BOBBY SUTLEY RUNS WELL AS PRO STOCK ROOKIE AT TRI-CITY
by Brian Spaid

June 9, 2006

   When a new driver and team decide to go racing, the first purchase is a car. A good car.

   In 2005, Bobby Sutley of Cherrytree was itching to go Pro Stock racing at Tri-City Speedway. He wanted to do well and did not want to buy just any car.

   “I wanted to buy a good car that was dependable and fast. I shopped around very little. I found what I figured was the best car.”

   Within one week of the 2005 Applefest 100, Sutley met with Jason Johns of Oil City. Johns finished second in the Pro Stock point standings at Tri-City with his Chevrolet No. 31, and he was selling out to move into the E Mods. With eight months to go before the start of the 2006 season, Sutley owned a Pro Stock.

   “I’ve wanted to do this for about 10 years,” said Sutley, who works as an equipment operator for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. “Being on the track and racing is the best part of it. The rest of it is a lot of work though.”

   Sutley raced go-karts back in 1995. Competing at Pine Hill and Slippery Rock Speedways, he fared well, but was not a standout competitor. After one year of racing go-karts, Sutley quit the sport, but still had the racing bug. As time went on, his desire to compete again grew.

   “My father, Bob, helped work on cars for Bill Peterson, who owned the Pro Stocks raced by Bill Wheeling on the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series. Dad had fun and the team ran well. Dad also worked with Ron Becker’s team at Tri-City in the mid-90s.”

   Armed with his father’s experience, the two men went to work on his car. Gradually, over the winter, his race team grew to include his brother, Brian, of Titusville, Dana Shawgo of Bethel, Glenn McWilliams of President, Eric Plowman of Dempseytown and Jay Perry of Cherrytree.

   “We’ve got a great bunch of guys on our team,” said Sutley. “They put a lot of time and effort into this deal.”

   The first two nights, Sutley started to look better behind the wheel of his Chevrolet No. 5S. Then, on May 21, in only his third career Pro Stock feature, Sutley scored a stellar fourth place finish. He also established himself as the favorite to win rookie honors in the Pro Stocks at Tri-City. Given his steady performances behind the wheel, he may also be a feature winner in the near future.

   “I didn’t think I’d run that well that fast. There are a lot of cars capable of winning every week at Tri-City, and I think it’s pretty tough to get in the top ten. There was a little bit of luck in that finish.”

   With the support of his wife, Helen, and his children, Colton, 5, and Cassidy, 1, in addition to his father, brother, and entire race team, Sutley, 33, believes he can score a feature win eventually.

   “I just need some more seat time,” said Sutley. “I might be able to get a win. I just want to be competitive.”

   Sutley’s sponsors include Dr. Jay Stevens of Franklin, Randy’s Auto Sales of Dempseytown, Don Eiler Excavating of Barkeyville, and Peterson Bros. Salvage Yard of Cochranton.