer on Clay, while Joe Gabrielson and Alan Dellinger in fourth and fifth pushed right up behind Ron Yaeger in third position. As they passed him on either side in the backstretch, he slowed with a flat and headed to the pits.
Despite two more restarts, Clay held on to lead and win the feature, his second at Sharon Speedway in 2007.
Alan Dellinger left the track on lap three, but returned on the next and was able to pass Clay on lap 13 to finish on the lead lap. Sharp battled back from two cautions to finish second. Scott Jones placed third, with Joe Gabrielson came from 14th to finish fourth and Bob Diver came from 18th to finish fifth.
The heat races were won by Clay and Rich Stiffler.
Bill Hanna started Pure Stock action pushing pole-sitter Michael Aley, while third-place stater and 2007 Pure Stocks points champion Steve D'Apolito took the outside line to take first on the first lap before the yellow came out for four cars in turn one.
Randy Rife pressured D'Apolito from the second lap until the checkered flag flew, but the top spot was just out of reach for Rife.
Behind them, racing was intense with three-wide racing through the tenth position.
Once the dust settled, following D'Apolito and Rife at the stripe was Bill Hanna in third, Charlie Jasinski in fourth and Alan Dellinger in fifth.
Heat races were won by Jamie Duncan, Rife and Dellinger.
In Limited Sprint action, Jason Scoville and Brandon Spithaler commanded their 15-lap feature.
Jason Scoville had the initial lead by as much as two-tenths of a second.
15-year-old Spithaler found his groove with two to go and went on to win his second feature of the season, pushing Scoville to second. 2007 track champion Guy Griffin finished third, Pete Miller finished fourth and Nate Stein finished fifth.
Spithaler won the heat.
FANtastic Five racing will conclude Saturday, September 22 with Fan Appreciation Night. Tickets for Saturday's action will be available at a price of $6 for adults (16 and older), $5 for kids (12-15) and free for children 11 and younger. Pit passes are $22, and the pit gate opens at 3 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Fans can call (330) 772-5481 or visit www.sharonspeedway.com for more information and directions.
Results: Sharon Speedway: 09/15/07
BRP Modified Tour/Russ King Memorial:
A-Main 01 - 1. Jim Rasey; Southington, OH 2. Russell King; Bristolville, OH 3. Brian Swartzlander; Leechburg, PA 4. Del Rougeux, Frenchville, PA 5. Kevin Bolland; New Brighton, PA
410 Sprints
A-Main 01 - 1. Scott Bonnell; Girard, PA 2. Jack Sodeman, Jr.; Butler, PA, 3. Arnie Kent; New Castle, PA 4. Danny Holtgraver; Pittsburgh, PA 5. Andy McKisson; Strattanville, PA 6. Jody Keegan; Fremont, OH 7. Tom Quarterson, West Middlesex, PA 8. Jason Dolick; Coshocton, OH 9. Aaron Michael; Lititz, PA 10. Aaron Shaffer; Oak Park, IL
A-Main 02 - 1. Tom Quarterson; West Middlesex, PA 2. Jody Keegan; Fremont, OH 3. Arnie Kent New Castle, PA 4. 51 Karl Baker York, PA 5. 23JR Jack Sodeman, Jr. Butler, PA 6. Bryan Grove; Beach City, OH 7. Aaron Shaffer; Oak Park, IL 8. Andy McKisson; Strattanville, PA 9. Jason Dolick; Coshocton, OH 10. Bob Lime; North Olmsted, OH
E-Mods
A-Main 01 - 1. Dwayne Clay; Mineral Ridge, OH 2. Jeff Sharp; Canfield, OH 3. Scott Jones; Vienna, OH 4. Joe Gabrielson; Bristolville, OH 5. Bob Diver; Canfield, OH 6. Ed Wilson; Hermitage, PA 7. Alan Dellinger; Hermitage, PA 8. Joshua Butler; Matthews, NC 9. Arlan Coy; Salem, OH 10. Rob Kristyak; Bristolville, OH
Limited Sprints
A-Main 01 - 1. Brandon Spithaler Evans City, Pa; 2. Jason Scoville Warren, OH 3. Guy Griffin ;Greenville, PA 4. Pete Miller III; Port Vue, PA 5.Nathan Stein; Waterford, PA 6. Kyle Layton; Erie, Pa 7. James Morris III; Kinsman, OH 8. Jack Whitmore; Brookfield, OH 9. David Miller; Greenville, PA 10. John Boyer Jr.; Masury, OH
Pure Stocks
A-Main 01 - 1. Steve D'Apolito; Boardman, OH 2. Randy Riffe; Transfer, PA 3. Bill Hanna; Jamestown, PA 4. Charlie Jasinski; Poland, OH 5. Alan Dellinger; Hermitage, PA 6. Ed Cornell; Masury, OH 7. Allan Hudzik; Austintown, OH 8. Jamie Duncan; Bristolville, OH 9. Jeffrey Kravec; Austintown, OH 10. Michael Aley; Fredonia, PA