KEVIN BOLLAND AND MAX BLAIR WIN BEFORE RAINS CLAIM REST OF THE SHOW AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY
by Brian Spaid

June 8, 2008

   FRANKLIN, PA  ... The racing action was as hot as the weather on Sunday night at Tri-City Speedway, and two features were completed before heavy rains and wind invaded canceling the rest of the show with Kevin Bolland (Engles Trucking DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds) and Max Blair (4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models) scoring the feature wins on WDDH 97.5 “The Hound” Night at the Venango County half-mile oval. The features for the RPM Auto Sales/Sherry Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks, and Klapec Auto Body Thundercars will be rain delayed to later dates. Because the races were more than one-half completed, rain checks will not be honored.

   Kevin Bolland of New Brighton, Pa., took the lead after a botched restart on the fifth circuit of the 20-lap DIRTcar Big Block Modified feature to win his second main event of the 2008 racing season. It was Bolland’s 31^st career win at Tri-City as he raced to victory in his Bolland Machine/Cintas Uniform/Cranberry Coin Shop Bicknell No. 777.

   “It’s tough sometimes trying to figure out this race track,” said Bolland. “My crew did a great job with the setup tonight. Jeremiah (Shingledecker’s) car didn’t seem to be running right, and we took advantage of that on the restart.”

   The original start of the race was waved off due to a jump by polesitter Dave Schrader over Jeremiah Shingledecker. As he slowed for the caution on the backstretch, Del Rougeux Jr. ran into the back of his car breaking the front end on his racer. Other cars spun to avoid the incident, but Rougeux’s horrible string of bad luck continued with him out of the race.

   All drivers resumed their original starting spots for the second attempt, and Schrader took command. Shingledecker and Kevin Hoffman dueled for second. On the fourth circuit, Bolland slipped under Hoffman for third and the caution soon followed.

   On the pivotal double file restart, Schrader started on the outside, and the car of inside front row starter Shingledecker sputtered, which he complained about following the original start. Restarting third and on the inside of the second row behind Shingledecker, Bolland shot to the middle of the track and snared second followed by Hoffman as Shingledecker fell back to fourth. As the cars circled around to complete the fifth lap, Bolland drove under Schrader to lead at the line.

    From there, Bolland cruised to victory. Hoffman took second from Schrader on the seventh circuit and held off Shingledecker in the last stages of the race to finish second in his small block powered racer. Shingledecker settled for third over Schrader and Joe Crawford. Schrader and Shingledecker won the DIRTcar Big Block Modified heats.

   Max Blair of Titusville, Pa., scored a dramatic win in the rain shortened 16-lap FASTRAK Late Model feature. Holding off Butch Lambert’s valiant efforts, Blair snared his third consecutive and overall win of the season in his Bossard’s Auto Parts/Donovan & Bauer Auto Group/Specialty Products Rocket No. 111. With the rain storm ending the night’s action, Blair’s victory lane ceremony was delayed to next week.

   Blair and Lambert started on the front row of the scheduled 20-lap event, and Blair immediately moved into the lead. Lambert sat in second with 2000 E Mod track champion Bobby Powell in third as laps clicked by and the dark clouds built to the northwest off turn four. As five laps clicked off, lightning shined in the sky and Blair continued to pace the field. Lambert, however, closed in as his tires started to work. On the ninth circuit, a caution for a minor crash in turn four slowed the action.

   On the restart, Lambert charged after Blair. As the race passed the halfway mark, Lambert was challenging Blair. On the 12^th circuit, Lambert put his wheels underneath Blair at the line. With Blair on the top groove and Lambert down low, excitement built in the stands as all the fans and track officials knew that the rain was coming. As the field raced through turns three and four to try to complete the 17^th circuit, Lambert took the lead, but another caution waved as Kyle Zimmerman spun backwards into the second turn wall. The caution nullified the pass. While the cars paced around the track, heavy winds and rain invaded the speedway, and the race was called official with 16 laps in the books. Blair picked up the win over Lambert, Powell, Chad Myers and Bobby Whitling. Blair and Lambert won the FASTRAK Late Model heats.

   As rain pelted the track, the rest of the show was canceled. The Pro Stocks were next on the card, and their feature will be run at the start of the show on June 15^th. The E Mod feature will be run on June 22^nd. The Thundercar feature will be run on June 29^th.

   In the heat races, Carl McKinney and Mike Potosky won the E Mod heat races, Rod Laskey and Jason Reagle won the Pro Stock heats, and Cody Manners and Jon Huff won the Thundercar heat races.

