RUSSELL KING WINS DICK RANKIN MEMORIAL IN BACKUP CAR OWNED BY DAVE SCHRADER; ROD GEORGE, RUSS DUNN, JASON REAGLE, AND BILL MYERS ALSO COLLECT FEATURE WINS
by Brian Spaid

May 27, 2007

   FRANKLIN, PA  ... Despite heavy rains through midafternoon and a 38-minute rain delay during the feature races, Tri-City Speedway worked extra hard and completed its fourth show of the season in celebration of Memorial Day Weekend, and Russell King captured the 4^th Annual BRP Modified Tour Dick Rankin Memorial. Other winners included Rod George (4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints), Russ Dunn (RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods), Jason Reagle (E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks) and Bill Myers (Klapec Auto Body Thundercars) at the Venango County half-mile oval.

   In a mild upset of sorts, Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio, captured the BRP Modified Tour Dick Rankin Memorial for the second consecutive year. This time, however, King used a backup car owned by Dave and Carol Schrader. Taking the lead for the final time on the 24^th circuit of the 30-lap event with a hard contact pass by New York invader Charlie Donk, King drove the D&C Racing Enterprises Bicknell No. 56Pack to his third career win at Tri-City. The event was also the first race of the 2007 Schwab’s Ford Big Block Modified Challenge Series, which is a five-race series run in conjunction with Lernerville Speedway.

   “We grenaded a motor last night at Sharon,” said King. “Dave and Carol are my second parents, and they know how much I love to race, and I really appreciate them letting me use their car. Charlie got by me clean, and I went to the bottom on the next lap. I threw a slider down in three and four and came up a little short, and I hope he’s not too mad at me. But we come to win. We don’t come to run second.”

   Andy Priest and Dave Schrader led the field to the green flag and Schrader took command at the start. Priest pulled a slide job on Schrader in turn three on the next circuit to take a lead that lasted two laps before Priest’s engine appeared to expire under caution. Schrader was back up front for a restart that turned wild when Rob Curtis turned upside down under the starter’s tower collecting Mike Miller and Carl Murdick. No one was injured in the melee. The race only lasted four more laps through two more cautions before rain invaded and caused a 38-minute delay.

   When the race restarted, Schrader led for four more circuits before King passed his teammate for the night on the 11^th circuit. Donk and Brian Swartzlander also moved by Schrader, and were running second and third at the halfway point. Swartzlander was flying and appeared to be in line to take the lead when rookie Steve Feder spun in front of the leaders in turn one on the 17^th circuit. Although King and Donk missed Feder, Swartzlander hit him square. The accident caused a yellow flag. Swartzlander continued to race and finished seventh.

   King and Donk continued to run one-two entering the final third of the race as three-time BRP Modified Tour champion Ron Smoker entered the picture taking third from Schrader with ten to go. Rex King, who went to the rear of the field after changing a tire during the rain delay also charged back into the top five. On the 23^rd lap, Donk made an outside turn four pass work on Russell King. One lap later, King pulled his slide move on Donk. The two made heavy contact, but survived with King taking the lead back. Smoker also made it by Donk. Smoker was unable to catch “The Prince of Bristolville,” who raced to his first win of the season at Tri-City and the third victory of his career at the Venango County half-mile oval.

   Donk, Priest, Swartzlander and Smoker captured the DIRTcar Big Block Modified heats for the 32-car field. Rick Hall won the B Main. Swartzlander set a new track record for the DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds at Tri-City with a lap at 18.416 seconds, which translates into 97.741 mph.

   Using a daring move in lapped traffic, Rod George of Kittanning, Pa., raced to his third win of the season in the 20-lap Super Sprint feature. Taking the lead from Brent Covell with five circuits remaining, George raced to his 43^rd career win in his Notary Express/Dr. John Crawford III Family Practice Maxim No. 4.

   “Brent did a super job all night,” said George. “He just made one little bobble and I got by. My wife and crew chief told me not to screw around tonight. The track was racy. I’ve got to congratulate my mom and dad because it’s their anniversary and Dr. Crawford because it’s his birthday.”

