Kellogg's Moc-A-Tek Opening Night A Success This Year
By BRETT DEYO
LAKEVILLE, PA - Allan Kellogg has never been a fan of opening night.
That is, until now.
The Mt. Cobb, Pa., driver kicked off the 2004 Lake Moc-A-Tek Speedway season with a victory last Saturday night, topping a competitive 25-lap 358-Modified feature. The $1,000 triumph marked his first ever checkered in a season lid-lifter at the historic quarter-mile oval.
"This is by far the best opening night we've had," Kellogg revealed. "We've been lucky to even finish them in the past. It's a good way to start the season."
In the early laps, it appeared that fourth-starter Kellogg would take a back seat to three-time track champion Gary Griffin. In his first ride aboard a 2004 Bicknell mount, the Archbald, Pa., veteran powered into the lead from the outside pole and opened up an advantage on the field.
On lap 4, second running Tom Oleski spun in turn two. That handed the runner-up position over to Kellogg.
Using the outside line to his advantage, however, Griffin readily motored away from Kellogg on three separate restarts (laps 4, 5 and 6).
"I honestly didn't think I had anything for Gary," the 36-year-old said. "I was getting killed on the restarts."
The caution periods did provide Kellogg with an opportunity. While circling the track slowly, he discovered a tacky patch on the inside of turn four.
"I was searching around for bite," he said. "I saw it was still wet on the inside of turn four. I kept that in the back of my mind."
Using his acquired knowledge, Kellogg set his sights on Griffin when the race went green, building momentum in the outside lane with his KFC No. 99. He caught Griffin on lap 9 heading down the backstretch, powered to the bottom in turns three and four and executed a classic slide job to lead at the stripe for lap 10.
"I was running around the top reeling Gary in," Kellogg said. "When I got to him I dove to the bottom, got a good run and slid up in front of him."
From that point on it was clear sailing for Kellogg, who motored away in his Belfast Automotive-powered Bicknell.
Griffin's 24th consecutive season of Moc-A-Tek competition began with a fine second place effort.
"It was fast," Griffin said of his new equipment. "It was a combination of the tires (Griffin used the softer SD 33 compound), some engine work by my brother Bernie and the new car.
"Once Allan got by me, I could stay with him, but that was it."
Joey Grammes of Kunkletown, Pa., raced from 10th to finish third. Brian Malcolm, returning after a year at Orange County (N.Y.) Fair Speedway, was a strong fourth and Dom Roselli completed the front five.
Consolation winner Carl Pittenger raced from 16th to sixth at the checkered.
In a dominant performance, Rick Raisner of Easton, Pa., led wire-to-wire in the 20-lap Sportsman feature.
Raisner, piloting a 1997 Pauch-Tobias car, started second and got the initial jump on polesitter Rick Beavers with his Express-Times No. R14.
His biggest challenge came in the form of Keith Fleming on a lap 11 restart. The Milford, N.J. chauffeur made a bold inside run on Raisner exiting turn two. Raisner threw the block on the backstretch, shutting the door on Fleming, who was forced to roll out of the throttle.
That was the final threat to Raisner's lead, as the popular New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway convert scored the $500 victory.
Fleming finished a solid second, just ahead of 250cc Micro-Sprint graduate Eric Palmer, who grabbed a third place finish in his first ever Sportsman start. Joey Grammes rebounded from a lap 6 penalty to finish fourth and Greg Morgan rounded out the top five.
After several years away from racing, 1990 champion Bill Trego returned in grand style, winning the 20-lap Street Stock feature. The Gouldsboro, Pa., veteran grabbed the lead in lapped traffic on lap 5, then fought off the late race advances of Brian Petrilak for the win.
Brian Petrilak, Les Gillette, Nick Petrilak and newcomer Paul Tannura rounded out the top five.
Ralph Utter Jr. led the entire distance to win the 20-lap 250cc Micro-Sprint headliner. The perennial frontrunner from West Milford, N.J., won his heat race, started on the front row and checked out on the field in his No. 19J.
Joe Smith, who scored a win in the April 10 heldover main, finished second, ahead of Jay Hartman, Kevin Nolf and Mike Pychinka.
Unfortunately, opening night track prep took longer than expected and the Pure Stock/Four Cylinder feature fell to the curfew. It will be made up at the beginning of the April 24 program. Frank Bush and Jason Walsh split the heat races.