   The One-on-One Spectator Races will not be rescheduled.

   On Sunday June 15^th, Tri-City Speedway celebrates Father’s Day as Cranberry Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change Presents Five-Star Racing featuring the Engles Trucking DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, 4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models, RPM Auto Sales/Sherry Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks and Klapec Auto Body Thundercars. The Pro Stocks will run double features with the June 8^th event first on the card. At the conclusion of the show, Family Services and PPC Violence Free Network will present the 7^th Annual Ladies Charity Event at Tri-City, with this year’s event a Ladies Only Mid-Sized Car Demolition Derby. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission will remain at $11 with students (13-15) at $5 and children 12 and under admitted free. 

   DIRTcar BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS (20 Laps): 1. KEVIN BOLLAND, 2. Kevin Hoffman, 3. Jeremiah Shingledecker, 4. Dave Schrader, 5. Joe Crawford, 6. Andy Priest, 7. Skip Moore, 8. Brad Rapp, 9. Dean Pearson, 10. Jimmy Holden, 11. Brian Sadler, 12. Mike Turner, 13. Carl Murdick, 14. Rick Ryder, 15. Rich Whitney, 16. Kyle Fink, 17. Tommy Kristyak, 18. Del Rougeux Jr.

   FASTRAK LATE MODELS (16 Laps): 1. MAX BLAIR, 2. Butch Lambert, 3. Bobby Powell, 4. Chad Myers, 5. Bobby Whitling, 6. Dave Lyon, 7. Chris Haines, 8. Carl McKinney, 9. Danny Angelicchio, 10. Steve Hollabaugh, 11. Chris Angelicchio, 12. Kyle Zimmerman.

   E MODS (15 Laps) (Starting Lineup): 1. Bruce Powell, 2. Shawn Shingledecker, 3. Evan Taylor, 4. David Atkinson, 5. Mike Potosky, 6. Carl McKinney, 7. Butch Lambert, 8. Tim Engles, 9. Jeff Deeter, 10. Jonathan Taylor, 11. Chip Mahood, 12. Dave Lyon, 13. Billy Henry, 14. Gary Sullivan, 15. Rick Pratschler, 16. Jay Bloom, 17. Jim Frontz.

   PRO STOCKS (15 Laps) (Starting Lineup): 1. Dave Ferringer, 2. Jason Johns, 3. Randy Wyant, 4. Gerry Bruce, 5. Jason Reagle, 6. Rod Laskey, 7. Russ Coyne, 8. Matt Thomas, 9. Chris Haines, 10. Ronnie Davis, 11. Denny Crawford, 12. Jackson Humanic, 13. Arthur Edwards, 14. Jeff Manners, 15. A.J. MacQuarrie, 16. Jim Keith, 17. Terry Wheeler, 18. Kevin Carson, 19. Josh Seippel, 20. Don Kramer, 21. Bobby Sutley.

   THUNDERCARS (12 Laps) (Starting Lineup): 1. Cody Manners, 2. Jon Huff, 3. Ed Deloe, 4. Bill Myers, 5. Joe Sloss, 6. Chadd Uber, 7. Bill Winters, 8. Curtis E. Bish, 9. Kenny Alcorn, 10. Regina Deloe, 11. Don Blake Jr., 12. Joe Blake, 13. Alan Perry, 14. Ed Roberts, 15. Dave Baker, 16. Bill Baker, 17. Greg Myers, 18. Curt Bish Sr., 19. Mike Dobrick, 20. Pat Fielding.

   UPCOMING EVENTS

   June 15 – Cranberry Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks (Double Features), Thundercars and PPC Violence Network Ladies Charity Ladies Only Mid-Sized Car Demo Derby

   June 22 – McDonald’s Presents DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods (Double Features), Pro Stocks (William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Pro Stock Series) and Thundercars (Kids Night Bike Races) (Tri-City Speedway Hall of Fame Inductions)

   June 29 – Edward Jones Presents Fireworks Extravaganza with DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars (Double Features)

   July 3 and 4 – Hetrick Racing Presents The AVTA Extreme Dirt Track Series 2008 ATV Races

   July 6 – Buyer’s Fair and Pennzoil Present DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, FASTRAK Late Models, E Mods (Welding Technologies E Series), Pro Stocks and Thundercars (Scout Night: All Boy and Girl Scouts in Uniform Receive Free Grandstand Admission) (Fireworks Raindate)