November 9, 2008

   FRANKLIN, PA …. Tri-City Speedway concluded its 13^th consecutive season of dirt track action in September, and the 2008 track champions will be honored on January 10^th at the Rocky Grove Fire Hall near Franklin, where they will divide in excess of $30,000 in point money and contingency awards.

   Top drivers at the legendary half-mile Venango County oval included Kevin Bolland (Engles Trucking DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds), Max Blair (4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models), Carl McKinney (RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Jason Reagle (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks) and Bill Myers (Klapec Auto Body Thundercars).

   Continuing his dominance of the DIRTcar Big Block Modified division, Kevin Bolland of New Brighton, Pa., captured his fourth career and third consecutive title at Tri-City. Piloting his Northland Ford/Bolland Machine Bicknell No. 777, Bolland earned two wins and 10 top five finishes in 10 feature events during the rain-plagued season. Bolland, who was the 2000, 2006 and 2007 track champion in the open wheel class, also won  five heat races. On the strength of four feature wins, Jeremiah Shingledecker finished second in the point standings. However, Shingledecker’s six top five feature finishes and three heat race wins were not enough to overcome Bolland’s effort. Joe Crawford, Dave Schrader and Andy Priest rounded out the top five in the final standings. The only other single feature winners all season included Rex King, Joe Crawford, Gary Smoker, who won the BRP Modified Tour Dick Rankin Memorial, and 2008 DIRTcar Big Block Modified Western Region and BRP Modified Tour champion Brian Swartzlander, who won the Kodiak Memorial, ending a seven-year losing streak at Tri-City for the four-time track champion.

   Max Blair concluded a phenomenal season at Tri-City as the first-ever FASTRAK Late Model track champion. The Centerville, Pa., driver capped his efforts by also winning the $5,000 FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series Championship, and the $10,000 FASTRAK National Weekly Series Championship. The third generation star won six feature races and earned 11 top five finishes in 11 feature events in his Bossard’s Auto Parts/Donovan & Bauer Auto Group/Specialty Products Rocket No. 111.  Fellow racer Bobby Powell was the only other driver to win more than one feature as he captured two events placing second behind Blair in the championship standings. Former Pro Stock track champion Bobby Whitling finished third followed by Steve Hollabaugh and Carl McKinney. The other feature winners included Dave Lyon, Alan Dellinger and McKinney, who won the FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series event on Labor Day Weekend.

   In addition to a good season in the FASTRAK Late Models, Carl McKinney of Cranberry Township, Pa., proved once again that he is the top dog in the E Mod division winning his second career and consecutive track championship at Tri-City. Driving Mike Hendrickson’s Townsend Gas and Oil/Whitehill’s Garage Pierce No. 6M, McKinney captured four feature wins and 11 top five finishes in 12 events. Adding four heat race wins, McKinney was able to hold off the stout challenges of 2004 E Mod track champion Mike Potosky, who finished second in the points. Potosky earned two feature wins and six heat race wins, and he also captured the four-race Welding Technologies E Series title. It was Potosky’s fourth E Series championship having also won the title in 2004 and 2006. Behind McKinney and Potosky in the track points were Shawn Shingledecker, Evan Taylor and Jim Frontz. Alan Dellinger won two features while Shingledecker, Justin Carlson, Al Cressley and Todd Roncaglione won single feature events. Cressley and Roncaglione won the United E Mod Series/E Series races over the Oil Region Labor Day Classic Weekend.

   Jason Reagle of Oil City, Pa., finally etched his name among the champions at Tri-City as he captured the 2008 Pro Stock title. Piloting his R.K. Virgile Scrap Metals Dodge No. 888, Reagle earned nine top five finishes in 13 feature events, including four victories. He also added six heat race wins and cruised to his inaugural point title. Jason Johns matched Reagle’s feature race records with four wins and nine top five finishes. However, Johns could not maintain consistent runs like Reagle in the other events. In the end, a three-race win streak near the end of the season allowed Johns to finish fourth in the track points, and he captured the five-race William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series title as a result.  Dave Ferringer finished second to Reagle followed by Rod Laskey, Johns and Chris Haines. Jackson Humanic scored two feature victories while Chris Haines, Ferringer and Alan Dellinger each scored single feature wins. Dellinger won his first career Pro Stock feature at Tri-City in the 12^th Annual CSOnline Applefest 100 and taking home $3,350 for his efforts.

   For the second year in a row, Bill Myers of Seneca, Pa., trumped the competition in the Thundercar division to capture his second career championship. Driving his Color Tek/R.K. Virgile Scrap Metals/Corner Pocket Bar/Color Tek Chevrolet No. 43M, Myers scored three feature wins and nine top five finishes in 11 feature events. He also won six heat races. No other driver was close to those statistics. Teen sensation Cody Manners finished second in the point standings followed by Curtis J. Bish, Ed Deloe and Joe Blake. Manners and Jon Huff each won two feature races while Chadd Uber, Curtis J. Bish, Curtis E. Bish, and Don Blake Jr. each scored one win apiece. Blake Jr.’s lone win came in the 2008 Apple Core 20.

   DIRTcar Big Block Modified driver Kevin Hoffman of Franklin, Pa., won the 2008 Schwab’s Ford Hard Charger Award. It was Hoffman’s first Hard Charger point title. With points accumulated from all divisions based on the number of positions a driver advances in the feature finish from his official starting spot, Hoffman beat Thundercar drivers John K. Miller and Greg Myers, who tied for second, by 10 passing points demonstrating that Hoffman was the single most prolific passer in feature race competition. Thundercar driver Don Blake Jr. and DIRTcar Big Block Modified track champion Kevin Bolland rounded out the top five.