   Covell leaped into the lead from his pole position at the start of the race. George was immediately on his tail, but Covell held off some stout challenges from the three-time track champion. After a Mike Dehner spin on the sixth lap, the ensuing restart resulted in a red flag when five cars crashed on the frontstretch and Todd Bauer’s racer ended up with its left rear tire on the wall. After a long cleanup, the race went to the end without stopping. Covell continued to pace the field in a stirring performance. Then, lapped traffic became his nemesis. Catching the rear of the field with five laps to go, George dove under Covell in turn three and took the lead. One lap later, Bob Felmlee and Rob Eyler made the same move under Covell, but by then George was gone. At the finish, George was the winner over Felmlee, Eyler, Covell and Jody Keegan, who recovered from a flat tire in the sixth lap accident. Felmlee and Bauer won the Super Sprint heat races. On the fourth lap of the first heat, Felmlee toured the track in 14.805 seconds to set a new track record at 121.581 mph.

   Russ Dunn of Fenelton, Pa., led from start-to-finish to win the 16-lap E Mod feature. The former Sharon Speedway track champion fended off every challenge for his first win of the season aboard his McDonald’s/Dan Dunn Trucking Cyclone No. 47.

   “We weren’t going to race tonight,” said Dunn after his second career win at Tri-City. “My wife was upset we decided to race, but it all worked out. Those other drivers made us work for it tonight.”

   Gary Sullivan and Dunn paced the field at the start with Dunn taking the lead from the get-go. Six cautions slowed the race, but Dunn was peerless on each restart. Former track champion Mike Potosky was his first challenger. Potosky was unable to make a pass stick before Carl McKinney and Bobby Whitling blasted by him on the third circuit. McKinney had five opportunities to pass Dunn on restarts, including a late race caution that extended the event by one circuit. Each time, Dunn fended off McKinney’s advances. At the checkered flag, Dunn was the victor over McKinney, Whitling, Potosky and point leader Jim Frontz. Potosky and McKinney won the E Mod heats.

   Jason Reagle of Oil City, Pa., captured his first Pro Stock feature win since the 2005 CSOnline Applefest 100. Following that victory, Reagle joined the ranks of the DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds with little success. Two weeks ago, he debuted a new Pro Stock. This week, Reagle drove the R.K. Virgile Scrap Metals Dodge No. Triple 8 to his first win of the season in the 15-lap Pro Stock feature.

   “We had this chassis lying around, and all those Dahlstrom cars were winning, and we had to get a Virgile car in victory lane,” quipped Reagle about the competing Oil City, Pa., scrap metal dealers that sponsor different Pro Stocks and Thundercars at Tri-City. “Id like to thank all the people that helped me get this car together, especially Ray Virgile and Brad Sheatz.”

   Reagle and Danny Exley were on the front row for the start of the race, and Reagle was able to outdrag Exley off turn two to lead at the start. While Exley tried to challenge Reagle, all eyes watched point leader Doug Iorio II race to the front. On the sixth circuit, Iorio drove under Exley off turn four to take second. He gradually caught Reagle, but suddenly slowed on the ninth circuit. Although Iorio was able to keep the car running, he lost several positions in the incident, which took him out of contention for the win. Exley was back in second, but not for long. Rod Laskey moved under Exley in turn four with four laps to go. Reagle was up to the challenge, however, and led every lap to capture his fifth career win at Tri-City. Laskey finished second over Exley, rookie Bobby Sutley and Iorio. Iorio, Terry Wheeler and Laskey captured the Pro Stock heats.

   Bill Myers of Seneca, Pa., made some savvy moves around the half-mile oval to capture the 12-lap Thundercar feature for his initial victory of the 2007 season. Racing his Color Tek/R.K. Virgile Scrap Metals Chevrolet No. 43M, Myers took the lead from point leader Charlie McMillen and Josh Seippel on the seventh circuit. He then raced unchallenged for his second career Thundercar feature win.

   “This was a great car to drive tonight,” said Myers. “We haven’t done anything since last year, and we wanted this win. It was a good race for us.”

   McMillen took the lead from the third row at the start of the race. The two-time feature winner was looking to extend his strong runs this season, but Myers had other ideas. Seippel ran second to McMillen, and tried to drive under him several times. Myers moved through the field into third by the fourth circuit. He then chased down the leaders and moved to the outside of both men off turn two on the seventh lap. Seippel finally drove by McMillen one lap later, but Myers was long gone by then. McMillen and Regina Deloe made contact in a battle for third on the ninth circuit. Deloe continued in the race despite losing a few positions. McMillen fell out of contention. Out front, Myers raced to the win over Seippel. The father-son duo of Curtis E. Bish and Curt Bish Sr. finished third and fourth followed by Deloe, who recovered for fifth. Myers and Bish Sr. won the Thundercar heats.