A total of 111 cars competed in the season opener.
Racing resumes at the Thrill Track on April 24 with a full five division card of 358-Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, Pure Stock/Four Cylinders and 250cc Micro-Sprints. Gates open at 3 p.m. with hot laps at 5 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m. A Sunday rain date is in place with gates opening at 1 p.m., hot laps at 3 p.m. and racing promptly at 4 p.m.
For more information, contact the speedway office at (570) 676-8665 or check out the website: www.lakemocatekspeedway.com. The race day phone is (570) 226-5602.
NOTABLE: Defending 358-Modified champion Ed Strada Jr. struggled through a rough lid-lifter.
After a heat race spin forced him to start the main 11th, he got collected in a lap 4 incident that flattened his right front tire and bent the wheel around the brake caliper. Only a spin on the restart (and the ensuing caution) allowed Strada to rejoin the field on the lead lap.
His next run-in occurred on lap 6 when five cars tangled in turn three. In an attempt to miss the melee, he made significant contact with the infield marker tire. Despite a bent front axle, Strada rebounded for eighth…
Brian Malcolm swept the final two races of the 2002 season. He didn't make another start at Moc-A-Tek until Saturday night, when he returned with his No. 119. "My car owners wanted me to come back," he explained. "We decided to come here where we can make a little money."
The Lake Ariel, Pa., driver also plans to compete at Afton (N.Y.) Speedway on Friday evenings with his 2002 Bicknell car…
With the updated tire rule, tire compound choice was a hot topic in the pit area. A mix of compounds, ranging from SD 33 to SD 48, was in use for the features. Race winner Kellogg's SD 44 rubber showed little or no wear…
Chris Grbac, a Thunder Mountain (N.Y.) Speedway regular, was a late entry to the field. He qualified through the consolation and finished 15th…
Keith Nonnemacher's 358-Mod debut was short-lived. Feeling he was significantly down on power, he retired to the pits early in the main. "It was just lazy," he said. "So I'll make an intake change and come back next week."…
John Leiby picked up a last minute Sportsman ride from John Gray, who couldn't drive his own No. 70 due to a pinched nerve in his neck…
358-Modified Feature Finish: ALLAN KELLOGG, Gary Griffin, Joey Grammes, Brian Malcolm, Dom Roselli, Carl Pittenger, Jesse Kline, Ed Strada Jr., Ryan Taylor, John Leiby, Tom Oleski, Ricky Yetter, Buddy Altemose, Tom Gervasi, Chris Grbac, Scott Frack, Tom Solderich, Bryant Brown, Joe Eisenhauer, Barry White, Troy Weisenfluh, Keith Nonnemacher.
Did Not Qualify: Bernie Kelly, Greg Morgan, Kevin Nolf.
Sportsman Feature Finish: RICK RAISNER, Keith Fleming, Eric Palmer, Joey Grammes, Greg Morgan, John Bush, Tommy Laner, Rick Beavers, Mike Van Tassel, Ted Stout, Ryan Olsommer, John Micek, John Leiby, John Leiby Jr., Brad Grim, Archie Myers IV, Chris Riddle, Mike McCollum, Mike Mondak, Bill Moyer, Ricky Rutt, Archie Myers III.
Did Not Qualify: Gene Walsh, Don Hildebrant, Andy Stout, Matt Kaminiskas, Chad Hadlick.
Street Stock Feature Finish: BILL TREGO, Brian Petrilak, Les Gillette, Nick Petrilak, Paul Tannura, Neil DiBlasi, Bill Saxe, Tony Ferri, Jay Smith, Dan Pompey, Greg Buchanan, Randy Tyler, Clark Bradford, Keith Villano, Billy Price Jr., Eric Moon, Jimmy Sykes.
250cc Micro-Sprint Feature Finish: RALPH UTTER JR., Joe Smith, Jay Hartman, Kevin Nolf, Mike Pychinka, Mike Rasley, Stephanie Stevens, Matt Mountz, Nicole Morgillo, Lex Burritt, Greg Stevens, Mike Storms, Derek Ramstrom, Jared Schall, Frank Venezia, Tim Manieri, Ken Wismer Jr., Darrell Cobb, Joe Buchanan, Martin Reinsmith.
Did Not Qualify: Jay Horvath, Sam Christie, Angela Caruso, Jeff Hartman, Patrick Milikowski, Jeff Schall, Chris Oraschin.