WESTERN PA RACING REVIEW
by Walt Wimer

October 9, 2008 

         The 2008 racing season is just about all over here in western PA.  To the best that I can determine, only three tracks saw action this first weekend of October, and one of those was way down across the state line in Maryland.  This week, there is the big Fall Fest three-day weekend at Challenger Raceway.  After that, there is a big show at Motordrome on Saturday October 18 and an all support class show at Cumberland, MD on October 25.  And that is it for the western PA area.

        LATE MODELS:  Mercer Raceway Park ran their only Late Model show of the season Saturday with a 25 lapper worth $2,000.  Many, including myself, consider John Mollick one of the most improved drivers on the circuit this year, if not the most improved.  He did little to change that at Mercer by avoiding a first lap crash and then leading the most of the way.  Dan Swartzlander got into Jason Flory in the first turn of the first lap and caused a multi-car crash that involved about 7 cars. Mollick got the pole after that, but Doug Eck and Jeff Henry got by the black #4J when Mollick was slow to come up to speed on the restart.  But that didn’t last long as Corry veteran Eck spun on lap three turning the top spot over to Mollick, who would lead the rest of the way. For Toronto, Ohio, driver Mollick, it was his fourth career win and by far his biggest. He scored his first at Latrobe late in the 2006 season and then twice at Lernerville the first half of this year.

        Former E Mod driver Greg Oakes from New York, fast becoming a Late Model contender, came home ahead of fellow New Yorker Brent Rhebergen. Ohio’s George Lee and John Flinner rounded out the top five. Eck ended the night 15th and Dave Hess, Jr., caught up in that first lap crash, 20th.  The race drew a solid field of 29 cars, but most of the really big names went south to Cumberland, Md., for the final MACS race of the year. 

        The Big Kahuna was the second MACS race of the season at the Alleghany County Speedway, and just like the first one, it was a World of Outlaws driver standing in victory lane when the race was over. Back in April it was Shane Clanton and this time Josh “Kid Rocket” Richards.  On the opening lap, Richards got together with Delaware driver Ricky Elliott with Elliott spinning and bouncing off Tim McCreadie. Both were out of contention and ended the night 22nd and 24th at the pay window.  After everything settled down, it was all Richards driving the Ernie Davis #25 he has run in a number of non-WoO races this year.  Jason Covert finished second to wrap up his third straight MACS title.  Steve Francis and Rick Eckert gave the WoO drivers three out of the top four finishers. The third by Francis, who has had a super year in big area races, put him in a tie with Mike Knight for our #1 Cochran Cavalcade Points with only the two races at Challenger’s Fall Fest left.  Rick “Boom” Briggs continued his hot streak with 5th with Jeremy Miller rounding out the top six in an all star field out of 44 entries.

         LIMITED LATE MODELS:  Two biggies were on tap this week, the final FASTRAK area race of 2008 and the “Steel Block Nationals” at Clearfield’s Central PA Speedway.  The Mercer race was the first of a three-race series for the FASTRAK drivers, which will see some of our local drivers head south in the coming weeks for races in North Carolina and Virginia.  The Mercer race “only” paid $2,000 to the winner, but the driver that can come out on top of the overall series stands to earn $50,000!!

      Third-generation driver Max Blair won the race for his 13th victory of the season and his third at Mercer. Blair has already won $10,000 for the National Weekly Point Championship and $5,000 as point champ for the FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series.  Quite a season for young Blair, whose dad is one of the best Late Model drivers in western PA and whose grandfather was a regular in the stock car classes at such tracks as Tri-City and Blanket Hill back in the 60s and early 70s. Blair, a rookie in 2005 when he drove an E Mod, has had a fantastic season and dad Robbie skipped the MACS race at Cumberland to be on hand at Mercer.  Mike Pegher, Jr., Dick Barton, Tom Snyder and John Lacki were all in the mix early on.  Pegher, running third behind Barton and Blair, got sideways on lap 19 and caused a 10-car melee. After the restart, Blair got around Barton through the outside of turns three and four. Blair pulled away to victory leaving Barton to settle for the runner-up honors, but that will put the veteran wheelman in a good position heading south.  Snyder hung on for 3rd over Dennis Lunger, Jr., who opened the season with a Mercer win, and Butch Lambert, who won his first FASTRAK regional race at McKean County last week. The race was only open to drivers who had run a certain number of races at the five local FASTRAK speedways, but still a strong field of 27 cars was on hand.