   Tri-City Speedway will return to action next Sunday June 3^rd with a five-star racing program that includes the 4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints, Schwab's Ford DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks and Klapec Auto Body Thundercars. The E Mods will run their first 20-lap Allegheny Toyota E Series for the 2007 season. It is also Little League Night at the track as all Little League members in uniform will receive free grandstand admission. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission will be a family friendly $11. 

   SUPER SPRINTS (20 Laps): 1. ROD GEORGE, 2. Bob Felmlee, 3. Rob Eyler, 4. Brent Covell, 5. Jody Keegan, 6. Scott Rodgers, 7. Mike Dehner, 8. Bryan Grove, 9. Chris Shuttleworth, 10. Cory Good, 11. Gale Ruth Jr., 12. Jack Sodeman Jr., 13. Todd Bauer, 14. Russ Sansosti. DNS: Danny Holtgraver.

   DIRTcar BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS (30 Laps): 1. RUSSELL KING, 2. Ron Smoker, 3. Rex King, 4. Dave Murdick, 5. Charlie Donk, 6. Del Rougeux Jr., 7. Brian Swartzlander, 8. Chris Schiffer, 9. Dave Schrader, 10. Kevin Hoffman, 11. J.R. McGinley, 12. Brad Rapp, 13. Skip Moore, 14. Jason Reagle, 15. Garrett Krummert, 16. Mike Turner, 17. Rick Hall, 18. Jeremiah Shingledecker, 19. Jeremy Paup, 20. Steve Feder, 21. Matt Baker, 22. Andy Priest, 23. Chanda Leibold, 24. Rob Curtis, 25. Mike Miller, 26. Carl Murdick. DNS: Kevin Bolland. DNQ: Gary Rankin, Doug Fleeger, Lenny Leibold Jr., Jay Priest, Rex King Jr.

   E MODS (15 Laps): 1. RUSS DUNN, 2. Carl McKinney, 3. Bobby Whitling, 4. Mike Potosky, 5. Jim Frontz, 6. Shawn Shingledecker, 7. Evan Taylor, 8. Jeff Walters, 9. Mike Samuelson, 10. Jason Johns, 11. Gary Sullivan, 12. Jeff Deeter, 13. Jim Turley, 14. Chip Mahood, 15. Arthur Edwards, 16. Jonathan Taylor, 17. Tim Engles, 18. Robert Double, 19. Vince Crisanti, 20. Kevin Miller. DNS: Butch Lambert, Scott Malone.

   PRO STOCKS (15 Laps): 1. JASON REAGLE, 2. Rod Laskey, 3. Danny Exley, 4. Bobby Sutley, 5. Doug Iorio II, 6. Chris Haines, 7. Joe Lockhart, 8. Jeff Lockhart, 9. Gerry Bruce, 10. Randy Wyant, 11. Matt Thomas, 12. Denny Crawford, 13. Terry Wheeler, 14. Jeff Manners, 15. Jackson Humanic, 16. Matt Keith, 17. Mike Pegher Jr., 18. A.J. MacQuarrie, 19. Don Kramer, 20. Rusty Kellogg, 21. Dave Ferringer. DNS: Dick Pascorell, John Winters, Bill Kluck Jr., Russ Coyne.

   THUNDERCARS (12 Laps): 1. BILL MYERS, 2. Josh Seippel, 3. Curtis E. Bish, 4. Curt Bish Sr., 5. Regina Deloe, 6. Ed Deloe, 7. Cody Manners, 8. Chad Ubber, 9. Bill Winters, 10. Greg Myers, 11. Fred Schultz, 12. Joe Blake, 13. Charlie McMillen, 14. Jason Swartz, 15. John Monaco, 16. Patrick Fielding, 17. Jon Huff. DNS: Kevin Alcorn.

    UPCOMING EVENTS

   June 3 – Super Sprints, DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, E Mods (Allegheny Toyota E Series), Pro Stocks and Thundercars (Little League Night – Leaguers in Uniform Admitted Free of Charge)

   June 10 – Super Sprints, DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, E Mods, Pro Stocks (William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series), Thundercars and One-on-One Spectator Races (WDDH 97.5 “The Hound” Night)

   June 17 – Super Sprints, DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, E Mods, Thundercars, PPC Violence Free Network/Family Services Ladies Pro Stock Charity Race and Lowry Auto Wrecking Compact Car Demo Derby (Cranberry Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change Night)

   June 24 – Super Sprints, DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, E Mods, Pro Stocks (William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series) and Thundercars (Kids Night Bike Races)(Fisher & Father Night)(Red Express Customer Appreciation Night)