   Four drivers are eligible for the 2008 Goss Gas/Lincoln Electric Ironman Mechanic’s Award at the season banquet. Awarded to one race team that completes 100% of all heat and feature race laps in each division throughout the point season, E Mod driver Evan Taylor and Pro Stock star Dave Ferringer matched that feat along with two track champions, Kevin Bolland (DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds) and Carl McKinney (E Mods).  The winning driver will be selected by random draw and receive a new Lincoln Welder.

   All champions will be honored at the Tri-City Speedway season banquet on Saturday January 10^th at the Rocky Grove Fire Hall in Rocky Grove, Pa., located about 6.5 miles from the track just outside Franklin. For banquet information and tickets, please contact the track office at (814) 473-4038. 

TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY FINAL POINT STANDINGS 2008

DIRTcar BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS: 1. Kevin Bolland (New Brighton), 1,001; 2. Jeremiah Shingledecker (Polk), 978; 3. Joe Crawford (Polk), 917; 4. Dave Schrader (Endeavor), 904; 5. Andy Priest (New Castle), 893; 6. Kevin Hoffman (Franklin), 827; 7. Del Rougeux Jr. (Frenchville), 821; 8. Mike Turner (Butler), 726; 9. Tommy Kristyak (Stoneboro), 724; 10. Carl Murdick (Butler), 691.

FASTRAK LATE MODELS: 1. Max Blair (Titusville), 1,168; 2. Bobby Powell (Waterford), 1,080; 3. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 992; 4. Steve Hollabaugh (Guys Mills), 962; 5. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Twp.), 954; 6. Chad Myers (Oil City), 948; 7. Butch Lambert (Mars), 944; 8. Chris Haines (Sandy Lake), 886; 9. Dave Lyon (Corry), 881; 10. Kyle Zimmerman (Pleasantville), 613.

E MODS: 1. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Twp.), 1,124; 2. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills), 1,118; 3. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin), 1,097; 4. Evan Taylor (Saltsburg), 1,023; 5. Jim Frontz (Cambridge Springs), 976; 6. Bruce Powell (Cochranton), 918; 7. Butch Lambert (Mars), 844; 8. Jeff Deeter (Titusville), 842; 9. Jonathan Taylor (Saltsburg), 784; 10. Chip Mahood (Cherrytree), 746.

E SERIES: 1. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills), 446; 2. Carl McKinney (Cranberry Twp.), 420; 3. Al Cressley (Pittsfield), 419; 4. Shawn Shingledecker (Franklin), 392; 5. Bruce Powell (Cochranton), 382; 6. Evan Taylor (Saltsburg), 359; 7. Todd Roncaglione (Linesville), 343; 8. Jim Frontz (Cambridge Springs), 336; 9. 9. Jonathan Taylor (Saltsburg), 329; 10. Gary Sullivan (Saegertown), 324.

PRO STOCKS: 1. Jason Reagle (Oil City), 1,120; 2. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 1,051; 3. Rod Laskey (Seneca), 1,045; 4. Jason Johns (Oil City), 1,037; 5. Chris Haines (Sandy Lake), 1,006; 6. Jackson Humanic (Titusville), 951; 7. Gerry Bruce (Franklin), 862; 8. Matt Thomas (Grand Valley), 858; 9. Russ Coyne (Cooperstown), 855; 10. Bobby Sutley (Cooperstown), 846.

DETROIT IRON PRO STOCK SERIES: 1. Jason Johns (Oil City), 579; 2. Jackson Humanic (Titusville), 511; 3. Chris Haines (Sandy Lake), 508; 4. Jason Reagle (Oil City), 504; 5. Bobby Sutley (Cooperstown), 500; 6. Bobby Whitling (Seneca), 486; 7. Rod Laskey (Seneca), 470; 8. Dave Ferringer (Cochranton), 469; 9. Matt Thomas (Grand Valley), 464; 10. Gerry Bruce (Franklin), 454.

THUNDERCARS: 1. Bill Myers (Seneca), 1,104; 2. Cody Manners (Oil City), 1,008; 3. Curtis J. Bish (Oil City), 990; 4. Ed Deloe (Oil City), 961; 5. Joe Blake (Oil City), 945; 6. Greg Myers (Franklin), 908; 7. Don Blake Jr. (Titusville), 907; 8. Bill Winters (Cooperstown), 894; 9. Jon Huff (Oil City), 869; 10. Joe Sloss (Franklin), 866.

HARD CHARGER: 1. Kevin Hoffman (Franklin)(M), 54; 2. John K. Miller (Oil City)(T) and Greg Myers (Franklin)(T), 44 (tie); 4. Don Blake Jr. (Titusville)(T), 43; 5. Kevin Bolland (New Brighton)(M), 42; 6. Andy Priest (New Castle)(M) and Matt Thomas (Grand Valley)(PS), 40 (tie); 7. Jason Reagle (Oil City)(PS), 39; 8. Joe Sloss (Franklin)(T), 35; 9. Jason Johns (Oil City)(PS) and Regina Deloe (Cranberry)(T), 34 (tie). Key: DIRTcar Big Block Modified (M), FASTRAK Late Models (LM), E Mods (E); Pro Stocks (PS), Thundercars (T).

   Tri-City Speedway is owned and operated by Roger and Susie Crick and Mike and Margaret Graham. They have promoted Sunday night racing at the popular facility since they reopened it in 1996. The DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars race each week at the Venango County half-mile dirt oval. Tri-City is located seven miles north of Franklin, Pa., off State Route 417.