       At Central PA Speedway, the second annual “Steel Block Nationals” brought forth a field of 43 going for the $4,008 to win prize. I am not sure, but I think that is the most any local race has ever paid for “limited” Late Models.  Tim Smith, Jr., Matt Gaston, Shane Beagle and Shawn McGarvey were among the early front runners, but Dan Stone, who scored that big WoO upset at Tri-City last year, came all the way from 17th to lead the race. After he took over, Stone was dominating the race until he pitted on lap 32 of the 40 laps for what I believe was an overheating problem.  McGarvey then became the leader but Mike Blose and Chris Ferrell were running him down. However, McGarvey, a five-time winner at Dog Hollow this year, was able to hold on for his biggest win ever over Farrell, Blose, Billy Dickson and Chuck Kennedy.  

        LIMITED MODIFIEDS:  Originally scheduled for September 13, Mercer ran its second E Mod race of the year Saturday. The $2,000-to-win 30 lapper was the richest E Mod race in Mercer history and drew a record field of 58 cars.  Just making the race was tough and some good cars went back on the trailers.  Joel Watson, a two-time winner at Raceway 7 this year, took his first-ever Mercer victory over Randy Hall, who won the spring race back in April.  Hall, winner of a dozen races this year, had already clinched his second Cavalcade title over Dave Hess, Jr., by a large margin. Watson took the lead from David Scott, who was driving Bootie Petsko’s #00, on lap18. But then Scott took the top spot back on lap 23, only to lose it again to Watson the next lap. “Slow Ride” had a great ride, but it came to an end with a flat tire on lap 29 leaving the popular veteran 17th in the run down. Scott’s flat moved Shawn Shingledecker and Russ Dunn behind Hall with Dick Barton taking 5th in one of the Justin Carlson #16 cars.  Dave Hess, Jr., had a lousy night finishing 18th after 20th in the Late Models. Going back a week, Frankie Guidace scored the big one for the 358 small block Modifieds at Mercer, which was part of the Little Guy Nationals. He picked up $2,000 for his win in the 30 lapper which was a T-3 All Star sanctioned race. New Yorker Ray Bliss, Jr., was second over Eric Gabany, Jimmy Holden and Billy Van Pelt.

         STOCK CARS:  I am just about spaced out, but want to at least mention the winners of the big races last week and this week.  Rusty Martz and Alan Dellinger won the two races during Mercer’s Little Guy Nationals with Dellinger taking the Saturday $2,000 prize.  Fuzzy Fields took home $3,008 for his win this week at Central PA Speedway.  Dellinger was one point ahead of Martz in our Cavalcade standings going into the Mercer weekend. They came out the same way and then at Clearfield both had trouble finishing 24th and 14th. Again no change, so the Fall Fest will decide who gets the Cavalcade plaque this year!!

        MODIFIEDS:  The local Modified season ended on Sept. 21 with the annual running of the Russ King Memorial BRP Mod Tour race at Sharon. The big show at Syracuse is this week and western PA fans will have at least one driver to root for as Brian Swartzlander will be making his first trip to the “Moody Mile.”  Being the BRP champion and also winning the DIRTcar western circuit points, Swartzlander will head north with a guaranteed starting spot for his red #83 car.  The veteran driver from Leechburg will be a “rookie” on the mile track and in the Rite Aid 200, but I think he will give a good account of himself. Hopefully having a good finish and picking up the $1,000 award for the “Rookie of the Race.”  I have been going to Syracuse for the race since the first one in 1972, but have been forced to miss it the past two years. However, good friend Chip Wolbert and I will be heading north Friday morning and are looking for a great weekend of Modified racing!!!

   C U in December, the next issue of RPM RACING NEWS!!!